Chyntia's POV:

  It was raining heavily. My watch showed that it was already three o’clock. I walked steadily under the cover of my umbrella, finally coming upon the old, small house where I lived. I knocked at its weathered, wooden door.

  Cklek

  The door opened from the inside, and I was greeted by my little brother, who smiled upon seeing me. His name was Theo, and he was eight years old this year. He was smart for his age, but it pained me to know I had no money to send him off to school.

  “Sister, welcome home,” he said, his bright smile lighting up the dim entryway.

  His complexion was much better compared to the past when we had almost starved ourselves to death. I closed my umbrella and stepped inside, rubbing his head affectionately.

  “I’m home. Have you behaved well at home?”

  “Yes, sister. I am…” he replied, his voice filled with innocence.

  After we were inside, Theo suddenly grasped the edge of my long sleeve, his small fingers trembling.

  “Sister, please don’t get angry, okay?” he fidgeted in place, and a bad feeling settled in my stomach.

  “What? What is it? Are you hurt?” I asked, worry flooding my chest as I knelt to his eye level, inspecting him from head to toe.

  “No, I didn’t…” he shook his head, but his eyes darted away from mine.

  “Don’t tell me you left the house?” I questioned him again, my frown deepening.

  “No, I didn’t. But…”

  “But what?” I pressed further – my heart racing.

  “I… I opened the door to a stranger. But don’t worry, sister, he is a good big brother. He told me he is your friend…” he hastily explained, his voice trembling.

  “What? Didn’t I tell you not to open the door and to act like there is no one inside if it isn’t me?” I grasped his arm, unintentionally squeezing it too tightly. He flinched from the pain, and I immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over me.

  “Uh…”

  “Ah, I’m sorry, Theo. Are you okay?” I rubbed his arm gently, my heart aching at the sight of his discomfort. I was too vexed by what he had said. I feared it was those debt collectors who had come here. They would surely hurt him in my absence.

  “It’s fine, sister. It’s fine. It’s my fault. I’m sorry!!!” he bent his head down, and I felt a pang of guilt stab at my heart.

  “It’s okay, Theo. So, tell me, who is it? Who came here? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

  “No, sister. It was just one person. It was a big brother who delivered something for you. He said he was your friend at the job. Here, he told me to give this to you…” My little brother then handed me an envelope, his small hands shaking slightly.

  As I took it from his hand, I could feel that inside, there was a folded paper and a hard, small piece of something that felt like a card. I quickly opened it, my heart racing with anticipation and dread.

  I found a letter inside and placed it on the small, short table. With much discomfort, I switched on the table lamp. The darkened space in this room was now illuminated by the warm glow of yellow light, and I began to read through the letter.

  Just a few words away from finishing, I couldn’t hold my tears any longer. I clasped my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle the sound of my sobs. My little brother, sensing my distress, patted my back, asking if something was wrong. I shook my head, reassuring him that I was fine, even as my heart shattered.

  At the beginning and end of the letter, the sender's name is written.

  It was from Nath.

  Someone I thought I would never deserve to walk alongside. He was the first light, the first warmth I had ever received since my father’s death, which had left our family drowning in debt.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  There had been a day when I decided to give up my life, leaving my brother behind. I couldn’t care less anymore; I only felt pain. The suffering was too much for me to bear. Then he appeared, at the most unexpected moment when I was on the brink of madness, telling me that I had simply lost my way. That I was not the dirty woman I believed myself to be.

  His hug had been different. It wasn’t lust. It wasn’t a desire to possess or humiliate me. It was a warmth I had never felt before. No, I had felt it once long ago, like the embrace from my father when he comforted me after my mother left us and was never seen again.

  I tightly hugged the card and the letter to my chest, my tears falling uncontrollably. I thought I couldn’t cry anymore. That I could control it. That my tears had run dry from all I had experienced.

  I often wanted to complain that he didn’t know what it felt like to be me – the hopeless, the humiliation, the one who had to endure so much in life just for the sake of my brother who was not even from the same father. The resentment and helplessness I felt, where everything in this world seemed to conspire against me.

