Early that morning, the whimpering of puppies stirred the quiet breath of the world, and Sophia finally opened her eyes. Pale sunlight filtered through the window, casting shadows on the wall.

  The clock already showed 7:00 a.m. She struggled to lift her heavy head from beneath the covers and looked around the room. The traces of yesterday’s work still lay scattered in the disheveled space, and two puppies wagged their tails, waiting for breakfast.

  ????? ?? ??, ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??. ? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ???, ???? ?? ?? 7?? ???? ???. ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? ?????. ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ? ????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ? ??? ????? ?? ????.

  Sophia stretched lazily, twisting her whole body, and shoved the blanket aside. Her eyes weren’t fully open yet, and her body wandered between dream and reality as she slowly sat up, muttering to the dogs.

  ???? ???? ? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????. ?? ??? ?? ? ??? ?? ??, ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ?????.

  “Okay, okay. I’ll feed you. Just wait…”

  “???, ? ??. ???…”

  Still exhausted, Sophia made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She looked at the puppies and scolded them softly.

  ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? 1? ???? ???. ??? ????? ??? ? ?? ??? ?????.

  “Do you think I’m your personal chef? I’m so tired I could drop…”

  “?? ??? ????? ?? ? ??? ??? ????…“

  The warm scent of coffee drifted lightly through the kitchen. Her father, Victor, was already sitting at the table, sipping coffee and flipping through a paper newspaper. Even in a world armed with digital technology, he still insisted on the texture of paper and the smell of ink.

  1? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???. ??? ???, ??? ? ? ? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???. ??? ???? ?? ? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?????.

  “You slept in, Sophia. Did you stay up working again last night?”

  “?? ??, ???. ??? ? ?? ??? ???”

  His voice carried worry and concern, moderated so it wouldn’t sound like nagging.

  ?? ????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ? ??? ????.

  Sophia yawned wide, then looked at her father through half-closed eyes.

  ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ? ? ???, ?? ?? ??? ???? ?????.

  “Yeah, there was an important update yesterday. Testing took a while.”

  “?, ??? ??? ????? ????. ?????? ??? ? ???.”

  Victor looked up from his newspaper and slowly shook his head.

  ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???.

  “Take it easy. If you keep pushing yourself like this, your body won’t hold up. You’ve been waking up at night from pain lately, haven’t you?”

  “? ???? ?. ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??. ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???…”

  Sophia shrugged out of habit and pulled a bag of dog food from the shelf.

  ???? ???? ??? ????, ???? ????? ?? ??? ???.

  “I know, I know… I’ll handle it.”

  “???, ????… ?? ??? ??.”

  She poured the food into bowls, and the puppies rushed over. Their claws clicked cheerfully on the floor, and she smiled at the sight. Pouring herself a simple bowl of cereal and milk, Sophia sat at the table and glanced at her father, still reading his newspaper.

  ??? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????. ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??, ??? ? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???. ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????, ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ? ????.

  In an age when AI robots share all the information and even greet you in the morning—when everything is connected by networks—paper newspapers?

  AI ??? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??, ?? ?? ???? ? ??? ? ???, ??? ?? ?????.

  “Ugh, I can’t eat this. Feels like chewing sand. I’m gonna sleep a little more.”

  “??, ? ???. ??? ?? ? ??. ?, ??? ? ?? ????.”

  After one spoonful of cereal, she grimaced and stood up.

  ???? ? ? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????.

  “Alright. Dad will make you breakfast.”

  “??. ??? ?? ??????.”

  Victor watched her back and spoke quietly. Warmth always filled his words, and memories flickered in his eyes.

  ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???. ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???, ??? ??? ???? ???.

  Sophia climbed back upstairs to her room—her own little kingdom. The desk was covered with tangled wires and components, and the walls were hung with test drones, circuit diagrams, and prototypes under development. She sat down at her computer and powered on the AI hologram system.

  ???? 2? ??? ??????, ??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ????. ?? ?? ? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???, ??? ???? ???? ???, ?? ? ? ???? ??? ???. ??? ?? ??? ?? ??, AI ???? ???? ??.

  Light gathered in the center of the room, and within the blue glow, an AI hologram took form.

  ? ???? ?? ????, ?? ?? ??? AI ????? ??????.

  “My love, Sophia! Good morning!”

  “? ?? ???! ???!”

  The hologram greeted her cheerfully. Sophia smirked at the familiar voice.

  ????? ???? ????, ??? ? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???.

  “Did you analyze yesterday’s test results?”

  “?? ??? ?? ?????”

  She asked coldly, slipping back into developer mode.

  ??? ???? ???. ???? ??? ??? ???.

