Chapter 57: The Last One Who Remembers

The air was deathly still.

The casino lights continued flashing, neon signs blinking as if nothing had changed.

The slot machines kept spinning. The roulette wheels kept turning.

But Lin Han knew.

Ah Rong was gone.

Not just dead.

Erased.

His shadow no longer existed. His chair was missing. His voice would never echo through this place again.

But the worst part—

Noya had forgotten him.

She frowned, confusion flickering in her eyes. "Lin Han… what's wrong?"

Lin Han's pulse pounded in his ears, his throat dry.

"You really don't remember?" His voice was hoarse, like something had scraped it raw.

Noya's frown deepened. "Remember what?"

"Ah Rong!" Lin Han grabbed her arm, his grip tight enough to make her wince.

"The guy who's been with us this whole time—the one who keeps swearing 'Tiu leh' every five minutes! The guy who ran through Batu Caves with us, who was right here at this table a minute ago!"

Noya just stared at him, her eyes blank.

"Lin Han… It's only ever been the two of us."

Lin Han's breath caught in his throat.

P01 sat across from them, idly shuffling a card between his fingers, watching with an amused smirk.

"This," he said smoothly, "is the true power of 'erasure.'"

Lin Han snapped his gaze toward him, fury flaring in his chest. "What the hell did you do?"

P01 shrugged lazily. "I didn't do anything."

"Reality did."

Lin Han clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

His voice was ice. "If he was erased… why do I still remember?"

P01's smile deepened. "Oh? You still remember?"

With a casual flick of his wrist, a silver-glowing card appeared on the table. It shimmered as strange symbols etched themselves onto its surface:

[The Anomaly]

P01 tapped the card lightly and exhaled in amusement. "Fascinating. Looks like you're an 'anomaly.'"

Lin Han's brows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

P01 leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one hand. "This world runs on a script, Lin Han. Every person, every event—everything follows a predetermined path."

"And me?" He smirked. "I'm here to maintain that balance."

Lin Han's jaw clenched, rage simmering just beneath his skin. "Get to the point."

P01 chuckled, then nudged the glowing card toward him.

"But you," he said, "are not part of that balance."

"You are outside the system."

Lin Han's fingers twitched.

"What the hell does that mean?" Lin Han's voice was low, dangerous.

P01 stood up, flicking his fingers. The casino warped.

The neon lights dimmed, flickering like dying stars. The shadows around them moved in reverse, like they were playing back time itself.

Noya staggered, grabbing her head. "Lin Han… What's happening?"

P01 simply watched him. "Have you ever considered that the 'reality' you believe in… might not be real at all?"

"Do you truly think your life belongs to you?"

Lin Han's right eye ached—a deep, pulsing pain, as if something was being forcefully awakened inside his mind.

Memories flashed through his brain—

He saw himself standing in a city that felt familiar, yet foreign—a version of Kuala Lumpur that wasn't quite right.

He saw Genting Casino shifting, its architecture constantly changing, as if it were data being rewritten in real-time.

He saw himself standing in front of Batu Caves—

But it wasn't him.

It was another version of himself.

Noya was shaking now, her hands clutching her head. Something was being ripped out of her memory, and she could feel it, but she couldn't stop it.

Lin Han felt his world cracking—

This wasn't just about Ah Rong.

This wasn't just about a rigged game.

This was something much bigger.

He turned sharply toward P01. "You're saying… I come from another world?"

P01 grinned, his amusement evident. "Possibly."

"Or," he said, dragging out the word, "maybe you were erased once, too."

Lin Han's blood turned to ice.

P01's gaze was unwavering as he spoke his final words.

"If you can remember someone who's been erased… that means you were meant to be erased, too."

Lin Han's grip on the table tightened.

If that was true—then he had to find the truth.

He had to find Ah Rong.

He had to find the memories that were stolen from him.

And he had to find the real world.

But he didn't realize—

He was about to uncover something even more terrifying.