When the light faded, silence filled everything. For a long moment, I could not tell if I was alive or just another echo trapped in the city's memory. Then I felt it. The wind. Real, warm, alive.
Velridge was reborn.
The skyline no longer bled red. The rain was gentle now, carrying the scent of earth and life instead of circuitry and rust. The clocktower stood tall and whole, its gears turning slowly, marking time like it was meant to.
I stood on the balcony of the tower, the sun breaking through the clouds for the first time in years. The light touched the city, and with it, I could feel the heartbeat of every soul within it. People laughed again. Children played in the streets. The noise of life returned, soft but steady.
But one sound was missing. His voice.
Elior.
I whispered his name to the wind, hoping it would reach wherever he had gone. There was no answer. Only the faint hum of the clock's gears above me.
The cat appeared beside me, tail swaying lazily. It looked different now, less like a creature of data and more like a living being. Its eyes still held that familiar glint of intelligence though, a reminder of everything that had been.
"He did it," the cat said quietly. "The loop is gone."
I nodded slowly. "Yes. But at what cost?"
The cat didn't answer. It just sat there, staring out at the city like it understood the weight of silence.
I walked to the center of the tower where the sphere had once shone. The pedestal was empty now, but a faint glow lingered in the air. I reached out and felt warmth spread through my fingers, gentle and familiar.
It was his energy. His essence.
"You're still here, aren't you?" I whispered.
For a brief second, the glow pulsed. A faint light formed the outline of a hand, reaching toward mine. Then it faded, leaving only warmth and the quiet ticking of the clock.
I closed my eyes and smiled. "You kept your promise, Elior. You found a way back to me, even in silence."
The cat jumped onto the railing and stretched. "What will you do now?"
"I'll rebuild the Bureau," I said softly. "But this time, it won't be a prison for minds. It will be a sanctuary for memory. A place where no one will be forgotten again."
The cat purred approvingly. "A fitting tribute."
I looked at the sunrise spreading across Velridge. The light reflected on the river, turning it into liquid gold. The sound of bells from the distant church filled the morning air, signaling a beginning instead of an end.
Somewhere in that light, I felt him again. A whisper that brushed past my mind like a forgotten melody.
"Architect," his voice murmured faintly, "don't stop remembering."
I smiled through the tears that finally came. "Never," I whispered back.
The clock struck twelve. The city was alive again.
And though he was gone, his memory lingered in every corner of Velridge.
Elior, the detective who died too many times, had finally given the city something more than truth. He had given it life.