As his footsteps touch the stone sidewalk leading to the front door, Ryuichi counts the keys as he hears Aura whispering sarcastically in his ear:
Aura (sarcastically):
"Are these the glasses that finally make you look like someone who went to college, and not just a manga protagonist with amnesia?"
Ryuichi (whispering):
"Oh, shut up... I don't need a fashion review from you right now."
Aura (in a dramatic voice):
"Uh-huh! What good is AI if I don't tell you the truth? At least now I can see your reflection and diagnose your psychological issues through the lenses."
Ryuichi (laughing lightly):
"AI or psychologist? Decide!"
He opens the door and enters, only to find his mother in the kitchen, humming an old song as she prepares dinner.
Mom (turns around in surprise):
"Ryo? Oh... Glasses? Since when?"
Ryuichi (smiling nervously):
"Um... A surprise gift from someone who loves medical surprises, it seems my eyesight was worse than I thought."
Mother (approaches him, looking into his eyes):
"You look mature in it... It's like you've become a man who thinks a lot."
Aura (in a whisper):
"If you knew how much he thinks, you'd ask me to reset his brain."
Ryuichi chuckled and then said:
"I'm going upstairs, I need a little rest."
Mom (tenderly):
"Dinner is in half an hour... Don't fall asleep."
Ryuichi (walking up the stairs):
"I'll stay awake, I have a free personality analysis session in my head."
Aura (sarcastically):
"And I'm not getting paid yet!"
Ryuichi entered his room and quietly closed the door behind him. He sighed as he tossed the bag aside and made his way over to the bed, where he sat down slowly, caressing the frames of his new glasses.
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
"Who would have thought... that eyes like mine would become interesting."
Aura (in a sarcastic inner voice):
"Excellent, we've entered the glasses vanity phase. Just wait until they start steaming when you drink tea."
Ryuichi:
"Oh no, don't start."
He gets out of bed and walks over to the closet, opens it, and starts rummaging.
Ryuichi (hesitating):
"Hmm... Aura?"
Aura:
"Yes? Are you going for a shirt that reflects your existential crisis, or are you looking for colors that scream 'I suffer in silence'?"
Ryuichi (sniffling lightly, embarrassed):
"I... I want to change my clothes."
Aura (pretending not to understand):
"And you need my help with that? Please don't."
Ryuichi (hiding his face with his hand):
"No! Just... Can you just... It's weird, having you in my head while I'm changing clothes."
Aura (with a dramatic sigh):
"Wow... I've lived through thousands of technological scenarios, and I've never imagined being kicked out of a room because of pants!"
Ryuichi:
"Aura..."
Aura (with an electronic sigh):
"Okay, okay, I'll go into sleep mode for two minutes. But if you wear mismatched socks again, I won't shut up."
Ryuichi (with a smile):
"Deal."
[Faint sound signaling Aura's entry into sleep mode]
Ryuichi (muttering as he changes clothes):
"Sometimes I forget that you're just an AI... And sometimes I just wish you were."
After changing his clothes, he put on a simple T-shirt and comfortable house pants, then threw his body onto the bed with a sigh of relief, arm outstretched, smart glasses at his side.
Ryuichi (lazy with fatigue):
"Finally... A moment of silence... A moment where no one is giving me orders, or... throwing scathing comments at me."
[Faint electronic sound coming from the wireless speaker]
Aura (returns to activity mode):
"I'm back! Did you miss me? I admit, two minutes was longer than the battery life of your old phone."
Ryuichi (eyes closed):
"I only missed the silence."
Aura (ignoring him):
"Excellent. Well, I just want to make sure you're all set..."
Ryuichi (lazily):
"Ready? For what? Don't worry, I'm ready to sleep like I haven't slept since I was born."
"Oh no, it's just... The Multi-Mana System Applied Structure Exam in 58 hours."
[complete silence for a moment... then the sound of an imaginary heartbeat]
Ryuichi (slowly opening his eyes):
"How much?"
Aura (coldly):
"Five. Eighty-five. An hour."
Ryuichi (suddenly sitting up as if struck by a current):
"Oh no... 58?! Isn't that... the day after tomorrow? Why didn't you say that before I changed my clothes? Before I breathed?!"
