"What about them?"
Kai hesitated.
He didn't know.
He didn't know why those words left his mouth.
Only that they felt...
Important.
"I..."
"I saw someone survive the operation."
Dr. Z stared.
"...Interesting."
Kai continued.
"I saw mana pressure become unstable."
"I saw needles."
"I saw surgery."
"I saw you say..."
Kai frowned.
"...Magic Circuit implementation... success."
Silence.
The room became deathly quiet.
Dr. Z slowly removed his glasses.
Cleaned them.
Then put them back on.
"...Say that again."
Kai swallowed.
"I don't know why I know it."
"But I know those words."
Dr. Z took a single step closer.
"No."
"You shouldn't."
Kai remained silent.
The doctor studied him carefully.
No scars.
No visible circuits.
Nothing unusual.
Yet...
"...Curious."
Very curious.
"You've never undergone my procedure."
Kai answered immediately.
"No."
"Then where did you hear that sentence?"
"I don't know."
The answer came honestly.
"I keep remembering things."
"They aren't mine."
"They feel like mine."
"But they aren't."
Dr. Z became quiet.
For the first time—
His calm expression cracked ever so slightly.