Chapter 42: A World Without Names
I didn’t remember my name when I woke.
Didn’t remember the professors. The Academy. The shard.
Only a weight in my chest and the vague sense that I had lost something important.
I wandered through mist-soaked ruins, endless halls and forgotten shrines. A reflection in a cracked mirror showed someone I almost recognized.
Then a voice—soft, sharp, familiar.
"You’re late," Lilith said, leaning against a column. "Again."
The sight of her shook something loose. Names returned. Faces. Pain.
"You remember me?" I asked.
"I never forgot you," she said, walking up. "Because I anchored myself to one truth."
"What?"
She touched her heart. "That I love you."
The weight in my chest shattered. The memories surged back—one after another. The Codex. The war. The professors. My role.
And my name.
"I’m Kazuki Ren," I whispered.
Lilith smiled. "Welcome back, Architect."
