The rain had slowed, but Renji's heartbeat hadn't.
He lay on the cold depot floor, Yua sleeping beside him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder.
But Renji's eyes were open.
He wasn't resting.
He was remembering.
> [System Alert: Dream Sync Detected]
Warning: Unauthorized Memory Feed Incoming
His vision blurred.
And suddenly — he was somewhere else.
A Broken Temple – 12 Years Ago
Renji stood in the middle of a temple made of cracked stone and bleeding pillars.
A child stood ahead.
Small. Frail. Wrapped in torn robes.
And surrounded by corpses.
Renji didn't know him.
But he felt it in his bones.
"That… was me."
Except — it wasn't.
The child turned. His eyes glowed gold — not red like Renji's.
"Curseborn?" the child whispered. "No. You're a copy."
In the Dream
Renji stepped closer. "Who are you?"
"I'm the Original," the boy said calmly.
"The first soul they cloned to create you."
Renji froze.
"No… I was born—"
The boy shook his head.
"You were made."
> [System Update: Identity Conflict Detected – Soul Fragment Divergence: 11.3%]
"You've been living my memories," the child said, stepping forward.
"All the pain, the trial, the rage… It wasn't yours. It was mine."
Renji dropped to his knees.
"No. I bled. I fought. I—"
"And yet," the boy said softly, "you don't even know your real name."
Back in Reality
Renji jerked awake, drenched in sweat.
He checked the system:
> Name: Renji Shido
Origin: Unknown
DNA Signature: Conflicted (Match: 88.7% – Subject R-01)
He whispered to himself.
"I'm… not me?"
Just then — the depot lights flickered.
A voice came through the speakers — deep, metallic.
"Subject R-12. Memory Unlock Stage 1 complete. Welcome to Phase Two."
Yua sat up, terrified. "Renji… what was that?"
But Renji didn't answer.
Because his mind was still echoing the boy's final words from the dream:
> "I'm coming for my life back."
What if your memories… weren't yours?
Comment "Who is the real Renji?" if your mind just exploded like mine did.
Chapter 7 — only if you're ready to question everything.