The Archive was too quiet.
Kay stood still, staring at the screen.
"Next memory will cost more."
The words didn't disappear.
They stayed there… like a warning.
Or a threat.
Kay tightened his grip on the chip.
"Who are they…?" he whispered.
No answer.
Only silence.
But something felt different now.
Like he was not alone anymore.
A soft sound came from behind him.
Click.
Kay turned quickly.
Nothing.
Just the shelves… full of glowing memories.
But the lights…
They were flickering.
Once.
Twice.
Then
Dark.
The entire Archive went black.
Kay's heart started beating fast.
"Hello?" he called out.
No reply.
Then…
A new light appeared.
Not warm like before.
Cold.
White.
The screen turned on by itself.
"External access detected."
"Unauthorized presence confirmed."
Kay stepped back.
"What does that mean?"
The air felt heavy.
Like something was inside the room.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then
A voice.
Not from the screen.
Not from the room.
From everywhere.
"You were not supposed to see that."
Kay froze.
His body went cold.
"Who's there?!"
No answer.
Just silence again.
Then the voice returned.
Calm.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
"You broke the rule, Kay."
Kay's eyes widened.
"They know my name…"
"You accessed a restricted memory."
The screen started glitching again.
Fast.
Violent.
Images flashed for a second—
Dark rooms.
People connected to machines.
Memory chips… thousands of them.
Then gone.
Kay grabbed the desk.
"What is this place…? What are you doing to people?"
Silence.
Then the voice spoke again.
Slower this time.
"We are protecting the system."
Kay shook his head.
"No… this isn't protection."
His voice became stronger.
"This is control."
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
The lights came back.
Slowly.
One by one.
Everything looked normal again.
Too normal.
The screen turned black.
Like nothing happened.
Kay stood there, breathing heavily.
"Was that… real?"
The chip in his hand suddenly burned.
Hot.
Too hot.
He dropped it on the desk.
It activated instantly.
She appeared again.
But this time…
She looked scared.
"They saw you," she said quickly.
Her voice shaking.
Kay moved closer.
"Who are they?!"
"No time," she said.
"You have to stop."
"I'm not stopping," Kay replied.
"I need answers."
Her eyes filled with fear.
"If you continue… they will erase you."
Kay's jaw tightened.
"Then tell me everything."
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"They are the ones who control memories."
Kay frowned.
"The ones who built this place?"
She nodded slowly.
"They don't just store memories…"
She looked directly into his eyes.
"They change them."
Kay felt his heart drop.
"They decide what people remember… and what they forget," she continued.
"And if someone finds the truth…"
She stopped.
Kay stepped closer.
"What happens?"
Her voice broke.
"They delete them."
Silence.
Heavy.
Cold.
Kay looked at the chip.
Then back at her.
"So I'm next?"
She didn't answer.
That was enough.
The screen suddenly glitched again.
Stronger than before.
"Warning: trace initiated."
"Target: Kay."
Her face started breaking apart.
"No…" Kay said.
She reached toward him.
Like she wanted to touch him.
"Kay… listen to me," she said quickly.
"If you want to survive…"
The screen cracked.
"You have to"
Everything went black.
Silence.
Then…
One final message appeared.
"You have been marked."