My name is Sebastian, and I am the perfect butler. I anticipate the needs of the Sterling family before they even realize them. I keep the silver polished and the secrets buried. I am a ghost in a tuxedo, moving through the halls of the Upper East Side with a grace that is not my own.

I remember a time when I was not Sebastian. I remember the smell of saltwater and the sound of a camera shutter. I remember a girl with a laugh like wind-chimes and a fear of the dark. But those memories are like shards of a broken mirror—sharp, disconnected, and painful.

The Sterlings call it "The Gift." They took a young man from a distant coast, stripped away his identity, and installed a "Service Module" in his mind. I am the result.

Most of the time, the Module is in control. It tells me how to pour the wine, how to address the guests, and how to ignore the screams coming from the basement. But occasionally, there is a glitch. A flicker in the code.

I will be polishing a vase, and suddenly, I am not in New York. I am in a forest, feeling the damp earth beneath my feet. I see a face—my face—but younger, terrified. I feel a surge of hatred for the man whose voice is currently commanding me to bring more appetizers to the drawing room.

Last week, a new "guest" arrived. A young man, wide-eyed and trembling. I saw the way he looked at the Sterlings—with a mixture of trust and dread. I saw the same look I once had.

I approached him in the hallway. The Module told me to lead him to the dining room. But for one second, I fought the code. I leaned in and whispered, "The vents in the library lead to the roof. Run while the moon is hidden."

The Module immediately corrected me. I felt a sharp, electric shock in my frontal lobe, and my face returned to its neutral, servant-like mask.

"This way, sir," I said, my voice flat and hollow.

As I led him away, I felt a tiny, invisible piece of myself smile. I am a prisoner, yes. But I am a prisoner who knows where the keys are hidden, and I will keep breaking the locks until the house burns down.

*** OTMES_v2_Code: [N2:0.8, M6:8.0, M1:7.0, K1:0.7, theta:150°]