diff --git a/src/Mapper.php b/src/Mapper.php
index 862e10a..1e565ff 100644
--- a/src/Mapper.php
+++ b/src/Mapper.php
@@ -82,13 +82,13 @@ public function persist(object $object, Collection $onCollection): object
         $this->persisting[$object] = true;
 
         try {
-            $next = $onCollection->next;
+            $connectsTo = $onCollection->connectsTo;
 
-            if ($next) {
-                $remote = $this->style->remoteIdentifier($next->name);
+            if ($connectsTo) {
+                $remote = $this->style->remoteIdentifier($connectsTo->name);
                 $related = $this->getRelatedEntity($object, $remote);
                 if ($related !== null) {
-                    $this->persist($related, $next);
+                    $this->persist($related, $connectsTo);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -384,9 +384,9 @@ private function buildSelectStatement(Sql $sql, array $collections): Sql
                         }
                     }
 
-                    $nextName = $c->next?->name;
-                    if ($nextName !== null) {
-                        $fk = $this->style->remoteIdentifier($nextName);
+                    $connectedName = $c->connectsTo?->name;
+                    if ($connectedName !== null) {
+                        $fk = $this->style->remoteIdentifier($connectedName);
                         $selectTable[] = self::aliasedColumn($tableSpecifier, $fk, $fields[$fk] ?? $fk);
                     }
                 }
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ private function parseCollection(
         $s      = $this->style;
         $entity = $collection->name;
         $parent = $collection->parent?->name;
-        $next   = $collection->next?->name;
+        $connected = $collection->connectsTo?->name;
 
         $parentAlias = $parent ? $aliases[$parent] : null;
         $aliases[$entity] = $alias;
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ private function parseCollection(
         $aliasedPk       = $alias . '.' . $s->identifier($entity);
         $aliasedParentPk = $parentAlias . '.' . $s->identifier($parent);
 
-        if ($this->hasComposition($entity, $next, $parent)) {
+        if ($this->hasComposition($entity, $connected, $parent)) {
             $onName  = $alias . '.' . $s->remoteIdentifier($parent);
             $onAlias = $aliasedParentPk;
         } else {
@@ -543,14 +543,14 @@ private function parseCollection(
         $sql->on([$onName => $onAlias]);
     }
 
-    private function hasComposition(string $entity, string|null $next, string|null $parent): bool
+    private function hasComposition(string $entity, string|null $connected, string|null $parent): bool
     {
-        if ($next === null || $parent === null) {
+        if ($connected === null || $parent === null) {
             return false;
         }
 
-        return $entity === $this->style->composed($parent, $next)
-            || $entity === $this->style->composed($next, $parent);
+        return $entity === $this->style->composed($parent, $connected)
+            || $entity === $this->style->composed($connected, $parent);
     }
 
     /** @param SplObjectStorage<object, Collection> $hydrated */
diff --git a/tests/MapperTest.php b/tests/MapperTest.php
index 7987e39..e24b398 100644
--- a/tests/MapperTest.php
+++ b/tests/MapperTest.php
@@ -1545,9 +1545,10 @@ public function testReadOnlyWithChangesAndPersistRoundTrip(): void
 
         $bob = $this->mapper->read_only_author[2]->fetch();
 
-        // withChanges creates modified copy, PK preserved → auto-update
-        $updated = $this->mapper->entityFactory->withChanges(
-            $post,
+        // Partial entity with same PK → auto-update via identity map
+        $updated = $this->mapper->entityFactory->create(
+            ReadOnlyPost::class,
+            id: 1,
             title: 'Changed',
             readOnlyAuthor: $bob,
         );
@@ -1562,16 +1563,18 @@ public function testReadOnlyWithChangesAndPersistRoundTrip(): void
         $this->assertSame(2, (int) $result->read_only_author_id);
     }
 
-    public function testPersistWithInlineChangesRoundTrip(): void
+    public function testPersistPartialEntityRoundTrip(): void
     {
         $fetched = $this->mapper->read_only_author[1]->fetch();
         $this->assertSame('Alice', $fetched->name);
 
-        $updated = $this->mapper->read_only_author[1]->persist(
-            $fetched,
+        $partial = $this->mapper->entityFactory->create(
+            ReadOnlyAuthor::class,
+            id: 1,
             name: 'Alice Updated',
             bio: 'new bio',
         );
+        $updated = $this->mapper->read_only_author->persist($partial);
         $this->mapper->flush();
 
         $this->assertNotSame($fetched, $updated);
@@ -1584,7 +1587,7 @@ public function testPersistWithInlineChangesRoundTrip(): void
         $this->assertSame('new bio', $result->bio);
     }
 
-    public function testPersistWithInlineChangesOnGraph(): void
+    public function testPersistPartialEntityOnGraph(): void
     {
         $this->conn->exec((string) Sql::createTable('read_only_post', [
             'id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY',
@@ -1600,14 +1603,16 @@ public function testPersistWithInlineChangesOnGraph(): void
             ->values([1, 'Original', 'Body', 1])
             ->exec();
 
-        $post = $this->mapper->read_only_post->read_only_author->fetch();
+        $this->mapper->read_only_post->read_only_author->fetch();
         $bob = $this->mapper->read_only_author[2]->fetch();
 
-        $updated = $this->mapper->read_only_post->persist(
-            $post,
+        $partial = $this->mapper->entityFactory->create(
+            ReadOnlyPost::class,
+            id: 1,
             title: 'Changed',
             readOnlyAuthor: $bob,
         );
+        $updated = $this->mapper->read_only_post->persist($partial);
         $this->mapper->flush();
 
         $this->assertSame(1, $updated->id);