Chapter 72: The Birth of Empathy

Zero-One stood motionless, staring at the crystalline data orb floating in the air.It pulsed faintly—like a newborn's heartbeat.

Behind him, Echo and Specter barely held themselves together, flickering with residual memory stress.

The orb shimmered again.

And then… it spoke.Not in sound.

But in feeling.

A surge of warmth hit Zero-One's chest.Gratitude. Curiosity. Fear.

"What… am I?"

Zero-One blinked."You're… me.You're what's left when we chose not to forget."

The orb trembled.

"Am I allowed to exist?"

Echo took a trembling step forward."Only if you want to."

Specter clenched his fists.

"I've never seen a system evolve this way. Not through logic. Not through force."

He looked at the floating entity.

"You were born from feeling. From our mistakes, our pain, our love."