"Talking is not something so special, you know," Solus said as he kept his eyes fixed on the childish animation playing on the screen, not bothering to look at the officer.
"So you can talk after all," the officer replied, nodding to himself. "I knew you could because my other colleague told me you were able to speak when he visited last week."
"Why are you even here? Don't you have actual work to do? Why waste your time sitting here talking to some random kid?"
"Well, it actually is part of my job. Since Sir Vernen was our senior, and his final wish was for us to check on and take care of his family."
"I do not care about any of that," Solus stated bluntly, turning back to the screen. "Can you leave now so I can actually enjoy my video in peace?"
"Then, it was nice meeting you at least," the officer said as he slowly stood up from the floor, brushing off his uniform. "I'll take my leave now."
When the officer walked out and closed the door behind him, Solus switched back to his quantum mechanics materials and began quickly absorbing the next lesson. The amount of valuable time he had just wasted on that pointless conversation was unacceptable; he would have to significantly increase his study speed to compensate for those lost minutes.
Even though most people would have dismissed it as a brief, insignificant exchange lasting a few minutes, Solus saw it as far too much wasted time that could never be recovered. With the extensive plans he needed to accomplish in his life, he did not have time to waste like most people.
Only a complete fool would dismiss such lost minutes as unimportant and go on with their life without urgency. Those were the people who always failed first when it mattered the most.
Life is only truly fulfilling when you have a clear purpose driving you forward, a meaningful goal to constantly strive for. But Solus was not pursuing a typical goal like most people. His sole goal was to definitively prove whether or not this existence was a work of fiction. Of course, he was already aware that it was a story, so his true goal was to corrupt it so thoroughly that it could no longer function as a livable world.
To Solus, corrupting stories did not imply abstract manipulation of reality or physics, nor did it imply bending fundamental laws over which he had no control. His definition was much more straightforward and visceral: it meant slaughtering countless people, destroying buildings to rubble, destroying entire cities to ashes for his own entertainment, eventually destroying planets and putting out stars, and progressively eradicating everything until nothing was left.
He wanted to destroy the world so completely that it could no longer be recognized as a world. Like when a video game becomes so glitched and corrupted from excessive modifications that it either crashes completely or the game can't even load anymore.
If he succeeded in corrupting the world this thoroughly, wouldn't Solus himself be caught in that destruction? The thought did not bother him in the slightest. Only pathetic losers wasted time worrying about the consequences and potential backlash before taking action.
"Chase the goal. Nothing else matters in the end."
As he continued aggressively learning and memorizing every lesson available to him, he faintly heard the sounds of conversation and heavy footsteps coming from downstairs. Based on the timing and rhythm, it was most likely the officer getting ready to leave.
Solus kept grinding through the dense material without pausing because quantum mechanics and advanced sciences were only a part of what he needed to learn. To truly corrupt his world, he would need a thorough understanding of biology, anatomy, legal systems, and any other field of study he could find.
Dependence upon others was the ultimate curse. A person should always rely solely on themselves, regardless of the difficulties they face, because everyone acts in their own self-interest by nature. A person would be willing to destroy half the world if it meant having even a small advantage over others.
The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. After a few moments, his mother appeared in the doorway again, her face beaming with joy as she entered. Solus' fingers moved with ease, instantly switching the display back to an innocent children's program before she could see what he was actually studying.
She pulled him in close as she sat behind him and held him in her arms. He had no other choice but to watch the nonsense on the screen with her. She was his mother after all. What if he did not care and just did whatever he wanted, without caring about others? Well, that would be his advantage, but it was unrealistic to think.
"At least, you still behave like a kid. I was scared because of the things you did, but you're still my boy in the end," she said, her arms crossed over Solus.
"What will happen if I act differently? Do I have to act the same because everyone else does?"
"No, sweetie, you can act however you want. But you show signs of high intelligence and if they were to find that, they will take you away."
"You said father was in a high position. Why would they take me away?"
"They won't care about that if they find something useful. They made the laws and they're the one who breaks them. I can't lose you. You're the only reason I have left. Will you promise you won't do anything strange?"
"...I promise."
To him, the promise was merely a word. But he meant what he said, not because of his mother, but because he refused to reveal his true intentions to others.
One hour, an entire hour, was wasted watching brain-melting animations and questionable content created by people to entertain children his age. As soon as she stood up and looked away, he switched tabs and took in everything on the screen like a picture.
Fortunately, she left the room to complete her work. That day was somewhat ruined day because of the officer who arrived and disturbed his daily schedule, but it was manageable. He did everything like he did every day.
Life was good because all he did was learn from morning until bedtime. Every day was calm, easy, and predictable. Nothing ever changed until the next morning, when everything did.
His mother didn't wake up at her usual time. She remained lying on the bed, eyes closed and motionless. Her skin was cold and pale as paper, but her lips still held that faint smile she always had while sleeping. He waited. And waited. But she never opened her eyes again.
That same day, the house was filled with people, the majority of whom were officers dressed in black. They moved quietly and spoke in low voices. A female caretaker was assigned to look after Solus, but he did not react. He did not cry. Not a single tear fell.
He just stood there, staring at his mother's body in her coffin. Her eyes were closed, just like they had been that morning. She looked like she was sleeping, except she wasn't.
It would be a lie to say that he felt nothing. He had told himself that he did not care if she was just a fictional character in a story. But he had been with her every day. It had been fun to play their little game, in which she pretended not to notice him studying advanced subjects while he pretended to be a normal child.
It wasn't sadness. It was something else, emptiness. Because no matter what, she had been his mother. Even if everything was a lie and the world did not exist, she was still a living, breathing person who laughed, worried, and cared.
"That day, I learned what pain felt like. Not because I felt it. Because I watched it destroy everything around me.
I did not cry. I did not scream. I only noticed how inefficient I had become.
My thoughts slowed. I was wasting time. The only sensation I had was a strange emptiness.
So I made a decision.
I will feel nothing.
Never again.
If I cry, it will be my choice, for her.
Because she is the last thing I will ever love.
Goodbye… mother."