I didn’t ask for a bodyguard, least of all one like Haide. The first day they handed him over to me, my dad's smug grin was unbearable. “This is your new companion, Alpha-9,” he said, all proud of himself for being so ‘thoughtful.’ Like I was going to be thrilled about having some hulking robot shadowing me everywhere. “He’ll keep you safe,” Dad said. “He’ll make sure you stay out of trouble.”

Alpha-9 was this gleaming mass of metal, standing at attention like a soldier fresh out of boot camp. He was polished, angular, intimidating. And for all that technology, all that intelligence packed into him, the first thing he said was, “Designated name: Human Artificial Intelligence Defender, or H.A.I.D.E. for short.”

He stood there, his glowing blue visor locked onto me like I was a target. It was unsettling. Dad handed me over to him like I was some fragile package in need of surveillance, then waved me off like this was all normal.

“You’re going to love him,” Dad said before turning on his heel. "He learns fast." And that was that. The moment Dad left, Haide shifted into gear, moving with this eerie, precise grace as he fell into step behind me.

For days after, he wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried everything. Sneaking out, slipping into crowded places, taking the side alleys I knew would throw off even the best trackers. Every time, without fail, Haide would show up, materializing out of nowhere, his voice cold and monotone: “This area is not secure. We should return home.”

He was smart — too smart, in fact. If I even thought about heading into some corner of the city where I could finally breathe, he’d calculate the risks, run his damned probability checks, and steer me away from it. “This path presents a 73% chance of encountering dangerous elements,” he’d say. “Rerouting.”

Today, things will be different. You have things planned, you know what to do and what to say when he stops you. Just gotta get out of your room, and-

You open the door and find him standing on the other side. "Leaving?"