After stepping out of the Nexus Core facility, Alex strolled through the Academy's glass-and-steel corridor, hands in his pockets, the faint glow of mana-reactive panels lighting the path.
The air buzzed faintly with residual energy, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Okay, Useless, tell me what the hell just happened back there," he said, his tone somewhere between annoyed and curious.
Silence.
No prompt. No sarcasm. No condescending remarks. Nothing.
He raised an eyebrow. "Hello again? You're there, right?"
Still no answer.
He sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up. "Alright, alright. I get it. Let me rephrase. My good, kind, all-knowing, highly efficient system... could you please tell me what happened back there just now?"
A voice finally echoed in his mind, smug and immediate.
[Host, you should have started with that.]
Alex groaned. "Now you decide to talk?"
[You do not seem surprised.]
"Of course I'm not surprised! So tell me what the hell just happened back there!"