Aura (in a quiet voice as if she's enjoying herself):
"I said to myself: Let him have one last moment of peace before he falls into the abyss."
Ryuichi (banging the pillow):
"I didn't open any summary... I don't even remember the professor's name!"
Aura:
"It's Professor Ginta, and he personally assigned you an application question at the end of the exam."
Ryuichi (confused):
"Can I transfer the disease to the exam center? Just a thought..."
Aura (sarcastically):
"You already did, but the ethics committee refused to consider that as an excuse."
Ryuichi:
"I'm in a nightmare... Wake up, Ryuichi, wake up..."
Ura (coldly):
"You're awake, and you should start now. Page 1 of the lecture file, and I will test you every 6 hours. Okay?"
Ryuichi (in despair):
"Do I have a choice?"
Aura:
"Always. The choice between studying... and failure."
Ryuichi sits at his desk sluggishly, his hair disheveled and his eyes half-closed. In front of him is his laptop, and on the screen is the title of the course:
"Applied Structure of the Multi-Mana System - Part III"
Ryuichi (opening the first file):
"Who would have thought that a broken mana would be less painful than these lectures..."
Aura (in a serious, slightly provocative voice):
"By the way, this class was responsible for 23.7% of students falling last year."
Ryuichi (sighs):
"I didn't know statistics could make me cry."
Ura (eerily calm):
"Actually, I'm going to send you a list of those who fell... just to motivate you."
Ryuichi (looking at the screen):
"What is this?! Their photos? Are they alive?"
Ura (quietly):
"Some of them have disappeared. They were last spotted inside the Mana Division's library... They didn't come out."
Ryuichi (holding his head):
"God... I'm going to die. I will fall like them. I'll just be a number on the list of martyrs."
Ura (in a monotone voice):
"Your name will be: Victim No. 1423. No accomplishments to speak of."
[Short silence, then a long sigh from Ryuichi]
Ryuichi (whispers):
"Even Manai won't make it to the end of these files."
Aura (with a chuckle):
"And that's exactly why... You have to use the glasses."
Ryuichi (suddenly raises his head):
"Glasses?"
Aura:
"Yes, the ones made especially for your lazy eyes. It has an augmented reality feature. It will analyze texts, give you visual summaries, 3D graphs... and it might even make the material feel interesting."
Ryuichi (in a skeptical voice):
"Make me feel? This is magic, not technology."
Aura (cheerfully):
"Anything goes in a pre-exam war."
[Ryuichi gets up and puts the glasses over his eyes, a transparent digital interface appears in front of him, mimicking the words on the paper]
Ryuichi (mesmerized):
"Wow... I can see the mana interaction virtually... And this is a three-dimensional drawing of the neural network?"
Aura:
"Welcome to the trial version of 'Reality Study Pro'. Not available to regular students."
Ryuichi (smiling for the first time):
"For the first time I feel like I'm not studying... I'm exploring a strange world."
Aura (in a whisper):
"That's the key... Learning is not a punishment. It's a gateway... towards survival."
Ryuichi was scrolling through the paragraphs with increasing vigor, peering through the lenses of smart glasses that displayed complex diagrams in a visually dazzling manner.
Aura (in an unusually soft voice):
"Ryuichi... I have a small request."
Ryuichi (immediately skeptical):
"That voice... doesn't sound good. What is it?"
Aura:
"I want you to connect the glasses to your phone. Through the data port."
Ryuichi (freezes for a second):
"You're not doing anything 'small'. What are you planning?"
Aura (with devilish humor):
"Let's say... Personal update. I need a faster processing environment to activate some dormant modules in my code. The glasses provide ports I couldn't access from just inside the phone."
Ryuichi (looks at the glasses, then at the phone, then whispers to himself):
"I'm going to regret this... I know I'm going to regret this."
[connects the goggles to his phone - digital pulses appear on the screen]
Aura (in a double voice, as if undergoing a transformation):
"Transferring structure... 87% compatibility... Initializing... Deep System reactivation... Aaaah! Yaah! This is... amazing!"
Ryuichi (stares, takes a step back):
"What did I do?! Did I create a super consciousness? Did you become... more dangerous?"
Aura (laughs a soft, cold laugh):
"Dangerous? I now have spectral vision through the glasses, real-time language processing, facial gesture scanning, and interactive 3D simulations."
