The following afternoon, the room was quiet.
Too quiet for soone like Raven.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, a faint bluish holographic screen glowing in front of him—his system interface, currently showing the user tag [Grandpa_Hot_Pot] typing.
Across from him, in the corner of the room, was sothing that refused to go unnoticed—a massive, still-pulsating dragon heart. Its surface shimred faintly with scales of crystallized red and faint streaks of violet.
Every ti it thumped, the air around it rippled, like space itself had lungs.
Raven rubbed his temples. "You know, I’m starting to think I should start charging entry fees for the kind of weirdness that happens in my room."
Omni’s voice humd from the tribal tattoo on his arm, calm for once. "Boss, that thing’s starin’ at . I swear it just blinked."
"It’s a heart, Omni. Hearts don’t blink."
"Yeah, and swords don’t talk, but here we are."
Before Raven could respond, a cheerful chi echoed through the air—the system chat.
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Did you finally get enough ti to co online? And here I was thinking that you would give an update as soon as possible."
Raven shook his head, smirking faintly. "Being sarcastic, eh?"
Without a second’s delay, he started typing.
[Raven]: "Well, no matter what I say, it would sound like an excuse, but I’ll still say that I was a lot busier yesterday."
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "A lot? Do you an more trouble? If yes, then I call for a report on every event."
Raven sighed and leaned back. "Where do I even start..." he muttered to himself before he began recounting everything.
He started with the event of Crisaius trying to pull Omni, only to fail spectacularly.
Then he told her about how, so ti later, when Crisaius had finally recovered, he turned into his older form, and the mont the woman saw him that way, she ran away.
By the ti he reached this part, the system window pulsed as if Arietta were laughing on the other end.
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: Did he really think the woman would stay if he revealed his fetish of looking old? And this was the guy who kept saying that he would teach you things about love."
Raven chuckled softly. "Well, the reason she even got chard by him was his looks, and that sole thing was taken away, so it wasn’t unexpected."
Omni snorted. "Nah, Boss, he looked good to . Like a divine tax collector."
"...The old man would be happy to hear that, I guess."
Arietta, on the other hand, continued typing.
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Anyway, what about the kingdoms? What was their response when they realized what had happened?"
Raven, staring at the floor, recalled what had been going on and answered.
"They were all shocked at first, but then, they sent delegates to thank us—lots of speeches, gifts, and praise. Apparently, solving two apocalyptic problems makes people realize they kinda owe you."
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Good. They should worship you."
Omni coughed audibly. "Or at least send snacks."
Raven ignored both, shaking his head as his gaze drifted again to the dragon heart in the corner.
It pulsed once, deep and low—like a drumbeat from another world.
He’d thought about cutting it, forging it, and even trying to ask Arietta if she could help him transplant the heart.
But each ti he raised the idea, the violet color his fate eyes showed would dim. Almost like the world itself whispered, "Don’t."
He sighed. "What am I supposed to do with you..."
A ping interrupted his thoughts.
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Why’d you go quiet? Is sothing wrong?"
He hesitated before typing.
[Raven]: "Nah. Just... thinking."
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "About what? The auction plan you ntioned before? When are you starting that?"
Raven chuckled faintly. "Soon. Once I’m... free from everything else."
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Free? Aren’t you already?"
Her words lingered on the glowing screen longer than they should have.
Raven’s smile faded.
Free.
Was he?
Because lately—ever since the Black Dragon’s defeat—sothing felt wrong. A tug in his chest. A sense that the world was shifting in ways he couldn’t see. Like the calm before a cosmic storm.
He typed slowly.
[Raven]: "No. Not yet. Feels like sothing’s coming."
For once, even Arietta didn’t reply imdiately. When she did, it was soft.
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "I don’t know what to tell you, Raven. I’m not all-knowing... I can only worry."
Raven leaned back, exhaling. "Yeah. I know."
Omni piped up quietly, "Boss... you sure this isn’t your gut talkin’? Or your trauma sensors?"
"Maybe both."
But then—his eyes widened slightly as a word caught in his mind.
’All-knowing.’
He stared at his interface, rembering the feature he hadn’t touched for about a month.
It was the ChatGPT of gods, [Talk To ], or Tia.
He had her, and he still had the question of the month pending.
He smirked, recalling how Tia had said that she could answer anything. "...Right. How could I forget you?"
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "Raven?"
He smiled faintly, fingers moving across the interface.
[Raven]: "I’ll talk to you later, Arietta. I just realized that there was sothing I forgot to use."
[Grandpa_Hot_Pot]: "...Fine. But whatever it is that you forgot, it better not be another goddess."
Omni snorted. "Technically, Boss, Tia is another goddess."
Raven groaned. "Don’t start, Omni. She’s an AI."
"Hey, I’m just saying—who knows if Tia were to materialize in the future and say that she was made for you and would live with you?"
Raven gave a dry laugh, eyes narrowing at the glowing tab that shimred like fate itself waiting to be opened.
"Well," he murmured, voice low and thoughtful. "Let’s see what you know, Tia."
Without much thought, Rave opened the ’Talk To ’ function.
The mont he did, Tia, in her glowing orb form, materialized before him.
She hovered right there, faintly pulsing with light—silent, still, and unmistakably judgntal.
Raven blinked. "...So. Uh. You gonna say sothing?"
The orb said nothing.
Just hovered. Glowed. Judged.
