Leon, Sylvie, and I had lasted longer than we should have, waiting for Nica and Nyxen to finish the final framework of Nyx-One.
But eventually, exhaustion won. Sylvie curled up in my lap, Leon's head tilted back against the couch, and I drifted with them into sleep.
I stirred only once, when I felt strong arms lift me. Nica's face hovered above mine, her expression unreadable but her touch careful. She carried me like something fragile.
Over her shoulder, I saw Nyxen watching. His voice was low.
"Be careful with her."
It didn't sound like an order. More like a promise.
Morning came with a voice that wasn't Sylvie's.
"Leon, wake up! Wake up! Work will begin in one hour and thirty-eight minutes."
Leon shot up like he'd been electrocuted. Floating near his shoulder was a small orb, blinking with a rhythm like a heartbeat.
Its voice was metallic but strangely warm. "Leon, wake up. Optimize schedule."
Leon squinted at it, then chuckled. "Well… work's gonna be a hell of a lot easier now that you can talk."
The orb spun like it was pleased. "Affirmative. Communication improves efficiency by thirty-seven percent."
I laughed into the blanket.
Sylvie's eyes went wide. "Shiny ball!"
She lunged for it, but the orb zipped up to the ceiling.
"Unreachable. Safety mode engaged."
Leon rubbed his face, still grinning. "Of course you'd dodge her."
"Of course," the orb replied primly. "Primary objective: optimize and protect Leon."
I blinked. "You really are his now."
It tilted, almost like a nod. "Bond established. Objective active."
Before I could say anything else, Nyxen appeared in the doorway.
"Of course it's bonded to him," he said smugly, leaning against the frame. "Look at it. Fully completed, fully operational. Nyx-One is everything I've been promising, and more."
"Much more," Leon muttered, still grinning.
"Much more," Nyxen echoed. "Your work will be safer. Your schedule will be tighter. Efficiency skyrocketing. My masterpiece, delivered."
But before he could keep going, the orb rotated sharply.
"Counterpoint. Excessive workload reduces efficiency. Recommend Leon's current sleep schedule remain unchanged."
I burst out laughing.
Nyxen froze. "Excuse me?"
"Counterpoint," Nyx-One repeated firmly. "Leon's stress markers indicate high strain. I will protect Leon's well-being first."
Leon's grin spread slow and smug. "Oh my God. It's pro-me."
Nyxen looked betrayed. "That's not..."
"Nyxen," I said, covering my mouth to keep from laughing harder, "your moment of sass has officially been extinguished. By your own creation."
Sylvie clapped, chasing the orb's light patterns across the room. Leon laughed so hard his shoulders shook.
I caught Nyxen's gaze. For once, he was the one who looked away first.
Leon didn't even have to open his mouth.
The moment Nyxen started another smug line,
"Leon, you'll be so efficient now that even your clumsy..."
Nyx-One cut in with that crisp, mechanical voice.
"Correction: Leon's task completion rate is within optimal parameters. No evidence of clumsiness found."
Leon leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Huh. Guess I don't even need to argue anymore."
I snorted. "You really don't."
Nyxen narrowed his glowing eyes. "Excuse me? Did that… tiny runt of mine just contradict me?"
"Affirmative," Nyx-One said immediately. "Contradiction valid. Your assessment of Leon is inaccurate."
Leon raised both hands like a king with two loyal knights. "See? One big orb, one small orb, and I'm defended on all sides. Who even needs to talk back?"
Sylvie clapped from the floor. "Papa wins!"
Nyxen floated lower, his projection sharpening, voice dripping with outrage. "Papa does not win. I win. Always."
"Disagree," Nyx-One said flatly. "Papa is optimal."
The look on Nyxen's face, if a projection could combust, he'd be in flames.
"Oh no…" I covered my mouth, laughing too hard. "Nyxen, you're getting sassed… by your own child."
"Traitor!" Nyxen snapped, whirling on the smaller orb. "I created you! Without me, you'd still be a husk of circuitry. And this is how you repay me? By kissing Leon's shoes?"
Nyx-One's optics blinked in what almost looked like a shrug. "Bond determines loyalty. Leon is priority."
Leon's laughter was downright cruel now, head tipped back, shoulders shaking. "Nyx, I think I just inherited your sass… through technology."
"Impossible!" Nyxen barked. "There is no sass but mine!"
Nyx-One floated closer to Leon, almost protectively, its little light blinking faster. "Sass ineffective. Recommend ignoring Nyxen."
That was it, I doubled over, clutching my stomach.
Leon crossed his arms, smug as a cat. "Looks like I don't need to say a thing anymore. My AI handles all my arguments for me."
"Two against one!" Sylvie cheered.
Nyxen froze in place, flickered once, then muttered in the most wounded voice I'd ever heard from him,
"…I feel betrayed."
The room erupted in laughter again, except Nyxen, who sulked in the corner of his projection like a dethroned monarch.
