Time flew by, seasons changed, and it was once again summer. This summer morning was no different from any other. Yet for one person, it was the start of something different. This was the start of the day for young Cray Anderson, a boy living alone in an old house left behind by the people who took care of him. This morning, he specifically woke up early while disregarding the fact that he still had bed hair. He immediately stood up from the old and creaking bed, still wearing his favorite blue shirt, he swiftly ran towards the basement.

 

"Today is finally the day!"

 

Today, at the 12th of Solmanour, Cray Anderson has officially reached his fifteenth birthday. Fulfilling one of the conditions set by the man that he treated and loved as his father on his last will. The conditions are; to reach the age of fifteen, to receive the key code from the person that he treated and called his mother, and lastly, to open the mysterious package that his father had left behind. Only then can he finally get his hands on the inheritance that apparently came together with him when the people he treated as parents started taking care of him.

 

His mother had already died about a year ago so he had long received the code that was being kept by her. "Now then, let's bring this box up!"

 

He lifted the box and placed it on top of the table in his dilapidated room. Entering the code slowly but surely, making sure that he would not make any mistakes, “1-4-3-3”

 

With a heavy thump, the lock dropped down the box. He then slowly opened the box by pulling on its handle.

 

"Huh? Why won't it open? Is it stuck after being sealed for so long?"

 

He wondered to himself as he slowly made his way to the kitchen to grab a knife and tried to open it by force. It didn't work at first, so he tried to exert even more strength to his grip as he tried to utilize the mechanical force by using the knife to lift open the lid. Unfortunately, by trying to do so, he hurt himself. But it proved to be worth it because it still ended up being the secret to actually opening it.

 

"Ahh! I shouldn’t have used the knife. Now I got myself cut."

 

A single drop of blood dripped on top of the box. Little did he know that my blood was necessary to open it.

 

"Initializing the system. Identity confirmed. Cray "Funf" Anderson, the fifth descendant of the Einder bloodline. The Flame of Origin detected. Starting transmission."

 

"What? This box can talk? Is this actually a device from the inner city?"

 

Surprised, he momentarily forgot the pain and started inspecting the box where the sound came from.

 

"Good day, Host! I am your personal AI-aide number 9128 code name, N.O.T.E."

The box had mysteriously started to let out a dim, blue light when the female voice spoke. Startled, he fell onto the floor. Currently, he didn't know how to respond to the current situation and all he could do was become frozen for about a minute to process the whole situation.

"Host! Host? Please, respond! Are you okay? According to your facial expressions, it seems that you feel disturbed by the fact that a box is talking to you. If so, I'll switch to my humanoid mode. Please forgive me, Host, I have yet the capacity to establish a real physical body."

 

Curiosity flashed through his eyes as he looked at the mysterious object in front of him. Not even knowing what it was supposed to be, all he could do was to honestly ask a question.

 

"What the hell are you?"

 

Tilting his head towards the right as he held up his left hand to his chin was a habit that he has every time he starts thinking. The sight was so surreal, an inanimate container who could speak, had suddenly emitted a flash of light, and all of a sudden there was a hologram which had sprouted out from the box.

 

A white-haired girl about my age wearing something that resembles a frilly dress with patterns of black and white had appeared.

 

"Well then, I'll repeat my introduction, Host. I am your personalized assigned artificial intelligence made for your use only. AI-aide number 9128 code name N.O.T.E."

 

After hearing all that, Cray clasped both of his hands and opened his mouth. It finally seemed like he understood something.

 

"AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, It looks like I was so excited that I ended up dreaming of opening the box and started seeing this hologram. Alright, I guess it's about time for me to wake up now!"

 

He tried pinching himself on the cheeks. He tried it again. He tried it about three more times.

 

"Huh? Why am I not waking up?"

 

This female hologram who called herself an AI was visibly making a funny expression. It was as if she was looking at something stupid and funny at the same time. This result has finally made Cray realize that he should at least accept the truth for the time being.

 

"I'm not dreaming, am I?"

 

"Affirmative, Host, you are not dreaming."

 

"I see." Cray sighed as he once again regained his composure.

 

“Alright, let’s just say for now that something like you is related to me. Is there anything else that you would like to say? After all, I have been waiting all my life trying to figure out what the hell was inside this box only for you to come out. You said your name was Note right?"

 

"Yes, Host."

 

"Note, what exactly are you? And judging from how you express emotions and other gestures, you must be an advanced AI, right?”

 

“Assuming that you are indeed so, you should've been made by someone incredibly rich or smart. How in the heavens are you a part of the inheritance that was meant for me to own? Do I have, like, an actually important background or something?"

 

"Restricted Information, the host does not have enough clearance level to access that classified information."

