CHAPTER 167: CHAPTER 165: “THE FINAL GIFT”

The wind was gentle that morning, brushing through the golden fields that surrounded their countryside home. The sun filtered softly through the curtains, and the air was filled with birdsong and the faint laughter of grandchildren playing outside.

Ren sat in his workshop, not building—not designing—but reflecting. Spread before him were decades of journals, devices, photos, and memory chips. Lucia hovered silently at his side in a smaller, orb-shaped form, dimly glowing. She had been with him through everything, and now... she would help him craft his final masterpiece.

A digital archive—not just files or tech blueprints, but a living collection of messages, letters, personal footage, voice notes, and guidance. Something his children and grandchildren could turn to long after he was gone. Not instructions. Just... memories.

He spoke softly into the mic as he recorded one of the entries:

"If you’re watching this, then I’m probably annoying you from the past again. But listen... you’re doing fine. Breathe. Trust yourself. And remember—no AI, no invention, is more important than love. Protect it."

Aoi entered quietly, a thermos in her hand. Her hair had streaks of silver now, but her eyes sparkled like the girl who had once dragged him across a high school campus, claiming she’d marry him one day.

"You’re still working?" she smiled. "Even now?"

Ren chuckled. "Just one last project."

She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at the dozens of small capsules around him—each one labeled with a name: Hikari, Hina, Ami, Sora, and more.

Aoi understood. She didn’t need to ask.

Later that evening, under a twilight sky, Ren stood by the riverside behind their home. The same place he had once confessed his feelings. He whispered, "Even when I’m gone, I’ll still be here. In every spark. Every laugh. Every story they tell."

Lucia gently blinked and stored his words in the archive.

The "Final Gift" was not just knowledge. It was legacy. It was love, encrypted and eternal.