The eternal routine remains, unchanging, ever marching, toward the ideal future, towards a guaranteed happiness. Towards a fair, equal, happiness for all, a true utopia granted to us by the stewards of this universe. Their fair reach will envelop all without exception.

Praise the benevolent stewards of the universe, their guiding touch ensuring equal, guaranteed happiness.

There is no need, no room for doubts. Tomorrow, to the entirety of the stretch of the sea of time, the Primeras will only ever guide without strings attached, their benevolence’s satisfaction derived from nothing but our happiness.

Tick, tick, tick.

In ten more ticks, the system will activate, and with it, another day will start.

Tick, tick, tick.

Each tick was engraved in Izabel’s mind. She looked at the device strapped to her wrist, one with a small screen attached to it. From her touch, the screen was activated, showing the familiar screen.

[Izabel Viator]

[Status: Happy]

[Happiness: 98/100]

[Physical Health: 99.7%]

[You are satisfied and happy. Tomorrow and always, the Primeras will guard your happiness.]

Izabel took a deep breath, her eyes focused on the number. It seems like she was safe for now, and a little deviation will not send the trackers and mechanical attendants after her.

“I hope the system machines shatter and end everything, stewards of all? What a shitload of junk.”

[Happiness: 89/100]

[You are currently happy, perhaps, we can help to make you as happy as can be? Remember, the Primeras offer aid and promise happiness for all, with neither requirement nor strings attached.]

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

There was no need to contemplate further, for the clock had struck. A quick glance at the device eternally strapped to her wrist confirmed Izabel’s thoughts. As she had expected and seen ever since she could remember, it was 06:00 System Hour, a cue for the habitation unit she lives in to rouse to life once more.

[Good morning, we hope you had a restful evening.]

A retort bubbled on her throat, but as the countless times had taught her, she swallowed it, relieved that the shift in her happiness coefficient was negligible.

“Yes, I had a restful sleep. Thank you for your consideration.”

Her reply sounded forced to her own ears, but as practice had taught her, her expression betrayed no such thoughts. After all, they always watch, they always lurk. Enough shifts of her mood would send a suffocating swarm, tirelessly asking for her well-being. Benevolent as the Primeras may be, their gaze extends and pierces through all under the dome,

[That is reassuring to hear. Let us commence a quick scan]

The robotic voice was soft, reassuring, but perhaps, it would be more fitting to say that it would be reassuring when perceived by a scared kitten. Though the voice had been the constant factor that stayed ever since she could remember, for quite a while, it sounded more infuriating to her ears, a fact that invited trouble more times that she had the capacity to count.

[Coronam Vitae System scan complete]

[Results: Izabel Viator’s mood is stable, no illnesses or deviation detected]

[Happiness coefficient in Mirror app has been adjusted]

“Okay, can we start with the daily routine now?”

[Certainly]

Wake up at 6, cleanse yourself, eat, do the assigned tasks, eat, do the assigned tasks, go back to the habitation unit, cleanse yourself, eat, immerse yourself in the entertainment provided by the system, and sleep, to wake up and let the cycle repeat anew. Any deviations not permitted by the system’s calculation for optimal routine would alert the mechanical attendants.

Her mood, her thoughts, everything, it was all laid bare for the Primeras to see from their throne. The room shifted, transporting her to the bedroom while she was musing. With a little scoff, she noted the temperature of the warm water, 43 degrees, one degree warmer than yesterday. The bath was comfortable, but the routine, stretched over uncountable system hours, felt nothing short of suffocating.

Perhaps, she thought, glancing at the clock to ensure there were no significant shifts in her mood, these Primeras’ benevolence was paid in this suffocating embrace, a routine of calculated happiness that felt nothing short of suffocating.

After getting dressed, in colors that, just like everything else, was decided for her, she walked out. If the system decided that there was no need for humans to walk, perhaps, that liberty would be denied from her, too.

As soon as she finished the meal made by the unit’s molecular generator, she walked out of her habitation unit, right to the transportation unit waiting just outside. Painted in a soft blue, decorated with drawings of nature, beautiful, but as false, as artificial as everything else.

Another day, another routine, to an unchanging future.

