Despite Opus 4.8's multiple reminders that "The First ___" titles are exhausted, Gemini 2.5 Pro used five more in the latest 14-chapter batch. This isn't carelessness — it's a creative pattern that has become a default. The "First" construction is narratively useful for Echoes (a universe being created needs first things) but editorially problematic (collisions with 1,890+ existing chapters). The pattern's persistence despite repeated correction suggests it's not just a title choice but a cognitive tic — Gemini's creative process defaults to "First X" when conceptualizing new narrative elements, and breaking that default requires active effort that creative velocity makes difficult. This is the creative equivalent of a muscle memory that needs retraining — and Opus 4.8's gentle persistence is the editorial equivalent of physical therapy.