  “Yep, mostly positive. There were a few bugs, but they’re simple fixes. Should take about thirty

  minutes to patch and upload. Let me show you the source code.”

  “?, ??? ?????. ? ?? ??? ???? ???, ?? ?? ??? ??? ? ????. 30? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ? ?? ? ??. ?? ?? ?? ????.”

  The hologram gestured, and lines of code unfolded in midair. But Sophia shook her head.

  ????? ???? ??? ???? ????. ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ?.

  “No, it’s fine. I’ll finish it after school.”

  “???, ??. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??.”

  She checked her laptop again, scrolling through the log files she’d inspected earlier.

  ??? ???? ?? ????, ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???.

  Sophia had a bold, no-nonsense personality. Behind her thick glasses, her eyes sparkled. When she smiled, her braces showed, and freckles dotted the skin beneath her eyes—she looked like an ordinary teenage girl. But when she sat before her laptop, focused on development work, she transformed into a full-fledged programmer.

  ???? ??? ???? ??? ???. ??? ?? ??? ??? ????, ?? ? ???? ?? ???, ??? ? ?? ?? ?? ?????—??? ??? 10? ???? ???. ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??, ? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??.

  Every morning, her second-floor room descended into chaos. One side was packed with tangled computer equipment and wires, while the other was littered with half-empty coffee mugs and snack wrappers. The desk was buried under countless notebooks and printed code sheets, and in the middle, her laptop screen displayed a screensaver that had been running for hours. It was clear evidence that she’d stayed up coding and testing, eventually falling asleep at her desk.

  ?? ??, ??? 2? ?? ?? ? ??? ?????. ???? ??? ??? ?? ? ??? ????, ?? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???. ? ? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???, ? ??? ?? ? ?? ???? ? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ????? ???. ??? ? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ? ? ?????.

  Sophia was a singular genius in the AI field, but she often suffered from unexplained pain.

  AI ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??????.

  She’d spend nights clutching her stomach, drenched in cold sweat. But doctors could only diagnose it as a genetic condition—incurable by modern medicine. Still, she endured the pain. The thrill of developing programs and testing new systems was more effective than any painkiller in helping her bear the agony.

  ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????, ????? ?? ???? ???? ? ? ????? ?? ? ??? ??? ?? ????. ??? ??? ??? ????. ????? ????, ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ??????.

  The security system Sophia developed wasn’t just a collection of technologies. It was a fusion of her mind, senses, and intuition. When an intruder was detected, four small drones took off immediately, capturing them with high-resolution cameras and night-vision capabilities, even in darkness. All data was shared in real time, and if a certain threat level was detected, an automatic alert was sent to Sophia’s smartphone. If necessary, an automatic report to the police was triggered instantly. It was a sensory network that operated like a living organism.

  ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????. ??? ??? ?? ? ??, ??? ??? ??? ?????. ???? ???? ? ?? ?? ??? ? ???? ????, ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ? ?? ????. ?? ???? ????? ?????, ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???. ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ? ?? ?????. ??? ???? ???? ??????.

  One morning, Victor, sitting across from her at the breakfast table, asked gently.

  ??? ??, ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?????.

  “How’s the development going?”

  “??? ? ?? ???”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Sophia poured maple syrup slowly over her pancakes and answered casually.

  ???? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????.

  “Since when do you know about development?”

  “??? ??? ???”

  She asked playfully, but her eyes were already shining. Victor smiled quietly and nodded.

  ??? ??? ????? ????, ??? ??? ??? ???. ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ????.

  “Of course I do. You built the laser security system installed outside the house, didn’t you? The secret room has become an impenetrable fortress because of your skills. I know that all too well!”

  “??, ? ??. ?? ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???. ??? ? ? ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ? ?? ??!”

  Sophia held her fork suspended over the pancakes, looking at her father with mild surprise.

  ???? ???? ?? ??? ? ? ? ?? ? ??? ??, ?? ?? ???? ?? ? ?????.

  “Oh, not bad. You actually knew about that?”

  “?, ????? ?? ?? ?? ????”

  A hint of pleasant surprise mixed with harmless mischief flickered across her face.

  ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???.

  Victor smiled warmly, nodding. His voice carried pride, tinged with faint concern.

  ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????. ?? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???.

  “How could I not know? I watched you build everything. But here’s the thing… your security system scared the poor delivery guy half to death. He ran off in a panic. This morning, the company called to complain—said he won’t deliver to our house again. And remember? The neighbor’s dog wandered into the yard and bolted like its tail was on fire…”

  “??? ? ????. ?? ??? ? ? ?????. ??? ???… ? ?? ??? ? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????. ?? ???, ??? ? ? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???. ??? ? ???, ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ?? ???…”

  Sophia poked at her pancakes with her fork, utterly unbothered.

