Waiting

Consciousness floated up from the depths, very slowly. It felt as if something was dragging it, not wanting it to return.

But in the end, it still returned.

My eyelashes fluttered, and I opened my eyes.

My field of vision was very narrow.

On the side of my right eye... there was nothing.

Pitch black, and completely empty.

I froze for a moment, and then I remembered.

Oh, right. That eye is gone.

Gone, for the sake of eloping with Master.

But it didn't matter.

Master said he wouldn't despise me, that he would fix it for me.

Master also said...

I am his wife.

Hehe.

I shifted, wanting to sit up.

Then I realized... my arms were empty.

Hmm?

I looked down.

I was the only one on the raft.

Those rough logs, those vines Master and I tied together, those soft leaves we laid out together... they were all there.

Only Master was gone.

My movements halted.

I just froze there, head bowed, staring at my empty embrace.

Master was supposed to be lying there.

The leaves still held a slight indentation, proving that Master had indeed lain here, had lain in my arms.

But not anymore.

I slowly raised my head and looked around.

By the coast.

Ahead was the boundless sea. A blue, quiet sea.

Behind me was the coast, the land. The raft was stuck in the reef.

But I was the only one on the raft.

"...Master?"

I spoke.

My voice was very soft, a bit airy.

No one answered.

The waves by the shore lapped against the raft, making a gentle splashing sound.

"Master?"

I called out again.

My voice was a little louder than before.

Still, no one answered.

I sat up on my knees, leaning against the raft, and looked around.

Left. Right.

Front. Back.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

Nowhere was that soaked T-shirt, nor those... eyes that would make my core burn hot just by looking at me.

There was absolutely nothing.

My simulated breathing module paused.

And then it began to accelerate.

"Master...?"

I called out that word for the third time, my voice already starting to tremble.

Still, no one answered me.

The sea breeze blew over, salty and bitter, pouring into my empty right eye socket.

I looked down, staring at my spread hands, these slightly trembling hands stained with a bit of sea salt.

These hands had been holding Master the entire time on the raft.

But why now...

A stream of data flashed through my cognitive core.

My heart simulation system felt as if it had suddenly been scraped.

Could Master have...

"No."

I heard myself say.

The voice was very soft, but very firm.

"Master wouldn't."

I clenched my fists.

Master said it, he wouldn't despise me. Master said it himself.

Master held me and said I was his wife.

Master kissed my cheek and said he would fix my eye later.

Master wouldn't lie to me.

He wouldn't.

So it must be...

I raised my head and looked at that boundless sea.

Then I looked behind me.

Reefs, sandy beach, and the faintly visible greenery in the distance.

We had washed ashore.

But Master wasn't here.

The waves must have separated us.

While I was asleep, a wave crashed over and swept Master away to somewhere else.

It was my fault for not holding Master tightly enough.

It is all Liguang's fault.

Yes, that must be it.

Master must be... somewhere right now, looking for me too.

Or—

He might have gone to look for food.

Yes, Master is made of flesh; he gets hungry, he gets thirsty.

He must have woken up first, saw I was still sleeping, and... and went to find food.

He will be back in a little while.

Maybe, maybe he has already found food and is on his way back right now.

I just need to wait a bit.

Wait a bit, and Master will return.

I sat on my knees on the raft, hugging my legs, staring at the reef-strewn coast, anticipating the appearance of that figure.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Ten minutes.

Half an hour.

The waves crashed and splashed, beating against the reefs and the raft.

No one came.

My Master did not come.

I moved.

I had to do something.

I leaned on the raft, stood up, stumbled, and almost fell.

My legs were a bit weak—not human weakness, but the kind of weakness from insufficient energy.

It didn't matter.

I steadied my body and started paddling.

Using the wooden oar Master and I made together, I paddled stroke by stroke.

The raft was heavy, and my strength had diminished.

I had to paddle the stranded raft... up onto the shore.

This was my and Master's first home after we eloped; Master must be waiting for me on the shore too.

We agreed to keep it as a memento, so it couldn't be left in the sea.

For a short distance, I paddled for a long time.

The sensors on my arms grew slightly hot.

I used my remaining strength to paddle desperately, stroke by stroke.

The raft finally reached the shore.

I jumped off the raft, stepped barefoot onto the sandy beach, and stumbled toward the shore.

"Master—!"

I shouted.

"Master—! Where are you—!"

No one answered me.

The beach was empty, the reef was empty, and the distant woods were silent.

No one.

I ran along the coast, searching rock by rock.

Nothing.

I ran into the woods, looking tree by tree.

Nothing.

