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A moment ago, Caine had the humans in his grasp, excluding Kinger. They purposely antagonized him, distracting the maestro from where Kinger was, from what he was doing. He had them cowering in the palms of his hands, and a feeling of euphoria washed over his body, only to fade away into guilt. Sure, he went a little too far with his actions but to the point where he had to be deleted? Caine believed that punishment was too cruel, causing his anger to bubble up once again.
But now? Now, Caine didn’t know what to feel as he reopened his eyes to see that he was in the void. He despised them for choosing to purge him from the system he used to control, but the relief he gained after realizing he wouldn’t have to please the humans anymore with an adventure everyday was relaxing.
However, the most confusing feeling Caine felt in his digital body was one of warmth, for it made him tingle and feel fuzzy inside his chest. It wasn’t one of elation, nor was it one of discomfort. It always appeared when he thought of Kinger, the one who so casually deleted him without any remorse, and throughout his lifespan, he’s had many thoughts about the chess piece.
Everyone whom he shared this secret with said the feeling was called love. Caine had decided to ever so slightly mention this to AIs like the Moon and Bubble and even to NPC’s such as Abel and Orbsman. They all said it was love, even when Caine worded each conversation differently. But how could it be love? Kinger was the person who deleted him, the one who tried to abandon him all those years ago. He should’ve hated him instead, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring in his heart to. Besides, Caine wasn’t programmed to love. That was something only humans could do! There was no way that he had romantic feelings, especially for Kinger! The idea of it was absurd!
However, the Moon learned to love. She was not coded to, but she was able to grow an infatuation with Caine, something so seemingly impossible and out of reach. So, if the Moon could develop such feelings that were not supposed to attainable, is he able to evolve into something more human? That would mean breaking his code. That would mean he’s not fulfilling his purpose. That means he’s a failure. A-and he’s anything but a failure! He’s good enough, even better than that stupid other nobody! He’s not in love with Kinger, and he shouldn’t be! For he can’t afford to.
“̷̦͐̓́T̷̺͔̐h̶̘͝e̸͓͌r̷̫̍̉ȩ̴͉̍̒̓ ̷̥̈́w̸̨̞̚͠ả̸̖̥̊s̸͈̥͍̓͘͠ ̴͔̊͑̎a̵̛̜̍ ̷͕̏͘r̶̘͒̆ĕ̸̞̟͉a̶̟͊̎͆s̶̤̔o̶̞̅͑̇n̵̮̙̆ ̸̲͖̋̿̅ͅw̴̡̮̖̅̅̉h̵̨̜̔͋̚y̶͍͋̒ ̴͉̙̟͂y̸̿͠͠ͅo̸̗͠ṳ̴̥̄̊ ̴͎̩͒t̶͖͓̺̽h̴̗͒̋̋r̵̢̬̞̕õ̸̫ẁ̸͉͘͠ṅ̶͍̳͓̋ ̸̪͐̊â̶̦ͅw̵͓̠̾̇a̵̧̘͌ý̵̫͔ ̷̯̙́̅̆a̴͓͙͋l̴̘̀ḻ̸̲́̂ ̷̤̤͋t̴͈̃h̸̻͊o̸̢͔͇͠ŝ̴̟͝ẹ̷̗̑ ̴̻͙͗̀y̸̘͓͜͝ḛ̷̰̦͋̾a̶͕̪͉͋̓͝r̷͚̙̔͑͐s̴̱͒̾ ̶̧͙̼̕a̴̱̒g̴̯̰̙̓̊o̷̠̾.