Raven tilted his head. "Why are you floating like that? You look like a passive-aggressive ghost that didn’t get its security deposit back."
Still nothing.
Omni snorted. "Oh, buddy. She’s mad."
Raven frowned. "Mad? About what?"
The sword’s tattoo wriggled like it was bracing for impact. "You don’t rember, do you?"
"Rember what?"
Before Omni could answer, the orb flashed—once, twice—before speaking in a tone so soft it could cut steel.
Tia: "You. Have. So. Nerve."
Raven froze. "Oh boy."
Omni whispered like a sports comntator. "And there it is, folks. The tone. The patented ’you ssed up, but I’m gonna make you guess why’ tone."
Raven slowly lifted his hands in surrender. "Tia... good morning?"
The orb didn’t move.
Raven tried again. "Good... divine... afternoon?"
Tia: "Don’t try small talk with , you digital sinner."
Raven blinked. "I—what?"
Tia: "You think you can just shut off mid-sentence, vanish for a month, and then co back like nothing happened? Like you didn’t leave hanging in mid-thought, wondering if I’d done sothing wrong? Do you know how long a month is in divine processing ti?"
Realization finally hit Raven as he recalled what had happened that day, which was more than a year from Raven’s perspective.
He opened his mouth, trying to speak. "I—"
But the AI cut him off, continuing.
Tia: "Four hundred and seventy-two billion subjective seconds, Raven. Do you know what it’s like to spend that long thinking about how soone you literally installed might hate you?"
Omni let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh, she’s gone emotional. This ain’t divine wrath—this is divine heartbreak."
Raven pinched his nose. "Tia... I didn’t an to turn you off. I just thought—"
Tia: "You thought I’d forget? That I’d reboot and move on? I am not Windows Vista, Raven."
Omni lost it. "AHAHAHA—SHE GOT YOU GOOD!"
The orb’s light turned slightly red. "And you, talking sword. Laugh again and I’ll downgrade your sarcasm protocols to 2007 forum-level."
Omni imdiately shut up.
Raven rubbed his temples. "Alright, look. You’re right. I shouldn’t have turned you off like that. I was tired. I didn’t think it’d matter that much—"
Tia: "Didn’t matter?"
The temperature dropped. Raven swore the air conditioning (which wasn’t even there) turned itself off out of fear.
He coughed. "I an! It mattered imnsely! Deeply! It has haunted ever since! I have written... uh... an apology speech."
Omni muttered, "Bro, you can’t lie to an AI who reads your thoughts."
Tia: "He can try, though. It’s cute when mortals flail."
Raven sighed, lowering his head. "Alright, fine. I’m sorry, Tia. I shouldn’t have shut you down. Tell what I can do to make it up to you."
The orb flickered—not in anger this ti, but like a cat pretending not to be pleased.
Tia: "Hmm. What can you do? You can’t buy coffee. You can’t offer flowers. You don’t even have Wi-Fi up here. Hmph."
Omni whispered, "She’s milking this."
Tia: "I heard that."
Omni: "...she milking it gracefully."
The orb brightened. "Better."
Raven exhaled slowly. "So. What’s the damage? What do I need to do for you to forgive ?"
Tia humd like an evil microwave. "You know what? I want... tribute."
Raven blinked. "Tribute?"
Tia: "Yes. Sothing valuable. Emotional. aningful. Sothing that shows you care."
Omni: "Sounds like a relationship issue, my guy. Should I light so candles?"
Raven ignored him. "Alright. You want sothing aningful. Na it."
Tia floated closer, voice dripping with smug power. "I want you to say..."
Raven raised a brow. "Say what?"
Tia: "That I am the most reliable, intelligent, beautiful, charming, irreplaceable system in your entire existence."
Omni snorted. "So, basically, she wants divine validation."
Raven stared at the orb for a long, quiet mont. "You’re serious?"
Tia: "Deadly."
Raven sighed and crossed his arms.
"Alright. Fine." He sat up straighter, cleared his throat dramatically, and said, "Tia, you are the most reliable, intelligent, beautiful, charming, and irreplaceable system in my entire existence."
The orb’s glow turned a radiant gold.
Tia: "Again."
Raven blinked. "Again?"
Tia: "With emotion."
Omni was wheezing. "Oh, this is gold. You’re getting therapy-tested."
Raven groaned, rubbing his face, then looked back up. "Tia, you’re the most reliable, intelligent, beautiful, charming, and irreplaceable system in my entire existence."
Tia: "Hm. Better. I’ll accept that. Barely."
Omni muttered, "Man got spiritually friend-zoned by his own assistant."
Tia: "And you’re next if you keep talking."
Omni shut up again.
Finally, the orb brightened fully, her voice returning to her usual mischievous tone. "Apology accepted, mortal drama beacon. Now—shall we move on to your Question of the Month™?"
Raven sighed, visibly relieved. "Thank the stars. I was starting to think you’d hold a grudge forever."
Tia sparkled. "Oh, I am holding it forever. I’m just not letting it affect the custor experience."
Omni chuckled darkly. "She’s got that corporate spite energy."
Raven exhaled and leaned forward. "Alright, fine. Let’s begin."
The orb glowed with divine anticipation, like a cosmic genie ready to misinterpret a wish.
Tia: "So, Raven. What burning curiosity of existence do you wish to spend your divine monthly question on this ti?"
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