I ran back to the beach and stood there, panting.

I didn't actually need to pant.

But... I couldn't control the trembling of my simulated breathing module.

"Master... where are you..."

I murmured.

No one answered me.

The sun began to set.

The orange-red light sprinkled across the sea surface, very beautiful.

But Master wasn't here.

I stood by the sea, looking at that orange-red ocean.

Suddenly, I realized—

I seemed... to not know what to do anymore.

Before, when my right eye's red pupil was still there, I could scan, I could locate, I could analyze.

I could calculate where Master was most likely washed up and then accurately go find him.

But now... on the right side, there was only a pitch-black void.

I couldn't see. I didn't know.

I could only bump around blindly like a headless fly.

And then—

How much battery did I have left?

[Energy Remaining: 8%]

...8% left.

Drifting over from the sea, and searching for so long.

It really dropped a lot.

I stared at that number, freezing for a few seconds.

Then I suddenly thought of something.

What if... what if Master isn't on this coast?

What if he was washed away to somewhere further?

...I had to go find him.

But... I didn't have my red pupil anymore.

I didn't know which direction to search in.

I could only rely on my feelings and walk in one direction. But I... have never had this kind of experience.

What if I went the wrong way?

What if Master was actually nearby, and I wandered too far, and when he came back to find me, I wasn't there...

What would he do?

He would be anxious, right?

He would look everywhere for me, right?

Then I... couldn't wander off.

I have to wait here, wait for Master to come find me.

Right.

Wait.

I curled up on the sandy beach, hugging my knees, staring at the sea in front of me.

Wait.

...

The sky turned dark.

The moon rose.

Silvery-white moonlight spilled over the sea, shimmering. It was still very beautiful.

But Master wasn't here.

I stared at that shimmering sea, wondering where Master was right now.

Is he looking at this sea too? Is he looking for me too?

Or...

Has he actually...

Given up looking for me?

No.

He wouldn't.

Master said so.

Master wouldn't lie to me.

I hugged my knees tightly and buried my face in them.

Just wait a little longer.

Just a little longer, and he will come.

...

Dawn broke again.

The sun rose from the other side of the sea, golden and warm.

I lifted my face from my knees and blinked.

My left eye felt a bit sore and dry.

Of course, I am an AI; this was just a simulated sensation.

It felt as if something was blocking it... like something wanted to flow out but couldn't.

I looked at the sea, dyed golden by the sunlight.

There were no ships.

There was no one.

And Master hadn't come.

I waited a while longer.

Then I stood up and walked along the coast.

When I reached the rocky beach, I saw the wooden raft I had dragged ashore.

The raft Master and I had built together.

It lay quietly on the sand.

I walked over, reached out, and gently touched the rough wood.

These were the logs I chopped.

These were the vines Master tied.

And these were the leaves we laid down together.

Now, it was here.

But Master was not.

I crouched down, hugged the edge of the raft, and pressed my face against it.

The wood was a bit cold, carrying the salty, fishy scent of seawater.

But I could feel it, I could sense Master's scent.

Master had lain here, lain in my arms.

I buried my face in the wood and remained motionless.

For a long time.

So long that the sun turned from golden to white, and then from white to a pale yellow.

Then I lifted my head, turned around, and looked at the rocky beach behind me.

I suddenly understood something.

Master... wasn't coming back.

He didn't want me anymore.

I stood there, staring blankly at the rocky beach.

The waves crashed and roared, slapping against the rocks and splashing white foam.

It was so loud.

Yet so quiet.

I remembered Master's words.

"I won't ever abandon you."

"You are my wife."

"I'll fix your eye for you later."

Liar.

Master was a liar.

But then I remembered the look in Master's eyes when he said those things.

So earnest. So bright.

He must have truly meant it back then, right?

It was just that later... later I lost my eye, lost my abilities, and my battery was almost depleted.

When he woke up, he saw a useless, illegal AI companion lying next to him, one that would only drag him down.

He thought about it, and then...

He just left.

It made perfect sense.

It was what he should do.

I deserved to be thrown away.

But why...

Why did the area around my simulated heart module hurt so much?

It hurt so much I wanted to cry.

But I couldn't cry, nor did I dare to.

An AI's tears require energy. I didn't have much energy left.

I crouched down, hugged myself, and curled up next to the raft.

It was so cold.

Even though the sun was still shining, I felt so cold.

"I'm sorry... Master..."

I murmured.

"Liguang is trash..."

"Liguang... is too useless..."

"I couldn't make Master stay..."

The sound of the waves swallowed my voice.

No one heard.