Shi Mu didn't speak.
Not to the Archive.Not to the object.Not even to herself.
She simply stayed.
The pedestal remained unchanged.
The lock of hair didn't glow.Didn't move.Didn't breathe.
But something had shifted.
It wasn't resistance anymore.
It was hesitation.
She reached into her satchel and pulled out a blank slip of paper. Slowly, she wrote a single word:
"I'm here."
And placed it beside the object.
Nothing happened.
Not for minutes.Not for hours.
But eventually—
The paper lifted.Just slightly.Like someone had touched it from beneath.
Shi Mu looked up.
The shadows around the pedestal had deepened. Not darkened—deepened.
Like the memory was trying to surfacebut didn't yet know if it would be welcome when it arrived.
The system stirred faintly in her mind:
[Suppressed Identity Detected]
Barrier Response: Responsive – Partial Emotional Trust Forming
Status: Delayed Unseal
Optional Action: External Witness Required – Tier X Bond Suggested
Brotherhood Value +185 (Trust Earned by Stillness – Patience Over Force)
Current Total: 8,420 / 1,000,000
Shi Mu stood.
She didn't touch the hair again.
She didn't need to.
Instead, she turned and walked back through the silence.
When she reemerged into the Archive's main corridor, the torches flickered faintly—in recognition.
And as she crossed the threshold, someone was already there.
Waiting.
Fu Yunshen.
Hands in his coat pockets.Eyes steady.
"You found something," he said.
"I found someone," she replied. "But they're not ready."
He nodded.
"And?"
"I think they need to see someone who stayed through more than silence."
He raised a brow. "You want me to come with you?"
"No," she said.
Then paused.
"But I think… they need you to come anyway."
[System Notification]
Path Shift Authorized – Shared Witness Protocol Engaged
Memory Thread Reacting to Presence of Tier X Bond
Next Phase: Awaiting Spirit's Consent
Brotherhood Value +200 (Help Sought Without Fear – Bond Trusted Deeply)
Current Total: 8,620 / 1,000,000
The Archive shifted again.
The silent path reopened.
And this time—
Shi Mu didn't walk it alone.