MEMELAND

...

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

A steady rhythm echoed somewhere nearby.

Kai slowly opened his eyes.

The ceiling above him looked unfamiliar.

Plain.

Wooden.

Not the operating room.

Not the clinic.

His entire body felt...

Heavy.

As if every muscle had been replaced with stone.

"..."

He tried lifting his right arm.

It barely moved.

"...Ow."

His voice came out hoarse.

His throat burned.

The surgery.

Dr. Z.

Magic Circuits.

"...I'm alive."

The realization made him laugh quietly.

"I actually lived..."

The door creaked open.

A familiar figure walked inside.

Messy black hair.

Glasses.

White doctor's coat stained with dried blood.

Dr. Z.

He glanced at Kai.

Then smiled.

"Oh."

"You're alive."

Kai stared.

"...That's your greeting?"

"I was expecting the opposite."

The doctor walked over and casually placed a clipboard on the nearby table.

"I was too."

Kai frowned.

"...Comforting."

"It should be."

"It isn't."

Dr. Z ignored the complaint and began examining Kai.

He lifted one eyelid.

Checked his pulse.

Placed two fingers against Kai's neck.

Then suddenly—

He smacked Kai's forehead.

Thonk.

"...Ow!"

"Good."

"Your brain still works."

Kai rubbed his forehead.

"I almost died."

"You did."

"...What?"

Dr. Z flipped through several pages.

"You technically died."

"Four times."

Kai blinked.

"...Four?"

"The heart stopped."

"We restarted it."

"The heart stopped again."

"We restarted it."

"The third time was annoying."

"The fourth time was expected."

Kai slowly lowered his hand.

"...Expected?"

Dr. Z nodded casually.

"Happens."

"It does not happen!"

"It happened."

"..."

Kai couldn't even argue with that.

The doctor eventually finished checking him.

Then folded his arms.

"...Interesting."

"What?"

"The Circuits accepted you."

Kai waited.

"...That's it?"

"...That's it."

Kai frowned.

"I thought there'd be more."

"There will be."

Dr. Z suddenly grinned.

"The fun starts after this."

Kai immediately disliked that sentence.

"What does that mean?"

"It means..."

The doctor leaned closer.

"We have no idea what happens next."

"..."

"..."

Kai slowly looked away.

"I should've expected that."

Dr. Z laughed.

"Lucky for you."

"I enjoy figuring things out."

Kai muttered under his breath.

"...That's exactly what scares me."

The doctor pretended not to hear him.

Instead—

He reached beneath the bed and pulled out Kai's belongings.

His cloak.

His Clothes.

His knuckle duster.

Everything was intact.

"Nothing was stolen."

"I'm a doctor."

"Not a thief."

Kai accepted his belongings.

"...Thanks."

Dr. Z waved dismissively.

"You paid enough."

Kai wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Eventually—

Kai slowly sat upright.

Every muscle protested.

"...Urgh..."

Dr. Z watched quietly.

"No dizziness?"

"...A little."

"No vomiting?"

"Not yet."

"No hallucinations?"

Kai paused.

"...Does dreaming about alternate versions of myself count?"

The doctor thought for a second.

"...We'll call that normal."

Kai sighed.

"Somehow I knew you'd say that."

Dr. Z opened the window.

Fresh air entered the room.

"You should leave."

Kai blinked.

"...Already?"

"If you stay."

"You'll become my next research assistant."

"...Is that bad?"

"You won't survive."

Kai immediately stood up.

"...I'm leaving."

"Wise decision."

He slowly gathered his equipment.

Each movement felt strange.

His body obeyed.

But...

Not naturally.

Almost as if something inside him had changed.

He glanced down at his hands.

"..."

Nothing looked different.

No glowing lines.

No marks.

Nothing.

Yet...

He could feel them.

Deep beneath his skin.

Sleeping.

Waiting.

Dr. Z noticed his expression.

"You can feel them."

Kai slowly nodded.

"...Yeah."

The doctor smiled.

"Good."

"It means they're real."

Kai looked toward the door.

"...Guess this is goodbye."

"For now."

Dr. Z chuckled.

"Don't die."

"I'd hate to lose such an interesting patient."

Kai smirked.

"I'll try."

He stepped outside.

The afternoon sun hit his face.

Warm.

Bright.

Normal.

After everything...

It felt strangely comforting.

Kai took a slow breath.

"...Muscle City."

"...Guess I'm back."

And with an unfamiliar weight beneath his skin—

He began walking toward the city once more.