Thrynn stared at Atheris in disbelief as she noticed his hair slowly shifting into a deep blue hue. Her breath caught.
"Doctor…" she said nervously, her voice trembling. "Is it normal for a human being's hair to turn blue?.
The doctor froze. He adjusted his glasses, clearly shaken—not just by the hair, but by the fact that the man before him was alive at all.
"I… I've never seen anything like this," he admitted.
[SYSTEM LOG: MASTER, I WOULD ADVISE YOU TO PLAY ALONG TO GAIN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BEING IN FRONT OF YOU.]
Atheris felt unbearably weak. Every breath felt heavy.
Why am I this weak? he asked inwardly.
[SYSTEM LOG: IT IS DUE TO THE SACRIFICE AND THE LIMITATIONS OF THE HOST BODY.]
Atheris slowly turned his pale face toward Thrynn.
"Who… who am I to you?" he asked quietly. "What… am I?"
Thrynn's eyes widened in shock. She and the doctor exchanged a worried glance before the doctor cleared his throat.
"Well," he said carefully, "it appears you've suffered severe memory loss. Quite serious, actually. You should rest for now."
Thrynn swallowed hard and forced a small smile.
"And… I'm your wife."
Atheris closed his eyes briefly, exhausted. Thinking felt painful.
I have so many questions, he told his system. How am I still alive? How can I regain my strength? But… later.
[SYSTEM LOG: UNDERSTOOD, MASTER.]
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Michael!!!" a man shouted, rushing in.
The doctor immediately raised his hand.
"Please—everyone step outside. He needs rest."
The room fell silent.
Thrynn hesitated, her hands shaking as she gently placed them on Atheris's arm—careful, as if he might vanish again.
"Michael…" she whispered softly. "Please rest. You've been through enough."
Atheris studied her face.
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Her voice was tired… yet warm.
Something stirred deep within him.
Not memory.
Not power.
Emotion.
[SYSTEM LOG: EMOTIONAL RESPONSE DETECTED — SOURCE: HOST MEMORY + ARCHITECT SOUL INTERFERENCE.]
Atheris slowly closed his eyes.
Pain flooded every part of his body.
Breathing was difficult.
This body was fragile—far too fragile.
I ruled empires…
And now I struggle just to sit.
Outside the room, the man clenched his fists, his voice shaking.
"Doctor… is he really alive?"
"Yes," the doctor replied cautiously. "But he needs time. Whatever brought him back… it wasn't natural."
Atheris's eyes opened slightly.
Not natural…
[SYSTEM LOG: CONFIRMATION — CURRENT EXISTENCE STATUS: UNSTABLE.]
"Thrynn…" Atheris whispered.
She leaned closer instantly.
"I don't remember anything," he said weakly. "But I feel like… I shouldn't exist."
Thrynn's lips trembled.
"You don't need to understand everything now," she said gently. "Just… stay with me."
For the first time since his sacrifice—
Something tightened in Atheris's chest.
Not fear.
Not despair.
Attachment.
[SYSTEM LOG: WARNING — EMOTIONAL ANCHOR FORMING.]
Atheris closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift into sleep.
Then—
A crushing pressure descended.
His eyes snapped open.
The air felt heavy. Suffocating.
[SYSTEM LOG: NOTICE — A POWERFUL BEING HAS BEEN DETECTED OUTSIDE THIS PLANET.
DUE TO YOUR CURRENT WEAK STATE, PRECISE LOCATION CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED.
ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THIS PRESENCE BELONGS TO THE FIRST ARCHITECT EVER CREATED.]
Atheris's heart pounded. He looked around sharply and forced himself to stand.
"Why would she release such an aura?" he whispered angrily to his system.
[SYSTEM LOG: CAUTION — SHE IS CONFIRMING WHETHER YOU ARE STILL ALIVE.
MASTER, YOU MUST RECOVER YOUR STRENGTH QUICKLY.]
Atheris turned back to Thrynn and forced a calm smile.
"I think… I'm okay," he said softly. "We should go home and rest."
The doctor nodded slowly.
"That's fine," he said. "But first, we'll run a few tests to ensure you're stable. After that, you'll be discharged."
To be continued…