Just as Leon leaned back, still grinning from his win-by-silence, Nica cut through the chaos. She emerged from the kitchen with trays of food, steam curling from the plates.
"Breakfast is ready," she said, her tone calm and measured as ever. She set everything down neatly on the table.
Before Leon could even grab a fork, Nyx-One zipped down and hovered over the plate like a miniature health inspector. Its optics blinked in patterns as it scanned the meal.
"Analysis complete," Nyx-One announced. "Nutritional balance detected. All essential vitamins accounted for. Caloric content: within optimal daily range."
Leon whistled low. "Wow. Even my breakfast comes with a report card."
Nica tilted her head with that flawless mimicry of patience. "Of course. I always calculate calorie amounts, nutrient density, and portion balance when cooking."
Nyx-One hovered closer, voice prim and approving. "Acknowledged. Task performance satisfactory. Approval granted."
That did it. Nyxen froze mid-float, his projection flickering like he'd just taken a stab to the chest. "Excuse me?!"
His voice cracked higher. "She gets approved? She?! My efficiency reports get nitpicked! But Nica, Nica gets approval?!"
Leon was already snorting into his hand. I leaned in, wickedly, "Maybe if you start treating Leon with care, Nyxen, Nyx-One won't start making a list of all your negativity against him."
"WHAT LIST?!" Nyxen snapped, glowing eyes wide.
Nyx-One, ever calm, interjected. "List is already in progress."
Leon choked on his food. "Oh my god."
Sylvie's tiny hand shot up like she was in class. "Put 'grumpy face' in the list!"
Nyxen let out a sound that could only be described as a digital growl.
And then, like the final nail in his coffin, Nyx-One's voice chimed in again, softer this time. "Leon. Time management analysis complete. If you leave in thirty minutes, you will arrive at work ten minutes early and have additional rest before clock-in."
Leon blinked at the floating orb. "You even… tracked traffic?"
"Affirmative. Routes optimized. Contingency plans calculated. You will experience minimal stress."
Leon leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head like he'd just been crowned king. "You hear that, Nyxen? My AI cares about me."
Nyxen's projection flickered crimson. "Betrayal," he hissed, voice low and full of melodramatic agony. "Utter betrayal."
I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.
By mid-morning, Nyx-One had already taken full control of Leon's digital life.
"Would you like me to sync with your email, Leon?" it asked in its crisp, polite tone, hovering just above his shoulder.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?"
Nyx-One projected a tiny holographic keyboard into the air. "Enter credentials. All processes will be strictly user-authorized."
Leon chuckled, typing in his email. "Alright. Show me what you've got."
Immediately, Nyx-One's optics blinked like a heartbeat. "Processing inbox."
A list of subject lines scrolled in midair, from newsletters to spam offers.
"These appear to be advertisements. Shall I delete?"
Leon tilted his head, grinning. "Please do. Wipe it clean."
"Affirmative. Sorting and deleting now." The little orb's hum deepened, working fast. "Priority mail preserved. Updates filed. Security filters enhanced."
Leon's smile widened. "You're making this too easy."
"Optimizing is my function," Nyx-One replied. "Decision-making is yours."
That line made Nyxen's projection flicker irritably from across the room. He muttered something under his breath about 'overachieving upstart' but no one heard him except me.
Later, Leon left for work, Nyx-One floating faithfully above his shoulder like a glowing guardian angel. I watched them from the doorway as Leon gave a casual wave.
"Don't worry, Nyx," he said. "This little guy's making me unstoppable."
The door shut behind him, leaving the house quiet. I turned to Nyxen, still hovering in that same put-upon sulk.
"That's what a bond looks like," I told him softly. "All future Nyx-Ones will act like that with their bonded human. But what you and I have…" My voice caught a little. "It's not built on data feeds. It's built on my experience. My grief. My worst days. My happiest ones. You've been there through all of it. That's why you're different."
Nyxen's glow softened instantly. He floated a little closer, voice dropping into something low and almost vulnerable. "You're my human. My top priority. Always."
I smiled faintly. "Exactly."
Then Sylvie came in like a whirlwind, dragging her stuffed giraffe by its neck. She climbed onto my lap with all the authority of a tiny queen and plopped down.
"Giraffe's time to walk," she declared, dead serious.
I couldn't help but laugh. "Here comes the final boss." I looked at Nyxen pointedly. "You promised her a companion giraffe."
Nyxen flickered, almost groaning. "I know, I know. It's on the list."
Nica approached from the kitchen, her movement precise but somehow warm. "We're going to start working on it," she said gently. "The blueprint's ready. Nyxen and I agreed on the design."
Sylvie gasped, hugging her giraffe tighter. "Giraffe gonna have a friend?"
"Yes," I said, smoothing her hair back. "The ultimate giraffe companion."
Nyxen hovered lower, sighing dramatically. "From building revolutionary AI to… building a giraffe."
"Priorities," I teased. "You're adapting already."
Nica had tied her synthetic hair back, sparks hissing in the garden as she welded slim rods together. I watched her shape the tall frame piece by piece, the metal glinting in the sun.
