Three years ago, two months after Chris returned to his family after recovering at Alessa"s place from the innumerable injuries given by Leo Jones, his father suddenly had violent fits of cough, with blood and dark phlegm gushing out of his mouth. Later on, the man was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. The news devastated the whole Meyer family, and they could not accept that the pillar of the house who was still strong and dependable just yesterday had suddenly woke up the next day with a deadline attached to his life.
Chris and his mother were equally in utter disbelief and grief as they watched their loved one lie unconscious and deathly pale in the hospital bed.
The doctor told them they would not give them false hope since late-stage cancer was really hard to treat. In fact, there was really no cure to it yet and all the current medicine could do was prolong a patient"s life a bit and heighten the chance for a "miracle".
He didn"t know if the doctor that time was bulls.h.i.tting or not. But when he heard the world miracle, he closed his eyes and came to an important decision. Trusting a miracle that no one knows whether would come or not was a very difficult thing for him. The saying about choosing the lesser evil came to his mind. Unfortunately, though, the option which could help him at that time was the greater one.
The unwillingness to lose the father he had always loved and admired accelerated his acceptance of the system"s existence since it belonged to another kind of miracle which people like him could somehow control and make use of.
Sofony Mendez once said that she went blind and was only able to see again through the system. He did his research and found out that eyes gouged out of their sockets would no longer see no matter how many eyeb.a.l.l.s were implanted in it. It was just impossible due to the current science and technology"s inability to reattach severed optic nerves.
Yet the system managed to magic this impossibility...
That was when he immediately realized that there was a way to treat his parent and make Claude Meyer, his father, the admirable man of the yesteryear again.
And so Chris abandoned some of his principles, all for the sake of gathering enough points. Even though the weak, poor, and innocent were spared by him, when he entered the entertainment world, it was never to be just a normal actor or model but preyed on sc.u.mmy people who exploited others and obtained riches through trampling the weak and the poor underneath their feet. When thought based on the previous statement, it did seem that he helped humanity as a whole since those s...o...b..z and government people engaging in illegal businesses and practices were weeded out by him.
However, if the ways he brought upon their downfall were to be brought to light, then it would be hard to say that he was remotely close to the word "hero". In the first place, since he had become a half-host, he didn"t merely play with fire. Straight away, he stared into the abyss and even met its gaze when it stared back. Maybe it had even laughed at him since his reason for ruining others was quite selfish despite it seemingly looking like a display of filial piety. He remembered that before that fateful day, a news report about a popular food brand"s executive"s suicide shook the country quite a lot and the media people fleetingly showed a video recorded interview of that man"s family. The sight of that executive"s children crying and begging for their dead father to go back to them shook his heart so badly, it made him realize the full extent of what his actions could cause to the innocent individuals related to those he was targeting.
Many blameless children lost their father just because he wanted to prevent losing his own father...
"MOOONNNSTERRRRRRRR!!!!! YOU"RE NOT MY SON!!!! YOU"RE A MONSTER!!!!"
When the stupid him back then cured his father and then tried to convince his mother that Claude had already fully recovered, this was the response he received. That time, the realization brought upon him by the previous newscast just sunk in deeply to his mind. Aside from having the choice and ability to heal himself and others, he realized he had really become a monster. A young man, no, a big boy, who ruined many families and took away fathers and lovers from innumerable people. An unforgivable b.a.s.t.a.r.d.
A monster should not get close too much to humans, right? The thought bore quite a huge puncture in his then fragile heart.
The current him now would only bring harm to his loved ones. He himself was dangerous now. What more of those full-fledged hosts like Leo Jones and Clarissa who he would possibly be dealing with in the foreseeable future?
Hence, for three whole years, Chris tried hard not to have any close relationship with anyone and even distance himself from his own family. He did this after altering their memories about the "incident" and Claude"s "miraculous" recovery from a very traitorous illness.
Years pa.s.sed since then.
When Chris got out of the woman"s home, 98, his shady AI spoke to him with a very repentant voice.
Chris merely laughed.
"Oh? You know how to say sorry? Great news instead."
He shook his head and smiled. "I"m fine, thanks. It"s me who is being stupid earlier."
The childish resident of his brain went silent for some time before probingly asking,
He shook his head one more time, remembering what recently took place at Alessa Morgan"s house.
A test...
Chris was simply moved by the woman"s affection for him, therefore, he tried to give her a chance, to show her what kind of being he currently was, and what he could do.
It was a decision done out of whim, or some expectation that maybe it would be okay to be close to somebody for once, if she would accept what she would see. The affection was not there yet. But he believed it was something that could be worked out with as long as there were a will and intention. He laughed. Maybe a part of him was just so lonely and wounded that it wished for someone to give him real acceptance and care.
But to be honest, even though he also felt a bit of like for Alessa, it was not yet at the level of what he felt before for his childhood beloved, Felicity. He could not even properly determine if that feeling was a romantic one, or simply that of what people hold for a close friend or sibling.
But maybe, sincerity really could just do wonders. After all, he was a human being through and through, and have a heart that actually also longed for seemingly impossible happiness that his parents had achieved. Sofony"s devotion to her non-host supporter was also one factor too. Though he really feared ending up like her if ever he invests emotion to someone who he might only lose in the long run, still, deep within him, there was an adventurous and risk-taker him who wouldn"t mind taking gambles for a chance to a normal loved life.
Hence, with a heart ready to be called a monster or a devil by the woman like how his own mother once did, he tried to open up his world to her and let her see that he was a freak who could do impossible tricks like healing a heavily bleeding artery within seconds.
"Is she going to scream monster to my face too? Or..."
Chris couldn"t continue because he also had no clue how a person would be able to overcome the fear and confusion to reach out to someone like him.
Unfortunately, to the man"s dismay, he was left puzzled and at a lost because a few seconds after Alessa started blinking at his healed arm, she only mumbled, "Alright, I must be dreaming." and then fainted. Right, that was all, so much, that emptiness just later occupied his initially confused mind.
When he asked his AI if it was only the fever acting up or the woman just couldn"t process what she saw, the naughty being brushes off the question and raised a d.a.m.nable suggestion. And he could only mutter to himself tiredly that he should have known not to expect much. No matter if it was from Alessa or the oddball inside his brain.
Once he was outside, it was only then that the system started to become repentant, and he simply chuckled. He didn"t erase her memories. The idiotic test was still ongoing, but he didn"t dare hope much. Because expectations only breed deep disappointment and heartbreak once everything goes wrong.
Chris exhaled the lukewarm Spring midnight breeze before changing his face and then hailing a cab. He did not manage to bring his car due to the two a.s.sistants so he had no choice but commute back to his own house.
He heard its voice again as he took the backseat of the taxi for himself.
When the man reached home and flopped down to his own bed, he immediately closed his eyes. Before sleep got into him, he asked the AI. His contact with that other woman was so minimal. Why is she his non-host supporter then?
Regrettably, no answer came to him since his system knew he wouldn"t buy reasons or excuses like "work of destiny or fate", even if it was the truth.
...
Speaking of the girl whose name was still on the actor half-host"s qualifying mission...
...
...
If you are not at webnovel.com, then sorry, the content you"re reading is stolen!
Please! Say no to piracy! Don"t take part in a crime! Don"t patronize thieves!
Repent now and kindly go here!
=>Link to the original site: "-Queen