 

"What do you mean by level? Why is it restricted, you said I'm your host right? Then shouldn't I be at least worthy enough to know that?”

 

"The host is currently at clearance level 2, the only accessible information is about the Fourth Descendant."

 

“Fourth Descendant? I do recall you calling me the Fifth Descendant, but what does that even mean?”

 

Cray was now convinced that there was definitely something different about him. As a kid, he always thought of himself as different from the others, but he just can’t seem to point it out. He was now certain that with the appearance of this thing, he could make it clear.

 

“Come to think of it, I don’t even know a thing about my real father. Those that took care of me looked too different from me to be my real parents, so even I can figure it out even if they decided not to tell me.” Laughing to himself, he reminisced a little about the only people that he can call his family.

 

“Due to the personality trait of the new host, It is advised to utilize log 4521. Host, would you like to see it for yourself?”

 

“Wait. What do you mean by seeing for myself? Is he still alive? Is he physically near for me to actually see him?”

 

"Based on my calculations, it is 89% better for you to experience it firsthand than to explain it to you."

 

"Huh?"

 

Sitting face to face with Note, Cray was surprised when she suddenly raised her left hand and began to slowly move towards him while pointing with her index finger. She then gently pushed it through my forehead.

 

******

 

The surroundings suddenly turned dark. The morning sun was never to be seen, only to be replaced by the elegant shine of the crescent moon. His room turned into a dark alley that was eerily silent, it was as if there was no one living there. Suddenly, seven figures appeared. All were standing except for one.

 

"Hey, boss, shouldn't we stop now?"

 

A guy wearing a red shirt with anxiety plastered on his face pleaded as he was not used to this kind of job.

 

But even he was stopped immediately when a fat man with a big golden ring in his middle finger looked viciously at him. "Nah, not until he's half dead.” The man was filled to the brim with golden articles, from his heavy looking chain necklace, all the way to his golden tooth, he sparkled under the illumination of the moonlight.

 

"Please! Stop!" said a young blonde man in his early twenties while crying "Please! At this rate, Nick wouldn't last!"

 

Seeing how much the standard for his subordinates had fallen, the fat man immediately sent a sharp gaze towards one of his lackeys and shouted. "Restrain him properly." The fat man then switched his focus as he looked at the person which the young blonde obviously cared for.

 

He was a man whose looks could’ve attracted women left and right if not for his currently bloodied appearance. His brown hair was stained with a mix of dirt and sweat, his nose was bloodied and he was also on the verge of getting killed.

 

"So, Nick, tell me. Where did you hide our dear father's inheritance? Is it with the Arcos Family? The Chen Clan? or maybe..." Before the fat man could even finish talking, he was immediately stopped.

 

"I WILL NEVER TELL YOU!" and with a spit that was mixed with a deep red color of his own blood, Nick shouted. He knew that deep inside, he was afraid. Even so, his anger and determination overpowered his feelings of fear, so he made a gamble. One with his life on the line and he was prepared to die.

 

Seeing this, the fat man changed his approach. His facial expressions changed in an instant. He suddenly looked amiable, in fact, if others saw his face they would think that he was instead helping a bloodied poor man on the road. Unfortunately, things were never as they seemed.

"Nick, Nick, Nick. It still seems that you don't understand your own position here." The fat man wiped off the spit containing blood with a white handkerchief and immediately gave a nod at another guy who was holding Nick from behind.

 

"You know what, Nick? Wait, should I call you Vier for old times' sake? For once I actually respected you as my older brother back when we were young. But too bad for you. I mean, even I would have spared you if you just told me the truth.” All of a sudden, the cold breeze gently blew against these men.

 

“We’re taking too long.” The fat man then stood up and gave Nick a long side glance.”Well, it looks like your time is up."

 

"No! Stop! Please! Don't do this!"

 

A gunshot was heard as it echoed across the street. Immediately following that was a sound of a loud cry of grief. Meanwhile, in a corner of the street, one man was constantly watching. "This is Special Agent Ryan, the arrow has shot the eagle, I repeat, the arrow has shot the eagle. HQ, do you copy?"

 

"Copy that, Operation Blue Falcon is a go!"

 

Armed men went in and arrested the fat man and his goons while the previously restrained man immediately ran towards his friend who is now at death's door.

 

"Ch-Char...les." Groaned a man with a soft voice who seemed like he was at death's door. The man who was called Nick slowly took out a silver pendant. Inside it was a picture of a baby, one that had similar brown hair like him.

 

"Nick! Stay with me! Nick!!!!"

 

"Charles, p-please take care of my son. Raise him like your own... now, go!"

 

And just like that, everything faded and eventually became dark as if it was just an illusion.