They went back inside.
Kay sat down.
Quiet.
Thinking.
The man leaned against the wall.
"You did something no one else could," he said.
Kay didn't react.
"I didn't finish it," he replied.
"No," the woman said.
"But you changed it."
Kay looked at his hands.
"I feel like I lost something," he said.
The room stayed quiet.
"What is it?" the man asked.
Kay tried to answer.
But nothing came.
"I don't know," he said finally.
The woman watched him carefully.
"Try to remember," she said.
Kay closed his eyes.
Images came.
The system.
The Core.
The other version of him.
But something was missing.
Something important.
He opened his eyes.
"There was someone…" he said slowly.
The woman stepped closer.
"Who?" she asked.
Kay shook his head.
"I can't see her face."
The man looked down for a second.
"And her name?" he asked.
Kay stayed silent.
Then said:
"I don't know."
The woman's expression changed.
Slightly.
But she didn't say anything.
Kay leaned back.
"It feels like I forgot something important," he said.
The man replied:
"Maybe you did."
Kay looked at him.
"Was it worth it?" he asked.
The man didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he pointed outside.
At the city.
People talking. Arguing. Living.
"Look at them," he said.
Kay followed his взгляд.
For a moment, he just watched.
Then he nodded.
"…yeah."
But his expression didn't fully relax.
Because deep inside—
Something was still missing.
Later that night—
Kay stood alone.
The city lights were on.
The noise was real.
He looked at the sky.
"Feels like I forgot someone," he said quietly.
No answer.
But for a second—
A feeling passed through him.
Warm.
Soft.
Gone just as fast.
Kay frowned.
"…what was that?"
Far away—
Inside the system—
A small fragment of data flickered.
Unstable.
A name tried to form.
"Li…ra…"
Then—
It disappeared.