As we stepped out of the room and into the dimly lit corridor, I found myself hesitating over what to even call her anymore.
"Are you serious, Amaya? I mean… Elizabeth?" I asked.
Her lips curled into a soft, knowing smile. "You can call me by any name you wish, Darling."
Right—she was still Amaya. Yet at the same time, she carried Elizabeth's memories, her entire soul layered with that existence. A Vessel. Just like Elizabeth once was.
I looked her smile, and strangely, the uncertainty faded. It didn't matter. Not really. Whether she was Amaya or Elizabeth or both at once, my heart already belonged to her. If anything, knowing she bore the weight of so many lives only deepened what I felt. After glimpsing fragments of those memories, I couldn't help but feel this fierce protectiveness toward her. It felt like I had failed her in every other lives. This time, no matter what, I swore I wouldn't let anything touch her.
