Aristha

A creation that has transcended far more than life, is fated to be condemned for eternity. Just like how the sky and ocean parted, a single soul broke into two. The balance of good and evil is sealed inside a single cocoon, creating chaos within. Millions of years have passed and at last, hope was found. But will she hold onto it, or will she stand still and watch it float away. At the end of the day, will she still crave for love? Will she learn to love? Or will she stay the same?

...

"tring-tring" phone ringing.

"Ugh" Qyl groans. "MJ, can you turn the alarm off?" She asked, intending not to get up.

"I'm sorry, your request cannot be processed, Master Nyx particularly ordered for you to be woken up at exactly 11:30 in the morning. Otherwise, I'll have the alarm at a higher volume" MJ exclaimed. An AI system that is fixated around the house.

"Ughhh, I already said I don't want to go." 

Qyl angrily took off her blanket leaving a messy bed and a naked body. She got up and combed her hair with her fingers. She snatched the robe in the robot's metallic hands and put it. Her messy bed was already organized by the cleaning robots.

"MJ, is Nyx gone?" She asked while walking out of her room. 

"Master Nyx said he has matters to attend to. He said you should get ready immediately for the World Hero's gathering and for the after party. He said you needed to be at the mansion at 3. Mr. Oliver will accompany you to the venue and the meeting will start at 4."

Qyl was already in the kitchen making a coffee. When suddenly an enormous white wolf came running and attacked her. Qyl was knocked over with tremendous force to the floor because of the white wolf. The wolf opened its big mouth and licked Qyl's face.

"Pine! Ugh, don't lick me!" Qyl shouts while trying to shove the white wolf's face away from her.

"Sit!" Qyl commanded and the white wolf sat and behaved.

Qyl then commanded MJ, "activate robo-ball."

Then a marshmallow-like big round robot came out of the wall that eventually rolled to the backyard with Pine chasing and playing with it.

Qyl then continues to make her coffee.

"MJ, is that woman invited?" Qyl asked intently even though knowing the answer of her stupid question.

"As the wielder of speed and being the only child of Monterey Vilnius, an associate board member. The chances that she is invited is 97.38%."

"Let me guess, the 2.62% is her getting late fixing her face. Ugh! Now I don't want to go" rolling her eyes as she speaks.

"Master Nyx already begged you countless times. Lady Nalaxeil herself even requested for your presence in the meeting for an important announcement. And plus, you already made a deal with Master Nyx about this, you show up for the meeting and stay for the after party even just for an hour."

"I know", she vexingly said.

"I think I should stay in Bali during my one month vacation." She murmured.

MJ told Qyl that, "The master said he doesn't want you to show up in jeans and shirts for the after party."

"Yeah, right. Maybe he even told you to make me wear a ball gown for the biggest event of the year" she sarcastically laughed. 

"He didn't order me to make you wear a ball gown. But he said to make you wear this." Another robot came pulling a mannequin with a black one-arm sleeve and a slit dress on.

Qyl choked while eating pancakes.

"I should have known," she sighed.

"Well, I'll just probably outshine that brat." she snickered.

"I wonder what face she would make? Either way, I will enjoy it" smiling while constantly shoving pancakes in her mouth.

Qyl got up from the stool. Grabbed her coffee and proceeded to the living room.

"It's already too hot outside for a swim." She said while looking out at the olympic size swimming pool from the massive glass panels while Pine is rolling around the grass next to it.

"He'll be there for sure," she said with a serious tone.

"If you are talking about Mr. Kliemann, there is 73.9% chance he will be with Ms. Vilnius at the party." MJ stated.

"Thanks for letting me know," Qyl taunted.

MJ replied, "You're welcome."

"You didn't have to calculate the exact percentage of the outcome. Everybody already knows they're the perfect couple. And…I thought you were on my side?"

"I am. But only state facts."

Qyl sighed while messaging her creased forehead in annoyance. 

"How's my robotic clone doing?"

