160 : Testament, Your Heart Is Right Here... -

In the digital overlay of his vision, Elara appeared, sitting right next to him. She looked exactly as she did the day she signed the contract—eyes bright, hand reaching out to touch his chest, right over the thrumming mechanical pump that kept him alive.

"The scanners were heavy near the docks," Kaelen whispered, leaning his head back against the cold brick. 160 : Testament, Your Heart is Right Here...

Kaelen sat on the edge of a rusted fire escape, his cybernetic hand twitching in rhythm with a failing streetlamp. In his other hand, he held a "Testament"—a small, crystal drive containing the digitized consciousness of those who couldn’t afford a body in the physical world. This one belonged to Elara. In the digital overlay of his vision, Elara

"I’m running out of credits, Elara," he admitted, his voice cracking. "The corporate bastards are raising the hosting fees for the Testament drives. I don’t know if I can keep you online another month." Kaelen sat on the edge of a rusted

He didn't need the ghost anymore. He could feel her in every beat of his heart.

"Kael, look at me," she said. "The drive, the server, the data—that’s just a ghost in a box. You spend all your time trying to save a memory, but you're forgetting to live the life I left for you."

"The Testament is a record," she whispered, her image beginning to fade as the battery warning surged in his peripheral vision. "But your heart... That’s where I actually live. Stop fighting for the crystal, and start fighting for the man I loved."