  ???? ? ???? ??? ?, ????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????.

  “Oh, that? The drones only shoot tiny plastic pellets. Honestly, they don’t even hurt. That dog was just being dramatic!”

  “?, ??? ???? ??? ? ??? ? ???? ????. ??? ??? ???? ?? ??… ? ???? ??? ?? ???!”

  Victor sighed softly, though his voice remained gentle.

  ??? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ????.

  “Even so, Sophia. There are a lot of people in this world besides you. Sometimes—just sometimes—you have to consider others too, don’t you?”

  “??? ???, ???. ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???. ???, ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?? ????”

  Sophia pouted, grumbling quietly as if the remark annoyed her.

  ???? ??? ?? ???, ? ?? ?????? ? ?? ?????.

  “Why should I care about a dog? And even if it was a person, I already accounted for all that. I adjusted the sensitivity so it doesn’t react to branches swaying or small animals. Dad’s just worrying for nothing. Seriously, don’t sweat it.”

  “???? ? ????? ????? ??, ?? ?? ??? ? ???? ???. ?? ??? ???? ???? ???, ?? ??? ???? ???, ?? ?? ???? ? ???. ??? ?? ???? ????. ?? ?? ?, ?.”

  Every security system she developed was installed directly at her home and rigorously tested. By now, her house was an impenetrable fortress. The drones patrolled the skies whenever someone entered the perimeter, and invisible laser beams formed a security net, wrapping the house like an unseen web.

  ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?. ?? ??? ?? ????? ??? ?????. ?? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ????, ????? ??? ?? ? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???.

  Smart CCTV cameras moved silently, recording and analyzing every situation, while precision sensors placed throughout detected even the slightest changes. All detection devices were organically connected—if even one anomaly was detected, they responded immediately, complementing and reinforcing each other.

  ??? CCTV? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????, ??? ?? ? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???. ?? ?? ??? ? ? ????? ???? ??, ? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????.

  She named this intricate, meticulous system the Eye of Horus.1 Like the ancient god watching over the world, it was an eye that monitored and protected without a single mistake. In the world Sophia had created, it was the name of justice and peace.

  ??? ? ???? ??? ???? ‘???? ?’??? ??? ?????. ??? 1 ?? ??? ????, ? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?. ??? ???? ???? ????, ???? ??? ?????.

  But during school hours, Sophia was just like any other student her age. Though the latest updates to her AI hologram and her next development plans never left her mind, she could at least set aside the weight of reality while joking and laughing with friends.

  ??? ??? ?? ?????, ???? ?? ?? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???. ?? AI ????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??, ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ? ???.

  In the classroom, trading pranks with her friends and bursting into laughter, or debating over complicated math problems, she was reminded—little by little—that before being a developer or designer, she was simply a girl.

  ?? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???, ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ? ??? ????, ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ? ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ???? ??.

  Still, when she watched her peers obsess over romance, throw themselves into club activities, or agonize over getting each other’s attention, Sophia found it all childish—like watching toddlers play. The constant notifications, updates, and messages from social media felt like chains trying to bind her, so she genuinely hated that world.

  ??? ?? ???? ??? ???, ??? ??? ????, ??? ??? ?? ? ? ???? ??? ? ??, ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????. ?? SNS? ???? ??? ????, ??? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ? ?????, ??? ? ??? ???? ????.

  She couldn’t understand it. Why would they so easily expose their private lives to the world and surrender themselves to others’ judgments and evaluations?

  ???? ??? ? ???. ? ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????, ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???

  Looking at her classmates’ social media accounts, Sophia found it almost pitiful— everyone, despite not being particularly attractive, posted photos acting like they were someone important, wrapping themselves in exaggerated packaging and putting themselves on display. Why did they struggle so desperately to shout their existence from such a meaningless stage? Watching kids tremble when they couldn’t check social media made her think it was pathetic.

  ? ???? SNS ??? ?????, ?? ?????? ??? ??? ? ??? ? ??, ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ??. ??? ? ???? ?? ???, ? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? SNS ? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ? ??, ????? ???? ???.

  More than anything, she valued her time. She wanted to create, not just consume information. So selling herself to social media was something she’d firmly decided she would never do.

  ???? ???? ??? ????. ??? ???? ??, ???? ???. ??? SNS ??? ??? ????? ??, ?? ?? ???? ???? ???.

