Location: Collapsing Scar Zone, Western Chengdu
Amei convulsed.
Her breath came in broken, glitching gasps. Her eyes flickered—blue to black to static. Lin cradled her gently, as if touch alone might stitch her back together.
"System," Lin said urgently.
"Open hidden function set. I need anchor repair protocols."
There was silence.
Then:
[UNAUTHORIZED REQUEST]
He slammed a fist into the mud.
"Override. Code: Forget Me Not."
The sky above rippled.
[REQUEST ACCEPTED – PATCHWORK MODE INITIATED]
Inside Amei – Mnemonic Collapse Layer
Imagine falling through a mind as it breaks apart.
That's what Lin now faced.
The system projected a neuro-interface directly into his optic nerves—he stood inside her memory palace, watching entire corridors implode.
He heard her voice.
"You shouldn't be here."
"Too late."
He sprinted forward—rooms collapsing around him:
Her first laugh.
The coffee shop in Wuhan.
The blue scarf she once stole from him.
Each one corrupted. Redacted.
Erased.
He grabbed the memory of the scarf.
"Reinject!"
Amei's body twitched.
A system whisper:
[SENTIMENT ANCHOR PARTIALLY RESTORED]
Cut To: Crimson Circle, Moving Command Train
Xu Shanyue barked into a mic:
"We've got her partial emotional key. Lin's inside the collapse layer. He's trying to rebuild her."
Qingyue hesitated.
"That's not possible. The soul isn't code."
Xu turned.
"Then call it belief. Call it love. Whatever he's using, it's fighting their kill-switch."
Back Inside Amei's Mind
He found a shattered photo.
Her and her father—burned at the edges.
He whispered:
"You kept this hidden from them. You protected it even when they erased you."
He knelt.
Pressed it to his chest.
"I'm not leaving without you."
A surge.
A pulse of light from the void.
Amei's voice returned.
"...You stubborn idiot."
He turned.
And there she stood.
Fully formed—if flickering.
"Why are you crying?" he asked.
She looked down.
"Because I remember again."
Final Scene – Amei Awakens
Outside the interface, her body stilled.
Heartbeat flatlined.
Then—resumed.
Slow.
Steady.
Her eyes opened.
And this time, they were not Rootlight's blue.
They were hers.
"Hi," she said hoarsely.
"You pulled me back."
Lin smiled.
"You're heavier than I remember."
She punched him.
Softly.
Then leaned in, whispered:
"I'm still missing pieces."
"Then we'll find them."