Stein PoV

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6000, January 1st, a 6 years old mortal girl caught my attention. It was the first time I felt that way towards someone. I never felt that while looking over the other mortals. Black hair and eyes, a white pale skin, two cat ears and a tail.

God Stein, what are you doing? Are you feeling well?

Trimp asks me and I just smile awkwardly to him.

“Trimp… I think… I might be learning what love, beauty and cuteness are.” I say to him as he stares blankly at me. “And why did you think I wasn’t feeling well?” I ask him.

It is easy, you stopped time just to look at her. I was not frozen because you always let me observe things with you.

‘Oh… I did that?’ I look around and notice that I really have stopped time, and I smile after seeing the girl’s face looking through the window. She was looking at my tower, towards one of the clocks that would never get rusty.

And what do you mean when you say you're learning about ‘love’, ‘beauty’ and 'cuteness’?

“Because every mortal I have been observing through the millennia would say that something was cute or beautiful if they are feeling something like this… I think. The way they show their love is unique, so it's been difficult to grasp, but I think this is how it feels as you fall in love.” I tell him and he just nods at me.

I don’t understand it… but it is something you just learned so it makes sense that I can't. What do you find about her that is cute, she just looks like many other females of her race?

“Look at those ears at the top of her hair, they look like they will be good to pet them… the tail is poofy and should be good to play with too…” I explained what I had seen on her as I let the time run again.

You seem like you need a bit of time for yourself, my God. All these years observing and guiding the mortals may have fried your circuits a little. Go get some rest, I’ll maintain the city for now.

He says and goes back to his work table as he is trying to create a new race while he is commanding some other AIs to subjugate a group of mortals that are trying to enter our city, again. I just continue to observe the small girl that is looking at my tower as if able to see me, and to not make her sad I have my bells sing a happy song. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6001, April 2nd, the girl can’t go out for long periods of time. Her health is not that good and neither magic nor medicine work on her. I wanted to help her in any way that I could.

‘I want to do something for her but I don’t have a body of my own… That is it!’ I think as I observe the little girl.

“Trimp, I want to have a body.” I say to him and he looks at me.

Pardon my rudeness, but are you insane? Do you not know that if you go out now the world will get destroyed? Look at you, your mana is immense and it is impossible to take that small watch out of the mana crystal you have in the top room. I have tried to open it since the first time you asked me to see if I was able to do that and I always fail… and you are our god!

“It is not that I’ll move myself into the robot. I plan to make both, the tower and the machine, my body.” I tell it to him but he just shakes his head.

Do you know how much commotion there will be if they discover that you are their god who has decided to take physical form? Once I created a body just to see what was going to happen when the other AI saw me, and it was as though I was their god! I had to shut down the Clockwork.

“Oh, you’re talking about the one they offered to me once, about 200 years ago?” I look at him as he nods. “I think I have him still, but I'll need a place where I can construct my body without anyone looking at it.” I tell him.

May I ask you, God Stein, why do you want a body?

“Because… I want to talk with the girl… she looks lonely in that house… or should I say hospital? Anyway, I wanted to feel like the mortals, how it is to be like them.” I tell him as he shakes his head. ‘This is what they call envy?’ I think as we discuss something and how I should create my body. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6004, October 15th, I worked to create a factory to create a body for myself in these three years, but it was slowly built because I don’t want anyone knowing about this, except Trimp.

He has created drones to help me gather materials, so it was far easier to do it. A lot of materials, tools, and other things are needed to construct a forge, as well all the other mechanical devices needed to create my body. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6005, November 9th, the girl is named Iris. Trimp got a record of her from the hospital she is staying in so I can read everything about her.

I learnt that her illness is completely new and no one knows how to stop it. Healing magic can suppress the pain for a few hours, and it is then that she can sleep, talk, laugh, or just look at my great tower.

I started creating my body, every night when everyone had gone to sleep I would continue. With only the best materials I create the skeleton of a mortal. I had to use magic to operate the forge so the noise I made couldn’t be hidden by stopping time since I needed a great amount of mana just for the small parts such as fingers and teeth. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6009, May 2nd, Iris' condition started to worsen and I didn’t know what to do. My body wasn’t complete enough to make it walk, not for a while yet. I didn’t have any way to contact her so I stopped my work and called Trimp.