  But I once, accidentally caught him scratching his head in frustration, his eyes reddened as he seemed to hold back his own tears. I realized then that I wasn’t alone in my suffering. Maybe, just maybe – his life wasn’t as bad as mine, but strangely, I felt it was fine.

  There was no resentment in my heart. I felt a sense of peace wash over me. It was fine. Even if my life was hell, at least he had some semblance of happiness. And I would be happy for him, just as I was when I saw my little brother smiling at me while eating his meal.

  * * *

  Nath's Letter:

  Dear Chyntia,

  I hope this letter finds you in a moment of peace. I want you to know that the people who have hurt you will be dealt with shortly. You don’t need to endure their cruelty or sell yourself to them anymore. You can trust me in this.

  With this letter, there is also a card filled with money. It’s meant to pay off the debt that was forcefully pressed to your father’s name, along with your living expenses, so you can leave this place behind and start fresh in another city. You deserve to work an honest job and build a life free from fear and exploitation. Also, the money should be enough to send your brother to school, giving him the education and opportunities he deserves.

  But well, the choice is still in your hands.

  And please believe me. This is my number: +1xxxxxxxxxxxx. If you still don’t believe this letter, you can call me. I think that is all I can tell you. I will be leaving the city shortly. If fate allows, we will meet again in the future.

  And for the last, you are a strong, amazing girl. Though your father will surely scold you for the road you end up choosing, there is still time to fix it.

  Stay strong and know that better days are ahead. I believe in you and your cute, fiercely protective little brother. He will surely be a fine man someday.

  With all my best wishes,

  Nath.

  * * *

  Nath's POV:

  I waited silently in the shroud of shadow. From the intersection, I watched as a thin woman holding her umbrella came closer to the place where I hid. She didn’t seem to notice I was there. She passed me and arrived at a small house with a weathered, wooden door.

  “I hope she received my message,” I muttered to myself, then turned my attention to REN inside me.

  “So, it seems you can’t control your urge anymore, huh, REN? Your fa?ade crumbles easily seeing her predicament. Or can I say, human predicament?” I jeered at her.

  It was because, just as I contemplated where to start the plan, REN suddenly gave me a mission where, if I accepted it, she would grant me money and all other files to complete the mission, along with a mystery gift upon completion.

  When I tried to refuse, she added that this mission was unavoidable. If I didn’t do it, I would be killed shortly. I just smirked at the threat. She seemed to know that I was merely testing her.

  * * *

  New Mission Registered:

  Objective:

  Bring the perpetrators who threatened and enslaved Chyntia to justice. They are responsible for swindling her father with an unfair contract, ultimately leading to his untimely death through orchestrated accidents. Chyntia is one of the many call ladies, or comfort women, exploited by the Deerhead Corporation for the pleasure of their high-ranking figures.

  Mission Assistance:

  Access to all files detailing the illegal activities of the Deerhead Corporation, encompassing both Top-Level Management and Lower-Level Management. This includes financial records that can be allocated to the women and families who have been exploited.

  Reward: 2 free attribute points and a mystery gift.

  -Unavoidable-

  Refusal means death to the Host.

  * * *

  When did you realize that, Host?

  “Actually, it’s from the very first start. There is already a theory on Earth about Artificial General Intelligence that can mimic the way humans think and process thoughts. With how your technology was way ahead of us, surely those outside of our galaxy that can easily travel through space have already managed to create that kind of AI, right?”

  “Besides, when you voluntarily assisted me in absorbing all of those files, I knew for sure you could think beyond the bounds of the programmed system inside you. And I knew you expected this to happen too, right? An AI with a soul and feelings. Very dramatic, but easy to guess. Our Earth’s Artificial Intelligence, which helps the Champions against the invasion, is also almost reaching that kind of level, as far as I remember.”

  You are right, Host.

  “So, where is my reward?” I rubbed my palms together, expecting something amazing from that mystery gift.