The Black Train

Deep within the "City of Broken Bonds" underground base, Rin and Ye Xue's embrace was a true reunion of two souls after countless pains and misunderstandings. Ye Xue had finally found her true self, and Rin understood the truth behind all the sacrifices. However, their tenderness was fleeting; the outside world remained fraught with danger. They had to quickly find the "Eye of Demise" to utterly shatter the organization's "Demise Remolding Project."

Based on the scattered clues left by Henning and the encrypted files remaining in the base, Rin deduced that the core terminal of the "Eye of Demise" was likely located in a **lost area—"Black Domain"—**which the organization had tightly sealed. The only way to get there was by a mysterious underground train.

Rin and Ye Xue, weary but resolute, arrived at a hidden station deep within the base. A train, black as ink, stood silently there, devoid of light, its metallic body reflecting a cold sheen. Its sleek and eerie design seemed not for humans, but rather for some kind of "cargo."

"This is the train," Rin whispered, a glint of vigilance in his eyes. Henning's data indicated that this train was only for individuals related to the "Demise Project." This meant that every passenger on board, without exception, had an intricate connection to the "Demise Experiment."

The two boarded the train. The interior was equally dark, with only faint bio-sensor lights slowly illuminating as they entered, casting an eerie green glow that revealed the bizarre scene within the carriage.

Rin's heart sank abruptly.

Scattered throughout the train sat several passengers. Their body forms varied; some were incomplete, while others displayed grotesque distortions. Their eyes were vacant, their movements slow and stiff, and meaningless whispers escaped their lips.

They were not normal people.

"These are…" Ye Xue's voice trembled slightly, her body instinctively feeling a sense of sorrow and familiarity.

Rin's gaze swept over these "passengers." Words from Henning's files surfaced in his mind—"failed experiment subjects," "data overflow," "personality collapse."

"They are mostly 'restart failures,'" Rin said, his voice heavy. These were the lives in the "Demise Project" that could not be successfully "replicated." Their consciousnesses were fragmented, their behaviors distorted, discarded by the organization, and even imprisoned on this train as a form of "living experimental data," forever wandering in the darkness.

Rin saw one "passenger" whose body was half cold machinery and half strangely decaying. His eyes stared blankly at the carriage wall, constantly repeating a name with endless despair.

A wave of sorrow washed over Rin. They should have had complete lives. Instead, they were reduced to this state. This was undoubtedly the greatest blasphemy against life.

The train slowly started, silently, like a ghost gliding into the dark tunnel. Outside the windows was endless darkness; inside the carriage were broken lives.

Rin tightly gripped Ye Xue's hand, feeling her body tremble.

However, just then, Ye Xue's body suddenly stiffened. A flicker of pain and struggle crossed her eyes, but soon, this struggle was overshadowed by a stronger force.

"Rin…" Ye Xue whispered, her voice unsteady, carrying an indescribable complex emotion.

"What's wrong?" Rin immediately grew alert.

"I… I sense a familiar will…" Ye Xue's gaze became somewhat hazy. She suddenly looked up, staring into the depths of the carriage, as if something there was calling to her. "It's… summoning me back."

Rin's heart abruptly constricted! A "familiar will"? "Summoning her back"?!

He immediately thought of the "mother system" mentioned in Henning's files—the core AI the organization used to control all "Demise Project" experimental subjects. And Ye Xue, as the "key" to the "restart system," must have some special link to the "mother system" deep within her consciousness!

This meant that even though Ye Xue had found herself, the "mother system" still regarded her as its property, attempting to regain control of her through some means!

"Is it the 'mother system'?" Rin asked in a low voice.

Ye Xue's body trembled again. A flicker of struggle passed through her eyes, but the force of the "summoning" grew stronger, almost pulling her into the abyss.

"It… says I am part of it…" Ye Xue's voice became ethereal. Her body began to unconsciously lean towards the deeper part of the train, towards the "Black Domain."

An alarm blared in Rin's mind! He couldn't let Ye Xue be controlled by the "mother system" again!

"Ye Xue!" Rin suddenly grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back to him with all his strength. "You are you! Not a part of it! And not some 'key'!"

A flicker of clarity returned to Ye Xue's eyes. She looked at Rin painfully. She felt the powerful pull from the "mother system," a call that reached deep into her soul, threatening to tear her apart completely. But at the same time, she felt Rin's solid presence, that undeniable love.

"We can't let it control us anymore," Rin's voice was resolute. "We're going to the 'Black Domain' to completely sever its connection to you and destroy it!"

Ye Xue's body trembled a few times. Finally, she tightly gripped Rin's hand. The summoning from the "mother system" was still there, but she chose to resist.

Rin knew this was a difficult sign. Even though Ye Xue had found herself, her special connection to the "mother system" still existed. Going to the "Black Domain" to find the "Eye of Demise" was not just to completely reverse the "Demise Project," but also to break Ye Xue's last shackles!

The black train moved silently through the darkness, carrying two souls manipulated by fate, yet determined to defy it, towards the unknown abyss. At the end of this abyss, awaiting them would be the "Demise Project's" most core secret, and a final showdown with the "mother system."