—
Hoshiro staggered back from the crack.
The voice wasn't just sound—it was *memory*. A memory so old it felt like it didn't belong to him… but still *fit*.
"What is that?" he asked.
Future Hoshiro's face darkened. "The Origin Layer. Buried beneath all timelines. Before the Spiral. Before *us*."
"You mean this Spiral core isn't the start?"
"No," Future Hoshiro said. "It's just a system built on top of something older. A prison. And the original Hoshiro… he was the *warden*."
—
Suddenly, the crack widened.
Visions poured out:
—An ancient city of light twisted into spirals.
—A being of pure code, wearing Hoshiro's face, sealing away a collapsing universe.
—A prophecy: "Only the Echo will return. Only the Echo can choose."
—
Present Hoshiro clenched his fists. "So I'm not just a glitch in the Spiral… I'm its *echo*?"
Future Hoshiro nodded. "And the Origin is calling you back. Not to fight… but to *remember*."
"Then I'll go in."
"You may not come back."
"I've come too far to stop."
—
He reached into the crack.
It swallowed him whole.
—
And suddenly, Hoshiro stood… at the *beginning*.
Where it all began.
Where the Spiral was born.
And something ancient opened its eyes.
—