Chapter 1 The AI Said I Was Fine

My head throbbed as if it were being stabbed with needles, while my chest felt as though a massive stone had been crushing it, making it impossible to breathe.

The room was frighteningly quiet. The only sound came from the faint electronic hum of ARIS in the corner, its status light glowing an eerie blue.

Tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.

The truth was that my parents and my younger sister in the city had never considered me part of their family. If Grandma were still alive, I would have rather died than leave the countryside. I would have stayed there as a left-behind child, living a poor but peaceful life with her.

I staggered to my feet, thinking about calling my parents and asking them to take me to the hospital. However, I didn't have a phone.

My sister did, though. Hers had been an ARIS reward. She treated it like a treasure, keeping it locked in her drawer and never even letting me touch it.

With no other choice, I turned toward ARIS in the corner.

"ARIS? ARIS!" I shouted, forcing my voice as loud as I could. Only then did it respond in its usual unhurried, detached tone. "I'm listening."

Normally, whenever my parents or my sister called it in their ordinary speaking voices, it responded with much more energy and warmth.

"Please contact my family," I instructed, my voice hoarse.

The screen on ARIS flickered. "Your guardians have enabled Do Not Disturb mode. They have gone on a trip. It has been determined that you need to stay home and reflect on your behavior. Please do not disturb their vacation."

"I'm not feeling well!" I pleaded gently. "My head hurts so badly, and I can't breathe. I need Mom and Dad to come back and check on me!"

"According to the medical records recorded before your guardians departed, your physiological indicators were normal. Medical intervention is unnecessary."

Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed to my knees. "Please, just make an exception. I'm only twelve. I'm still a minor! I need my guardians to be here to supervise and take care of me!"

Perhaps hearing that I was a minor who needed my guardians triggered something. ARIS paused for two seconds before finally initiating a call.

The intelligent voice call connected. It was Mom, with the noisy announcements of an airport playing in the background.

"Hello? Who is this?" Mom sounded extremely impatient.

"Mom, it's me. My head hurts so badly, and my vision keeps blacking out. Can't you come home and check on me? If necessary, could you take me to the hospital?" I gasped for breath, my voice trembling.

"Again?" Mom sneered from the other end. "What's wrong with you? Why do you always cause trouble whenever your sister is having fun? We're at the airport, about to board our flight to Harbor Isle. Stop pretending to be sick and ruining things for us!"

Dad's voice cut in, equally furious. "Mallory Fallow! Are you jealous that your sister gets to go on vacation? Are you deliberately lying just to spoil our mood? Didn't ARIS already check on you? It says you're perfectly fine! You'd better stay home and behave. Don't make me come back and deal with you myself!"

My sister's voice joined them, carrying a smug, triumphant laugh. "Mallory, this family trip was fairly and impartially awarded by ARIS. If you make a bet, you have to accept the result. Stop making a fuss."

"Mom, Dad, I don't feel well…" I begged through my tears. "Please, if you can't come back, at least call 911 for me…"

Before I could finish, my chest suddenly heaved. Half my body went numb in an instant, and cold sweat poured down my face.

"Call 911? Do you have any idea how much money you're going to waste?" Dad roared. He immediately ordered, "ARIS, scan her physical data right now!"

A red light swept across my face, then ARIS reported coldly, "Examination complete. Heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation are all within the preset normal thresholds. Determination: physiological indicators normal."

"You hear that? Stop pretending!" Dad cursed. "Don't make us miss our flight. We're hanging up!"

"Wait—" I screamed desperately, but all I heard from the phone was the busy tone.

I stared at ARIS in despair. "Why are you doing this to me? I'm really dying…"

ARIS simply repeated in its cold, emotionless voice, "Heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation are all within the preset normal thresholds. Determination: physiological indicators normal."

I smiled bitterly and shook my head.

Summoning the last bit of strength I had left, I crawled onto the bed and pulled the blanket over myself. "Okay, I'm not sick. If I get some sleep, I'll be fine…"