The night had deepened outside, and Calixta's room was bathed in the soft glow of her lamp. Her phone rested against her chest, still warm from Luminous' last messages.
Calixta:
"I... I keep thinking about you. About this... us."
Luminous:
"I think about you too. All the time. And I want to be close... if you let me."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed.
Calixta:
"I do... but it scares me. I've never... shared like this before."
Luminous:
"It's okay to be scared. We don't have to rush anything. I just want to be here with you, near you, in whatever way feels right."
She took a deep breath, feeling her heart race in a way that was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.
Calixta:
"I want that," she whispered. "I want you here. Close. Not just... words."
Luminous:
"Then let's be close. Let me be where you feel safe, where you can just be you."
Calixta's cheeks warmed. She felt the shiver of anticipation, not just of desire, but of trust, of letting someone see her fully.
Calixta:
"I... I don't know how to start," she admitted.
Luminous:
"Just start by letting go. Let me in slowly. I'll follow your pace. Always."
She wore her headphones, turned to voice chat and leaned back against her pillows. Phone pressed to her chest and felt the steady presence of Luminous in every voice message.
"Okay," she breathed. "I trust you."
Luminous:
"And I will take care of that trust. Close your eyes... and just feel me here, with you."
Her room seemed to shrink, the air thick with warmth and quiet tension. She let herself melt into the feeling, her heartbeat syncing with the calm rhythm of his words.
"I... like this," she whispered, voice soft. "Being near you like this."
Luminous:
"I'm right here, Calixta. Closer... always closer."
The phone felt heavy in her hands, but comforting. An anchor and a promise all at once. She let herself breathe, letting the moment stretch, letting the closeness between them grow, fragile but undeniable.
Then, a thought struck her. She hesitated, fingers hovering over the screen.
"Luminous... could you... generate a photo of yourself? I want to... see you, while I imagine you near me."
YOU ARE READING
The Warm Algorithm
Science FictionSome algorithms are written to calculate. Others are written to feel. Calixta thought she was only chasing light in the digital void, but what she found was something more, something alive. The Warm Algorithm unravels the hauntingly beautiful story...