"As usual, the robotic clone of Miss Aristha Brime is functioning normally and It seems that there is something between her and Mr. Sylvester. The characteristics of Lady Elizabeth that were instilled on it making it act like a normal living human being with real emotions."

"Says the AI who could even scathingly joke around its creator" Qyl blurted in aggravation. "Show me what she's doing."

MJ opened a big screen in the living room showing a point of view of a robot. The robot seems like an ordinary human with flesh and all and it seems to be eating with its family. 

Aristha and Qyl look exactly the same. The real Aristha died a long time ago because of having a weak immunity, but Qyl grabbed this opportunity to create a robotic clone of Aristha with the memories of the human girl and the characteristics of Elizabeth so that she could swap with her anytime and anywhere without hiding. None of Aristha's family members know that she died, what they know is that their daughter fell severely ill and unexpectedly healed after months in the hospital. 

"Looks like they're having lunch already, while I'm still here sipping my morning coffee" Qyl said while looking at the time.

The Brime Family recently moved to a cozy small villa, a 30 minute drive away from Louver the capital of Fildrim. 

"You should eat more, look how skinny you are, have this' ' then Joshua Brime puts a spoonful of vegetables on Aristha's plate. Aristha's father.

"You look so down lately, did you have a fight with your boyfriend?" Kristilla Brime teasingly said. She is the mother of Aristha.

"Oh, how nice" Qyl sarcastically thought to herself.

"No and he's not my boyfriend," Aristha calmly said. "We're just talking." Averting her eyes on her father.

"Are you talking about that Sylvester boy again?" Joshua calmly asked. "You know I'm not prohibiting you from having a boyfriend, but I want you to focus on your school and your health. It's been three months since you got out of the hospital and thank God you haven't gotten sick since then." 

"I know dad. I promise, we're just friends. You know I never had a single friend ever since we moved here. He's my only friend here." Aristha explained.

"Oh, so all friends stay up late at night exchanging flirty messages?" Kassle Brime aired while grinning. Aristha's older sister.

"The 24 yld lady who never had a boyfriend seems bitter" Jonathan exclaimed then laughed hysterically. The Brime's youngest child.

Aristha grinned, trying to hold back her laughter.

"Now that's a nice one" Qyl laughed out loud.

Kassle glared at Jonathan, "At least I'm sure I'm never going to be cheated on."

Jonathan pouted, trying to look cute and looked at their mom, "Mom! Kassle's bullying me!" He complained.

"Are you really 17?" Their father skeptically asked Jonathan.

Kristilla lightly hit Jonathan's arm, "You started it first. You know your sister has many suitors. Speaking of Kassle's suitors, why don't you just pick someone from them if you want a boyfriend? He must be from my top four picks, right?" she blithely asked.

"Nah, they're all not up to my standards" she answered. "Nat, you do the dishes, I still have a class this afternoon. Mom, Dad, I'll be going now" she said as she stood then drank all the juice in her glass and grabbed her bag on the kitchen counter.

"Wait, why does it have to be me? You can just make Aristha do the dishes" Jonathan annoyingly said but Kassle just rolled her eyes.

"Okay honey. Drive carefully, okay?" Kristilla cautioned.

"Yes mom, I'll do just that" she assuringly answered.

"What time will you come home?" Joshua asked.

"Probably early in the morning, my class will start at 1 and my shift will be at 6." 

"Okay, just call when you come home," Joshua reminded her.

"Yes dad, I will. I'll get going now or I'll be stuck in traffic again. Bye!" Kassle waved as she left the house.

They all heard the sound of the engine of a car driving away.

Their mom and dad stood up and organized all the plates and put them in the sink. Aristha and Jonathan then helped tidy up the dining table.

Aristha looked at Jonathan and said, "Sis told you to wash the dishes, so… I'll be going upstairs now" she then hurriedly walked upstairs to her room.

"Hey MJ, show me Aristha's recent phone calls," Qyl said.

