He didn't answer right away.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAsA5wx5zZ
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz9NxMsjHg
Because he knew—it wasn't a question one could answer in a single breath.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUz2LGoqVpV
It was a riddle that required the soul to slowly shed its layers,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURRALMh2Jx
to be rewoven before it could respond.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5fV192MlU
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKWeY7Hhx3K
"Do you think I still have a choice?" he whispered, as if asking himself.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhr3nu1NjP
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmd4btTMhj
"You were never given a choice,"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJwp3i2Gm6
Bai Zi-Ming replied, his gaze calm like a still river,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2ASRc2i3F
but with currents hidden deep beneath.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLhyymzzpP
"What you've always had—was burden."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYD4H8gvJs
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY7cpvVvWS
He tried to speak,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvobswy8Q4
but his throat was parched,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwguHAA0VxZ
his voice buried beneath layers of fractured time.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOXNC7pvtx
The ungrasped past, the names too dangerous to recall,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDlXPRKgk0
and the cross in his pocket—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsC4OrnDNO3
all pressed against his breath like a weight.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ox3iBEDtC
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdixnSIyFQX
"You want the truth behind the 281 days?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByuY6zFkeE
Bai Zi-Ming asked suddenly, his voice nearly a whisper.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljC6E9NXGq
"Then understand this:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYwzEQKKQbX
your memory was never from a single source."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oqykaSPMt
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThsLQX35rk
"…Meaning?" He looked up, brow furrowed.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHU1hVfxSLG
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnZNqo3LBF
"You've been… adjusted.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaxi4iCXjf
Or rather, your time has been written, rewritten, and folded again."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kQPmuatN3
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6j1GSQll3K
"Each moment you remember—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2YWawuadh
may come from yourself,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZS3uwo6Di
another version of you,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41kpnzqAwS
or a future that hasn't yet occurred."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VTOaeSgSB
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajR9xB8vO0
Silence stretched between them,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wSLrtiP9I
like the broken timeline unraveling inside his mind.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIM8tE0Djx
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKCyDcfj6g
He suddenly remembered the photo—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDSRFwQ7iH
the clock frozen at 28:01.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7zge3kBEf
It wasn't the end of time.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7CUrrelc7
It was a new beginning, in another form.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwoUTNAll6
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsdsDI4S6u
"So who am I now?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm6NOLKNUl
He asked softly. But this time, there was no tremble in his voice.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk94HklB3CJ
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXaroi1fuO
Bai Zi-Ming didn't answer immediately.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Pk7H85ljB
Instead, he stepped closer, and said quietly, with clarity:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAVeQhTAZo
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRX6GsQM0Y
"You are the one who—across every version—chose to remain."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaphmKQrWTb
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ1x89Aeri
The moment those words landed,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TJwkolRgC
something inside him stirred—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OKrGkuhQL
not breaking,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvySfCa1oB8
but realigning.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVGwNpBlbD
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysgHdzCeIV
"When you're ready," Bai Zi-Ming said, turning into the shadows,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzUoA6Mqsp
"come back to me.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0afLebQp0C
But remember—don't be late again.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LNJg2CWGt
One more delay, and you will forget who you are."37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhpKzrjYCH
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKSrJbc0sT
The lights in the hallway flickered,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsrVtjTuL0
like a memory signal about to be severed.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWFd5QRH1w
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VZEug8tiF
He stood still.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DAPxNU5hp
Didn't chase,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKLx18Z0NCN
didn't turn back.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUg8yDwQSkD
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡos5nxlyey9
Because he knew—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpcEgB8Uog
the silence in that moment was already a kind of wordless promise.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l8NLGuLdB
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5AiYApp0l
He lifted a hand and held the cross in his pocket.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuR3Dst5SNW
His fingertips trembled slightly.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJLuliHAMu
It wasn't just cold metal—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC13TXJrS8k
it was a key to every possibility.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWv2apUm7od
A key to memory,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxGKuKniul
and to the fate he could no longer avoid.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwhtFhG6xM
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP2XvUIwHu
The door was opening.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarhEE2g9wq
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouNjNDiuTY
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40ziITYGW0
---37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiE5xZRsXh
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYkdlqSIIY
When he left the LUOYEH base,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbHzayBaGt
the sky outside hung between two extremes—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3902133yH
not day,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2BbyZgrX5
not night.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFN8hVK226
A soft light drifted through the air,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD6nhYguxM
carrying whispers left unfinished.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhHITZzwK4
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ht30TjgUD
As he entered the alley,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8u7KJ3RPV
his phone screen lit up on its own.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNatYUSwlvj
The time flickered for a second, then displayed:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfVdtpOZSr
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMmlOSdzfi
February 23, 2025 (Sunday) — 18:4037Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e6KxCN0zL