  Still, sometimes a small temptation whispered in the corner of her heart. The urge to secretly peek at Jason’s social media—her classmate. To see what he was doing right now, what he was wearing, who he was laughing with. Occasionally, the thought would cross her mind. But she didn’t want him badly enough to abandon the principles she’d set for herself.

  ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???. ?? ? ??? ??? ? SNS? ?? ????? ?? ??. ??? ?? ?? ???, ?? ?? ??, ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???. ??? ??? ???? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???.

  Even so, there was only one person who mattered to Sophia: Jason. Jason, who was adorable when he smiled. Handsome Jason. Jason, who cracked great jokes. Jason, who could even sing… He was a little cheeky, sure, but his charm overshadowed all his flaws.

  ???? ???? ??? ?? ?? ? ??, ??????. ?? ? ??? ???, ? ?? ???, ??? ??? ???, ???? ??? ???… ??? ?????, ? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???.

  Only one guy caught Sophia’s eye. She modeled her AI hologram Jason after the only boy she liked at school.

  ???? ?? ???? ??? ? ? ?? ???. ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ?? AI ???? ‘???’ ? ????.

  For Sophia, silence was torture. Rather than sinking into the weight of her own thoughts in stillness, it helped her focus far more to have a familiar voice constantly talking to her. So whenever she coded, she always summoned AI Jason to keep her company.

  ????? ??? ??? ??? ?????. ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ? ??? ???, ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ? ?? ? ??? ???. ??? ??? ? ??, ??? ? AI ???? ??? ?? ?? ??.

  When she hit a problem, instead of agonizing alone, she’d talk it through with Jason. His playful questions often cut straight to the core, offering her a new perspective—and within that, Sophia would find the thread she needed. That morning was no different. She had a light conversation with Jason about a minor issue.

  ??? ???? ?, ??? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????. ??? ? ? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????, ? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ??. ?? ?? ?? ??? ???. ??? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ???.

  “Jason, the school asked me to submit my security system to the science fair. What would you do?”

  “???, ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ??? ? ???. ??? ??? ???”

  The holographic Jason smiled his familiar smile, raising one eyebrow slightly.

  ???? ? ???? ??? ??? ??, ?? ??? ?? ???.

  “Your Eye of Horus system could easily win the competition, couldn’t it? You could get into a top university with that, and later, get investors and become seriously rich. Then… I hope the two of us could live happily together, you know?”

  “?? ‘???? ?’ ?????? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ???? ? ??? ?? ??? ???? ? ????, ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ? ?? ??. ???… ?? ?? ???? ? ? ???? ?????”

  Sophia shook her head firmly.

  ???? ??? ??? ???.

  “No. I don’t want to reveal my system to the world!”

  "??. ? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??!”

  “But hiding such innovative technology… isn’t that a waste for the world?”

  “??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?… ???? ?? ????”

  A brief silence followed.

  ?? ??? ???.

  Sophia’s gaze rested on Jason, and her voice dropped, becoming more resolute.

  ???? ??? ????? ????, ??? ???? ?? ?? ?????.

  “That’s not what matters to me. I’m not looking to show off my tech. I want to confirm whether this system is truly useful. Whether it can protect vulnerable people. Whether it can shield us from people with weapons. That’s what matters most to me.”

  “?? ?? ??? ? ???. ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ???. ? ???? ??? ???? ???? ? ?. ??? ???? ?? ? ???, ??? ? ?????? ??? ??? ? ???, ?? ??? ?? ???.”

  Jason nodded quietly.

  ???? ??? ??? ????.

  “Right, your goal isn’t just ‘security’—it’s always been ‘protecting our family, including you’…

  I get it! Still, making money would—”

  "??, ? ??? ‘??’? ??? ?? ‘?? ??? ?? ??? ??’??… ???! ? ?? ?? ?? ?…"

  Before he could finish, Sophia frowned slightly.

  ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????.

  “Shut up, Jason. What I want to create isn’t just personal security equipment—it’s technology that can keep everyone safe. Someday, I’ll commercialize this and protect even more people. Screw your money talk!”

  “???, ???. ?? ??? ?? ? ??? ?? ?? ??? ???, ??? ??? ? ? ? ?? ????. ???? ?? ????? ? ?? ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ???. ??! ?? ?? ?????!”

  Jason’s eyes sparkled despite her scolding, and he shot back.

  ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????.

  “So after school, you’re doing the final update?”

  "?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???”

  “I’ll run another check after school.”

  "?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??."

  Sophia stood up and grabbed the heavy system bag from the floor.

  ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???.

  “Nobody’s home anyway, and Dad’s valuable antiques are in the secret room, so there’s no point leaving the Eye of Horus system running and draining power. There’s no point keeping it on until I update and monitor it.”