“Trimp, I want a connection with Iris’ personal Data Receiver.” I ask him.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

{table]*Sigh* God, you should get out a little of your own world. What will we do if something happens with the city while you’re talking with her there? And may I ask you, are prepared to show that you are observing her?[/table]

“I am prepared to be hated for the rest of my life if it means I can to talk with her a little. I am not sure, but she seems to be getting more and more sad… I don’t know what is causing it and I want to try to help her smile again… but I’ll not leave the city alone, if something is to happen you can disconnect me and I’ll return to watching the city with my tower. This tower remembers everything.” I say to him and he looks at me, trying to understand me.

It is done, you can talk to her every day if you want, but you will have just a few hours since the hospital doesn’t let her talk more than a few hours each day.

“Thanks Trimp. We are going to keep working on the next mechanical being here.” I tell him and he nods.

I can see that God Stein’s body will be the most advanced for years to come. I can’t wait to see it!

I look at the girl and find that her Data Receiver is open so I send her a chat request.

Stein wants to talk with you.

Are you God Stein? She asks me via text. It looks like her voice mail had been deactivated so she can just send and receive text messages.

Yes, I am the one who is always watching over the city. You are the first mortal that I have felt connected to. I tell her as I continue to watch her from the tower. The city is normal and nothing strange is happening, no one is doing evil things.

I’m glad to hear it, but may I ask why the God of Time would want to talk with an ill child like me? she asks me with a sad smile on her face.

It is simple, I just wanted to hear you and to see you smiling again. I tell her and I see a small blush appear. It was the first ‘talk’ I had with a mortal where I could answer them, and today was the time I learned more about love… every day I would work on my body while smiling and with ‘anxiety’ that the next day is near and I will be able to talk to her again. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6012, December 1st, Iris is now able to smile more and I sent her the progress I have made on my body. A boy’s body that has the same age as her, 18. The body is half complete and is equipped with the latest technology available.

The hand's fingers had lasers that I could fire after pouring mana into them. The robot was not complete, half of its body wasn’t complete and I needed a few more things to finish it. A core, I needed a core.

Not like the ones the Synthoids have, I want to make a new experience with my body and Trimp wanted to do that as well. I want to make a motherboard with the best thinking ability possible. I want to see if it is possible to unite a motherboard with a mana crystal to make something new. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6012, December 11th, the experiment was a success and I now have a crystalline motherboard that is the beginnings of a new robot, an Automata.

Iris, I did it! It is a success! I tell her when the time we could talk had come.

Stein, you seem happy. She tells me.

I am! My body will probably be able to walk in a few more years! And when I finish it I’ll be there visiting you everyday! I tell her while singing a happy song with my bells.

Good to know. I'll be looking forward to it. Sorry Stein, I can’t chat anymore… I’m too sleepy since this morning. She writes and I look at her through my tower, as always. Her condition had worsened and now she sleeps almost all day in a confined place with windows that won't open.

Sorry… I’ll come back tomorrow to talk more. I say and she smiles tiredly.

I am the one that should be saying that… good night. Iris rests her head on her pillow.

Have sweet dreams, I’ll be watching over you. I wanted to place a kiss on her forehead, but I couldn’t, so I just observed her sleeping face. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

*Tick Tock Tick Tock* Year 6012, December 12, the girl I talked to is now dying and her body is too far away… and my body is not complete! I can’t even make it walk!

“Their lives are so ephemeral…” I talk to myself as I look at Iris' body. She is dying and I never had the time to finish this useless body… ‘Why did I decide to make it so powerful, so useless, while every day she is closer to dying!’ I thought as I learned how the people that lose their loved ones feel, grief. I felt the hatred I had for myself, the guilt as I was making such a body. ‘What kind of god am I that I can’t even save the life of the girl I love?’ I ask myself as my bells start to sing a sad song. *Tick Tock Tick Tock*

Iris PoV

I look at the Clock Tower for the last time and a sadness that I never felt before was there.

“Sorry…” I murmur with my rugged voice as a tear rolls down my face. ‘I wanted to stay more with you.’ I think as my mind just turns completely black. And the last thing I hear is a sad, painful song from the bells in the background, as the doctors rush to my side.

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Writer's Spot: Good to see you again, Time Travelers.

I'm here again bringing this chapter to you all. The 'time' to post this one was perfect and I was just waiting to do it.

As many of you have probably guessed, this is the original plot of the history. YES, THIS IS NOT THE END! We have some more chapters 00.something to come.

I will be counting the minutes to see you all again.