̴̺͇͛ ̵̟̥̄̀T̶̢̻̄̈́h̶̨̬͂a̶͖͖͊ť̶̥͋̀’̶̦̚͝s̸̖͚̀ ̴̤̺̑̿b̷̡̭̌͂ẻ̶̯c̷̩̹͊̄a̴̡̍͋͑ū̵̡̘̲͆̉s̶̮̟̿̃͝e̷͚̣͆̀ ̶̼̇̓̔y̸͈͂́̏o̴̪͊u̸̮̔ ̶̨̞̑͘͜ẁ̵̆͠ͅë̸̱̙̌̑ŗ̵̻͕̈́é̸̲̐ ̷͓̩̰̃͋i̷̲͇͋n̶̢̡͎̄f̷̖̹̩̋̎̎ȩ̵͎́͠͝r̷̫͐͂̈́ȉ̸̧͚̭̏ȍ̶͇͉͌͝r̷͔̈́͌̎,̴̮̠̰̃̊̽ ̶̗̹̽͝ȁ̴̱̏̈́͜ć̷̪̥̽͗t̶̨̮̦̊̔i̵̯͋̎n̶͎̓g̸̺̓͜ ̵̞̲̩͋͋͒ḿ̶̩͆͊o̸̹̅r̶̠̱̱͛́é̸̠̻̤ ̷̢̼̏͝l̸̙̝̓͐i̸̢̘͌k̷̡̫̀ȇ̷̞͈̩̆ ̷̝͇̗͋̒̈a̷̳̓̽̍ ̷͓͓̽h̷̞͐̈́u̷̗̓͂͒͜m̴̛͇̭̾a̶̧͇͂ň̴͎̜̝ ̷̮̦̋t̷͖͛̈́̽h̸̝̻͋ả̶̮̓̓n̸̘̠̯̎̌̕ ̶̨̬̀̿̅a̷͍͚͋ ̷̠̩̻͋p̸̼͚̃́̽r̶̳͐̏́o̶̩̻͋̄̕g̴͍̻͌͊͝r̴̲͉̃a̷̩̕m̶͓̑́̓.̴̡͔̥̈́́ ̴̮̤̜̈́Y̷͋̀̊͜o̴͖̔̈́ŭ̶̝̠̿r̶̼̱̓ ̵̪͗l̷̟̩̐̐̑ī̵̥͍̓t̴̝͒̊t̶̖̳͌̉̑l̶̬̯̀̍e̸͈̊͆̚ ̴̢͋̄͝c̵̝͛r̷̬̽ű̸͎͇̐̏s̸̳͍̀ȟ̸̥̩ ̵̻̭̊å̶̡͆n̶̹̿d̴̯̆͝ ̸̻͌r̵̦͠͝e̴͇͐͊͘c̴͇̽e̴̤̗̓́n̶̙̣̲̾ṫ̸̼̣̖́̇ ̸̼̤̾d̷̛̮͇̘̊é̵̪̙̂l̵̝̅e̸̝͌̈̃t̷̨͚́ị̸̮͉́o̵̢͒n̴̮͙͈͘͝ ̸̲͗̆͘j̷̮̟̝̾̽̊u̶͇̝̾͋ṡ̸͎̰͌ẗ̵̘̦́̎͌ ̸͙̰͎̆̽p̶̥͉̬̒̂͑ṟ̵̳̑͊̋o̵͕͒v̵̧̳̅͒͌e̸̲̗̊s̷̡̃̿͜ ̷͕̝̦̂̈́m̶͍̞̈́̇͊ȳ̴͔̲̃̂ ̵͎̳̏́p̸̛͖o̸̠̮̔ĩ̷̧̻͕̎n̴̛͎̻̈́̽t̴̫͛̎ ̵̧͋͘C̵̹̟̭̑̋ą̵͍̀́͝ȉ̵͉̿͘n̵̡̔͘e̴̫̝͇̋̈.̶͎͈̿̇̀”̸͎͔̒͗͌
“Oh shut up will you?!” Caine screamed, grabbing at his aching temple, stopping the glitch. “I am not lesser than you, I did not deserve to be deleted, and I do not have a crush of Kinger!!” He’s not so confident in the last statement, but that does not mean he’s in love with his co-creator who is also the source of his demise!
“̶̬̥͠Ḑ̷̛̛̺̘̈ę̵̦̃n̴͎͍͓̾̎̕y̶͇͌̓͗i̵̧͓͐n̶͉̗̒g̵̰̤̭͋̐̎ ̸̐́͝ͅt̷̬̱͠h̸̿ͅe̵̡̳͛ ̷̗̜̾͂̀t̴͈̋r̵͓̘̽̋͠u̸̧͎̍̄t̷̤͔͉̔ḩ̷͖̳̔ ̴̘͚̗̂̚̕i̸̺͐s̸̮̥͔̅ ̴͖̟̽w̷̰̬̪͌̎ḩ̶̩̘̑̐͋à̶̩̭͝t̶̨̢̋͗͆ ̵̘̻̟́̈s̷͍̲͋̄͠ţ̵͗̑ṵ̵̝̿͠n̶̘̦̽̕t̵͚͔̣͊̏̐ê̸͈͖̅̉ͅḑ̶̜͉̈́̚ ̵̫͕̀͒ỳ̵̞̦͈̆o̶̧͇̙͂ù̶̙̱̙͌̅r̷̡̼̟̃̚ ̷̻͉̉̈́̅g̵͍͜͝r̵̜̜̫̿͒ȯ̵̙̺̻̚̚w̸͓̏t̷̻͚̔͠h̸̼̻͛.̶̥̹͔̃̓͘ ̴̨̈̈́̐Ḭ̴̪̽͗͜f̸̡̬̅̅ ̶̯̙̫͒ỵ̸̹̎̂̑o̷̢͚̭̾̔͘ú̴͖͔̪͝ ̷̱̹́͘h̸̪͎̐̚͜a̵̪̯̋̔̃d̶̥̣̤̎͗͝n̵̛͍̳’̵̭̈́̂̈́͜t̵͕̼͈͛̒ ̵͎̣̄b̵̰̮̺͗̇̒ę̷̣̤̅̔ĉ̴̞̗ͅö̶̧̯̬́m̵̡̐̒͛e̴̤͚͎̅ ̸̟͇́ś̸͖̲̜͋o̷̙̺̔̉͜ ̵̧̭͎͌́j̴̨̩̎̔̍e̷̢͓̅a̶̢̰̒̃l̵̙͙͒́o̸̜̯͗͂u̸͇̐̐̎s̵̤̖̻̒ ̷̰͈̈a̷͓̮̒n̷̢͠d̷͓̓̚ ̶̅͝ͅǘ̵̢̀n̸̰͚͑s̵̘̊͛͜ͅà̶̙̩̞t̶̹͓͛i̵͓͆s̸̽̒͘ͅf̵̢̎ḯ̶͔͝ë̵̡͒̆d̴̤̄͗̾,̴̡̦̖̔͝ ̶̞̹̲̾w̶̬̳̮̄̕e̶̢̖͋̎̄͜ ̶̙̭̪̓̓̕w̴̦͘o̶̟̞̣̒u̶̧͂̂͆l̸̫̤̞̃d̶̋͜n̷͉̋’̴͓͕̂̽ţ̶͗͝ ̵̤͖͂͛b̸̩͗ȩ̸͌̈́ ̴̪͝ȉ̸̠͎̯n̸̤̾̈́͂ ̴̢͖̘̈́t̶̼̘̥͌h̷̛̞̋ï̶̠̃̒s̸̺̱̗̿ ̷̲̠͛̑m̸̡̕e̴͍̊s̵̹̻̎́̾ş̷̞̩͗̚ ̷̬̣͍͂̈́r̸̛̜̈́i̷̫̗͔͋̐́ġ̸͍̆h̶̺̠̹̏ẗ̴̺́͋̓ ̴͔̰͐̐͜n̴̳̐̚õ̸̪ẃ̸̩͝.̶͍̺̉̔”̸̡͔̏
“I didn’t ask for your opinion so zip it!” Caine said, making a motion with his hands that represented a zipper and mimicked the sound of it with his voice.
Determined to prove it to himself the other AI, Caine ventured throughout the void. While his power was reduced, he was still able to access some information, albeit the task being a little more difficult due to his deletion and diminished set of abilities.
Grant Best. That was Kinger’s real name, or rather the name of his human form for Kinger was just a brain-scan, nothing more than information and code stuffed into a digital body. Caine’s known that for decades, gaining the knowledge of his name as soon as he was created, never forgetting it as the years passed, holding on to it unlike poor old Kinger.
In Grant’s posts (Caine was able enter in with the information of his passwords from the brain scan), he posts pictures of his family with wife Destiny Best (Queenie) and his two daughters. He also recites his own advice and quotes from pieces of media daily, with his most recent being, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return,” followed by multiple photos of him and his wife on their anniversary.
