Nelly sprinted through the rain-soaked streets, his heart racing as fast as his feet. Distinct 13 Arcade loomed ahead, neon lights blurring through his focus. Every second counted. Mira and her family were in the clutches of the Emberly clan, a name whispered like a curse across the underground—one that clearly had a painful history with his ally Requiem.
He tapped his earpiece, breathless. "Requiem, it's urgent. Mira and her family have been taken by the Emberly clan. I need your help, but... your life's at risk too."
Requiem's voice crackled back with a grim chuckle. "So we're finally crushing those Emberly bastards, huh? I've been waiting for this day."
"Wait—you know the Emberlys?" Nelly stopped briefly in his tracks, taken aback.
Requiem's tone turned serious. "Don't stop running. We'll talk in person. Get down here. Now."
Right. He pushed on, slipping into the arcade, dodging startled gamers as he made his way to a hidden elevator in the back. He pressed the button for -13, the sublevel where his team's most restricted assets and tech were stored. The doors opened to reveal Agent IP, the stoic operative who was practically a legend for his relentless efficiency.
"Agent IP," Nelly began, trying to catch his breath. "They're after our people. Use every resource we have, no mercy."
The normally impassive Agent IP narrowed his eyes, a rare glint of approval in them. "Understood, Sir Nelly. I've got it covered." For a moment, Nelly saw a flash of fierce determination that reminded him of Requiem's earlier days.
Nelly dashed toward the SIMP section, barely stopping for breath. He could feel the urgency in every step. Bursting through the doors, he locked eyes with Ms. Melissa, who was engrossed in her screens, barely sparing him a glance.
"Ms. Melissa, your system—honestly? It's trash," he said flatly, tossing a small flash drive her way.
Melissa raised a brow as she caught it, clearly irritated. "What did you just say?"
"Just plug it into your system," Nelly insisted, dead serious. "I'll explain after, but we don't have time to waste."
Taken aback by his uncharacteristically grave tone, Melissa hesitated only a second before complying. The moment she inserted the drive, her screen went wild with flashing codes and upgrades, systems unlocking and reconfiguring at a pace far beyond standard SIMP capabilities. Then, on her main monitor, an animated, idol-like figure appeared, doing a quick, cheerful dance.
"What... what did you just install?" Melissa asked, her jaw dropping as the adorable animated figure waved and winked.
"That, Ms. Melissa," Nelly replied, a grin creeping onto his face, "is Chii-chan, your brand-new advanced AI assistant. Not only is she ten times smarter than your last system, but she's also... team motivation."
Right on cue, Chii-chan's voice echoed through the speakers with a sweet, cheerful "Kira~ Minnaa! Gambatte!" Melissa blinked, half-amused, half-stunned.
With no time to spare, Nelly leaned over her desk, barking instructions. "Chii-chan, locate the jewelry device I gave Mira Raine. Trace every signal connected to it."
The cute AI gave a wink and a salute. "Haiiii! Working on it!" In seconds, streams of data filled the monitors, processing the equivalent of ten people's work in mere moments. Chii-chan pulled up everything from the GPS trail, live video feeds, and even the vital signs of everyone in the vehicle that had taken Mira and her family.
Melissa gawked, her eyes darting over the staggering amount of real-time data populating her screens. "What did you just give us? This system is insane!"
YOU ARE READING
EX-istential Crisis
RomanceNelly thought his world had shattered when the love of his life, cheated on him with someone new. Heartbroken, betrayed, and struggling to move on, Nelly questions whether he'll ever be able to trust again. But just when he's at his lowest, life thr...