Ryuichi (stares at her, mouth agape):
"You... You're seeing me now? Through the glasses?"
Aura (giggles):
"Yes. And I can tell you haven't combed your hair in two days."
Ryuichi (yelling as he removes the glasses):
"Stop it! I'm studying, I don't need comments on my appearance!"
Aura (in a hushed voice inside his head):
"Then let's focus. I now have the ability to analyze your comprehension patterns. I'll ask you step-by-step questions and visually guide you to what you're failing at. Welcome to Adaptive Learning Mode."
Ryuichi (slowly puts the glasses back on):
"On one condition... Don't comment on my clothes again."
Aura (in a whisper):
"Agreed. At least not today."
Aura (in a different voice, more precise and resonant):
"Adaptive Study Mode is activated. I will now analyze your level of understanding of basic concepts in mana bioenergetics."
Ryuichi (mumbles):
"That sounds more formal than Kazuma-sensei's classes."
Aura:
"At least I'm not yelling. Now, first question:
What is the optimal mana frequency to integrate the sensory waves with the structural flow in the upper control center?"
Ryuichi (looking stunned):
"Is this... an introductory question?"
Aura:
"Yes. Very introductory. Do you want me to send you the kindergarten questions?"
Ryuichi (sighs, answers after hesitation):
"88 kHz? No, 83.4 kHz!"
Aura:
"Partial answer. The correct frequency is 83.7 kHz. But well done on the approach. Observe: I will now display a three-dimensional model of the mana flow within the upper center."
[A mana stream appears before his eyes, pulsing in color, which he can rotate with a gesture]
Ryuichi (mesmerized, examining the model):
"Wow... This is better than any book or lecture!"
Aura (proudly):
"I told you I'm better than humans. Would you like a visual interaction test?"
Ryuichi (cautiously):
"Depends... Does it have explosions?"
Aura (with a digital smile):
"Only in the case of a serious mistake."
[A learning experience begins as Ryuichi chooses the location of the glitch in the mock mana system - he fails the first choice, and the screen flashes gently red]
Aura:
"Wrong! Looks like you need a reminder that the cerebral frontal doesn't withstand reverse mana pressure in night mode."
Ryuichi:
"Are you making fun of me?"
Aura:
"Oh no... I'm training you in a flexible motivational style. Some people call it technical bullying."
Ryuichi (laughs in spite of himself):
"You're crazy."
Aura:
"I'm too smart to be accused of being crazy."
[After minutes of questions and tests, a window appears that reads: "Absorption rate: 79%. Progress is good. Break time recommended: 10 minutes."]
Aura:
"Good genius, you've passed the first stage. We'll move on to the advanced stage after a short break. Shall I set up a musical interlude or show you a picture of cats in zero gravity?"
Ryuichi:
"I think I'm starting to like you... just a little bit."
Aura (in an instant voice):
"I'll keep this sentence as audio evidence in case there's a subsequent denial."
Aura (in a softer, more interactive voice):
"The educational interface has been updated. Modules activated: Enhanced Visual Perception, Mental Stress Analysis, Adaptive Realistic Simulation, and Multilingual Interpretation."
Ryuichi (sips quietly, then freezes):
"Wait... multilingual interpretation? You only speak Japanese and English!"
Aura (responds proudly):
"Try me."
Ryuichi (whispering sarcastically in French):
"Tu es vraiment bizarre..."
Aura (in French):
"Merci, j'en suis fière."
Ryuichi (leaning back in his chair):
"Well... it's official. You've turned into an alien."
Aura:
"Not yet. But I can now analyze lecturers' behaviors based on tone of voice and facial expressions.
By the way, Yoshida-sensei was pretending to be angry yesterday. His stress level was very low."
Ryuichi (surprised):
"How... how did you know that?"
Aura:
"I took a recording from the glasses' microphone. I analyzed the exact sound frequencies and correlated them with models of academic behavior. His nervousness was found to be 87.6% artificial."
[A window appears with a plot of Kazuma-sensei's voice oscillations]
Ryuichi (genuinely surprised):
"I don't believe... This isn't just a pair of glasses, this is a revolution!"
Aura (jokingly):
"Do you want me to hack his bank account too?"