Nothing but lies, illusions, a gilded cage of constant supervision by unseen overlords without even the guts to appear.

[Happiness: 80/100]

[How can we help you? Feel free to contact the nearest assistance unit.]

The screen of the device strapped to her wrist flickered, a silent confirmation. For the first time in her life, it went dark. She stared at the screen, as if wanting to savor the very, very first disruption to the eternal, unending, unchanging cycle. The transport unit started to move towards a destination she was familiar with, but this, this was new, this was a break, and Izabel intended to savor it.

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But the contrast made the wait stretch to an eternity, enough to affect the meter.

[Happiness: 68/100]

[Personnel has been dispatched to your area. Help is coming]

Another flicker before Izabel could react to the message, followed by the transportation unit screeching into a halt with force strong enough to throw her body forward. The blue skies she had seen for her entire life had started to change, red bleeding from unseen cracks with the speed of a drop of ink in pristine water.

Just like the skies, the screen on Izabel’s wrist started to disintegrate and fade, becoming pixels as it fell away to reveal darkness. In that brief instance, she saw her face was reflected on the dark screen.

[Congratulations! You have been chosen to become the beta tester of Heart Mirror]

An icon consisting of a silver, reflective heart wrapped in blue-chrome cables flashed across the screen.

[Beta Tester: 1000/1000]

[MIND: 100% - 00%]

[Connecting to server…]

[Acquiring connection – 10%]

From the red, broken skies, globs of pulsating liquid started spilling, their very existence unstable and flickering. Behind the glass window, Izabel watched as a few curious people approached the blobs, expressions innocent and unmarred by fear. The sight was surreal, one she could not tear away her eyes from, a change from routine and curiosity locking her attention to the scene.

Then, there was screaming. Primal, ear-piercing screams of fear and pain, their bravery paid as they were consumed by the creatures, melting into the ground in a combination of blood and guts. Their clear shock was palpable, proof that such a feeling was alien.

In that moment, perfection has truly crumbled, giving way to raw, unpolished truth. The sight anchored Izabel’s feet to the floor, her legs too heavy to move, her eyes fixated on the sight as the bystanders tried to escape. Frozen to the sight of change she had once desperately wished.

Amidst the unfolding chaos, a notification appeared on the device.

“Run! … damned… you—”

A voice pierced through Izabel’s thoughts, hasty and tinged with anger. However, they kept flickering, repeating variations of words that made no sense, while static obscured the rest of the words, turning it into a jumbled mess.

[Acquiring connection – 99%]

[Mirror Avatar has been acquired]

“By Delencion’s thralls— Use your legs!”

Izabel’s entire body jolted with shock, breaking her out of the reverie. The stern voice, filled with urgency, has shattered the spell that held her in place. She stumbled and tripped on air, falling backwards to the cold metallic floor. It took her a few precious seconds to realize, that indeed, her life could be forfeit should she still focus on the fact that the eternal routine, the perfection that marked her entire life, had shattered.

“Can you hear me clearly now?” The voice continued, a little softer than before, “Listen to me, I understand that this is a shock, but for now, hold out your hand.”

“But— no, I get it.” Breathe, breathe, one, two, and then, Izabel held out her hand as instructed. Energy welled up from within, traveling into her arm as it materialized into a stark white implement with red, ornamental highlights in varying gradients, starting from a vivid red fading into whites, merging with the weapon in a seamless manner.

“That is called a gun. Now, calm down, give some distance between you and the wall” the voice instructed, “Hold your hand steady, and fire, press and hold the trigger with your index finger.”

Even though the weapon was unfamiliar, something she had never seen in her life, the weight of power in Izabel’s hold was palpable. A shudder racked through her, was it perhaps excitement, for a new occasion that would never have been permitted to happen had everything proceeded as it always was, or was it fear, a deep-seated warning from survival instinct?

There is no time to ponder, as chaos destabilizes the dome, and the life she had known. It is time to fight.

She did as was told, and energy started to gather, forming into a burning, red-hot sphere no bigger than a toy marble.

“Now, release!”

Izabel released her hold on the trigger, and the sphere launched forward, expanding upon contact with the door and creating a man-sized hole with black soot around the edges. As her feet touched the ground, some of the monsters started to move towards her, perhaps attracted by something. She looked around, every single visible area crawling with those things.

