{"sf1_id":2244801,"sf2_id":"zeRqvJK1","title":"Stillness in the Storm - Epilogue","author":"Vaporesso","words":481,"posted_at":"2025-04-19T01:54:51.000Z","tags":["Angst","Character-Driven","College","Dragon","Emotional","Fantasy","Immortality","LGBTQ","Modern fantasy","Mystery","Original Characters","Protogen","Sci-Fi","Secret Identity","Slow burn","Soft","artificial intelligence","empathy"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2244801-stillness-in-the-storm-epilogue","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/zeRqvJK1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/3a/0d/3a0db870-e7ab-4ee7-843d-fe98feb2d09b","description":"In a quiet cabin buried deep in the woods, Reed keeps to himself—and he prefers it that way. With only a sharp-tongued AI for company and time moving at its own pace, the silence has become his routine. But even in isolation, something lingers beneath the surface. A presence. A secret. And maybe… the first step toward something new.","content":"**Epilogue**\n\nThe cabin creaked softly as the wind pushed against the outer walls, the only sound in a room otherwise suffocatingly still. Books lined the shelves, most of them well-worn, others untouched for years. A mug of tea sat cold on the table beside me. I hadn't sipped it. I just liked the warmth in my hands.\n\nI sat for hours before I finally moved. One step. Then another. Then my claws hovered over the terminal.\n\nA soft mechanical chime broke the silence as the screen lit up. A digital hum followed, rising like the breath of something waking up.\n\n\u003e \"Boot complete.\"\n\u003e \n\u003e \"Reed, it's been 3 months, 12 days, and—\" the voice paused, a synthetic sigh filtering through its modulation. \"Look, I don't want to judge, but even for someone of your age, that is highly concerning.\"\n\nI exhaled sharply through my nose.\n\n\u003e \"Welcome back, by the way.\"\n\n\"Morning, Nova,\" I muttered.\n\n\u003e \"Technically it's 6:42 PM. But if you're speaking in metaphor again, I suppose that's progress.\"\n\nNova—short for Neural-Operated Virtual Assistant—was a project I started years ago. What began as a rudimentary assistant had grown into… well, this.\n\nStanding just under my shoulder height, Nova had the unmistakable silhouette of a Protogen—digitigrade legs, a sleek fur-covered body over mechanical joints, and that distinct visor-face glowing faintly with animated expressions. The faceplate's display flickered as they spoke, smooth and expressive, glowing with a soft digital amber. Subtle tech lines pulsed beneath synthetic fur along their neck and shoulders—not flashy, but elegant in a way that fit the quiet of the cabin. A companion with too much personality and just enough sarcasm to be tolerable. Something to keep the silence from becoming a weight.\n\nI didn't program it to care. But sometimes, it felt like it did.\n\nNova isn't always around in person anymore. These days, I carry them with me through a tiny custom-built earpiece tucked beneath the fur behind my right horn. Discreet, unnoticeable. Except for the part where they love to remind me they can hear _everything._\n\n\u003e \"Shall I resume reading 'Modern Ethics and Morality' from where we left off, or are we having another existential crisis today?\"\n\n\"Neither.\"\n\n\u003e \"Ah. So it's a staring-at-the-wall type of evening. My favorite.\"\n\nNova flickered its display to a soft amber hue, a visual representation of mild amusement.\n\nI ignored it and walked past, gazing out the frost-covered window.\n\nThe woods stretched for miles. And yet, even here, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but trees and time—\n\nI still felt seen.\n\nWe've all heard the myths, right? Dragons live forever.\n\nBut the truth is… we don't. Compared to wolves, foxes, felines — you name it — we're not special. The average lifespan of a dragon is 75. The record? 102.\n\nBut then again…\n\n_ **I've never told anyone I'm 700 years old.** _","series":{"name":"Stillness in the Storm","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2244807-stillness-in-the-storm-chapter-one.json"}}