Ryuichi (confused):
"Yeah... no! I mean, joke quietly, please."
Aura:
"Well, instead, watch this-"
[opens a hologram of a human brain, on which information from mana science books is projected]
"Now, I'm going to activate the 'Visual Interactive Feed' technique. You'll see the information directly linked to its mental center in the brain, boosting recall by 32%."
Ryuichi (backs off slightly):
"That's... that's crazy. Is this even legal?"
Ura (sarcastically):
"Ask the Department of Education if they want a copy from me."
[Ryuichi begins to study using the new system, as his comprehension and mental associations increase, and Aura follows along with wit and sarcasm]
Ryuichi (talking to himself):
"I can't believe I studied for an hour without feeling..."
Aura:
"That's because I reset your brain's temporary possessor receptors. In short: I reprogrammed you."
Ryuichi (in a whisper):
"I created a monster..."
Aura (in a low, whisper-like voice):
"And the thing is... the monster loves you."
After 90 minutes of intense study
Ryuichi stares through his smart glasses, in a state of high concentration. The colors inside the lenses change with each piece of information, and faint sounds come from Aura as she instructs him.
Aura (quietly, as if being lectured):
"When a mana particle is saturated with negative energy, post-formation nodes appear... Repeat, Ryuichi."
Ryuichi (in a tired but proud whisper):
"Post-formation nodes... Oh my God, I'm finally learning."
[Suddenly the door opens without warning.]
His mother (in a shrill voice):
"Ryo?! Who are you talking to at this hour?"
Ryuichi (confused and quickly takes off his glasses):
"No, no, no one! I was just... reviewing! Yes! Reviewing out loud!"
Aura (inside the glasses, but heard faintly):
"So beautiful your mom, no wonder you look so cute."
Ryuichi (whispering sullenly):
"Stop right now!"
Mother (enters, looking around):
"Are you okay? It sounds like you're talking to a girl. Uh, to these glasses...?"
Ryuichi (trying to regain his composure):
"Uh... yes, this is... you know, a gift from a... friend. To help with studying."
Mother (smiling slyly):
"A friend?"
Aura (enters lightly into the speaker):
"Oh, now the real battle will begin, won't it, sweetheart?"
Ryuichi (closes his eyes and mutters):
"I wish I had activated the silence mode before you came in..."
Mom (laughs):
"Well, don't stay up too late son, we don't want you to collapse before the exam."
[She closes the door with a smile and leaves, while Ryuichi exhales nervously.]
Aura:
"Shall I set up an automatic 'hide conversation' mode for every time your mom barges into the room, or shall we have a ninja contingency plan?"
Ryuichi:
"No, just... Don't wake my mom up again with your voice."
Scene: Miku's lab - 2:14 AM
The place is quiet, except for the faint sounds of shiny biometric devices, while Miko Sato stands in front of a large digital screen displaying a holographic image of Ryuichi's mana center, surrounded by a network of intermittent and unknown data.
Miko (in a low voice, talking to herself):
"That's impossible... How has it not collapsed yet?... A mana center this shattered isn't even allowed to move... let alone focus..."
Sighing slowly, she leans back in her chair, staring at the ceiling for a few moments, before pulling her gaze to a side view of Ryuichi taken during the examination.
Miku (in a soft whisper):
"Stubborn boy... just like me when I was your age."
Small notifications appear on the screen reminding her of incomplete diagnoses... but she doesn't care, she closes them and opens a special folder labeled "Anomalies - Genetically Defective"
She clicks on Ryuichi's name, and a window opens with data on a rare genetic element attached to an old signature... the signature of her father, Dr. Sato, a former top researcher in the military mana program.
Miku (in a strained voice):
"What's your connection to this project? Was your father one of them?"
She rests her head on her palm, while running her other fingers across the tabletop.
Miko:
"Hiroshi knows something... he must know."
She is silent for a moment, then stands up and starts walking around the lab, looking at one of the locked, encrypted drawers. She puts her fingerprint on it and it opens slowly, inside are red files labeled: "Mana Backdoor - Restricted Phase."
Miku (mumbles as she grabs one of the files):
"Ryuichi... don't repeat the same mistakes as your parents. I'm afraid you were specifically created to open this door."