The night air hung heavy, soaked with the scent of rain and iron. Toshio stood by the edge of the lake behind Eko's house, his reflection shimmering on the restless surface. The moonlight trembled across the water, dividing his image into two halves — one calm, one smiling faintly, like it knew a secret he didn't.
He leaned forward."Who are you?" he whispered to the water.
The reflection blinked — but he hadn't.
A chill crawled up his neck, making him take a step back. His heart hammered, torn between disbelief and curiosity. The ripples calmed, the surface smoothing out until his mirrored face stared back… wearing an expression that wasn't his.
That smile again — soft, knowing, almost mocking.
"Toshio?" Eko's voice drifted from behind, breaking the trance.
He turned quickly. She was standing there in her night robe, her hair loose and glistening under the moonlight. "You scared me," he breathed, forcing a chuckle to mask the unease.
She tilted her head. "You've been standing there for a while. Talking to yourself again?"
He rubbed his neck, laughing awkwardly. "Old habit. Helps me think."
Eko stepped beside him, her bare feet making no sound on the damp grass. "Thinking about us?"
Toshio froze. "Us?"
She smiled softly — that smile that could both melt and terrify him. "You've changed since the day we met. You smile less but… your eyes speak louder. I wonder what they're saying tonight."
He turned away, looking back at the lake. "They're saying I'm lost."
Her hand found his, fingers intertwining with deliberate tenderness. "Then let me help you find your way again."
For a brief moment, all the tension, all the strange occurrences, the whispers, and the system messages that had started flickering in his dreams — they vanished. All that existed was her warmth, and the echo of her heartbeat against his palm.
But then the wind shifted. A faint whisper slipped across the water — "Don't trust her…"
Toshio's breath hitched. He looked around, but the night was empty except for the chirping of distant crickets.
"What's wrong?" Eko asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
He shook his head quickly. "Nothing. Just… thought I heard something."
Eko's expression softened again, but her eyes lingered on his a little too long — almost searching. "You've been hearing voices lately, haven't you?"
He blinked. "How do you—"
"I hear them too," she whispered, her tone suddenly serious. "But mine don't warn me about you, Toshio. They tell me to protect you."
His pulse quickened. "Protect me from what?"
Before she could answer, a flicker of light appeared above the lake. A small, translucent orb hovered there — glowing softly, like a fragile soul caught between worlds.
The system voice chimed in his mind for the first time that night:
[Connection Reestablished. Spirit Node Detected.][User: Toshio Shinji. Emotional Resonance Threshold — 89%.]
Toshio stumbled back, eyes widening. "What the hell—"
Eko gasped. "You see it too?"
The orb pulsed, and a faint, melodic voice whispered into his mind — neither male nor female, but strangely comforting:
"Finally, you're awake."
Toshio's breath trembled. "Who are you?"
"A reflection of your soul. A shard left behind when your fate was rewritten."
The orb glowed brighter, illuminating their faces. Eko reached out, fascinated, but the spirit flinched away from her touch.
"Not her. She carries the echo… the distortion."
Eko's eyes darkened. "Distortion?"
"Her heart hums with the same frequency as your curse," the spirit continued, almost sorrowfully. "She loves you, but that love isn't hers alone."
Eko took a step forward, trembling. "Don't listen! Toshio, it's lying!"
"Then let him choose," the voice whispered.
The world around them seemed to freeze — even the ripples of the lake hung motionless in midair. The orb drifted between them, splitting into two luminous strands: one of silver light, the other dark blue, flickering with faint static.
"One path binds you to her heart — a love that may destroy you both. The other restores what you lost — your forgotten self."
Toshio's head spun. Images flooded his mind — cities of glass, laughter echoing in different tongues, a woman's silhouette dissolving into stars. His knees buckled as the memories clawed their way back.
Eko caught him, her hands trembling. "Toshio! Stay with me!"
He looked up at her, panting, half-dazed. "Eko… who are you really?"
Her lips parted, and for a moment, her irises shimmered gold — not human gold, but mechanical, like a reflection from circuitry.
Then she smiled — that same haunting, tender smile he'd seen in the water."Maybe I'm the echo," she whispered. "Maybe I'm what you wished for."
The orb pulsed violently, then vanished into Toshio's chest, burning like fire.
[System Integration: Phase II — Emotional Link Activated.]
Toshio screamed as blue light flooded his vision.
And when it faded—Eko was gone. Only the faint imprint of her warmth remained on his hand.
The reflection in the lake smiled back at him, whispering softly:
"She didn't leave. She's inside."