The silence after the final tape didn’t last long. Because something in the factory… answered. A soft click echoed through the hallway. Then another. Slow footsteps. Not human. Too light. Too precise. Mitsuri instinctively stepped back. “…Did you hear that?” Sanemi’s hand was already on his weapon. “Yeah. I heard it.” From the dark corridor ahead, something emerged. A doll. Stitched pink fabric. Long braided hair. A perfect, almost cheerful smile. And a name tag that read: LILY LOVE BRAIDS It tilted its head. Not aggressively. Curiously. Muichiro blinked. “…It’s looking at us.” The doll stepped forward again. Its movements were smooth… almost too smooth. Like it had practiced walking a thousand times. Then it stopped. Right in front of them. For a moment, no one moved. Even Sanemi hesitated. Because something about it felt wrong in a familiar way. Shinobu spoke softly. “…Gracie Green.” The doll tilted its head slightly faster this time. The smile didn’t change. But the silence did. A faint voice came from it. Not loud. Not clear. But real. “…Gracie…” Mitsuri’s eyes widened. “…She remembers her name?” The doll’s fingers twitched slightly. Then it spoke again. Slower this time. “…Am I… supposed to know that?” Giyu narrowed his eyes. “…It doesn’t fully remember.” The air in the hallway felt heavier now. Like the factory itself was listening. Tengen stepped slightly forward, voice firm but cautious. “Hey. You’re not just a toy, are you?” The doll paused. Longer this time. Then its head turned—just slightly—toward him. “…Toy?” it repeated softly. A small tilt of the head. Then— a faint glitching sound. Like something inside it stuttered. For half a second— the smile dropped. And something human flickered underneath. Confused eyes. Lost expression. A voice that didn’t fit the body. “…I… don’t remember…” Then the smile snapped back. Too fast. Too perfect. Sanemi clicked his tongue. “…This thing’s broken.” Obanai didn’t look away. “…No,” he said quietly. “…It’s restrained.” The doll suddenly stepped back. One step. Then another. Like it wasn’t sure whether to stay or run. And then it spoke again. Softly. Almost like it was asking permission. “…Be a toy…” The words hung in the air. But this time— nothing obeyed. The doll froze. Its head tilted again. Slower now. Confused. “…Why didn’t it work?” it whispered. Silence. Then Mitsuri took a small breath. “…Gracie…?” The doll reacted. A sharp flicker in its posture. For a moment, it looked directly at her. And the voice that came out was quieter than before. Fragile. “…That… sounds familiar…” Giyu stepped forward slightly. Not attacking. Just watching. “…You were human,” he said simply. The doll didn’t respond right away. Its hands twitched again. Like something inside it was trying to remember how to feel. Then— very softly— “…I think I was.” The factory lights flickered overhead. And for the first time since they arrived— Lily Love Braids didn’t feel like just a toy standing in front of them. She felt like someone who had been interrupted mid-thought… and never allowed to finish remembering who she was.