Chapter 42: Chapter 42

The nightmare still clung to her, its vividness horrifying and yet at the same time strengthening. Finally, a glimpse into her unknown past. It wasn't pretty. It was painful and humiliating, but it taught her one thing.

I am strong.

She'd survived after all. Sure, her enemies made her into a mindless, robotic slave for a while, but despite it all, her will to live broke through. Fought to survive. A distant part of her recognized she should be bemoaning her fate, crying over the injustice. And she would, perhaps one day, but she mostly felt relief. Relief in knowing she wasn't defective, or alone. In finally understanding why she was plagued by inconsistencies in her thoughts. Glee in realizing she could take back her life, even if she didn't remember it. Or make a new one. She also felt alive, alive in a way she'd not understood before. Because I am not just a machine. I am also human at the core. How utterly fascinating.