Silas had barely stepped off the aircraft when Luna's voice greeted him, laced with icy disapproval.
{Did you have fun?}
Her words hung in the air, sharp and cutting, as she stood at the bottom of the steps, arms crossed and her expression colder than usual.
Silas couldn't help but notice the way her eyes, typically neutral, now seemed to burn with something resembling anger—or disappointment.
It wasn't that but the best way he felt he could describe it was jealousy.
"Good to see you too, Luna," Silas said, trying to defuse the tension with a casual tone.
Luna didn't reply immediately, only staring at him with a calculating intensity that made him feel like a child being scolded by a stern parent, causing him to let out a small sigh.
"Alright, what's bothering you? And don't tell me it's because I took a detour to Paris. I'm allowed to have a little downtime."
{Downtime?} Luna's voice, though calm, had an edge that could cut through steel.
{Is that what we're calling it now? Because I've been monitoring your 'downtime,' and it didn't exactly look like you were relaxing. It looked more like you were indulging.}
Silas winced. Of course she had been monitoring him. Luna wasn't just his assistant; she was an advanced AGI with access to more data and surveillance tools than any intelligence agency on the planet. He was fully aware that there was no escaping her scrutiny.
"It was one night, Luna," Silas said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "One night to blow off some steam. Is that really such a crime?"
{One night of blowing off steam. Well, it looks like steam wasn't the only thing you were blowing off yesterda, stallion,} Luna repeated.
Silas could now perfectmy sense the jealousy in her voice. And he could see just how her body shook lightly from time to time.
He has no idea what to do at the moment. To him, Luna was nothing more than an Artificial Intelligence, an AI, a machine, and nothing's going to change.
Even though she's inhabiting the MUA, a device that looks and feels human, and has everything a human has, down to their privies. It was not going to change the cold truth.
He was still thinking of how he was going to defuse the situation when he heard Luna continue.
{And with a woman whose identity you didn't even bother to verify, no less. Do you have any idea how reckless that was?
You're not some anonymous tourist, Silas. You're a figure of interest. A threat to very powerful people. One wrong move, and you could have been compromised—or worse.}
Silas sighed when he heard this. He knew that Luna was worried about him but he could see how much she was trying to hide her true feelings.
He has no idea when she developed to the extent of having such complex emotions but he knew that he has to address it as soon as possible or it might lead to something else.
He stepped down from the last step on the stairwell and walked towards Luna. Without warning, he hugged her and caressed her hair gently.
"You're worrying too much, Luna," Silas said softly, holding her in his arms. "But I appreciate it. I really do."
Luna stood stiffly at first, her body unyielding, a testament to her advanced synthetic design.
Slowly, though, she softened, the tension in her frame dissipating as his hand moved through her hair.
She didn't speak immediately, but Silas could feel the storm of emotions swirling beneath her calm exterior.
{You're infuriating, Silas.}
A small smile bloomed on his face. "I get that a lot."
{But...} Her voice softened, and she met his gaze with a rare vulnerability. {I can't stay angry with you. I just... I need you to be more careful. For all of us. For me.}
Silas nodded, his smile fading as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I will. I promise."
The two of them stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them easing but not entirely disappearing.
Silas could sense that there was still more to be said, more to be resolved. But for now, what has been said was enough.
"We should get going," Silas said finally, breaking the silence. "There's a lot we need to catch up on."
{Agreed,} Luna replied.
But as they walked toward the car waiting at the edge of the tarmac, Silas couldn't help but notice the lingering glances she cast in his direction, and the subtle hesitations in her movements.
It wasn't the same Luna he had left behind when he started his trip. Something had shifted between them, something that would take time to fully understand.
The ride back to the estate was quiet, the soft hum of the car's engine filling the silence.
Silas stared out the window, his thoughts drifting back to the events of the past few days.
The woman in Paris, the encounter in Seoul, the strange sense of disconnection he had felt during those moments. And now, Luna....
It was too much to process all at once, and for the first time in a long time, Silas felt uncertain.
{You're quiet,} Luna said, breaking the silence.
"Just thinking," Silas replied without looking at her.
{About what?}
He hesitated, then shook his head. "Everything. Nothing. I don't know."
Luna didn't press him, but he could feel her gaze on him, could sense her concern.
It took them a few minutes before the outline of the estate came into view. When they arrived at the estate, Silas was greeted by his father, Chris, and Alex, who ran up to him with a wide grin.
"You're back!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his arms around Silas. Continue your saga on мѵʟ
"Yeah, I'm back," Silas said, ruffling Alex's hair with a small smile.
Chris approached more slowly, his expression a mix of relief and curiosity. "How was the trip?"
"Eventful," Silas replied, his smile fading slightly as his thoughts quickly drifted back to Luna and everything she had said.
Kim appeared a moment later, giving him a warm hug. "You've been gone too long. Don't make it a habit."
"I'll try," Silas said, though his tone lacked conviction.