The message stayed on the screen.
"Are you ready to pay your price?"
Kay looked at it for a long time.
His hand moved slowly… then stopped.
"Price… for what?" he said quietly.
No answer.
The room was silent.
The Archive always worked like this.
It never explained things.
It only took.
Kay took a deep breath.
Then he pressed YES.
Everything changed.
Not outside.
Inside his head.
It felt like something opened… something that was locked for a long time.
The memory started again.
Rain was falling.
Cold and heavy.
Kay was standing there… inside the memory.
And she was in front of him.
Closer this time.
Real.
"You came back…" she said softly.
Her voice was shaking.
Not from fear.
From emotion.
"I didn't leave," Kay said.
But then he froze.
Those words…
He didn't choose them.
The other version of him did.
She walked closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like she was afraid he would disappear.
"Every time you come here… you forget me again," she said.
Her eyes were full of pain.
"And every time… it hurts more."
Kay tried to speak.
But something stopped him.
A strange pressure in his head.
💬 "Memory syncing…"
💬 "Warning: strong emotions detected."
Pain hit him.
Hard.
Images appeared in his mind.
Fast.
Too fast.
Her smile.
Her hand in his.
Her voice saying his name…
"Kay…"
He fell to his knees.
"Stop… please…"
But it didn't stop.
It got stronger.
And then…
He started to remember.
Not everything.
Just feelings.
He loved her.
The rain slowed.
She came closer and held his face.
"Do you remember me now?" she asked.
Kay looked at her.
His heart was beating fast.
"I… I remember how I felt," he said.
Her eyes filled with hope.
Small… but real.
Then suddenly—
💬 "Price accepted."
Everything disappeared.
The rain.
Her touch.
Her voice.
Gone.
Kay opened his eyes.
He was back in the Archive.
Breathing fast.
Something felt wrong.
He stood up and walked to the mirror.
Then he stopped.
There was a photo next to it.
A woman smiling.
Kind eyes.
Warm face.
But Kay didn't know her.
His chest felt tight.
"Who… is she?"
No answer.
Behind him, the chip lit up again.
"First payment received."