"And can you show me her conversation with that guy?" she added.

Another screen opened beside the screen she's watching at, showing phone calls and texts from Aristha.

MJ told Qyl, "It seems like they have been calling each other for the past few days, their last call was last night at 9:14 pm. They haven't called or texted each other then."

"Oh, I think I shouldn't pry any further," she said. Qyl was still watching Aristha on the screen.

Aristha got her phone then sat on the edge of her bed. She opened her messages looking for a certain name.

Xazriel

No new message

"He didn't even text me" she disappointedly said to herself. "Maybe he will never text me again."

"Poor girl, you should find someone n-" Qyl was caught off guard when the door on Aristha's room suddenly opened with a loud bang.

Startled, Aristha looked at the door and found his brother with his hands on his knees gasping for air.

"What's your problem? Have you finished washing the dishes?" She irritatedly asked.

"I was fi-ni-shing it,but then-he came," he said while catching his breath. "I need water!" He shouted and went to Aristha's small corner table where there's a tiny water dispenser and cups.

"Hey! Don't use that, use the other one! And who in the world came to our house that made you run for your life? " Aristha shouted as Jonathan drank from Aristha's favorite cup.

"Ahhh, that's better" Jonathan exclaimed in relief as he put down her cup. "Oh, right. That Sylvester guy is here. He's in the living room talking with mom and dad."

"What?!" Aristha shouted.

"That's an unexpected turn of event, I think I'll need popcorn for this" Qyl murmured. A robot came to her with freshly cooked popcorn. Qyl grabbed it from the robot's plate-like hands.

"Thanks little guy" Qyl told the robot then it nodded and went back to the kitchen.

Aristha hastily runs to the living room and finds her mom and dad seated on the couch facing the other couch where Xazriel is. There was even a little box on top of the coffee table.

"Xazriel, what are you doing here?" She surprisingly asked.

"Aristha, your boy- I mean your friend came to visit, he even brought cake. Can you take this and slice it for us to eat" Kristilla asked and handed Aristha the cake.

"O-okay" Aristha replied and took the box of cake from her mother without taking her eyes off Xazriel.

"MJ, show me Xazriel's information" Qyl commanded.

Pictures and personal information showed on the screen that showed Aristha's conversation and phone log a while ago.

MJ summarized it and said, "Sylvester, Xazriel Rayleigh Rodriguez. 21 years old. He'll be attending his last school year on aeronotical engineering this fall. He is attending George Hill University, the same school that Aristha has enrolled in. Third and youngest son of Sylvester, Ruzzel Shinoda and Rodriguez, Caroline Hailey Asher . He is a black-belter taikwando and a well known swimmer and has won in national competitions in his teens but suddenly stopped competing since his freshman years when he got his right leg injured during a competition. His leg has already completely healed and he's still swimming but he never competed again."

"What a shame," Qyl commented. "But he surely is a fast swimmer," she added and resumed eating her popcorn.

Aristha then went to the kitchen and sliced the cake and got a pitcher of juice from the fridge, a bunch of drinking glass, plates and forks and put them on a tray and brought it to the living room.

Aristha can't make up what the three we're talking about.

"I'll be in the national Air Force after I graduate my mechanical engineering," Xazriel said.

"Wow, that's great. This guy here is a soldier. Retired of course." Kristilla teasingly said while pointing at her husband.

"Military is a tough place, young boy. You'll need a strong gut to survive. Looking at you, I think you'll do just fine" Joshua stated while Xazriel smiled and nodded.

"But…" Joshua added. "You'll need a stronger gut to survive a woman of that caliber" he joked and looked at Aristha approaching them.

Then both Kristilla and Xazriel turned to see who Joshua was looking at. Aristha then walked hurriedly and put down the tray on the coffee table.

"Yeah" Xazriel agreed and a small smile formed on his lips.

"Here you go, what were you talking about?" Aristha asked and sat on the bean bag.