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfLxlFhvtG
He froze.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo81Xqq89SN
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNzsuqlSbj
That was impossible.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8CpqKco5m
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlNsinNreo
When he entered the base, it was 3:47 PM.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACXXGlyCXP
The conversation hadn't lasted more than a few minutes.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LROaKjAoC
There should've been no gap of nearly three hours.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvUROB9Vi2
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKPmyf3GVt
Even stranger—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxWAJvWn3J
he couldn't recall anything from the moment he left the inner room until now.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GYVddIXBV
As if someone had sliced out an entire stretch of memory—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmELpU0th9d
cleanly, surgically, without even ash remaining.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUlJMvTqt8
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIeeNaDk7G
"How long have I walked again?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzMZgRnyWFY
he asked himself, voice so low not even the wind bothered to reply.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTxtVWqtua
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfmCK9DnQK
He opened his notes app,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIGJ5w66Bu
intending to record what Bai Zi-Ming had said—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hzTdn75kA
only to find a line he never remembered writing:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7P2T5ZpkqA
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0ZIZIe0wE
[Tuesday – fracture : 2/25, 03:00 tentative]37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3JniyUS4ZK
[Reverse Axis remains unstable.]37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy93Kx7zubE
[Do not return.]37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGHGOjIU7T
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsQfodbkrB
He hadn't written that.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLfGR0h8Jj
But it was in his voice—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtw9dDjsur
his format, his rhythm, his syntax.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhowTmiX50
Exactly like something he'd write to his future self.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKqzUpa9sG
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0gpwBmELw
He tried deleting it—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAR2LxxflM4
but nothing happened.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uDT6pxX9k
His finger brushed the screen,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlk45EeSiw
and the entire device seemed to chill.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMH6NzGloy
Tiny static flickers danced across it—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxVLTP1rGq
like interference.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD2KW0GujsJ
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gPCtURbD0
Then he knew—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ouHOxHOVe
this wasn't a warning.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheVGkNPB2T
This was a trace of timeline interference.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1KHsdF2gc
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg12QF3KGbD
He looked up quickly, scanning the distance.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoE7YXh9G4
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydPKK47tHz
At a far corner,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE705Vsvtwa
a figure flashed past—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07cl5dw2EV
so like the reflection he'd once seen in a mirror.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeo6GWwfCzh
But the stride was different, the posture foreign,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmp1fVyuI0X
the eyes not his.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgRopMJmwG
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0UAwSY2IM
Yet—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvVCymm1a0
not entirely not his.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsktgv9k3tb
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGqRv5ULwO
He turned sharply,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRTDAi8sWY
ready to chase—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKHD3cIgFX
but stopped.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmcMP1cu9O
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ8UI5IJaa
Because he understood:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFqCK3gTKR
if he approached,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNKyD0bCCa
he could never come back.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxCZ96TaaT
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEdIR6Oo79
He whispered,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zMDEcDpJK
"28:01… is it beginning?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1mTkIAufK
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUpD4D6ZkT
He drew the cross from his pocket,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1TSCThPlO
held it in his palm—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrH3jChT8Py
as if testing whether it would respond again.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0g6mFk0KNV
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGcOSedIWT
Cold.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7TBLce6nZ
Silent.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWPZkYiv5s
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeaYAqpcR3
But as his gaze settled on the point where the bars intersected,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEevZdjmca
he saw it—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkfklI9kEO
a fine fracture running along the surface,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLe6eOvboP
and at a specific angle,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtur3xSnptj
a hidden reflection emerged:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FxGPuf3CS
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmZBMP55Ca
X-Ω Layer // Phase 1 Initiated37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PnYht2BGi
First Reversal Expected: 火曜日 28:0137Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSOgJ3XtjG
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeDpqBQ2Yu
Not "Tuesday".37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw38zkxocQM
火曜日.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaARCqh9xjC
He'd never seen that word in his phone or system—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDZLMKxF6h
an ambiguous name,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBfQin1FJS
a term that only surfaced37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dCHEqCtXN
when events had crossed into irreversibility.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFMMjZb5gz
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0RVzEH7fh
"He really did stay behind," he murmured.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJbILPmaPK
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnfg7gbS6J
"But now…37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnz3HXIgRaF
can I still leave?"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CiQ2I9sie
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPI8R1f60I
No one answered—except the wind.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRv0EWYo00
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP8ZjLMx25P
The wind had never truly stopped.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBzKR1KVdH
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcMIjoKnQs
And now,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a3fKznvRQ
it was no longer just the movement of air.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8GpKMATNp
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63Zo01N6Fu
It was the echo of memory—37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPouCHB72w
and of fate.
Penana
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