*Beep* *Beep* *Beep*
The shrill sound pierced through the calm silence of the night, a noise so familiar yet always unwelcome.
My eyes snapped open as the interface projected itself onto the inside of my eyelids, standard neural HUD protocol, but tonight it felt like a curse.
Subject : Kendra Arata
Alert : Rapid Heart Rate Detected – 167 bpm
Time : 03:13 AM
Recommendation:
Immediate medical intervention
My chest tightened as I sat bolt upright in bed, sleep vanishing from my system like vapor under the sun.
"Not again..." I whispered hoarsely.
In an instant, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feet slapping against the cold steel flooring.
My hands reached for the black case beside my nightstand.
Sleek, fingerprint-locked, and containing one of the few devices I truly feared having to use.
The Revitalizer.
A small and portable unit capable of restarting the heart, with a direct shot of bioelectric surge and synthetic adrenaline.
I barely noticed the pain in my shoulder from last weeks training accident, as I sprinted out of my quarters and down the hall.
The motion activated lights flaring on with each pounding step.
The distance to the Master's room was short, but every second felt like a drop of eternity.
The white band.
Thank God for that thing.
It was more than a monitor, it was a lifeline, a watchdog, a cursed reminder that the Master's condition could spiral at any moment.
But it also meant I could act fast, that I can still save him.
I reached the Master's door and didn't even hesitate.
"Override: Alden designation. Emergency protocol."
The door hissed open, yielding under the weight of authority and desperation.
I rushed inside.
And froze.
There he was Kendra Arata, seated in front of the mirror.
Alive.
Upright.
Breathing.
His fingers were gripping the edge of the vanity tightly, knuckles white.
His reflection was motionless, yet his eyes, those eyes looked like they were staring through a thousand lifetimes.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, as if each breath was an effort not to drown.
"Master—!" I said louder than intended, the revitalizer now half-drawn from my coat.
He didn't turn, didn't flinch. Just, blinked slowly.
I approached cautiously, switching my neural link to scan mode. Heart rate still high, but stable. No myocardial stress. No oxygen deprivation. Just adrenaline flooding his system, like he'd seen a ghost.
Or remembered one.
"Master Kendra...?" I said again, voice softer now, more human.
He finally turned toward me, his gaze settled on my face as though seeing it for the first time.
"Who, are you?" he asked, voice low, uncertain, like a question he wasn't sure he wanted answered.
The revitalizer case slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a dull thud.
There it was again.
Another relapse.
I forced a smile, the kind I'd trained myself to wear in situations like this.
"I'm Alden, sir. Your direct attendant. I've served you for 20 years now."
His eyes studied me like they were trying to decode a foreign language written in blood.
I dropped to one knee in front of him, hands resting gently on his shoulders.
He was still shaking, though he didn't seem to notice.
"Your vitals triggered an emergency. I came immediately. I thought... I thought you were having an attack." My voice cracked at the end, damn it.
He didn't reply, he just nodded slowly. Like his body remembered how to do that, even if his mind didn't.
I reached for a glass of water on the bedside table and offered it to him.
He didn't take it, but I placed it in his hands anyway.
"It's alright," I said, half to him and half to myself.
"You're alright. Just breathe. I'm here."
I watched the flicker of fear fade from his eyes, replaced by confusion and something deeper something ancient.
'Just how far back did your mind travel this time?' I thought, as I analyzed his condition.
He sipped the water with trembling lips, while I stayed kneeling.
"I'm sorry for barging in," I said finally.
"But when that white band pings red... I'd rather die of panic than not be here." I added, my head hung low afraid that he'll see my paling face.
He didn't answer, just stared back at himself in the mirror again.
And I could only sit in silence, hoping this time he'll come back on his own.
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I wish I had a personal attendat...
But nope I'm broke
So don't forget to leave some comments and power stone, and vote so that I can become rich and hire an attendant like this.