"Thanks honey. Oh, nothing. We were just talking about work and stuff. The cake that Xazriel brought seems very delicious and it's Aristha's favorite" Kristilla said cheerfully. "Let's eat before the juice gets cold."

Kristilla then puts a piece of cake on each plate and gives it to everyone.

"Nat, I know you're on the stairs. Come and try this cake" Aristha shouts.

Jonathan then appeared from the stairs that lead to the upper floor. "Hey bro, nice to see you here, are you going to propose to Aristha?" he kiddingly asked Xazriel.

Aristha choked on what her brother said and Xazriel only laughed.

"Nat, stop joking and eat. Don't bother our guest" Kristilla warned him.

They all ate their fill and Aristha then put all the clutter away.

"Xazriel, if you wouldn't mind me asking, what's with the sudden visit?" Kristilla asked.

Xazriel stiffened then tried to sit properly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Everybody was patiently waiting for his answer.

"The truth is…" He started. "Mr and Mrs. Brime." 

He looked at both Joshua and Kristilla who seemed utterly confused with the sudden change of atmosphere.

"I'd like to ask both of you for permission to court Risth." He announced.

Both Joshua and Kristilla were surprised with the sudden announcement and  looked at each other. Jonathan smirked. And Aristha was in total shock.

"Bold move" Qyl remarked.

"You don't have to answer now," Xazriel worriedly said, breaking the silence between them.

"Oh, that's-" Josephine was cut off with Aristha's sudden movement. 

She abruptly dragged Xazriel upstairs, "Just a minute" she shouts without looking at the others. They arrived at Aristha's room.

"Wait, here" She told Xazriel and suddenly closed the door on him leaving him in her room. Xazriel, who is still confused, stayed in the room.

Qyl who was still watching was even caught in surprise with Aristha's actions,"Is it because of Aristha's memory or Liz's traits?" she thought to herself, still waiting for the conclusion of the present events.

Meanwhile, Xazriel heard Aristha's footsteps fading away from the room. He looks around and sees the feminine-looking type of room he is in. 

A light-pink wall,a bed in the corner, organized cabinets, a painting canvas stand near the window, pictures stuck to the wall, plants all around, and shelves of books.

Xazriel walks towards the wall full of photos of Risth from her childhood and her family.

There is even a photo of Risth crying and desperately clinging to her mother because it was her first ever haircut. 

Xazriel chuckled.

"She's so adorable. I wonder if our children would be as cute as her," He blurted out, then his face flushed red with the thought of it.

He suddenly turned away covering his face.

"What in the world are you thinking, Xazriel? I better get that off my mind" he said to himself and walked towards the bookshelves.

He looked through it and was amazed at how neat the arrangement of the books are.

"It's alphabetically arranged. I guess reading books is her hobby."

(Alchemists of the Era, Beautiful Beginnings, Dark Ages Series, Infidelity of the Rich, King's Chronicles, The Princess and the Craftsman, Secret's of the Universe,...)

He's trying to look for an interesting book until he reached the middle section and found a book with no title at its side.

He took it out from the bookshelf and gently tapped away the dusty cover only to find a thick old ragged book with no visible writing on its cover.

"This looks outdated, maybe it's a history book or an old journal. But why did Risth haven't thrown it away?" He thought.

"Maybe she has already forgotten about it. I wonder what's written inside? I hope Risth wouldn't mind me  checking out a few pages." He stated.

Xazriel blew the remaining dust from the cover and 

proceeded to open it. 

Meanwhile, Qyl who is still watching Risth is comfortably sitting on the couch eating popcorn.

"Should I really be watching this kind of family drama when it's already 12:48 and I haven't taken a bath yet?" She sarcastically asked herself.

MJ replied,"It's best if you get ready now. Mr. Oliver will probably be earlier than expected."

"Yeah, just a minute." Qyl retorted while watching intently at the screen.

Suddenly, an alarm went off. And…