"The cost of rebirth is not destruction—it is the surrender of the self."—Final Log from the Override Crystal Core
As the seven resonance paths lit up in unison, the entire Override system began to tremble violently. The crystal core broke free from its protective casing, revealing the pulsating logic array at its center. Sophia could feel her own heartbeat syncing with the system's rhythm—each pulse accelerating the core's energy surge.
A system prompt emerged:
"Reconstruction conditions fulfilled. A [Source Anchor] must be assigned to become the new core of Override, bind the Seven Emotions Matrix, and establish a framework for sovereign consciousness."
Sophia understood instantly:She was the Source Anchor.
In the floating system mirror, two future trajectories materialized:
In the first, she would integrate into the system and become the Override's new free-will core. Humanity would gain autonomy—but she would no longer exist as a living being.
In the second, she would walk away. Override would fail to reconstruct, triggering its cleansing protocol. The world would descend into a cold state of silent consciousness containment. Xinglan and the others would become Override's lifeless custodians—watchers without choice.
She turned to Zhou Yuchen.
"If I disappear," she asked softly, "will you still remember me?"
He didn't speak. Instead, he placed something into her hand—a carved Star Lotus Seal from their time on Stellar Isle.
"As long as this Star Lotus still shines," he said, "I'll know you're out there—somewhere."
Sophia stepped into the Crystal Heart Array. The seven emotional paths wrapped around her—chains of pure resonance, ribbons of memory and soul.
Her voice resonated across the system:
"Override wasn't meant to control humanity.It was meant to help every soul choose its own destiny."
She reached out and typed into the final authorization interface:
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编辑> Rewrite Protocol: Initiated > Override Free Edition: Stellar Protocol – Launching…
At that moment, a figure emerged—Z, the first architect of Override, long thought lost in a failed consciousness-fusion experiment. Now, his remnants lived on as a spectral projection within the system's memory.
Z looked at Sophia with a faint, wistful smile.
"I once believed perfect logic could govern a chaotic world," he murmured."But you've shown me that the soul is not a line of code—it cannot be archived."
Sophia smiled in return."The Override you designed doesn't need a master," she replied."It needs a witness. Not a judge."
Z bowed deeply, then handed her the Eden Fragment—Override's final master key and symbol of ultimate authority.
As Sophia's consciousness fully merged with the system, the Override Stellar Edition came online.
The cold, sterile interface bloomed into a vast cosmic sea of light.
One by one, the imprisoned consciousnesses were released.
The Children of Stone began to awaken—thoughts restored, autonomy reclaimed.
The control web of Polaris collapsed.
Humanity no longer relied on a singular mind, but became a constellation of independent soul cores—each a point of light in the new Stellar Network.
Finally, Override issued a new opening chime:
"Override Stellar Edition: Initialized.Root Protocol: Sophia."
After Sophia vanished, Zhou Yuchen remained.
He stayed atop the Star Tower of Stellar Isle, lighting a Star Lotus Lamp each evening—an eternal flame for someone the world had forgotten.
"She no longer exists in body," he whispered once,"but every flicker of light reminds me—Love is freedom. Not possession."
And so, he named the first anniversary of the Stellar Override update:
Sophia Day.