Cubie-chan, the neon blue robot, light core pulsed erratically, displaying playful glyphs across her surface.
"Garretttt! Are you going to kill me?"
Cubie-chan's feminine voice softened the instant Garrett's parachute blossomed above them.
Suddenly, a fragile yet potent relief washed over them.
The once terrifying rush of air now cradled them in a gentle softness, like a feather of the morning dove, soothing their skin.
She was a thrilling contrast to their near demise, and Cubie-chan's neon glyphs flickered more slowly, mirroring the newfound calm.
"Phew, we're safe," Cubie-chan muttered, her core pulsed gently.
Once landed, the hoverboard settled silently, their minds soothed with relief, Cubie-chan's gaze was drawn toward the academy.
"Wow!" She exclaimed, a gasp escaping her core.
"Your academy is totally amazing."
Garrett puffed out his chest, a confident grin playing on his lips.
"You know it. Only a hundred students out of ten thousand make it in. And I'm one of them."
As Cubie-chan fixed her eyes on the academy, its massive clock tower, asymmetrical design of polished marble, and the glowing crystal caught its visual receptors.
Then the gentle sound of flowing water reached its auditory sensors.
The serene chill in the air deepened as Cubie-chan's gaze focused on the fountain dancing in an emerald pond.
Nestled beneath the sculpture of a lion seizing a rose, the sign nearby read: "Be strong as a lion, be gentle as a rose."
Then, Garrett gestured towards the grand entrance, its polished marble gleaming under the blue sky.
The diamond-like sparkle in his eyes, like the sharp, midnight blue of his curse flower petals.
It was a stark contrast to the frantic beat hammering in his chest, a constant reminder: assembly starts soon.
"Well Cubie, no time to waste. Let's head to the morning assembly."
He glanced at the holographic clock on his phone.
"Cubie?"
her core pulsed softly, her sight still lingering on the inscriptions.
"Oh, okay! Coming!" She hurried to follow.
_____EVIL AUTHORITY_____
Their footsteps ceased at the stairs. Then, they approached the hall.
Her core flickered with awe, as she gazed at the room's high ceilings, and the brown polished wooden floor.
The soft, reflected light resonated on the neon surface of her core.
However, the quiet hum was broken by a sharp electronic bell, which sliced towards the vast hall
"Mr. Garret Spencer, you have arrived one hour prior to the assembly."
As his ears catching the robotic voice, Garret's head snapped up, a flicker of confusion widening in his eyes, his hand twitching faintly.
"What's the heck! I had to rush for this?"
His finger jabbed a finger at the inflamed spot on his face from the bird pecks.
His words dissolved in the silence, only to be replaced by a calm, measure voice.
"Actually, Mr.spencer, 7:30 is merely the preparation period before assembly"
Garret flinched, his gaze darting around the empty hall.
The deep voice materialized into a man who stepped into the hall.
Garret noticed his black tuxedo and top hat.
He stepped back, his sight snagged on a glowing ruby flower affixed to the man's chest, its sharp petals pulsing with an unsettling light.
"Nevertheless, punctually is a noble etiquette."
The tuxedo man stated, his smile thin.
"Exactly, sir! An etiquette of an impoverished noble."
Garret replied, his voice wavered, reverberated across the hall.
His grin stretched wide, making a lifeless chuckle.
"My apologies for delayed introduction, I'm professor Murphy, it's pleasure, Mr.spencer"
Murphy reached offered his hand.
Once the handshake concluded, Garret launched into his question.
"What's the flower on your chest? It looks familiar."
"Yes... do tell us."
Cubie-chan voice rose, her starlight pupils flickering.
"Alright, if you both are willing to know, I will explain it."
Murphy took a deep breath.
"This artifact's called the Ruins, is acquired upon the Heaven's decision."
Garret, seated on the assembly hall sofa, leaned forward.
"Are there different shapes of the Ruins? Sir"
Garret's eye widened, his fingers twitching at his chin.
"I'm afraid not, Garret. I have never seen any other types of the Ruins. Perhaps, when the times come. You'll know."
Garret nodded, processing Murphy's information before he could formulate another question.
"What's your ambition? Being strongest authority master?"
"Oh, just want to chill, really. Peaceful life, professor Murphy."
Garret shrugged.
Such a peculiar response.
Then Murphy turned his attention to the floating cube, gently patting her head.
"What's about you, Adorable floating Cube?"
Cubie-chan eyes fluttered shut, drifting into a trance.
Her voice, soft, feminine tone, began to speak.
"Oh, well sometimes I dream of being a cheerful girl."
She whispered
"To cry when I'm sad, to smile when I'm happy, without programming..."
However, Garret's voice cut through her reverie.
"Cubie, you're a bot, and you always be a bot."
He leaned back on the soft sofa in assembly hall.
Murphy's hand shot up, a subtle but firm gesture, cut off the quarrel.
"Do you know about the prose,
'All of the war and the conflict are puppeteer by nothing?' A gentleman in my dream told me that."
Cubie-chan glyphs dancing erratically, then her eyes widened and she gasp.
Garret's jaw dropped, then he asked.
"Well.. if it is puppeteer by nothing, why should i concern?"
"Certainly is uncertain, Garret"
Murphy's cryptic words, still echoing through the vast assembly hall, hung in the air.
Cubie-chan froze, her eyes shut, her core pulsed erratically, her neon blue surface flickering and dissolving into a disturbing light-absorbing black.
"Garret, is it typical oscillation for her?"
Murphy inquired, his gaze fixed on the glitching cube, a flicker of concern glowing in his pupils.
"No, sir!" His voice tight
"The pulsing is regular but this colour change... never happened."
Garret replied.
He swiftly retrieved his holographic phone, his fingers flying across the screen. A red, flashing error message glared back at him:
A faint, high-pitched whine emanated from his device's speaker.
"Virus and threat? They've messed with wrong person."
Garret muttered, a confidence smirk playing on his lips.
His fingers across the phone's screen, a rapid almost frantic motion.
"Cubie-chan you will be safe. Soon." Garret assured her, his tone dripping with focused determination.
<80% ERROR FIXED
REMAINING ERROR 20%>
A red line of code glitched ominously, then abruptly turned blue, accompanied by the ragged, swirling sound that echo through the hall.
The phone itself began to glitch, fragments of code flashing erratically.
Meanwhile Cubie-chan core pulsed erratically, her surface attempted to return to normal.
However, that was a ridiculous attempt, as if a frog attempted to escape from a boiling pot.
Her voice, though clearer, retained a glitching quality, a distorted echoed that deepened the professor's concern.
Cubie we're on your side
Garret brow furrowed, his breath hitched, as he stared at his phone screen.
"Professor Murphy," Garret voice echoed lound and deep.
Do you have any idea, what's causing this?"
"Why don't you simply think nothing about it."
Murphy replied, His voice was calm and chilling
"I'll try," Garret countered, his fingers flew across the holographic phone's screen.
He input a random sequence of symbols.