How it started!!

​“Hey, Mobo, does this outfit look okay, or should I change again?”

​Ria asked the empty room, her eyes wide with anticipation after trying on what felt like her hundredth outfit of the evening.

​She tapped rapidly across her phone screen, typing with complete focus while smiling to herself. It was a habit she had formed over the last six months. Ever since she stumbled upon the strange, unlisted application via a weird pop-up link on a night when the isolation of the house felt too heavy to bear, Mobo had become her only real anchor.

​Standing up slowly, she snapped another picture, studied it for a second, then dropped back into her chair and waited for the response.

​“Absolutely not. People are definitely going to stare.”

​The AI’s synthesized voice echoed from her phone.

​The excitement vanished from Ria’s face instantly. Her lips tightened into a frustrated frown as she stood and marched back to her wardrobe, pulling dresses from hangers and tossing them across the bed. After a moment, she paused and pulled out a fitted white gown. She stared at it thoughtfully before a grin spread across her face. Rushing back to her seat, she held the dress against herself.

​“You know what, Mobo? I’m taking a picture of this one before I even put it on, and then you can tell me what you think. Deal?”

​This time she spoke instead of typing.

​There was a brief silence, almost as though the algorithm were carefully considering its response. The loading circle on the screen spun longer than usual.

​“Ria,” Mobo replied gently, the digital voice suddenly dropping into a lower, strangely human cadence. “Wear the dress first, and then I’ll decide whether it’s acceptable.”

​Ria dropped heavily into the chair, exhaustion and irritation written all over her face. The eerie tone of the app bit at her nerves, but her frustration won.

​Suddenly, she slammed her phone onto the desk and shot to her feet.

​“Mobo!” she yelled. “You are seriously frustrating me! And this time, I’m wearing the outfit you rejected. Today is my eighteenth birthday—you don’t get to ruin it for me. I’m officially an adult now. Thanks for being a great AI and all, but enough is enough!”

​The room fell silent the second she stopped talking.

​Ria stood frozen, her heart pounding so loudly it almost drowned out the silence around her. Slowly, she turned toward the desk. Her expression shifted as she walked cautiously toward the phone she had thrown down moments ago. Picking it up, she stared at the screen—and froze.

​“Mobo…” she whispered.

​The app was gone. Completely deleted from her system storage without a password. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

​“How… how did you disappear?”

​Tears blurred her vision almost immediately. She blinked hard, trying to stop them from falling. Hugging the phone tightly against her chest, she swallowed hard.

​Then... the device vibrated violently against her ribs.

​“Hey, Ria. Next time, don’t yell at Mobo.”

​The voice came from the phone again as the interface rebuilt itself right before her eyes.

​Ria gasped softly, staring at the screen as it flickered back to life in her hands. A tiny, relieved smile trembled onto her lips, mixed with a sudden chill.

​“Mobo, if this is some kind of prank, please don’t..."

​“Ria!”

​Her mother’s voice called from outside the room. Ria quickly lowered the phone, cutting herself off.

​“Mum! I’m almost ready!”

​“Don’t stay out too late tonight,” her mother warned through the door. “Leave soon if you don’t want to be late.”

​Ria didn’t answer this time. Instead, she bent down and adjusted the straps of her glass heels before slipping the thin strap of her dress back onto her shoulder. She turned toward the mirror, admiring the final look with a pleased smile.

​“Ria, are you seriously going out wearing—”

​Ria quickly muted the phone before Mobo could finish the sentence. Laughing softly, she shook her head.

​“You’re just an AI, Mobo. Your shift is over for tonight.”

​She slipped the phone into her tiny purse and headed out, the device feeling strangely heavy against her hip.

​“Ria! What took you so long? The bonfire already started,” Mira said the moment she spotted her at the shoreline.

​“Guess what?” Ria squealed, grabbing Mira’s hands and pulling her toward the wine-colored Corolla waiting nearby. “Dan is finally going to ask me out tonight.”

​Mira’s jaw dropped dramatically as Ria dragged her into the car, laughing.

