When the elevator opened, they stepped into a place that should not exist.
Their classroom.
Unchanged.
Except… it wasn't.
The colors were off, like faded photographs. The desks were too perfect. The light filtered in from windows that showed no outside—only static. The air was thick with the scent of chalk and old paper, but underneath it was something sour, something like grief trying to hide itself.
Ayato's breath caught.
'This isn't Floor 17. This is a stage set… for ghosts.'
He felt his pulse in his throat, a steady drumbeat of dread. The others stepped out behind him, their footsteps muffled by the silence.
A system notification shimmered in the air, its words cold and absolute.
[Floor 17: The Ghost Classroom]
"Those who were forgotten have come to class."
– Objective: Complete today's class period without acknowledging the ghosts.
– Rule: Speak to a ghost, remember them, or mourn them — and they stay forever.
– Reward: None. Survival only.
"The Tower does not tolerate sentiment."
The door behind them vanished.
Desks filled on their own. Student after student faded into existence—faces Ayato didn't recognize, but felt in his bones. Every seat was occupied, every desk had a name tag, every student looked like a memory he'd almost managed to forget.
And then—
He saw her.
Yui Asano.
She sat in the second row, writing something in a notebook. Her hair in a low ponytail. That faint, focused smile. That thing she did with her fingers when she was nervous.
Ayato's knees nearly gave out.
'She's here. No—she's not. It's a ghost. It's bait.'
He gripped the edge of a desk, knuckles white. His heart hammered in his chest, every beat a question he couldn't answer.
'Why is she here? Why now? What does the Tower want from me?'
He couldn't look away. Yui's presence was a wound reopened, a scar he'd tried to forget.
'If I speak, I lose her. If I don't, I lose myself.'
Mio took a seat behind Ayato. Her fingers trembled as she set her bag down. She stared at the back of his head, her mind racing.
'He sees her. I know he does. But he can't say anything. None of us can. The Tower's rules are clear. Remember the dead, and they never leave.'
She wanted to reach out, to say something, to break the silence. But the fear was stronger.
'If I break, we all break.'
Saki sat near the window, her eyes wide, her hands folded tightly on her desk. She glanced at Ayato, then at Yui, then away.
'This isn't right. None of this is right. Why are we here? Why does it hurt so much to look at her?'
The blackboard filled with nonsensical equations. A teacher—faceless, hollow-eyed—began writing more. The chalk screeched, the sound echoing in the too-perfect room.
Mio leaned forward, her voice barely a whisper. "She's here," she said. "Isn't she?"
Ayato didn't answer. He couldn't. His throat was tight, his mouth dry.
'If I answer, I break the rule. If I break the rule, I lose everything.'
Yui turned her head. Their eyes met. She smiled. A little wave. That smile shattered him.
'She remembers me. She knows who I am. But I can't—'
Kenta muttered something from across the room. "Who the hell is that girl?"
Yui turned to him. Her face darkened. "You knew me once."
He blinked. "Wait—"
The system chimed.
[Violation: Memory Activation]
Ghost accepted.
New Player Slot Created: Asano, Yui
Host: Kenta Hirano
Kenta screamed as his Karma flared red. He collapsed into the desk. His eyes rolled back. Yui walked over to him. Kissed his forehead. Then took his seat.
He was gone.
Replaced.
Ayato stared, horror and guilt twisting in his gut.
'That's what happens. That's what the Tower does. It replaces the living with the dead. It punishes us for remembering.'
More ghosts now. Ayato counted them—twelve. Names he couldn't remember, but feelings surged when he looked at them. Shame. Guilt. Something like… grief.
Saki spoke quietly. "This is hell."
Ayato nodded, almost imperceptibly.
'I can't lose focus. If I do, I'm next.'
Yui passed him a note.
'You always noticed things no one else did.'
He didn't read more. He couldn't.
'If I read it, I remember. If I remember, she stays. If she stays, I lose.'
He pressed both palms against the desk, breathing slow.
'She's not real. She's not real. She's not real. And yet… she remembers me. What if this is her only chance to exist again? What if I say nothing, and she vanishes forever?'
He risked a glance. Yui stared right back. Tears in her eyes.
"Ayato… why won't you look at me?"
His fingers twitched.
'Don't speak. Don't move. Don't break.'
The bell rang.
System tone activated:
[Floor 17 Cleared: No Acknowledged Ghosts Remaining]
Exit granted.
Memory suppression reapplied.
Reward: Nothing. Survival granted.
Ayato stood last. Yui didn't move. She whispered:
"If no one remembers me, did I even live? Why did you let me die the first time?"
He froze.
'Because I was scared. Because I thought I could save everyone. Because I failed.'
But he didn't turn back.
The door opened. He stepped through.
In the elevator, Mio broke the silence. "That was her. Wasn't it?"
Ayato didn't answer. Couldn't. His hands were shaking.
Saki said, "We're forgetting people. One by one."
"Not me," Ayato whispered. "Not this time."
He gripped the memory shard he stole at the Auction. Yui's name flickered within.
'Just because the Tower forgets her… doesn't mean I will.'
The elevator rose. The silence was heavy, full of things left unsaid. Ayato stared at the floor, his mind a storm of guilt and confusion.
'What am I supposed to do now? How do I lead when I don't even know who I am anymore?'
Mio leaned against the wall, her eyes closed.
'I can't keep carrying this alone. I need him to remember. I need him to see me. But the Tower won't let him.'
Saki stared at her hands, her voice small.
'We're all breaking. And there's nothing we can do to stop it.'
A system update flashed in the air.
[Floor 17 – Ghost Classroom Complete]
Kenta: Removed
Ghosts: Suppressed
New Karma Anomaly Flagged: Player Ayato
Next Floor: Floor 18 – The Architect's Library
Ayato closed his eyes, the memory shard warm in his hand.
'Not this time. I won't forget. I can't.'
The Tower whispered, its voice softer now, almost gentle.
'If no one remembers you, did you ever really live?'
Ayato opened his eyes, his resolve hardening.
'I'll remember. Even if it kills me.'
(Chapter 24 End)