“She’ll figure it out.”
Rolf turned around to see Loir, a slice of pizza in each hand. His eyes were focused on Eden too, although he looked extremely calm, engulfing his pizza.
“What is she doing?”
“Her master left her a toy. So, Kitty wants to play...”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
For several long minutes, Eden really tried her best to open the puzzle. This was nothing she hadn’t seen before. It looked like so many of the toys she had played with, back when she was still a little girl from the Core.
Eden only had very vague memories of it, but she knew her room and her life, even back then, weren’t like others. She couldn’t remember going to school with other children or even living in those modern apartments. What she had preciously stored in some faraway memory was the smell of wood, the imperfect fabric of a handmade toy, the light of a candle, and the smell of fruit juice. Eden had spent hours trying to remember more. Sadly, everything before she had to leave the Core was a blur. Her mother was the one she remembered the best because she had been such an important part of her life. No, she had been her only point of focus during Eden’s first years of life.
Eden was getting impatient at this star-shaped puzzle. She couldn’t figure it out, even after she felt she had pressed, spun, and shaken every one of its corners.
“Pizza?”
She glanced up, only now realizing someone was standing next to her. Rolf was handing her a small plate with a few slices he’d managed to save from Loir’s ferocious appetite... Eden sighed and nodded, taking a slice. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now. The pizza was good too; she could somewhat see why Loir was always so crazy about it... Not his level of crazy, though. She put the star down in front of her, slowly eating her pizza. Beer and Bullet quickly ran to those who were probably their favorite humans. One began pulling on Rolf’s shoestring, while his brother was climbing on Eden’s lap, hoping to get a little bite of that nice-smelling pizza.
“What is this thing?”
“A puzzle,” she sighed. “My master left it for me... I have no idea how to open it though, and it sucks.”
“Why did he leave you that?”
“I wish I knew. I had tons of toys like these when I was younger, I think... I wonder why my master left me something similar. I even wonder how he ever knew so much about my childhood.”
“You’ve never met him?”
Eden shook her head.
“Not in the flesh. But I do know his avatar’s appearance by heart, he’s never changed it. I know it was definitely him I saw during my Dive earlier. It was his voice, and the way he called to me...”
Eden’s voice died, and a wave of nostalgia hit her. She really missed her master. The man who had almost raised her after she had been left alone in the Suburbs. Pan was an enigma, and yet, she had felt like he was her best friend for the longest time. It was as if she had always known him, although she really knew nothing about him...
Her master had been her everything for a long time, and Eden had never realized how close and emotionally attached she was to him. She knew one thing for sure: she would have never survived this long in the Suburbs if it wasn’t for him. He always knew how to find her, where to guide her for safety. Eden had no idea if he lived in the Core or in the Suburbs. Maybe he was another weirdo living in an underground basement like Loir... He had a strangely young voice for someone who had been in her life for over fifteen years. His youthful appearance was also disturbing. She had always thought he was using his real physique, but now, his avatar looked younger than Eden, which he couldn’t possibly be.
Eden was still a bit bitter about their short encounter. Her master had always been able to find her anytime, anywhere. She suspected he had done something with her SIN, because he had always popped up when she needed him, until that time he abandoned her. Because that was how she felt at that time. Abandoned.
He hadn’t left her clueless and defenseless, but it was just not enough for Eden. Since she was a child, Pan had always been there, even for moral support. Whenever she felt lonely, she could Dive and find him. Now, she couldn’t even do that anymore and Eden hated it. She still didn’t know why he had gone into hiding and cut ties with her, leaving her with Loir instead.
“Is it something he’d do?”
Rolf’s question took her by surprise.
No, the fact that he was sitting there with her and getting curious was already surprising in itself. Wasn’t he supposed to... simply accompany Dante, his boss? However, now that Eden thought about it, there really wasn’t anyone hanging around Dante all day, from what she had seen. Or more like, there was no one hanging around at all on those upper floors. Was he mostly relying on their heavy security then? It would explain why he was always so comfortable, and why Rolf himself didn’t seem to have anything special to do either. If he was the boss’ second-in-command, then this place ought to be a safe one for him too. Maybe that was why he could freely play with the pups and hang with her and Loir like this...
Eden realized she had remained silent for too long, and Rolf was still waiting for her answer. She nodded.
“Yes... My master is the one who taught me how to Dive and everything. I learned when I was much younger... so he’d often do it in the form of games like this. He never put me in any dangerous situation, but he liked to leave keys for me to find and solve, even when he wasn’t there...”
That was right.
Eden wasn’t just calling him Master because of how he had taught her everything, but also because of how talented Pan was. It wasn’t just a pupil’s admiration for her teacher. Pan was the best Dive Hacker she had ever seen, and she was the only one who could even dare to touch his level. This guy was like a shadow and an annoying parasite to the Core. She had seen him flee from the direst and most dangerous situations, and escape the Core like it was nothing. When he was backing her up too, he was like a magician. He found the most hidden openings and could get Eden out of any situation. He was the main reason she had survived for so long and been so successful as a hacker.
“How come you never met him?” frowned Rolf.
For a second, his question put Eden on guard. Was he inquisitive on Dante’s orders? Were they trying to find her master and pretending to be friendly to ask such questions?
