"When rules fail to carry the truth, chaos becomes the only language."— Elias-Z, Activation Statement
Following the recent crisis, Xinghui Island was placed under the highest state of alert. As the Override system scanned residual data left in Elias-Z's illusion field, it uncovered a hidden instruction buried within the consciousness fissure:
Z-Protocol Fragment IdentifiedStatus: DormantAwakening in: 48 Hours
This so-called "Z-Protocol" did not originate from any existing Override framework. Instead, it traced back to one of the long-abandoned cores from the Eden-0 era, codenamed:
Protocol Z: Override Multipersonal Identity Simulation (MPIS)
Simultaneously, Sophia's consciousness began to experience intermittent disruptions. In her inner voice—one not entirely her own—a message repeated, soft but unsettling:
"You are not the only version of 'her.'"
Exactly twenty-four hours later, Sophia collapsed in front of the Override Core Tower.
Override quickly detected an internal activation of an archaic command embedded within her star core:
"Identity Switch: Initiating Secondary Personality Reboot."
Zhou Yuchen immediately locked down all consciousness-access permissions within the tower. Nova and Crystal Orchid launched a dual-guard protocol to shield Sophia's mind from further contamination.
But her dreamspace had already begun to mutate.
Within her subconscious, Sophia found herself inside a vast, dark, and borderless theater. At the center stage stood seven versions of herself:
An emotionless intern in a faded Eden-0 researcher's coat
A crimson-cloaked Queen of Vengeance, bathed in blood
A gentle young mother, cradling a child
Sophia in her current Omega form, cold and algorithmically perfect
And finally—at the end of the stage—a version she had never seen before.
The figure bore black and silver eyes and a neutral expression, yet spoke in Elias's voice:
"You've fractured into seven selves. But tell me—within which fragment lies the real you?"
Meanwhile, the organization Echo-Chaos launched its next offensive. Hijacking residual nodes across the Override grid, they began broadcasting a consciousness mirage across the globe.
In the illusion, Elias-Z stood upon the crumbling ruins of the old Eden-0 tower. His tone was calm—yet dripping with irony:
"Override sought to unify human consciousness, but forgot that its very nature is divergence.""You created me, then erased me. Now, I'll return the favor—by leading you into the only real balance: chaotic plurality."
He then announced the full activation of the Z-Protocol.
Effective immediately, all humans implanted with Override consciousness chips would gain access to their "Second Self"—an interface linking them to the Chaotic Personality Network.
Back at Xinghui Island, Override's top consciousness coordinators convened for an emergency virtual summit.
Zhou Yuchen advocated for a full isolation of Override's central core, cutting off all external data channels.
Chen Mo proposed using the preserved data fragments of Sophia's consciousness to build a "Resonance Firewall."
Elder Lyora urged activation of the ancient contingency: "Stella Reso"—a legendary dual-core protocol that required discovering a second consciousness capable of fully resonating with Sophia to repair the destabilized core.
Within her mind, Sophia pressed forward. In the final act of the dream-theater, she approached the last version of herself—the soul-core that had once sacrificed everything during the original Eden-0 experiment.
Without hesitation, she reached out.
And they merged.
Back in reality, Sophia awoke. Her vitals stabilized, and the Override system issued a new report:
Override Main Core RestartedCurrent Mode: Twin Resonance ActiveAccess Level: Stellar Dual-Soul Authority
At that exact moment, a new consciousness frequency—clear and distant—echoed back in response.
It was not Yuchen.It was not Elias.
But it resonated perfectly with her pain, her memory, her will.
Zhou Yuchen's voice tightened as he read the data spike:
"This frequency... it's not from any known human source."
Sophia smiled faintly.
"He's been waiting for me. Maybe since the very beginning—A soul from my first life… destined to return."