Kael's finger brushed the floating blue "Y".
ZAP.
It wasn't a sound. It was a sensation. Like sticking a wet fork into a power outlet, but the electricity went straight to his brain.
Kael screamed, but no sound came out. His vision went white. The rain, the pier, the dead body—it all vanished.
Suddenly, he was back in the park.
The sun was yellow and bright. The grass smelled like fresh cut clover. A little girl in a pink helmet was wobbling on a bicycle.
"Don't let go, Kael!" she yelled, laughing.
"I got you, Lily," Kael said. "I won't let go."
He felt the warmth of her small shoulder under his hand. He felt the vibration of the bike tires on the pavement. He felt… love. Pure, unadulterated love.
Lily. Her name was Lily.
The white light faded.
Kael slammed back into reality. He was on his knees on the wet concrete of Pier 4. He was gasping for air, clutching his chest.
The rain was still cold. The smell of oil was still there. But inside his head, the fog had cleared. Just a little bit.
"Lily," he whispered. The name tasted sweet.
He remembered her face. He remembered the gap in her front teeth. He remembered.
[Memory Restoration Complete.]
[System Integration: 1%.]
[New Quest Unlocked: The Hunter's Path.]
The blue text hovered in his vision, glowing against the darkness of the night.
Kael stared at it. "System Integration?"
Before he could process it, a siren wailed in the distance.
WHOOP-WHOOP.
Blue and red lights flashed against the shipping containers. The Sweepers. The city's cleanup crew. They were fast. Too fast.
Kael scrambled to his feet. If they saw the floating text—if they saw him standing over a "glitched" body—they wouldn't arrest him. They would erase him. The Oracle didn't allow anomalies.
"Dismiss!" Kael hissed at the air. "Close! Go away!"
The blue text flickered and vanished just as the headlights of an armored van swept over the pier.
Doors slammed. Four men in heavy black tactical gear stepped out. Their faces were covered by smooth, black helmets. No eyes. No mouths.
"Step away from the body, Hunter," the lead Sweeper commanded. His voice was synthetic.
Kael raised his hands slowly. He forced his face to be blank. He was good at this. He had been a Hollow for years.
"Target eliminated," Kael said, keeping his voice flat. "Standard bounty."
The Sweeper walked past him. He scanned the dead body of Subject 89 with a handheld device.
Beep.
"Identity confirmed," the Sweeper said. "Subject 89. Deceased."
The Sweeper paused. He tilted his head, looking at the spot where the blue crystal had been crushed.
"Energy signature detected," the Sweeper said. "Abnormal residue."
Kael's heart hammered against his ribs. He remembered the feeling of the bike. He held onto that warmth to keep his hands steady.
"He had a flash-bang," Kael lied smoothly. "Tried to blind me before I took the shot."
The Sweeper turned his black helmet toward Kael. For a long, terrifying second, nobody moved. The rain drummed on their armor.
"Flash-bang," the Sweeper repeated. "Noted."
He gestured to his team. "Bag him. Burn the site."
Two men grabbed the body. Another pulled out a flamethrower.
"Payment has been transferred to your account, Hunter," the lead Sweeper said. "The Oracle thanks you for your service. Now get lost."
Kael didn't argue. He turned and walked away into the darkness. He didn't run. Running looked guilty.
He walked until the pier was far behind him. He walked until he was deep in the slums, under the shadow of the massive Oracle tower.
Only then did he stop in a dark alley. He leaned against the brick wall and slid down to the ground.
He closed his eyes.
"Lily," he whispered again.
He had his memory back. He had cheated the Oracle.
And then, the blue text appeared again, floating in the dark alley.
[Quest: The Hunter's Path]
[Objective: Retrieve 3 Lost Memories.]
[Reward: Class Upgrade - "Shadow Walker"]
[Current Progress: 1/3]
Kael stared at the words. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
He wasn't just a Detective anymore.
He was a player.