The words hung in the air like mist untouched by light. The room grew heavy, filled with emotions that could not be named. Kaivan stared at the ceiling, trying to piece his memories back together.
A weak voice slipped from his dry lips.
"But… my arms and legs are like this now." His eyes fell to the prosthetics where his limbs had once been. "That means… I'll live like this forever, right?"
Fabrizio looked up, his face tense and wet with tears. He knelt beside Kaivan, his hands trembling before touching the wheelchair, as if afraid of hurting someone who had returned from death.
"Kaivan," he said softly but firmly, "I promise, we'll help you stand again. You're not alone. I'll use my Tome of Omnicraft if I have to. I won't give up on you."
The light from the panels illuminated his face, revealing determination beneath his sorrow. He held Kaivan's prosthetic fingers as if they were still warm like before.
Several hours later, after Kaivan stabilized, Elara—the sharp-eyed researcher with eyes like moonlight—pushed his wheelchair into the main control room. The metal corridors vibrated softly with machine sounds. Cameras followed their steps, blue light tracing the walls in rhythm with the turning wheels.
The control room doors opened, releasing holographic light and rows of monitors displaying data and three-dimensional maps of the base. At the center stood Levan, solid in his combat coat. He held a small remote and pressed the main button.
One large screen lit up, showing footage from Lyra's mechanical eyes. The sound of machines echoed, then the brutal battle appeared.
Kaivan—his wild, almost inhuman self—moved through fire and ruins. The gauntlet on his arm struck without mercy. Blood and metal spun in a deadly dance.
Kaivan fell silent. He stared at the screen as if it showed someone else.
"I… only remember when my leg was bitten," he said quietly, speaking as if to a shadow. "After that… I don't remember anything."
Levan walked closer, his hands tucked into the pockets of his long coat. His gaze was heavy, measuring something deeper than mere wounds.
"When that spear pierced your arm, and your face was seized by the armed unit… do you remember any of it?"
Kaivan slowly shook his head. His chin lowered. "No… I don't remember anything at all."
From the side of the room, Fabrizio stepped forward in his white lab coat marked with the Omnicraft emblem. In his hands were notes filled with formulas and sketches of prosthetics. He took a breath and spoke carefully.
"That… might be the effect of the drug I injected through your bracelet. It suppressed your consciousness and forced your body into survival mode, moving without your awareness."
Levan slowly shook his head. His expression tightened, as if holding back an inner conflict.
"No. Kaivan had already lost consciousness before the drug took effect. When he was thrown into the air and the gauntlet fused with him… he was already gone. But his body kept fighting."
Silence filled the room. Only the faint static from the monitors could be heard.
Kaivan lowered his gaze. His carbon prosthetic lifted slightly as he touched what remained of his shoulder. His eyes were empty, yet deep inside them burned an ache that refused to fade.
"So… I couldn't be saved, then?" he whispered—for the first time, sounding truly defeated.
Levan looked straight at him. "This is not the end, Kaivan. You are still here. Still alive. Still thinking. Still choosing. We will find a way forward. But you won't return to who you were before. These prosthetics are part of you now."
The words hung in the air like cold mist.
Kaivan closed his eyes, trying to chase away images of a battle he could not remember. The world had changed. His body had changed. But… had his soul changed too?
Fabrizio stepped closer, his voice carrying gentle warmth.
"Don't worry, Kaivan. I'll make something better for you. New prosthetic arms and legs—based on the robotic frame we designed before. They'll function just like the real ones."
Kaivan opened his eyes, looking at him with a mix of gratitude and doubt. "Are you sure you can do it?"
Fabrizio smiled, his eyes shining with confidence. "I'm sure. This isn't just for you. It's for all of us. You'll come back… even stronger."
Night wrapped the Caucasus Mountains in deep darkness. The air around the underground bunker was biting cold, as if the world above had frozen into silence.
Yet behind thick metal walls and electromagnetic shielding, the bunker remained alive. Soft blue neon lights lined the quiet corridors, while occasional static flashes reflected off the walls.
Along the hallway, the soft creak of wheelchair wheels blended with the hum of ventilation systems.
Kaivan looked fragile in his wheelchair, wrapped in a gray blanket that covered his weakened body. Resting on his lap was the Tome of Omnicent—an ancient artifact that emitted a gentle pulse, as if breathing with the night.
Elara pushed the chair slowly, her steps careful as they moved through the main corridor toward the recovery room. The overhead lights flickered, adding to the mysterious atmosphere—more than a medical facility, it felt like a place that held forgotten secrets and restless souls.
Kaivan lowered his gaze to the Tome of Omnicent on his lap.
In his heart, a quiet voice echoed:
"Hey… why can't I remember anything from that time?"