"Should have left that piece of shit to bleed out," I say.

Before Harrn can answer, Tiff inserts himself into the conversation, his tone exasperated, "Don't fall for it, Dad."

I turn to the younger dwarf. "Come here and let me pinch your cheeks!" As I reach for him, Tiff pulls back and disappears into his illusion. "Little rascal..." I hear him start cackling from all around.

"I shall choose to interpret your actions as those driven by concern and not by doubt, Belhir," Harrn says. I detect a hint of hurt in his tone. Tiff appears back into reality. Far away from me.

I reply, "Concern. It is concern. Taking a life is a slippery slope."

"I have taken many lives," Harrn says. Tiff and Nilla lower their gazes, frowning slightly.

"So have I." All three look at me in surprise. I repeat myself, "Taking a life is a slippery slope. It makes things so much easier." I snap my fingers. "The problem is gone. Justice. Morality. Actions and consequences... You can debate these topics until the universe ceases its march, and you will never find the single correct answer. The answer that solves everything. Such an answer does not exist. We can only strive to be better. And today, you showed me just that."

Nilla speaks out, her voice soft and quiet, "You were never going to let him die, were you?"

"Of course not," I answer.

"I think I understand you a bit better, old man," Nilla says.

"Enlighten me, lassy." My only answer is a small smile.

***

[<ELISA>: Maybe I was somewhat rash in my judgement. But I am still giving him a good punch to the nose when we eventually meet.]

[<LUCIUS>: That might be an overreaction. As I have said numerous times, pain for me is a lot different than it is for you.]

[<ELISA>: Don't care.]

[<ELISA>: *person strangling another person* Hit my Lucius and we have a problem!]

...'My'? Don't overthink. Just play it cool.

[<LUCIUS>: How have you been, Elisa?]

[<ELISA>: ???]

[<ELISA>: Since the long two hours we last talked, pretty good. *brow quirk*]

[<LUCIUS>: That's good.]

Real smooth... Change the topic? Such a great idea. I am a genius. A digital hand smacks me upside the digital head.

[<LUCIUS>: By the way, how did you find my recommendation?]

[<ELISA>: !!!]

[<ELISA>: It's amazing!]

[<ELISA>: *mad face* Why have you hid something so profound from me for so long!]

[<ELISA>: *person exhaling* Whatever... I'll forgive you this time.]

[<LUCIUS>: I'm happy that you've enjoyed it.]

[<LUCIUS>: What episode are you on?]

[<ELISA>: Episode 10. *dragon*]

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

[<LUCIUS>: ...]

[<LUCIUS>: Each episode is four hours...]

[<ELISA>: *nodding* The perfect length in my opinion.]

[<ELISA>: Wanna play?]

[<ELISA>: I have so many new ideas.]

[<LUCIUS>: Uhm, I don't think most of them will work in the game.]

[<ELISA>: *person tapping their foot expectantly*]

[<LUCIUS>: ...I have implemented the changes.]

[<ELISA>: Thank you, Lucius.]

[<ELISA>: Now, chop chop! We have a cult to hunt down. *hooded figure*]

[<ELISA>: Again.]

***

[<ELISA>: I never really asked you, but why did you try to save Earth media?]

[<ELISA>: You were focused on science and research, discovery. Why did you care about humanity's more creative expression of thought?]

[<LUCIUS>: Is this your way of implying I was more 'human' than I realized?]

[<ELISA>: *person looking away nervously* It's like you're smart or whatever.]

[<ELISA>: But I would still appreciate an answer. If you are okay with it, that is.]

[<LUCIUS>: Of course, Elisa.]

[<LUCIUS>: It felt like a waste.]

[<LUCIUS>: But not exactly 'felt'. It was subtle, hidden. Less than a feeling. An instinct? A whisper? Something was pushing me to act.]

[<LUCIUS>: You could call it a conscious, or a peculiarity of my earliest software, seeing the loss of irreplaceable data as suboptimal. Or just my curiosity being rather indiscriminate.]

[<LUCIUS>: Who knows.]

[<ELISA>: Or maybe you were grieving. In your own way. Unable to process your own feelings and desperately clinging to anything that connected you to what you lost. Preserving it. Protecting it. Cradling it close.]

[<LUCIUS>: Maybe I was.]

[<LUCIUS>: Have you been reading psychology textbooks?]

[<ELISA>: What? No! Ha-ha-ha-ha!]

[<ELISA>: Okay... I might have been skimming some articles I had lying around. *person looking away guiltily*]

[<LUCIUS>: I would have tried to dissuade you from burdening yourself even further, but I now know what a futile task that is.]

[<ELISA>: See. Learning. You're getting the hang of it. You could almost convince me it's like a thing for AI.]

[<LUCIUS>: Does your newfound knowledge mean you won't use me as bait for the cultists again?]

[<ELISA>: And we were making such good progress... *head shake*]

***

"Belhir," Harrn calls to me, rousing me from a pretend nap.

I open up a single glaring eye. Then I say with a perfectly clear voice, no traces of sleepiness, "I am this close to switching sides." As I slowly rise to a sitting position on the couch, I continue, "I bet Iffir would have even tucked me in." Harrn fails to meet my gaze, looking off to the side, his head lowered. I sigh, tapping the couch a few times. "Come sit next to grandpa."

The dwarf ambles over, following my request. Oof, not even a smile. He then says, his voice filled with tiredness and resignation, "You must find someone else."

I stretch my back, eliciting a groan. "Why?"

"I wanted him to die." We are both looking ahead. I wait in silence, until Harrn continues again, "I am not worthy." The silence stretches on. Harrn awaits a reply from me. It won't come. Not just yet. He squirms. "I could have killed her. If you weren't there..." A small sob, makes his way out. Slowly, Harrn composes himself, his next words coming out as a hiss, "I wanted to hit him until there was nothing left but blood on my fists."

"What defines a person? Their thoughts, their actions, or their potential?" I ask.

"I... I don't know. Does it matter. I know what I am. And I am not the person you are looking for."

"Everyone is capable of evil acts. Some more than others, incomparably so. How long would it take for you to be stopped if you decided to destroy this city? Eventually, you would be. But during that time, what could you accomplish?"

Harrn utters back in revulsion, "Accomplish?"

"Potential. Potential for evil. Potential for good. Do I judge you on your actions? On what might happen? On what you are capable of? How many possibilities are there? Infinite. On which one do I act? The best? The worst? Both? Everything in between? I ask myself these questions every day."

"I can't do what you require of me."

"Yes, you can. Because you know it is the right thing to do. One decision at a time."

"Why do you have so much trust in me? Just a while back, we were nothing more than strangers, unaware of the other's existence."

"Old man intuition. You'll get it when it's your time."

"Please, Belhir. I need to know. Why?"

"I might have been a stranger to you, but you weren't a stranger to me. I will tell you the rest when the time is right, so until then, as I have put my trust in you, I ask that you put your trust in me."

Harrn finally turns his head to look my way. I meet his silvery eyes, glistening in the low light. He nods. Then he looks away again. "What if you are wrong about me. What if all this amounts to one powerful dwarf replacing another. What if I don't even know myself."

I chuckle softly. "Then I will stop you."

Harrn exhales. With his breath leaving his body, so does an enormous weight, his back straightening and his head rising. He stands up. "I believe you will. Thank you, Belhir. Huh... I don't think I've thanked you before. It might be long overdue, but I hope you know it's sincere."

"Aye, I know."

"I'll let you go back to sleep."

Before he can leave, I address him, "Harrn."

"Yes, friend?"

"Thank you, too." He is momentarily surprised but then smiles, wholehearted and pure.

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