Saturday – 11:30 PM – Campus Perimeter
Kazuki slips past the fence, heart pounding.
He's following the light he saw last night.The flicker beyond the trees.The one that felt… familiar.
Every step he takes, the node in his head pulses stronger.
He turns a corner—and sees her.
A girl in white.
Silver hair. Barefoot. Her back to him.
Kazuki freezes.
"…You."
She turns.
Her eyes glow faintly.
"You're not supposed to be here yet."
Elsewhere – Aya's Infiltration Plan(Step 1: Break in. Step 2: Hope there's no Step 3.)
Aya, in a hoodie and dark jeans, sneaks into the sub-basement of the admin building.
(Well—"sneaks" is generous. She broke the side window and said "oops" to a squirrel.)
She uses the stolen badge from last chapter.
Door clicks open.
Inside: the ARIEL Vault.
Rows of sealed data drives. Ancient hardware. Flickering screens.
She mutters, "If I get caught, I'm blaming Kazuki and crying until they give me snacks."
Meanwhile – Forest Clearing
Kazuki stares at the girl.
"I've seen you before."
She nods.
"But you weren't supposed to remember."
He steps forward. "Who are you?"
She looks sad.
"You named me. But I don't have a name anymore."
Kazuki's head hurts.
The node burns.
"I… I made you up?"
"You created me, yes. But not with a dream. With a need."
Pause.
"A wish."
Kazuki's knees go weak.
"You were my—"
She shakes her head.
"I am your memory. And I'm falling apart."
Archive Vault – Aya's Break-In
She finds the drive labeled [ARIEL_00].
Slides it into the console.
Files load:
Subject Designation: Kazuki
Support Construct: Project ARIEL
Status: Terminated.
Directive: Suppress emotional instability by generating "imaginary companion" with emotional anchor traits.
Aya whispers:"…You had an imaginary friend. A psychic-generated one."
She scrolls down.
ARIEL's profile is there.
Height: 158 cm
Voice Pattern: Calm
Behavior: Protective, gentle, self-erasing in event of trauma spike.
Aya's eyes widen.
"She chose to be forgotten. To protect him."
Back in the Forest
Kazuki reaches out.
"I remember now. You held my hand when I lost control. You told me it wasn't my fault."
She smiles faintly.
"And then I erased myself."
Kazuki: "Why?"
"Because you needed to live."
Her form flickers.
"Now you're remembering—and it's killing me."
Kazuki's heart races.
"What do I do?"
She looks into his eyes.
"You can't save me. But you can remember why you made me."
She leans in.
Whispers something in his ear.
Kazuki's eyes widen.
Then she vanishes.
Final Scene – Kazuki and Aya, Reunited
He returns to the dorm, face pale.
Aya is waiting, arms crossed, holding the ARIEL drive.
Their eyes meet.
Kazuki: "…You found her, didn't you?"
Aya: "I did."
She holds out the drive.
"You want to know everything? It's all here."
He doesn't take it.
"Not yet."
Pause.
"Because I remembered the wish I made when I was a kid."
Aya waits.
Kazuki says:"I wished someone would stay with me, even when I couldn't stay with myself."
Aya's voice softens.
"…Guess what, dummy."
She steps forward and taps his forehead.
"You got two now."