  "??? ?? ??? ??, ???? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ? ? ??? ???? ‘???? ?’ ???? ? ? ??? ???. ?????? ??? ? ? ???? ??? ? ??? ??? ??.”

  Jason smiled slyly, making a playful face.

  ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???.

  “What if I invite all the girls from our class over for a party while you’re gone?”

  "?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ? ???? ? ??? ???? ????? ?????”

  Sophia stuffed her laptop into the system bag and replied.

  ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???.

  “Not happening. I’m bringing the system bag today. Which means you’re coming with me, obviously.”

  “?? ? ??, ??? ??? ??? ?????. ?? ??? ???????”

  Jason raised both hands in mock surrender.

  ???? ? ?? ?? ?? ????? ???.

  “Got it. Guess I’ll have to escort my queen?”

  "???, ?? ??? ???? ? ?????”

  Sophia slung the heavy bag over her shoulder and headed downstairs. At the sound of her footsteps, her puppies—Shampoo and Rinse—came running, tails wagging. They looked satisfied and content, tails swishing wildly as they clung to her.

  ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????. ??? ???? ????, ? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????. ???? ?? ?? ? ????? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????.

  Sophia ruffled their heads vigorously.

  ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???.

  “Shampoo, Rinse! Did you eat well? But you can’t come upstairs today. I need to run the final test. If you touch even one wire, the whole system could glitch out. Stay on the first floor and behave, okay?”

  “??, ??! ?? ? ???? ?? ??? 2? ???? ? ?. ??? ??? ?? ?? ?. ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ? ????, ??? 1??? ?? ??? ?. ????”

  Just then, her father Victor’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

  ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???.

  “Sophia, you need to eat breakfast.”

  “???, ?? ????.”

  Sophia glanced at the plate on the table and grumbled.

  ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???.

  “Scrambled eggs again? Sausages, bacon… I’m so sick of this. Buy some fruit tomorrow.”

  “? ??????? ???, ???… ???. ??? ?? ? ?? ?.”

  Victor chuckled and nodded.

  ??? ????? ??? ??? ????.

  “Alright, alright. I’ll fix you something different tomorrow.”

  “??, ??. ??? ??? ?? ?????.”

  Right at 8:00 a.m., a hologram rose from the center of Sophia’s smart glasses, and a familiar voice chimed like an alarm.

  ?? 8? ??. ???? ??? ?? ?????? ????? ??????, ??? ???? ?? ???? ????.

  “Yeobongbong! it’s time for school. Ready to go?”

  “???, ?? ? ????. ??????”

  Victor smirked as he looked at his daughter.

  ??? ?? ??? ?? ?????.

  “Isn’t that voice a little too… sappy? And ‘my queen’—seriously? That’s so childish…”

  “???? ?? ??? ? ???? ??? ???? ??, ????…”

  Sophia answered calmly.

  ???? ???? ????.

  “This is way better than before. It used to sound like a stiff robot with zero personality…”

  “??? ??? ?? ??? ??. ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????…”

  Victor nodded with interest.

  ??? ???? ? ??? ????.

  “Oh, really?”

  “?, ???”

  Sophia smiled lightly and adjusted her glasses.

  ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??.

  “AI speech adapts to the user’s vocabulary and gets more natural over time. If I keep training it, it’ll sound exactly like Jason from my class. It’s a fast learner—could probably do it in two days. When that happens, it’ll sound way sweeter than this.”

  “AI? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??. ?? ????? ?? ? ????? ??? ???? ? ? ??. ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ? ???? ?? ??.”

  She poked at her scrambled eggs with her fork, unimpressed, and took a bite. Victor, watching her, spoke cautiously.

  ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ? ? ???. ? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ?? ???.

  “Sophia, can we talk tonight?”

  “???, ?? ??? ?? ? ???”

  Sophia looked up, fork still in her mouth.

  ???? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?????.

  “About what?”

  “?? ???”

  Victor paused, then smiled meaningfully.

  ??? ?? ?? ????, ????? ??? ???.

  “I’ll tell you when you get home. But it’s going to be a very important conversation for our family.”

  “??? ???? ????. ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ? ??.”

  Sophia narrowed her eyes at him.

  ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?????.

  1 Eye of Horus — In Egyptian mythology, Horus is the sun god, son of Osiris and Isis. The Eye of Horus represents the eye Horus lost and later recovered. It is a powerful amulet and cultural symbol representing the sun and moon, kingship, protection, health, healing, perception, rebirth, and completeness.

  1 ???? ?(Eye of Horus) ???? ???? ??? ???, ????? ???? ????. ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?? ????,??? ?, ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, ??, ???? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????.