Stories don't just vanish.
They wait.
And sometimes, they return wearing a face you once loved…
but no longer remember.
Day Twelve.
Aren Kael walked through the eastern gardens, where the air shimmered with narrative calm.
But it didn't last.
Because at the gates of Valkyrion stood a boy they all thought long gone.
Name: Jin Orel.
Student ID: Archived.
Status: Deceased — Final Collapse, Version 0.8
Record: "Lost in an inkfold."
And yet, there he was.
Laughing softly.
Smiling like he never left.
"I'm home," he said.
Kairen was the first to approach.
"You died."
Jin shrugged. "Maybe. But death is only a plot point."
Then he looked directly at Aren.
"I found the Author."
Aren felt the page in his chest tremble.
"Riven?" he asked.
Jin shook his head.
"No. The first one."
System Alert:
Entity: Jin Orel
Ink Signature: Unknown
Memory Trace: Conflicted
Threat Level: Unassessed
Jin was brought to the council chamber.
Kaela leaned against the wall, scowling.
