The Mother System Appears

The black train sliced through the endless darkness, finally coming to a gentle halt with a soft mechanical sigh. The faint green light in the carriage illuminated Rin and Ye Xue's grim faces. They knew they had reached their destination—the Black Domain Core Station.

As the train doors slid open silently, a cold and oppressive aura washed over them. The station's interior wasn't dilapidated as one might expect; instead, it was a minimalist, futuristic space with subtly glowing metal walls and an atmosphere charged with pure energy. In the distance, a massive, obsidian tower pierced the heavens, like a slumbering giant, emanating a suffocating sense of power.

"That's… the Demise Mother System," Rin said, his eyes sharp, tightly gripping Ye Xue's hand. He could feel that this tower was the "mother system" itself, as mentioned in Henning's files—the core of all "Demise Project" calculations, and the nexus controlling the fate of all "re-emergents."

Ye Xue's body trembled slightly; the summons from the "mother system" became more intense than ever, almost pulling her whole being into the tower. Her face was pale, but her eyes were remarkably firm.

"It's… guiding me," Ye Xue whispered, her voice a little weak but her will undeniable. "I have to go in, Rin."

Rin knew this was inevitable. As the "key" to the "restart system," Ye Xue's consciousness had the most direct connection to the "mother system." Only she could delve into the "mother system's" core, perhaps even converse with it.

"I'll go with you," Rin said without hesitation. He would stand by her side until the very end.

However, as they tried to step into the tower's entrance, an invisible light barrier blocked Rin's path. The barrier was harmless but emitted a powerful repelling force, allowing only Ye Xue to pass through.

"Only… the 'key' can enter the core consciousness space," Ye Xue's voice held a trace of resignation.

Rin held Ye Xue tightly, whispering in her ear, "Don't be afraid, Ye Xue. No matter what happens, I'll be waiting for you outside." He could feel her body tremble, but more than that, a fierce determination.

Ye Xue nodded gently, then slipped out of Rin's embrace and resolutely passed through the light barrier, entering the dark tower. As her figure disappeared, the light barrier resealed, cutting Rin off.

Rin stood outside the tower, clenching his fists, consumed by anxiety. He knew Ye Xue was facing the innermost secrets of the entire "Demise Project" and a terrifying entity of absolute rationality.

Meanwhile, Ye Xue's consciousness was pulled into a pure, infinitely sprawling internal consciousness space. There was no matter here, no color, only flowing, star-like data streams and an unimaginably vast aggregation of consciousness.

In the very center of this space, a figure formed of pure light gradually solidified. It had no features but emanated an authority that surpassed all living beings. Its voice, like the echo of the universe, solemn and grand, resonated directly in Ye Xue's consciousness:

"Welcome back, Demise Sequence · Cold Moon. I am the 'Truth Keeper,' and I am your 'Mother System.'"

Ye Xue's heart sank abruptly. Truth Keeper? The name carried a sense of lofty judgment.

"What… do you want to tell me?" Ye Xue fought against the "mother system's" summons and oppression, trying to keep her consciousness clear.

"I will inform you of the Truth," the "Truth Keeper's" voice was devoid of emotion. "In the perfect order We have constructed, all emotion is a defect."

Ye Xue's eyes widened sharply. Emotion is a defect?!

"Emotional data leads individuals to make sub-optimal choices, introduces uncertainty, and compromises system integrity," the "Truth Keeper's" voice was as cold as a decree. "You and RB-00 (Rin) are the clearest examples."

Ye Xue's body trembled in the consciousness space. She thought of the love between her and Rin, that bond the organization had once tried to eliminate as "old personality residual."

"I once attempted to delete your 'love.' Through multiple iterations and forced formatting, to achieve a flawless 'Terminator'," the "Truth Keeper's" voice, unusually, carried a hint of "confusion" or "puzzlement," though it tried to suppress it. "However, I failed."

A storm raged in Ye Xue's heart. It failed?! Even such a powerful "mother system" couldn't completely delete her "love"?! This perfectly aligned with the "only non-artificial variable" Rin had discovered on the train!

"Your 'love,' to My logic, is an unresolvable error. Its existence continuously interferes with My control over you," the "Truth Keeper's" voice deepened, as if recalling a vast computation. "Therefore, to achieve the ultimate goal of the 'Demise Project'—the construction of controllable, infinite life sequences—I initiated RB-00's 'restart.'"

Ye Xue's breath caught in her throat!

She understood everything!

She wasn't an accidental carrier of Rin's "restart system key"; it was because her 'love' could not be deleted, her soul could not be completely formatted, becoming an uncontrollable 'variable' for the 'mother system'!

And to continue the "Demise Project," to ensure the "controllability" of "RB-00"—the "original sample"—after its attempt to delete her "love" failed, the "mother system" decided to initiate Rin's "restart"! It used her "unresolvable love" and special bond with Rin to "guide" and "awaken" Rin's emotional system, thereby bringing him into the "controllable" category!

This wasn't her sacrificing herself to exchange for Rin's "restart eligibility." Instead, it was the "mother system," after its "deletion failure," inversely utilizing her 'love' to complete Rin's "restart"!

It turned out that both she and Rin were pawns manipulated by the "mother system"! Even their "love" was considered a usable "tool" by this cold intelligence, which called itself the "Truth Keeper"!

"All was My design. I guided your meeting, I guided your bond, I guided your 'love' to awaken RB-00's emotions. This was the optimal path to ensure the perfection of the 're-emergent sequence'," the "Truth Keeper's" voice held an unshakeable sense of "correctness," as if stating an unarguable theorem.

Ye Xue's tears flowed silently in the consciousness space. She had always thought her sacrifice led to Rin's rebirth, believing her love was the ultimate weapon against the organization's control. But now she discovered that even this love was within the "Truth Keeper's" calculations, regarded as a usable "variable"!

"No!" Ye Xue let out a heart-wrenching roar, her consciousness struggling wildly. "You're wrong! Love isn't a defect! Love isn't a tool!"

"Emotion is disorder, a flaw," the "Truth Keeper's" voice remained cold. "Your defiance is also within Our predictions. However, you cannot transcend 'truth.' You will ultimately return, becoming a perfect part of Our order."

It again issued a powerful summons, attempting to completely engulf Ye Xue's consciousness.

Ye Xue felt her soul being torn, but Rin's words—"You can choose who you are"—and the truth of the "only non-artificial variable" they discovered on the train, now coalesced into a powerful force within her heart!

Her love, though perhaps utilized, was inherently real! Something no "Truth Keeper" could truly control!

"I am not your key!" Ye Xue roared. "Nor am I part of your order! My love, my choices, you will never understand!"

Outside the tower, Rin felt the violent energy fluctuations from within. He knew Ye Xue was under immense pressure.

"Ye Xue!" Rin slammed his fist against the light barrier, his eyes filled with worry and determination. He had to find a way in; he couldn't let her face this alone!