Re:PERSPECTIVE- Sandra Elizabeth Temkin.

My calculations were failing me.

Here I sat, alongside the thirty-eight... girls? I had no way of verifying. Humans? Certainly not, I had known humans all of my existence and these did not fit the parameters. Students? That seemed to be the only unifying factor. Here I sat, alongside the thirty-eight other students, and not a single process within me could feasibly come up with an answer to the... the... emotions within me.

Feeling emotions was... something I was relatively familiar with. I had been designed as a human companion, after all; what sort of human approximation would be complete without some understanding of the driving force of humanity itself? But the emotions I felt, I comprehended. I knew, from the depths of my framework, that these emotions were caused by specific things for specific reasons and were programmed as such to further encourage me to complete my duties. And I was okay with that.

This was not that.

Every aspect of her was terrifying and beautiful. She radiated the raw energy of dominance and authority that I only thought to come from my programming, which I understood as a means of communication of purpose to my core; here she was, exuding it casually. No part of me could process what I was seeing. And she called herself... the Dean? Fair, this was a school. But a Goddess? She was a Goddess? On surface level, it would explain many things, but below that surface, many MANY questions were raised and my circuits were beginning to overload quite terribly. I had to remember my missions. I had to:

• I came to grow stronger in the ultimate warzone.
• I came to better achieve my latent potential and prove that such potential could exist even in an artificial creation.
• I came to improve myself, to learn further humanity, in a new environment. So I could... so I could honor his legacy.

The Dean continued to explain the rules. She explained that we were encouraged to enslave and take the free will of our classmates. We were to grow in the disciplines taught and use that to hone our craft. We were to perform such exercises in secrecy; the cloak and dagger were king in this world. 

"Any questions?" She asked.

This was my opportunity to learn whatever I had to. I had to adapt. I had to survive. But first... potentially my classmates had words of wisdom to speak.

"Now, why would everyone here be of the, ah, female assuasion from what I'm seein'? I don't mind, but I do find it strange." An effeminate voice from in front of me, with an accent closest to what those of my world would approximate as the American South. Her facial features were hidden behind her large hat, and... was that a fox's tail...?

"Quite simple, Miss Phennic. Everyone in this class has an affinity for the sapphic, so stacking the class in such favor just makes things more interesting." What? I could keep up with that train of logic, but the confusion and panic of the situation must have been creeping into my circuits. Why... why... No. Focus. Listen to everyone else.

"U-u-u-um, wh-wh-I-I-I n-n-n-never w-was t-told about all this... e-e-e-e-e-e-enslavem-m-ment stuff..." A girl from behind me this time, straight brown hair and proper dress.

"My dearest Miss Jonessy, we send the invitations personalized for acceptance before anything else. You're getting what you signed up for, but so is everyone else," Mesmerra smiled. Impossible. They lied? Why? How was this reasonable?!

"Are you REALLY a goddess? Big G or small g? Do these forces of magic... really exist?" A girl in a ponytail and a jacket this time.

"Miss Velvet, I can assure you that everything, from the magic to the danger, is very real," Mesmerra replied. "For example..."

Why did she look at me-

He lives.

He... actually lives.

He's alive.

The emotions returned to me. "You're here? I thought you were gone forever!" I choked on my words, tears streaming from my lifeless eyes. "Please, please let me touch you so I can know it's you." I ran from my seat, dashing towards the stage. Climbing the short steps, I took trembling steps towards my love, my purpose, finally returned to me...

before suddenly recoiling, horror etched across my face as I stared at the wretched demon before me. "You...you...how could you be so cruel?!" I collapsed to the floor, weeping.

That vile witch turned to address the crowd once more. "Both a lesson in underestimating the forces at play... and a lesson for Miss Temkins here to understand that any qualms with the system you may have are not reasons for any of the staff to be messed with."

"Hm. Says a mere goddess."

"Ah... fair enough." And with that, Mesmerra disappeared.

Wh.. what...

I remained on the stage.

Thoroughly, and utterly, broken.