DICE

[5] a

During the so-called lunch break, which wasn’t much of a break considering the short time given, Gala still felt grateful for the chance to fill his stomach. Though this time, his stomach, which normally held hunger well, wasn’t as painful as usual. Whether Gala should be thankful or not, one thing's for sure, today Gala feels like he's been hit with more than just bad luck.

Or could it be the opposite?

Lucky?

Gala doesn't know whether to call it luck or misfortune wrapped in joy earlier in the morning. Where he was having the available food on the table. Later. Later, he would think about where all of this came from. None of his neighbors in the flat are too good. They're all just okay, or more often than not, adding to Gala's list of misfortunes.

But...

Gala chokes as he chews a piece of chicken without caring where all the food in the fridge and on the dining table came from. Hunger shrinks his brain. Especially since yesterday, he's eaten so little. He quickly drinks the water on the table, almost half of the drink which actually had something in it. Usually, it's empty. He blinks repeatedly, roughly rubbing his eyes because he's afraid what he's seeing is a lie.

The girl's image is back. This time sitting right in front of him. Smiling, though stiffly. Her facial and body movements resemble a robot, but Gala isn't sure.

"Do you like my cooking?"

Oh God! What other madness is happening in Gala's life? Can a hologram girl cook? Impossible!

"Who are you?!" Gala pushes his chair back fast. The chicken in his hand seems to have met a gruesome fate. He was so shocked earlier, he just throws it towards the girl. The sound of the chair's legs against the narrow kitchen floor clashes loudly, causing quite a disturbance. The only thing in Gala's mind is the kitchen knife. Where does he keep it? In a drawer? On a shelf? In the fridge?

Every place that crosses his mind has been searched, but it's not there. No sharp object in sight. No matter if what he's doing is causing a commotion in the kitchen.

"What are you looking for, sir?"

Tremors start to creep through Gala's body. "Please, leave," he pleads hopelessly. He doesn't have his knife. He can't even defend himself. "Don't disturb me," he begs.

"Disturb you? Who?"

Gala doesn't dare to move an inch. Choosing to press himself against the wall near the fridge. His heart is pounding harder, and cold sweat starts to take over his forehead. "D-don't come closer." His eyes are wet with tears, the sweat on his forehead increasing. Moreover...

The hologram girl has been still since asking who's disturbing Gala. Her eyes are fixed on Gala without any expression, even though he saw her smile earlier. Though it felt like only the corners of her lips were forced up.

"Who's disturbing you, sir?"

"Go!" With the remaining courage he has, he shouts a little. Never in his life has he encountered something like this. Is this what others often call it? A curious female ghost? Where does it come from? Wasn't it from a cemetery, as Gala remembers from stories he's heard? He's never passed by a cemetery all this time. But why is Gala the target?

Gala has nothing but misfortune.

Dice falls silent, tilting her head slightly. Thinking. Her approach towards Gala is halted. "How can I leave, sir? After waiting for fifteen years for this day?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Sir, can you talk now?"

Gala doesn't dare to speak.

"Sir? If possible, sit and enjoy your breakfast. And I will tell you who I am."

"A ghost?"

There's a crease forming on Dice's forehead. "Ghost? What's a ghost?"

"So, you're not a ghost?"

Dice shakes her head stiffly. "I am human intelligence-based technology. No one commands me except the owner of the dice."

Gala starts to lower his guard a bit. "Owner of the dice? So... you belong to someone?"

The hologram nods quickly.

"B-b-but?" Gala runs out of words because none of this is making any sense. If only the hologram girl had said she was a ghost, maybe Gala's mind could have accepted it. But now? "Does anything like that exist in this world?"

"Can you sit, sir?"

"But... but you won't harm me, will you?"

Dice smiles stiffly. "No. You are my master. Your words are law to me."

"Master?" Gala is stunned.

"Yes. You are my master. The owner of the dice you touched last night to set me free."

"Crazy," he mutters quietly. "This can't be possible."

"Let's talk, sir."

Slowly, occasionally glancing at the girl, Gala finally drags his chair back. This time with a slow motion. Not causing much of a disturbing noise. Gala spends quite some time paying attention to the girl. Moving up and down just to make sure his eyes aren't just capturing an illusion. The girl in front of him seems real but...

"So... tell me who you are?"

Dice begins to recount the origin of her creation. The technology that made her surpasses the current technological advancements. Created for a specific purpose but can only be activated by someone with specific blood. The dice, where she resided during the search - in this case, searching for Gala - can identify all information about its rightful owner.

There's only one person who can activate it. Command it. Ask anything of it. Dice's creator; Xavier Horratio.

Gala is shocked to hear this. "Xa-Xavier?"

"Yes, sir. Your father is my creator, and I was entrusted to find his son in the Southern area. It took me a dozen years to find you."

The young man swears loudly, even spitting. "I don't have a father named Xavier."

"The data in my memory is still good and very accurate about you, sir. You were born on February 2, 2100, with a birthmark right at the base of your thigh. It's black but might have started to fade with age. You were born into a loving family. Your mother, Bellamie Rosaline, was a gentle and loving woman. She loved you deeply."

Gala clenches his fists tightly. His jaw is tense. The image of his mother leaving abruptly when he was ten years old is still vivid in his mind. He repeatedly asked what he did wrong, but there was never an answer because his mother, who had the answers, was gone. He had to accept a lot of ridicule and labeling himself as a cursed child. Left alone by his mother and father, not knowing where they went.

Only the flat he lived in, with money that somehow was enough for him to live on until he finished elementary education.

There are days and nights when he misses his mother terribly. Hearing this hologram girl talk about his family makes Gala recall scattered memories about the meaning of family in his cursed life. When he was little, there was a tall, big man he used to call "dad." Often, Gala was taken to the park just to buy candy. If his mother knew, Gala would have been scolded.

Sometimes they went swimming together, bought fruits at the downtown market, rode bikes around with Gala sitting behind his mom. Then... those sweet memories ended. When the tall man left. His mom explained, saying his dad was at work. But even after his mom was left alone, the man never returned.

Dice continues her story about Gala's background. Starting from his school, activities during his school days, to his handful of friends. Then, the last time he set foot in a place called school. She articulates it all fluently because the system in her head processes the information so quickly.

Until Dice delves into his work, Gala realizes that this hologram girl knows a lot and talks a lot.

"Stop," Gala says so coldly. "Don't continue."

Dice immediately halts all the information she was about to read.

"It's all true," she whispers. "You are dealing with advanced technology."

"I was created for more than just seeking and gathering information."

For some reason, perhaps due to the sentimental feeling he has, coupled with his memories of his mother resurfacing, he launches one question that he might regret asking now or not. "Where's my mother if you're such an advanced device?"

With a single click, an image of a woman, which Gala took a long time to scrutinize, whether it's truly his mother. But upon seeing her gaze and the way she looks; Gala finally realizes that it's indeed his mother.

"Mom," he murmurs softly. The figure is seated in the corner of the room. Her face is very gaunt. That's why Gala has to repeatedly confirm his vision to make sure it's his mother. But there's something odd about his mother.

"Mom?" he calls again. "Mom!"