"Get away from David!"
A voice echoed across the towering shelves—a furious, possessive growl.
Both men locked eyes with one another. One wore an expression of stunned amusement, wide-eyed with his lips parted into a faint, unnatural smile. The other felt a tiny spark of relief—a momentary crack in the crushing weight of this "God."
⌞ "Hello, 091."⌝
The False Adrian—straightened. His gaze locked onto Adrian, radiating an absolute, clinical authority.
⌞ "It is a surprise to find you he—"⌝
"Let him go," Adrian cut him off, his voice raw. His eyes burned with sudden determination and fury, refusing to let the simulation break him down.
⌞ "You are aware that what you did just now was rude."⌝ The False Adrian's tone remained deadpan, entirely unaffected by the outburst.
"I don't care."
⌞ "You brothers sure are annoying."⌝
The False Adrian strolled forward, closing the distance inch by inch. David regained his composure instantly, rushing toward the entity without a second thought, his fist clenched to strike.
⌞ "Stop."⌝
David froze. The command buried itself deep into his marrow, violently locking his limbs into a paralyzed stance mid-stride. He couldn't move a muscle.
Behind David's rigid, motionless form, he continued to advance. The glare on his glasses blurred under the bright, clinical lighting of the library. Adrian crouched lower, using David's frozen body to mask his movements, watching from the floor, analyzing the entity's precise, mechanical steps.
⌞You look at me with such loathing, 091⌝ The False Adrian said, his voice dropping into a flat, rhythmic drone.
"Well, who was it that tortured us for his enjoyment? " Adrian disputed the False Adrian.
⌞It was vital for the plot, a person like you wouldn't understand.⌝
...Plot?