The Architect’s Rebirth

The last spark of the First Flame ignited deep within my ribs.

It wasn't a burst of power or a storm of light. It was… warmth. Steady, painful warmth that made me remember who I was — not just now, but before.

Before the shard.

Before the Academy.

Before Kazuki Ren.

I saw flashes of other lives. Other names. Other failures.

And then a single voice—mine—whispered:

"You are not the Architect because of what you carry.You are the Architect because of who you choose to become."

The fire bloomed.

Not outward, but inward.

And I rose from the ground—not brighter, not stronger, but whole.

Lilith smiled.

"I think," she said, "you just became real."