Exiting their house, Du quickly checked their phone as they walked to their car. And just as they were about to enter their car, Du noticed a message that just appeared from Avery:
"Come over right away. I need your help with an experiment."
Concerned by the cryptic nature of the message, Du quickly drove to Avery's house. As they pulled into the driveway, they noticed Avery's boyfriend's car was missing. The house was also completely dark.
A sense of unease growing, Du walked up and knocked on the front door. When it creaked open unlocked, they cautiously stepped inside, enveloped in shadows.
That's when Du heard it - the faint tinkling of piano music drifting down the hallway. They slowly followed the sound, finally arriving at the open door of the piano room.
Backlit by the glow of screens and instruments, Avery sat playing a mournful classical melody. Her eyes were fixated on sheets of numeric data and biometric readings.
Hearing Du's approach, Avery looked up with her usual clinical detachment. "Thank you for coming over. I'm testing the emotional response this piece elicits."
Du looked around the room, feeling unsettled by the cold atmosphere that was emitting. One thing that made Du confused was the lack of-
Avery continued playing as she suddenly admitted. "The reason why he isn't here is because Michael broke up with me today. Said I don't understand sadness or crying, even after his grandmother passed away." Her tone remained flat and analytical.
Although her tone still cold and distant, there was a hint of frustration towards herself for how emotionless she is. "So I'm attempting to induce tears through musical agitation of the limbic system. The results so far have been... inconclusive. I was hoping you may provide insight through your reactions."
