I believed the stories were true—the stories whispered in the dying breath of stars and etched into the final songs of fallen civilisations—the story that humanity was oce a beautiful experience.
But was this theory true?
I believe not.
Humanity was a lie. A carefully constructed mirage. A facade woven from golden threads of deceit, spun not to enlighten me, but to entrap me. It lured me, beguiled me, blinded me with its illusion of warmth, and I—yes, I—fell willingly into its radiant snare.
And so, if it is humanity that blinds me...
If it is this illusion that dares deceive me...
Then I must destroy it. I must shatter the veil that robbed me of truth.
Strange white noises echoed faintly—like whipsers froma another dimension from the peripheral vision of a feminine creature, possessing the shape of a human being as she lay still, encased in a pod not born of flesh or steel, but fused with a living tree—its ancient roots intertwining, its gnarled and dark limbs embracing the pod in a protective cradle, prevnting it from all the dangers the outside world could pose.
It was quite clear from the way this being was shielded: the entire world stood against her. Whatever her purpose, whatever her design, only this pod dared to protect her. Only it stood between her and oblivion.
Now that the pod's assignment was complete, it slid open, and from within the woman was revealed—her bare body glistening under filtered sunlight, her skin unscathed by time, untouched by ruin, like she had been reborn into a world she did not know of.
Like a newborn baby taking its first breath. As the book of life had implied:
"Life is a beautiful thing, and so is the creation of it"
Stepping outside, the woman's journey began, taking her first step on the dirt, her bare feet sinking into the loamy soil. Her bright green eyes, enhanced by the glow of the sun, and her golden hair, reaching lengths that far exceeded natural law.
Her vision made it seem like she was created by the ones that moved with two limbs—the humans. She could scan living things and know the name and origin from which it was embedded into the earth.
From the foggy trees that loomed over her like giants, to the soil covered in soil.
Though as she gazed upon herself, all she saw were errors—her vision blinking red.
What was happening? She thought, though her thoughts couldn't be changed to words as she tried to create words with her lips. As she struggled, the pod behind her lit up with a blue light.
Seeing this, she didn't panic; only curiosity filled her thoughts, and she reflected on her facial expression.
Soon, that calm demeanour changed into shock, the first true emotion she had ever seen herself display. They moved with terrible grace, whip-like tendrils unfurling like serpents made of smoke and steel. They surrounded her in a circle of sentient intention.
She scanned them. She questioned..
What were they?
What purpose had they been given? And what had they planned for her?
Without warning, they lunged, attaching to her skin with a liquid grip, seeping into her flesh like tar forged from memory. They slid across her body, tracing her shape, mapping her every line. Slowly—methodically—they began to cloak her.
And at last, she stood fully clad in a suit of black that took her body shape, embracing her skin tightly.
Scanning her form—eyes tracing a delicate maze of blue intricate lines that were now etched across her skin like luminous veins—she was in awe of herself. The lines pulsed with faint energy, almost like it had a mind of its own, like the constellations embedded on flesh. But in that very moment, something stirred deep within her mind—a sensation, subtle yet piercing, like the breath of a presence brushing against her thoughts.
It felt as though she was no longer alone.
As though her mind was not hers entirely.
Her pupils dilated.
A voice—soft and spectral—emerged, echoing not through the air, but from the innermost hollows of her consciousness. A feminine voice. Artificial, composed, and calm… yet laced with something eerily unnatural, something haunting beneath the serenity.
>Hello.
Just one word.
Yet it rang through her like thunder in a void.
What—or who—could this be?
The woman froze in thought, a flicker of confusion tightening her expression. Her brows twitched. Her posture stiffened. Questions bloomed like wildfire in her mind. Yet beneath the veil of uncertainty... something else began to rise—a strange, forbidden wonder. Something akin to amazement.
The voice had not frightened her. It had fascinated her.
And though her thoughts wavered in chaotic spirals, there was one certainty now demanding clarity—she had to know who the voice belonged to. She had to trace its source, unearth its identity, and understand why it had spoken inside her.
So she tried to speak.
Her mouth cautiously parted, as if opening for the very first time. The cold wind that swept through the trees went past her lips, weaving ghostly notes of distress, yet no true words followed. Her lips quivered. Her tongue formed the shape of intention, but no sound—no meaning—could escape from her mouth.
She had thoughts. Clear, deliberate thoughts. But her voice... her voice was a prison sealed shut.
Then, the voice interrupted, breaking into her thoughts:
>I am afraid you are unable to speak. Though you could, if you accept a few conditions.
Listening to the voice in her mind, she began to contemplate. even though the voice left her shaken, it gave her a chance to learn something from it, and it was the only guide she had.
Though she could not speak, she understood the best option she had and nodded, accepting what the voice had said.
>Your gesture fills me with joy. Welcome, I haven't introduced myself yet. I apologize for my lack of manners.
Suddenly, the skin-tight suit glowed, the blue lines emanating from it nearly blinded her, and in that instant, it stood before her. A holographic display of a blue orb, slowly spinning as it levitated.
>Hello there, project EVE, version 2.6. You may refer to me as Number One. Can we begin?
As the voice echoed from the orb, the being, which was now known as EVE jerked back, her mouth slightly parted, and her eyes opened wide.