The "Alice" standing before him didn't just look like her—
She moved like her.
Breathed like her.
Smiled like her.
Even the way her eyes softened when she said his name… exactly like in his memories.
"Max… we finally meet again…"
Her voice was like a warm breeze after a long winter.
It tugged at something inside him.
For just a heartbeat—his soul slipped.
His mind swayed, balance teetering on the edge.
It was subtle. Barely noticeable.
But it happened.
And Max felt it.
His chest tightened—
Not from fear, but from a deep, unsettling awe.
'This Sinful Bone Frame… it can reach into my soul. It pulled Alice from my memories. Her smile. Her tone. Even her tiny habits...'
It was more than illusion.
It was extraction.
A perfect mimicry, drawn straight from his heart.
He clenched his fists.
'Even I… with my will… almost fell for it.'
He remembered the red-haired genius—how he clawed himself apart like a puppet.
Now he understood.
It wasn't just a soul attack.
