The last spark of the First Flame ignited deep within my ribs.
It wasn’t a burst of power or a storm of light. It was... warmth. Steady, painful warmth that made me remember who I was — not just now, but before.
Before the shard.
Before the Academy.
Before Kazuki Ren.
I saw flashes of other lives. Other names. Other failures.
And then a single voice—mine—whispered:
"You are not the Architect because of what you carry.You are the Architect because of who you choose to become."
The fire bloomed.
Not outward, but inward.
And I rose from the ground—not brighter, not stronger, but whole.
Lilith smiled.
"I think," she said, "you just became real."