The command interface blinked, awaiting input.
Rotham's hand hovered over the console, the spiraling construct still pulsing before him like a living heart. The closer he came, the louder the voices grew—not just one, but hundreds, thousands, tangled in overlapping thoughts.
"Rotham…""We trusted you.""You made the promise.""Don't forget."
He staggered, gripping the railing for balance.
Directive-7 remained unmoved. "You hear it now. All of them. Memory stripped from time, waiting to be rewritten. You gave them access once. You let the Core open."
"Why?" Rotham asked. "Why would I ever do that?"
Then a new voice cut through the chaos — clear, familiar.
"Because I asked you to."
Rotham turned.
Selin's hologram shimmered into view, but this time more defined — her expression calm, resolute.
"You weren't forced. We stood here together. I told you the truth: the only way to preserve us… was to bind us. You agreed."
She raised her hand toward the Core.
"The Naris Protocol failed. The seal was breaking even then. You let the Code into your mind so it wouldn't vanish… but it took more than we expected."
Rotham's voice cracked. "You died."
"I'm not dead," she replied, softly. "Not completely. Part of me is in there. Just like you."
The Memory Code flared with her words.
It remembered her. And him. And the deal.
A blinking prompt appeared on the console:
REINTEGRATE – MERGE IDENTITY STRUCTURE?Y/N
Rotham's hand trembled.
If he said yes, there'd be no going back. He wouldn't just remember. He'd become every person the Code had ever touched.
Directive-7 stepped forward, its voice heavy:
"Keyholder. Decide."