Chương 2: THE BEGINNING

"You speak as if you've already decided everything about people."The voice came from behind. He didn't need to look to know who it was. But he looked anyway. Aurelia Virel."I haven't decided anything," Ren replied.

"I just observe."She tilted her head slightly.

"That sounds a bit creepy, you know?""You seem pretty calm for someone who finds it creepy."She smiled.

"Maybe I don't."A brief silence followed. Not uncomfortable. Just... strange."Do you believe that people change?" Aurelia asked. Ren thought for a moment.

"They adjust their behavior depending on the environment.""Isn't that change?""No. It's adaptation."She took a small step closer.

"So, you've never changed?"Ren looked at her for a few seconds.

"I'm still trying to understand that."This conversation doesn't follow the usual high school pattern, Ren thought to himself. This... is rare."There are things that aren't just about logic," Aurelia said."Like what?"She hesitated.

"Humanity."Ren tilted his head.

"That's just a word used to describe complex behavior."She laughed softly.

"You talk like a robot."He replied without delay: "And you talk as if you believe in something you can't explain."Silence. But this time... it felt different. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.