The sky had no business being red.
Baron stared at the cracked heavens above the floating ruins of Old Eloria, where violet lightning forked through clouds shaped like forgotten gods. Around him, the wind howled with a metallic edge—as if reality itself was grating against an invisible wall.
He adjusted his torn cloak and muttered, "Why is it always ruins? Why can't we go to a normal spa for once?"
"Because you accepted a quest labeled 'Uncover the Lost Memories of the Goddess,'" Aria snapped, adjusting her glasses while clutching a glowing map. "And then you selected 'Hardcore Nightmare Mode.'"
"I thought it meant more loot!" Baron groaned.
Beside him, Lila—his fire mage companion and on-again, off-again kisser—laughed. "No regrets now. I'm kind of enjoying watching you squirm."
Baron opened his mouth to reply, but the system chimed:
SYSTEM ALERT
Initiating Fracture Memory Mode…
Warning: Events from alternate timelines may manifest.
Anchor your emotions or risk identity destabilization.
"Oh good," he said. "It's that kind of Tuesday."
Suddenly, the ground shimmered. The ruins of Old Eloria blurred—and for a fraction of a heartbeat, he saw a different city, burning, with his own face on a wanted poster. Lila gasped and clutched his arm tighter. Aria stumbled, eyes wide.
And then, in the center of the crumbled plaza, she appeared.
A girl with midnight hair and glowing tattoos across her arms, symbols written in languages Baron didn't recognize—yet his soul flinched at the sight of them.
She didn't walk. She simply stood, as if she'd always been there.
"Baron," she said softly. "You left me in recursion."
A Name from the Void
He staggered back. "You know my name?"
"You gave it to me," she said, stepping forward. "You named me Astra."
Lila stepped in front of him. "Who the hell is this? Another harem member? You didn't mention an Astra."
"I… don't know her," Baron whispered. But something in his chest pulled toward her like gravity. A déjà vu made of pain and longing.
Aria narrowed her eyes. "She's reading your mind."
"No," Astra said, her voice emotionless. "Just your memories. The ones that haven't surfaced yet."
The system chimed again.
ALERT
Memory Anchor Breach Detected
Astra – Class: Forgotten Fragment
Affiliation: Null Alignment
Objective: Reunite or Erase
Baron blinked. "What the hell does 'Erase' mean?"
But Astra had already walked past Lila and Aria. She raised a hand—and a holographic cube spun into existence, revealing a memory:
A younger Baron, bloodied, clutching Astra's hand in a collapsing lab. "If I don't make it—fragment me. Lock it all away. Make sure she never finds me."
The memory vanished.
"I was part of your plan," Astra said. "You just… don't remember why."
The Choice
Baron reeled, the truth crashing into him like a wave.
He'd set all this in motion. The system. The reset. The harem. The "game" interface. It wasn't a glitch. It was protection.
"I fragmented my own memories?" he said. "Why?"
"To hide from Her," Astra replied. "From Protocol."
The wind shifted again, and a portal opened behind her. Not one of magic—one of something else, humming with system static.
"You're the last anchor," Astra said. "If I merge with you, we might remember everything. But if we do…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Lila stepped forward. "You're not merging anything without telling us who you really are."
Astra looked at her with unreadable eyes. "I'm the part of him that knew how to destroy gods."
Clash of the Harem
Before anyone could say anything else, the portal behind Astra cracked open wider—and a figure stepped out.
Tall. Cloaked. Wearing a glowing crown of gears and light.
"System Protocol Unit 01," the entity said, its voice both feminine and robotic. "Unauthorized fragment located. Reset imminent."
"Oh no you don't," Baron muttered—and lunged forward, drawing his weapon.
Astra caught his arm.
"I'll buy you a moment," she said. "But you'll have to choose, Baron. Merge with me and remember everything… or stay fractured and keep pretending you're just a lucky idiot."
"Why not both?" Baron said, eyes wild.
She smiled faintly. "Typical you."
She stepped into the beam of light.
CTA – You Decide the Fate!
❤️ End of Chapter 12
Baron just met the girl from a forgotten timeline… and now everything is unraveling.
✨ What happens next? YOU can shape it:
✅ Add to Library – Don't miss what Astra really is!
🪙 Vote with Power Stones – Your support helps Baron survive memory collapse!
🎁 Send a Gift – Like seeing chaos and harem wars? Fuel the fire!
💬 Comment below – Should Baron merge with Astra or keep the truth locked?