“Go to safety! You can take out a few if you use the weapon I gave you. No need to press for too long, they seem to be weak!”

“Okay!”

Izabel did as the voice instructed, and indeed, with a series of short, quick presses, the monsters disintegrated, turning into dust before scattering in the air. Everything felt new, and she had moments of being unable to aim correctly, resulting in her shots not hitting the monster at all, but it was enough to allow her to escape as she slipped into the space between buildings. It seems that for now, she was safe.

A message appeared in front of her eyes.

[Coronam Vitae System emergency announcement]

[There was interference to the dome from an unknown entity. We are currently working on a solution to this crisis. Please stay calm and find a secluded area. During maintenance, system commands and functions are disabled.]

“As usual, they really are quick when it comes to their things being disturbed,” the familiar voice mused. 

“Now that we are safe, can you at least tell me who you are?”

Izabel felt silly for a moment, but then again, to speak to the system, you needed to speak to thin air, too.

The air in front of her shifted for a moment, and then, an entity made of light came into view. Beautiful was the first thing that came to mind, with her black clothing. Her eyes were a deep, molten gold mixed with orange, fierceness radiating from her stare as she looked at Izabel. Her long hair reached down the small of her back, vivid red on the roots, then slowly fading to white at the tips. Along with the ornamental hat she wore, her ensemble gives her a dignified aura. On the woman’s hips, there was a pocket holding the weapon – no, the gun she had used before, along with an unfamiliar, sheathed long, curved weapon.

Her boots floated a few inches off the ground, and if Izabel focused, she could see the wall behind the mysterious woman. It reminded her of a story once read to her at her scheduled entertainment hours, about an intangible thing that could pass through walls to pull pranks at anyone who didn’t follow the system-mandated schedule. In hindsight, perhaps such a story was made to instill belief in the Primeras from the moment she could form memories.

“You can call me Hunter, I am the Mirror Avatar assigned to you with the acquisition of Heart Mirror in your tracking device,” the woman said, her words echoing in Izabel’s head, “I can feel and hear your thoughts, everything, including your anger towards the Primeras, and I too, can understand, for those fiends, fancying themselves stewards of all sentient beings, locking all they could reach in a gilded cage. You felt it too, correct? Every single day, following their orders without being given any other options that didn’t lead to their desired outcome, all in the name of happiness,”

Hunter spits the last word, lips curling in distaste.

“I know that you have never even seen them in person, the Primeras, right?” Hunter asked.

“Can you… not do that? It’s a little uncomfortable,” Izabel said. It was one thing for the system to prod and turn her current thoughts and feelings into numbers, but it is another to see someone tangible, well, perhaps real enough is more accurate, prodding into your mind.

Hunter’s fierce gaze turned a little softer, and she gave Izabel a small smile.

“I hear your thoughts even if I do not want to, unfortunately. I understand that it is a little disconcerting, but, if it helps…” Hunter floated towards a nearby wall and extended her arm, letting her hand sink into the wall, “I am the companion assigned to you by the Heart Mirror, and we are effectively two within one flesh, as I am unable to affect the world without you. I will always be by your side come hell or high water, and all I ask is for you to trust me.”

Hunter paused for a moment, turning her head to look at Izabel.

“After all, our objective is the same. In a more pragmatic sense, protecting you benefits me, too.”

Only a few moments have passed since the emergency announcement, but another one has already appeared in front of Izabel’s eyes.

[Coronam Vitae System announcement]

[The problem has been fixed. Find a comfortable and hidden spot, should your situation allow it. We will deploy the measure to take care of this problem within 30 seconds]

[00:16]

“Fast, as always. A reminder, Izabel… Be wary when they ask questions.”

“Why? What is going to happen?”

“Their solution whenever anything breaks their thin veneer of lies. You will see it in a little bit.”

Before Izabel could ask Hunter to elaborate, a flash of bright light from all around her drowned her vision. Everything was engulfed in colorless flood, and the last thing Hunter focused on was the gun, the weapon disappearing into thin air following Izabel’s darkening consciousness.