VioletRavenLionJackal Antiques

As soon as Delia Asia Vieira stepped out of the dark, medical-smelling hospital building, she was greeted by a sharp, cold gust of wind. The street was silent, only the rustling of fallen leaves filled the space between the gloomy buildings. She felt her sensors pick up something barely discernible in the world around her, but what surprised her most was the familiar face that flashed by the gate.

It was Willa Baylock, the same woman robotess had met at church. This time, Willa looked even more confused and tired. She stood at the rusty hospital gates, clutching her old smartphone to her chest. Her face was distorted by a grimace of despair, and her eyes wandered across the screen, as if hoping to find answers to the questions that tormented her.

Robotess slowed down when she noticed her. She had seen this expression on Willa's face before, but now it was even more alarming.

"Are you here again?" asked the robotess, coming closer.

Willa Baylock raised her head and looked at her with concern, her fingers nervously playing with the edge of her old wool scarf.

"Yes... I..." she muttered, struggling to form the words. "I ran out of money for the Internet. Now I'm completely cut off from the... world," she fell silent and stared helplessly at Delia Asia Vieira, as if hoping for her understanding.

Robotess looked at the woman thoughtfully. It all seemed strange to her, but she tried to pay attention. After everything she had seen and experienced recently, nothing seemed truly surprising to her anymore.

"Why do you need the Internet so urgently?" asked robotess, tilting her head to the side.

"You don't understand!" Willa almost screamed. Her voice was shaking. "This is the only place where I can feel alive. All these sites, forums, blogs... I have friends there, I have a life there!" She stopped abruptly, looking around, as if checking if anyone else could hear them.

Delia Asia Vieira looked at her, processing her words. The picture of what was happening was slowly forming in her metal mind. The woman in front of her was not just obsessed with the internet, she had literally lost touch with reality. The world beyond the screen had ceased to exist for her, and now that access to that virtual world had been cut off, Willa found herself thrown out onto the cold streets of real life.

"You've been so immersed in the internet that you've forgotten about reality," robotess said quietly, watching Willa desperately scroll through the blank screen of her phone, hoping that the connection would soon be restored. "But here, in this world, there are also people who need your help and attention."

"No, no..." Willa muttered, shaking her head. "There, on the Internet, I can be anyone. I'm not old, not sick... I can discuss books, films, laugh with friends... But here... here, no one needs me."

These words touched Delia Asia Vieira more deeply than she expected. The robotess herself stood at the hospital gates, watching Willa Baylock leave. Her mechanical mind told her that it was impossible to help someone who did not want to be saved. She gave the woman one last piece of advice - "take more walks in the fresh air" - but she knew that these words would hardly reach Willa's confused mind, enslaved by the world of illusions and endless Internet networks.

Without wasting any more time, robotess continued on through the gloomy streets of the dead city. The thickening fog enveloped her figure as she headed towards an old antique shop with the strange name of "VioletRavenLionJackal". This place had long attracted her attention with its eccentric name and promises of rare artifacts. But something dark and inexplicable always hovered around this shop, as if it existed on the border between worlds.

As she approached the heavy dark wood door and pushed it open, the sound of a bell announced her arrival. It was dark inside, lit only by dim lamps with dusty shades. The air smelled of old books, polished wood, and something metallic, as if there was a machine waiting to start up. There was no one inside.

Delia Asia Vieira slowly walked around the display cases, where antique figurines, gold-embossed books and ancient musical instruments were scattered in disarray. But her attention was drawn to a massive fireproof cabinet in the corner of the store. This was the very object that, according to rumors, kept artifacts of great value. She knew that the solution to many mysteries could be hidden behind these doors.

Her mechanical fingers ran over the lock, analyzing the intricacies of the mechanism. There was no one around, and the robotess decided to act. She activated the built-in hacking tools and got to work. But as soon as her fingers touched the safe lock, the store door creaked open. Delia Asia Vieira froze in place and turned around. A tall blond man stood on the threshold, a slight smile on his lips.

"Well, well," he drawled, seeing robotess frozen by the closed safe. "You're in your element, as usual. Breaking other people's locks instead of just asking?"

Delia Asia Vieira recognized him instantly. It was the same Mark who had once shown her a tape of Delia York's childhood years, the adopted daughter of Gene and Karen Yorks, for whom robotess had worked as a governess. At the time, those tapes had helped her understand the girl's past, but at that moment she had not yet known that her own future would be so closely linked to the one who had shown her those tapes.

"Mark," she answered calmly, releasing the safe door. "I could ask, but you know, there's no one here, as always."

Mark came closer, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You know that the owner of this store doesn't like uninvited guests?" he asked, not hiding his irony.

"I'm here on business, Mark," robotess replied, ignoring his tone. "You, too, I take it?"

When Mark saw Delia Asia Vieira continue to fiddle with the lock on the cabinet after throwing that remark at him, he quickly stepped forward and stopped her.