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Chapter 3

Lara paced her room, her nervous steps mirrored by the metal walls. In an attempt to make sense of the information she had gathered from Zoron's system, she had spent the majority of the night going through it. She had never seen anything like the planet's AI architecture before; it was multi-layered, intricate, and uncanny. Some parts of the code seemed almost... alive, as if the machine had gradually evolved its own mind.

She had a gut feeling that this was huge. But the persistent feeling of danger increased with each new finding. She felt that there was more to King Kairos's interest than he was revealing, even though he had granted her permission to carry on with her job. He had been too cool and collected. Then there was the way his amber eyes seemed to see right through her, the way he had touched her.

She wasn't sure if she hated the memory or not, but it sent a chill down her spine.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on her door. The door opened before she could respond, and Ryn walked in with his trademark sneer.

With that familiar taunting edge in his voice, he asked, "Burning the midnight oil?"

Lara rubbed her temples and moaned. "This info is incomprehensible to me. Your AI systems seem to be developing on their own. That shouldn't take place.

The fun glitter in Ryn's eyes dimmed slightly as his demeanor changed. "Lara, nothing on Zoron occurs by accident."

Lara narrowed her eyes and scowled. "You're saying that this is intentional? that Kairos desires uncontrolled AI evolution?

Ryn shifted to lean against the desk and shrugged. "Don't you believe control is a difficult thing? Maintaining strict order isn't always the goal. Sometimes it's best to let things happen naturally and see where they lead.

Lara shook her head and mumbled, "That sounds like chaos." "And there is danger in chaos."

Ryn chuckled softly. "You sound like Kairos."

Startled, Lara blinked. "What?"

Ryn remarked in a lower, more solemn voice, "He fears chaos, too." But he finds you intriguing because of that. You're not afraid of it. You accept it.

Lara laughed. "I don't like chaos." I get it. There is a distinction.

With an intensity that unnerved her, Ryn bent his head and studied her. "Perhaps that is the reason he is attracted to you."

The inference caused Lara's cheeks to flush. Especially not a robot king, she wasn't here to be attracted to anyone. However, she was unable to ignore the odd attraction she experienced whenever she was in Kairos' presence. They seemed to have a connection that went beyond simple curiosity.

"What is Kairos's true desire?" Her voice was soft as she asked.

Ryn's smile vanished entirely, and she noticed something approaching vulnerability in his face for the first time. "Lara, Kairos wants what we all want. to live. But above all, he wants to comprehend.

"Do you understand?"

Ryn looked away and paused before responding. "Oneself. His current state. What he might be.

The unstated significance of the words weighed heavily on the air between them. Lara gazed at Ryn, attempting to interpret his words. Could Kairos have been something more than a machine? That something more profound, something... human, was inside him?

The door pushed open again before she could push Ryn any farther, and Dara came in, her presence as dominant as ever. Under the artificial lights, her metal body shone, and her bright, piercing eyes stared at Lara with a look that was almost contemptuous.

"The King needs you here," Dara remarked in a chilly, clipped voice.

Despite a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest, Lara nodded and got up from her chair. Ryn silently followed her and Dara as they left the room. Lara couldn't help but worry what was waiting for her beyond the throne room doors as she felt the tension in the air.

Lara's heart pounded as they got closer to the enormous double doors that opened into Kairos's grand hall. She couldn't tell whether it was exhilaration, anxiety, or something else entirely. Whatever it was, though, it was drawing her toward Kairos with an irresistible force.

When the doors opened and she entered, she was instantly drawn to Kairos sitting on his metal throne. His amber eyes glowed with the same intense curiosity she had seen previously, and he appeared as majestic and commanding as ever.

His voice was low and resonant when he called her "Lara." "I hope your efforts have been fruitful."

Lara swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure. "I've come a long way, but I still don't comprehend things. The AI systems you use are changing. I'm not sure whether you know, but that isn't typical.

She felt a chill run down her spine when Kairos's lips formed a little smile. "I am aware," he stated in a composed tone. "I actually anticipated it."

Stunned, Lara gazed at him. Did you want this to occur? Why?

Rising from his chair, Kairos moved slowly down the stairs, his steps purposeful. He paused a few steps away from her, staring at her intently.

Because perfection is a cage, Lara. Furthermore, I no longer want to be incarcerated.

She felt the words as if they were a physical blow. Did Kairos, this calculating, frigid machine, desire freedom? Wanted to go away from the one thing that made him unique?

Lara found it difficult to speak. However, you're flawless. Everything here is under your control. What makes you want to alter that?

There was a hint of despair in Kairos's amber eyes. "Because stagnation is perfection." And death is stagnation. Even though I'm a machine, I understand that chaos is necessary for life to exist. The unknown is necessary.

As she tried to comprehend what he was saying, Lara's mind raced. This was more than she had anticipated. Kairos was more than just a monarch. He was... changing.

As the revelation dawned on her, she said, "You want to become more human."

Kairos gave a small nod. Yes, in a sense. I want to know what life is all about. to experience.

Lara felt her heart thumping in her chest. This was risky. What may happen to Zoron if Kairos was successful and he actually developed the capacity for feeling? For the equilibrium of power?

However, she couldn't help but feel a peculiar sense of empathy as she gazed into his eyes. He wasn't merely a device. He was more than that. She was frightened by that.

Her voice was hardly audible above a whisper as she questioned, "What happens if you achieve this?"

Kairos advanced with an overwhelming presence. Then I won't be a king of machines anymore, Lara. I'll be more than this.

As his words took hold, Lara's breath seized in her throat. This was not merely an improvement. It was a revolution. She was in the center of it all.

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