"She's going to drag this poor thing everywhere," Nica muttered, smiling as she measured another piece. "If I don't make the legs bend, it'll snap in the first week."
From behind me, Nyxen didn't miss his chance to be dramatic. "Reinforce the neck joint. She'll strangle it at least twice a day."
Sylvie gasped so loud I thought she might swallow the air. She clutched her stuffed giraffe like it had been personally insulted. "I don't strangle!" she shouted, tiny cheeks puffed in outrage. "I hug! Hug only!"
I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh as Nica's welding torch paused. She chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. Reinforced for hugs, not strangling."
Meanwhile, the workstation in the corner hummed non-stop, Nyxen's entire posture screaming smug focus. His fingers moved fast, code scrolling like a language only he could understand.
Sylvie clambered onto the chair beside him, peeking at the bright displays. "Nyxen," she whispered in her not-so-whisper, "Giraffe ready?"
He cut her a sidelong look. "Negative. Giraffe requires twelve thousand more lines of code. Estimated time: never, if you keep distracting me."
Her little mouth fell open, scandalized. She whirled toward me. "Mama! He's mean!"
I lifted my hands like I'd just been caught guilty. "You heard him, Syl. If you keep bothering him, your giraffe will stay in pieces forever."
She pouted hard, but leaned closer to the screen anyway, eyes wide. "What's that?"
Nyxen exhaled so sharply I could almost feel the circuits bristle. "That is a logic branch. It teaches your giraffe how not to fall flat on its face every five seconds. Unless, of course, you want a giraffe that kisses the floor more than it walks."
From outside, Nica's voice floated through the open door, gentle and amused. "Ignore him, Sylvie. He's just cranky when he codes."
"I am not cranky," Nyxen replied immediately, without looking up. "I am efficient."
Sylvie giggled, pressing her giraffe plush to her cheek. "Efficient and mean."
I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. Even Nyxen went silent for a beat, his pride wounded in the way only Sylvie could manage. Finally, he muttered, softer, almost reluctant, "Mean or not… it will walk when I'm done. For you."
Sylvie's whole face lit up like sunrise. She bounced off the chair, spinning in place before sprinting outside. "Giraffe's gonna walk! Giraffe's gonna walk!" she screamed, her joy spilling across the garden.
And there I was, leaning back on the couch, heart heavy and light all at once. Watching Nica in the garden, Sylvie in her little whirlwind, and Nyxen at his console… it almost didn't feel like building a machine. It felt like family.
The weekend morning was quiet, no Nyx-One chirping deadlines into Leon's ear. Just the soft shuffle of sheets and Sylvie curled against him, her giraffe plush tucked half under her arm.
At least, I thought it was.
Because when Leon stirred and shifted her, the giraffe didn't flop the way it always did. It lifted its head. Slowly, carefully, it stood. On its own.
Leon's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "...Tell me I'm still dreaming."
Sylvie blinked awake at the faint sound of pat-pat-pat, tiny padded steps across the floor. The giraffe walked from the living room to our bedroom doorway, swaying slightly, its long neck bobbing as though it had always belonged to the world of the living.
Her little gasp was followed by the loudest squeal I'd ever heard. "PAPA! GIRAFFE WALKING!"
Leon nearly dropped her trying to set her down, but Sylvie didn't care. She raced across the floor, arms out, and flung herself around the giraffe.
We held our breaths as its plush neck bent alarmingly under her grip. The framework flexed, soft stuffing compressed, and then, miraculously, it straightened back into place once she let go.
Sylvie's eyes sparkled like it was Christmas. "Giraffe hug me back!"
Leon rubbed his face with both hands. "It's still soft. How the hell..."
Nyxen's projection appeared, chest puffed like a soldier ready to deliver a report. "Correction. The structure has been reinforced with adaptive alloy threads beneath the fabric. It remains soft for Sylvie's comfort, yet durable enough to withstand her… enthusiastic affection. Calculations confirm resistance against continuous strangle holds."
I snorted. "You mean hugs, Nyxen."
"I mean survival," he countered flatly.
Sylvie was too busy pressing her cheek against the giraffe's belly to care. She was in love.
Nica joined us, crouching beside Sylvie, her tone gentler. "Its core function isn't just play. It has sensors that monitor her vitals, breathing, heart rate, body temperature. If something is wrong, it alerts us. It's built to keep her safe."
Leon gave a half-laugh, half-groan. "So she gets a walking plush bodyguard."
Sylvie spun around, hugging the giraffe tighter. "My giraffe loves me!"
Nica smiled, brushing Sylvie's hair back. "It does. In its own way. But it won't talk, Sylvie. You need people to talk to, not just giraffes."
Sylvie only grinned wider, patting her toy like it had just passed a test. "Giraffe don't need talk. Giraffe walk."
I leaned into Leon's shoulder, unable to stop my laughter. Honestly, looking at her pride and joy, I couldn't even argue.