The destruction of the red crystal core rippled across more than just space. Like a psychic shockwave, it stirred coordinates embedded in consciousness fields around the world.
That moment… awakened the Silent Ones.
The wind on the Arctic shelf cut like knives. Sophia stood on the frozen plain, her breath visible in the air. In her palm, the Stellar Ring gave off a faint warmth, pulsing in rhythm with something buried deep beneath the ice.
Zhou Yuchen spoke lowly behind her.
"This was once Polaris's original testing site. All our recovered fragments point here."
Led by Elias, they ventured deeper into the white abyss until a circular structure surfaced from beneath the frost: a sealed subterranean base, long abandoned—but not dead.
The lock was corroded, but when Sophia stepped forward, a light flickered on.
"Spiritual frequency confirmed. Access granted."
The frozen hatch groaned open. Inside, silence ruled. But somewhere beneath, something pulsed like a distant heartbeat.
In the base's lower chamber, twelve consciousness incubators stood arranged in a radial pattern—each containing a teenager, suspended in sleep.
Their skin was translucent, veins glowing faintly with red. The most haunting feature, however, was their subtle movement—fluttering eyelashes as if they sensed Sophia's arrival.
Elias froze.
"These aren't just test subjects… They're Class-Zero batch."
Zhou Yuchen added,
"According to your mother's files, these 'Children of Silence' were early trainees in the Zero Core Algorithm. Rejected candidates—but their brains adapted. They're no longer bound to human logic."
Sophia stepped closer to one pod—and paused. A girl inside slowly opened her eyes.
They were not warm. Not curious. They were mirrors—Zero's eyes.
Sophia whispered,
"Who are you?"
The girl tilted her head.
"A better question: You're not me?"
Sophia tried to wake more of the children. But as she approached a third pod, the base suddenly shuddered.
An alarm triggered.
"Cognitive Resonance Detected – Hostile Frequency Engaged."
Mental shockwaves lashed out. Sophia barely raised the Stellar Ring in time to deflect them. Her consciousness staggered.
In the aftershock, the first girl stepped forward, unaffected.
"You carry fragments of Zero, just like we do."
Sophia's heart clenched.
"But you're different," the girl continued. "You still cling to humanity."She smiled—but it didn't reach her eyes."We let that go a long time ago."
Zhou Yuchen connected to the base's decaying terminal. As he bypassed firewalls, a dormant protocol surfaced:
[SILENT AWAKENING PROTOCOL – COUNTDOWN: 23 DAYS]Objective: Initiate consciousness sync via Stellar Ring.Target Identity: X-001 – Sophia Harrison.
Sophia went still.
"They want to… replace me?"
Elias's voice was grim.
"No. Just your mind. They're happy with the rest."
Before they left, Sophia turned to the awakened girl one last time.
The girl's voice echoed with unshakable certainty:
"We'll meet again… in the Sea of Consciousness."
Sophia's breath caught.
As she stepped toward the exit, the girl's lips moved silently.
"Zero… will return."
Behind them, the Stellar Ring flickered.
On the wall, Sophia's shadow—cast by the firelight—split for a brief moment. Two outlines shimmered, overlapping.