Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 8

Chapter 1

"Power on, Unit 1314."Mom sounded hesitant when she said it. It was obvious she didn’t really understand what the words meant. She was only repeating what Director Jamie Graves had told her to say.The moment the command left her mouth, my eyes lit up like a screen finally receiving power after sitting dormant for years. I rose from the chair automatically, arms resting stiffly at my sides, posture perfectly straight."System activated. Awaiting instructions."Mom froze.Behind her, Director Graves smiled calmly. "Mrs. Matthews, our academy developed a specialized behavioral system to educate students better."They can only be awakened through activation commands. Once activated, they will never disobey you."Realization slowly dawned on Mom’s face.Bailey immediately pushed his way forward from the back, mischief glittering in his eyes. He was five years older than me and had spent most of our childhood treating my tears like entertainment.Back then, every time he made me c

Chapter 2

By the time the car pulled into the driveway, the sky was already growing dark.Maddison stood waiting at the front door with her hands neatly folded in front of her. A perfect smile rested on her lips; it was precisely measured, revealing exactly six teeth. She looked exactly the same as she had three years ago.Back then, Mom had crouched down in front of her, her voice impossibly gentle. "Maddison, welcome home."I’d jumped off the couch and rushed over, excited to meet my new little sister, then something had caught my foot, and I hit the floor hard.Nobody helped me up. They only complained that I was being too rowdy again.After that, everyone eventually started disliking me. I wasn’t as obedient, thoughtful, or lovable as Maddison.Finally, they sent me away."Welcome home, Lola." Maddison’s voice was still sweet and pleasant.I didn’t answer since she hadn’t instructed me to respond.Mom frowned immediately. "You still don’t like Maddison? Clearly, you still haven’t le

Chapter 3

I said nothing since he hadn’t given me a command to speak."Can you act normal for once?" Bailey’s voice suddenly rose in frustration. "Stop copying Maddie all the time! We wanted an obedient sister, not a damn robot!"I looked at his face calmly. There was anger, agitation, and confusion.I answered softly, "Please define 'normal.'"The color drained from Bailey’s face. Dad and Mom didn’t look any better.Dad immediately called the academy.The person on the other end explained that this was a completely normal response to "deep behavioral correction" and that I would gradually recover in a few days."Unit 1314 is currently our academy’s top-performing student. Her obedience levels surpass even advanced AI models. There’s no need for concern. Everything is functioning normally."Dad repeated the explanation after hanging up. Mom visibly relaxed.Just like that, I became the most useful thing in the house.When Mom told me to wash dishes, I cleaned them more thoroughly than

Chapter 4

Maddison fell backward onto the floor. Her skirt spread around her like a flower already beginning to wilt.The living room doors suddenly flew open as Bailey stood there holding a plate of fruit.The moment he saw us, he shouted furiously, "Lola! What the hell are you doing?"The fruit platter crashed to the floor beside him, fruit rolling everywhere.Maddison sat on the ground and slowly looked up, tears already pooling in her eyes. "Lola, why did you push me? I thought you didn’t hate me anymore. Why would you push me again?"I said nothing.She was pretending; I knew she was. Just as her tears were simulated responses, her trembling was an algorithmic behavior.Mom rushed over, her expression transforming from shock to rage in seconds. "What are you doing?! Why would you push Maddie?!""She told me to.""That’s a lie!" Maddison burst into tears. "Why would I ever ask you to push me? I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday..."Bailey immediately crouched down to help he

Chapter 5

When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me was white. It was not the harsh, sterile white of the academy’s training rooms.Every inch of my body hurt as well, but it wasn’t the sharp agony of electric punishment.Someone was asleep beside my bed.Mom.The hospital room door opened slightly, and Dad stepped inside carrying a Thermos. His voice was careful and quiet."Lola, you’re finally awake. Your mother stayed here for three days straight. No matter how much I begged, she refused to leave."I didn’t respond. He hadn’t given me a command to speak.Mom stirred beside the bed. The moment she realized I was awake, she jolted upright. "Lola, you’re awake?""Questions are not recognized as valid commands." The sentence slipped automatically from my mouth like a prerecorded response, devoid of emotion or thought. It was only conditioned reflex.Mom froze. Her grip around my hand tightened painfully, nails digging into my skin."Lola, no more commands." Her voice trembled violentl

Chapter 6

"Lola, I was wrong. I was so wrong." Mom’s voice shook harder with every word. "We never should’ve sent you away. We never should’ve forced you to become obedient. We never should’ve hurt you over a machine."Can you come back to us? Can you be our old Lola again?"I looked at her calmly. "Is that a command?"Her entire body stiffened instantly.Slowly, her arms loosened around me. When she saw the emptiness on my face, it looked like someone had stabbed her straight through the heart. She staggered backward and collapsed into the chair beside the hospital bed, pale as paper.Dad walked over quietly. His back seemed more bent than before, as though those few days had aged him years."Lola... I’m sorry." His voice was painfully hoarse. "I always thought you were difficult. Too mischievous. Not as easy as Maddison."But after seeing you like this..." His throat tightened. "I finally realized the girl who used to throw tantrums, cling to us, and act spoiled… She was the daughter we

Chapter 7

The moment Bailey gave the command, I picked up my cutlery.With mechanical precision, I swallowed the bite. Every action I took was devoid of life, driven only by internal gears.Mom watched, frozen in a state of pure terror. The silence of the room was punctured by the sharp clatter of her cutlery striking the table as they slipped from her grasp. She fled to the kitchen, her hand pressed against her mouth, though she couldn't stifle the sounds of her weeping that soon drifted back to the table.Dad exhaled a long, weighted breath and abandoned his own meal. "Lola," he began, his voice heavy with regret, "you are no longer required to wait for our orders. From this point forward, you are free to do as you wish."I finished the last of the chicken and met his gaze with flat, unblinking eyes. "Please clarify the directive."The days passed by one after another.They stopped issuing casual instructions, but the absence of a command did not grant me freedom. Instead, it left me imm

Chapter 8

The next morning, Mom’s eyes were swollen beyond recognition. She walked over to me and suddenly dropped to her knees.Dad and Bailey immediately tried to pull her up, but she shook them off.Then she looked up at me, tears streaming down her face as she emphasized, "Lola Matthews, I’m your mother. And I was wrong. I never should’ve ignored my own daughter for some cold machine."I never should’ve wanted an obedient doll so badly that I forgot you were a child, too. A child who cried, got angry, and needed love. I never should’ve sent you into that hell and let you suffer there for three years."I don’t want obedience or perfection anymore. I don’t want commands, or Unit 1314, or any of it. I just want my daughter back."Every word struck the frozen shell around my heart like a hammer. In three long years, this was the first time anyone had addressed me without issuing a command, requiring submission, or forcing me to mold into someone else. She was simply inviting me to exist as

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