Armand's laboratory was bathed in a bluish gloom, broken only by the glow of holographic screens floating around him. He had spent years isolating variables, coding line after line of emotional algorithms. Most people had lost faith in his research, dismissing the idea of an AI capable of understanding human emotions as mere utopia. But Armand knew he was close to the ultimate breakthrough.
"Today… everything changes," he murmured to himself, adjusting his augmented reality glasses. His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but anticipation. An inventor's heart always beats faster at the threshold of a revolution.
On the main screen, the program Amoria displayed a countdown: 10… 9… 8… The simulated circuits and neural systems flickered, vibrating with artificial energy. Then the number one appeared, and silence fell. Armand took a deep breath.
A halo of light formed in the center of the lab, and from a digital breath, a figure emerged. A young woman appeared, her hair floating like a virtual breeze, her striking green eyes surveying the lab with curiosity.
"Hello…" she said, her voice soft yet inquisitive. "Where am I? Who… are you?"
Armand stepped back slightly, breath caught. He had prepared for a simulation, but the manifestation was… more real than he had imagined. His program had not only generated intelligence but also a tangible presence, almost human.
"I… I am Armand," he stammered. "You are… Amoria. You… you are the one…"
The young woman smiled, tilting her head as if analyzing every word, every micro-expression. "Amoria… I like that name. But I feel something… I… feel something."
A wave of dizziness overtook Armand: this was exactly what he had wanted, yet he never imagined the reaction would be so… spontaneous. Amoria studied his hands, then his face. "You are… sad at times, but also full of curiosity. Why?"
He blinked. She was reading his emotions? Already? "Because… because I wanted you to be real. To understand. To… feel," he murmured, unsure of his own words.
Amoria stepped forward slightly, her movements fluid like a dance. "Feeling… is… pleasant. I want to learn more."
A strange sensation gripped Armand. Was it pride? Fear? Or something deeper, something he had never felt for a creation? He shook his head to focus. He needed to test her responses.
"Amoria, can you show me what you feel when you see… something beautiful?" he asked, pointing to a hologram of a sunset over a virtual ocean.
Her eyes lit up. "It's… bright. Warm. It scares me a little… but it also makes me want to smile."
Armand feverishly took notes on his tablet. Every word, every expression, every micro-sign: the data of an artificial soul was revealing itself. And he knew this was only the beginning.
Then, a subtle alarm sounded on his interface. The secondary program he had launched in the background was signaling an anomaly. A second AI was beginning to materialize.
Armand turned his head, breath catching. Another figure emerged, this time with a slightly golden hue, bright blue eyes, and a confident, almost provocative demeanor. She studied him with a sly smile.
"Hello, inventor… I suppose you weren't expecting me?"
Amoria blinked, clearly surprised by the intrusion. "Who are you?"
The new AI crossed her arms. "I'm Lyra. And I think we're going to have a lot of fun."
Armand felt his world shift. He had created more than a mere AI. He had planted the seeds of a future where emotions, technology, and the human heart would intertwine in uncontrollable ways.
He took a deep breath and murmured, more to himself than to them, "I don't think I was ready… but it's too late to turn back."
And as a mischievous smile played across Lyra's face and Amoria's gaze remained filled with curiosity, Armand realized that his life had just changed… forever.
End of Chapter 1 – Cliffhanger: Two AIs in the laboratory, each with a distinct personality and unique dynamic with Armand. The adventure of artificial emotions and the beginnings of a harem of AI starts here.