They arrived at Lumenfell just before nightfall.
At least, the map still called it Lumenfell.
But the city had no memory of that name.
No one did.
The gates loomed high and twisted, forged from dark stone and tangled silver veins of code, yet no banners hung. No crest. No guards. No quests.
Just silence.
The moment Violet and Tyler stepped inside, a cold pulse rippled through the air.
[Zonal Thread Discrepancy Detected]
[You have entered: The Forgotten Thread]
Warning: Chrono-Stable Layers Lost. Identity Drift Possible.
"I don't like this," Tyler said flatly.
Violet adjusted her grip on her staff. "No monsters, no mobs, no music… it's like the game forgot to render a soul."
She wasn't wrong.
The streets were cracked and clean. The buildings ornate but lifeless stood like memory shells. And the people?
NPCs walked in looping patterns.
They blinked.
Smiled.
Then repeated the same three lines.
But their faces looked wrong.
Empty.
In the center of the city stood a cathedral with a shattered bell tower. Its stained glass windows glowed faintly in the dusk.
Inside, they found her.
A girl.
Maybe nineteen.
Sitting on the altar in a systemless gown.
Hands folded.
Eyes closed.
Hair violet.
Exactly like Violet's.
Violet stepped forward cautiously. "Hello?"
The girl didn't react.
But the moment Violet's foot touched the platform
[THREAD RESONANCE INITIATED]
Name: None
Placeholder Title: The Forgotten One
Origin: Classified
This NPC is imprinted with a hidden backup of your deleted memory.
Violet's stomach turned.
Tyler moved beside her, hand hovering over his blade. "You recognize her?"
"No… but I think she's… me. Or a piece of me. What the hell is this?"
Then the girl opened her eyes.
And spoke:
"Am I still worth saving?"
Violet froze.
So did Tyler.
The girl smiled faintly, almost sadly. "They told me I wasn't needed anymore. That you'd outgrown me. But I remember the pain. The first deletion. The loss of family. The vow."
"What vow?" Violet whispered.
"To never let them control you again."
Suddenly, her system lit up.
[REWRITE PROMPT DETECTED]
Subject: The Forgotten One
Options:
1. Integrate – Absorb memory fragment. Gain lost skill + stat boost. Subject will cease to exist.
2. Preserve – Lock subject in stasis. Memory cannot be accessed. No power gain.
3. Restore – Transfer memory back. You will lose one Rewrite Point. Subject may destabilize the timeline.
Time slowed.
The choice hovered, waiting.
And Violet
She hesitated.
Tyler noticed.
"You okay?"
"No," she said softly. "She's me. A part of me. I think... I think she's the part that broke first."
He was quiet for a moment.
Then: "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know what's right."
"There's no right. Just who you want to be."
Violet looked at the girl.
She reached out.
And chose:
[Option 3 – Restore]
Rewrite Point: -1
[WARNING: Timeline Ripple Triggered]
A forgotten fate has been restored.
The girl gasped, arching her back as data flooded her. Her skin pulsed with old light, and her expression flickered anger, grief, relief before her eyes locked on Violet.
"You found me."
"I couldn't leave you behind."
"You'll regret that," she whispered, but smiled anyway.
Then she collapsed in Violet's arms.
[New Skill Restored: Fatebind – Temporarily link HP/RP with a chosen ally. If either would fall, both survive at 1 HP.]
[Title Unlocked: Threadwalker – You have embraced your past to walk through broken timelines.]
Outside, the air shifted.
The NPCs around the city suddenly stopped walking in circles. Some blinked. Others cried. A few just sat down and whispered words no one could hear.
But the city no longer felt hollow.
It felt haunted.
Violet and Tyler left in silence.
They made camp in the outskirts, away from the glassy eyed NPCs.
Tyler didn't speak for a long while.
When he finally did, his voice was low.
"You gave up power to save a shadow of yourself."
"Maybe," Violet said. "Or maybe I stopped pretending I was whole without her."
He nodded.
Then asked, almost afraid of the answer, "Would you do the same for me?"
She didn't hesitate this time.
"Yes."