You stood in front of the officer's bunk, your gaze meeting Ariane's with a quiet understanding, a gentle smile forming as her hands slowly rose to meet yours. A soft blush crept over her cheeks, and the weight of your surroundings — the Penrose, the cycles, the distant memories — began to fade, replaced by the warmth of this moment.

As Ariane’s lips brushed against yours for the first time in five hundred cycles, a flutter awoke in your chest, something both new and deeply familiar, stirring within like butterflies.

"This," she murmured, her hand reaching up to cradle your cheek, fingers soft and warm against your skin, "is called love."

She chuckled softly, a playful glint in her eyes as she added, "And that, what you felt... was a kiss."

Rising from the bed to stand in front of you, she tilted her head up, her eyes twinkling as she took in the height difference, looking right into yours. For a moment, the reality of being a Replika, with fragmented memories and blurred feelings, faded.

In her presence, you remembered, however vaguely, what Gestalt life had once felt like—though the memories were hazy, distorted by time.

"I'm so glad you understood me... the way I understand you," Ariane whispered, her voice soft against the crook of your neck.

As she pulled you into a tight embrace, every dormant emotion seemed to flood back, racing through you like a spark rekindling old, forgotten connections.