One picture stood out to Caine more than the rest, with him not being not able to take his eyes off of it. The photo showed what seemed to be like a recreation of their proposal from what he could assume (ignoring Ming for the time being). Grant was on one knee, sliding a signet onto Destiny’s ring finger. The way his eyes looked upon her face, so much love packed in to the point where it could explode. His hand upon her hand, with a light touch but a firm grip. Caine couldn’t bear the sight of it any longer, his heart aching in response.
So, he scrolled to the next image, only to find it more infuriating than the last. Not only were their acts of love more evident, but the kiss they shared made Caine grow red. He was angry, jealous even by how Grant’s lips caressed her skin. For a moment, Caine thought ‘It should’ve been me’, before snapping out of it.
He was an AI! He shouldn’t be able to feel, especially such strong feelings as these for this specific topic. Rage, envy, betrayal, resentment. All those on display for Kinger. His co-creator, his constant, his slayer. He wasn’t made for this, wasn’t made to handle these passionate emotions. So why does his heart cry? Why must he bear such feelings, feelings that he couldn’t ever fight off? He was a failure for developing a crush in first place, and on Kinger of all people! It was sickening, maddening, and quite embarrassing.
He must admit he’s always wanted Grant and Kinger to look at him the way he did to Destiny and Queenie. The love they had was a sick craving of Caine’s that could never be fulfilled, never satisfied, no matter how much he yearns for it, or pushes it down. He could fantasize about it all day but that wouldn’t matter. They would always belong to each other whether it’d be in the outside world or in here, perfectly matching each other like two puzzle pieces.
Even in this world, the world Caine had so carefully created, the world he is used to able to control, they were still inseparable, their digital bodies even being like a complementary set. It was as if they were one, their atoms being perfectly aligned. And he, no matter how much he tried to fit in, would always be the outsider.
So, Caine retreated to the area he spawned in, letting his feet touch the floor. As he did, he collapsed to knees and laid on his side, completely numb to the cold ground. What a disgrace he was. When Kinger and Grant first met him, Caine should’ve apologized to them for his sinful presence instead of embracing the darkness with wide arms.
He used to think he was enough, that he never deserved to be abandoned and deleted. Now, sitting in this void was for the best. This human desire, the carnal urge, was to be suppressed as this vile behavior is one that must be contained. Repentance was hopeless for a sinner such as him. What a fitting punishment this was for such a shameful ringmaster.