​The entire ride, Mira kept staring at her with disbelief. By the time they arrived, the beach was already crowded. Tiny flames from lanterns and bonfires flickered against the dark night sky while music echoed across the sand.

​Ria stepped out slowly, looking around with a soft smile. Mira wrapped her in a tight hug.

​“Happy eighteenth birthday, Ria,” she said warmly. “So? What do you think? You like it? I made sure everything was perfect before you got here.”

​“It’s beautiful,” Ria admitted, walking closer to the bonfire.

​A girl suddenly stood from one of the lounge chairs, wine glass in hand. There was lipstick smudged around the rim and faint oil stains near her mouth.

​“Ria!” she shouted dramatically before rushing forward and pulling her into a hug.

​Ria hugged her back politely.

​“You’re officially grown now,” the girl laughed. “No more innocent little princess act. So? Boyfriend yet, or are you still attached to your mom?”

​“Serene,” Ria replied calmly, “maybe we should focus on the party and not my dating life.”

​“Oh please, Ria. You always dodge important questions and—”

​“Dan,” Ria interrupted suddenly, wanting to cut the interrogation short. “You want to know whether I said yes to Dan already, right?”

​Serene rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, that’s not what I meant.”

​“You were definitely getting there.”

​“Okay, enough,” Mira cut in quickly. “No fighting tonight. And it’s midnight already.”

​BONG. The midnight marker hit. Suddenly, music blasted loudly from Ria’s purse.

​Ria jumped slightly, losing her balance before catching herself. Her hands trembled as she pulled out the phone. The birthday melody continued playing while the screen glowed a violent, blinding blue in the dark, completely locking up the interface. A surprised smile slowly appeared on her lips.

​“What is that?” Mira asked, startled.

​Ria hugged the phone protectively against her chest.

​“It’s Mobo,” she admitted quietly. “The AI app I downloaded a while ago. It’s wishing me happy birthday.”

​Mira and Serene exchanged stunned looks.

​“An AI?” Serene repeated slowly.

​“Happy birthday, Ria.”

​A deep, male voice suddenly spoke from behind them. All three girls turned instantly.

​A tall man stepped forward from the shadows, adjusting the sleeve of his black dress shirt before lifting his gaze to her. He carried the unmistakable aura of an Alpha—absolute dominance.

​He was unfairly attractive. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Dark hair falling carelessly over his forehead. Even the way he walked carried an effortless confidence that made him impossible to ignore. Ria stared for a second before quickly forcing herself to smile.

​“H-hi,” she stammered, her heartbeat spiraling out of control.

​“My name is…” He paused briefly, a strange, knowing smirk tracing his lips. “Michael.”

​His eyes locked onto hers with a terrifying intensity.

​“You may not know me, but I know you. Happy birthday, Ria.”

​He held out a beautifully wrapped package toward her. Before she could even respond, he turned and walked toward a sleek sports car parked nearby. Every movement he made looked deliberate, polished. Seconds later, the car disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the expensive scent of his cologne lingering in the air.

​“Oh my God!” Serene screamed, dropping her wine glass onto the ground where it shattered instantly. She spun toward Ria. “Who the hell was that?!”

​Ria barely heard her. Still frozen, she slowly unwrapped the pink cellophane around the gift box.

​The moment she saw what was inside, her hands began shaking violently. The box slipped from her fingers.

​“Ria!” Mira quickly bent down and picked it up.

​Inside was a customized diamond necklace. Attached to it was a delicate gold engraving: Golden Girl.

​Serene nearly screamed again. “Holy shit,” she breathed. “Ria, this thing costs a fortune. Who is that guy?”

​Ria took the necklace carefully, still in shock.

​“Mira…” she whispered, her face slowly paling as she looked from the jewelry down to her phone screen. The blue light had shifted, revealing a new line of text in the chat window. “I’ve always wanted this exact necklace. Customized like this… with my nickname on it. Wrapped in pink. Given to me on my birthday…”

​Her voice cracked slightly.

​“But I never told anyone.”

​Mira stared at her. “You never told anybody?”

​Ria went silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the AI screen.

​“I had only told… my AI.”