The clocks spun wildly, drowning out the city's roar.
Each tick clawed through the haze in his mind, carving a path to something buried deep.
A word flared — faint, like a whisper in a storm.
His name.
Not the one he wore now.
An older name.
One tangled in dust and ash.
He grabbed the nearest clock, clutching it tight.
Inside, a flicker: a memory.
A child laughing in a sunlit field.
The smell of wet earth after rain.
A hand reaching out, trembling —
and a voice, warm and broken.
"Don't forget who you are, even when the world wants you gone."
The memory shattered like glass.
But it was enough.
*Roar!*
He screamed back at the beast.
The creature faltered.
The woman smiled.
"You're waking up."
He felt it then — the seed inside him growing roots, weaving him into the city's breath.
The beast's claws shattered against an invisible barrier.
But it didn't stop.
It snarled again, eyes burning with forgotten hate.
"They will come for you.
But you are no longer alone."
The woman took his hand.
"Now, we fight."
Outside, the city held its breath.
The shadows twisted.
The forgotten stirred.
And somewhere deep beneath the streets, something waited.
End of Chapter 5.