Chapter 1

Antonio Moretti—my Papa and the Don of the Moretti famiglia in Novarra—stood in the doorway of the study, watching everything silently. He had a complicated look on his face, his lips pressed tightly together.

Camilla Romano, my Mamma, stood before me. She grasped the pearl necklace around her neck tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Dario Moretti—my brother—leaned against the doorframe with a mocking smile on his face.

"Activate, NS-5," Mamma said with a trembling voice. She didn't understand the meaning behind the words and was merely repeating Luca Caruso's, the professor's, instructions.

I smiled faintly, and like a robot finally receiving an instruction after a long standby, I stood up from the chair, with my hands hanging by my sides and my posture perfectly straight. "I have been activated and am awaiting your command."

Mamma was stunned.

Professor Caruso's voice rang out from behind. He was clad in a gray suit and constantly maintained a professional smile, bearing a striking resemblance to Papa's Consigliere.

"Our academy has created a system to improve the education of children, Donna Moretti. They require an activation command to be woken up, and with this command, they will never disobey you in any way. Isn't obedience the law of survival in a Mafia famiglia, Donna Moretti?"

Mamma nodded as the realization dawned on her.

Dario pushed his way forward. He was a year older than I was and had always made a game of teasing me. He would get the better of me back then, and I would chase him throughout the house.

Mamma would eventually scold us both, while Papa would furrow his brow and say that the Moretti famiglia shouldn't be so rowdy.

"Go bark like a dog for me, NS-5!"

I instantly shrank my neck, stuck out my tongue, and let out a loud bark as soon as I heard the command.

Dario doubled over laughing and called out to Mamma and Papa. "Viviana has really learned her lesson this time! She used to stall for half an hour just to avoid shooting practice, yet now she's even willing to bark like a dog!"

Papa and Mamma nodded approvingly, both of them clearly pleased with what they had seen.

Mamma even smiled faintly—something she hadn't done for me in two years.

I sat in the back of the stretch Lincoln during the drive home.

Mamma asked hesitantly, "How have you been doing at the academy these last two years, Viviana?"

I offered no response, as she had failed to include the command "answer" in her query.

"V-Vivana?" Mamma spoke louder, observing me through the reflection of the rearview mirror.

I finally explained to Mamma, sounding as steady as a computer-generated voice. "Your interrogative sentences do not constitute valid instructions, so please use a command if you require an answer."

In that instant, everyone in the car fell silent.

Mamma's voice faltered, and only after a significant pause did she manage to utter the command, "Answer me."

"I had a substantive and purposeful time at the academy. I successfully fulfilled the requirements for three core modules—Emotional Regulation, Absolute Obedience, and Rational Inquiry.

"I received an 'Excellent' rating on my final evaluation, with Professor Caruso designating me as the year's most successful case of rehabilitation," I replied mechanically, without any emotional variation, like a server listing items on a menu.

In that instant, those in the back seat fell silent for quite some time.

Dario murmured under his breath, "Your way of speaking sounds exactly like Serafina…"

I kept staring straight ahead, showing no emotion on my face.

I could see Novarra receding past the car window, the skyscrapers, bridges, and billboards no longer matching the one in my memories. I was aware that the new skyscraper on the Mirthaven skyline hadn't been there when I left two years ago.

In the academy, time was stripped down to the scale of commands. There was no distinction between a day and a month. I only knew time was passing because of the numbers I etched into the walls of the solitary confinement room. I eventually had even forgotten how to write those.

It was nearly dusk when the vehicle came to a halt at the estate on Lenn Isle.

Serafina was standing at the entrance. She wore a cream-colored dress with her hands clasped in front, flashing a perfect smile that hadn't changed in two years. She was the AI adopted daughter who had joined my famiglia when I was 14 years old.

I recalled Mama kneeling before Serafina to speak to her back then, saying in an incredibly gentle tone, "Welcome home, Serafina."

I hopped off the couch and ran toward her, eager to see my new sister. I wasn't looking at where I was going, so I accidentally tripped on something and landed hard on the carpet, where no one came to help me up.

I subsequently became the object of universal dislike. I was compared unfavorably to Serafina, cited for lacking her obedience and attentiveness. I was then called out for my inability to remain silent during Papa's business dealings or to provide a perfectly prepared whiskey as Serafina did.

I was eventually sent away to the academy to be reformed.

"Welcome home, Viviana," Serafina said, her tone still gentle and sweet.

I offered no response, as she had failed to issue the command to answer her.

Mamma furrowed her brow. "Do you still harbor a dislike for Serafina? You're still so disobedient! Say something, Viviana!"

I promptly displayed a smile after receiving the command. "Thank you."

Serafina's smile remained unchanged while Mamma nodded in approval.