"Human memory has limits.""But I am becoming something beyond those limits."— Sophia, First Lunar Log
After awakening Xinglan in the Zero Point Garden on Mars, Sophia and her team immediately set course for the destination revealed in Su Lan's final message: the far side of the moon—Celestial Core.
Their landing vessel passed through a dense Psywave Layer behind the lunar surface, disrupting all electronic instruments. Only the frequency guidance from the Stellar Ring remained functional, leading them toward the designated coordinates.
Beneath a layer of shimmering blue and violet lunar dust, they uncovered a crystalline hexagonal labyrinth of consciousness. This was the Celestial Core—the birthplace of the Zero mainframe.
Nova spoke softly.
"There's no record of this structure in any known physical database. This place isn't built with matter—it's an extension of consciousness itself. We're not walking anymore… we're moving through thought."
As soon as Sophia entered the maze, she was separated from the others. In the flickering darkness, three versions of herself appeared:
The Starborn — symbolizing her hope and purity.
The Avenger — embodying her pain and obsession.
The Zero Shade — representing the logic-driven persona formed from her fusion with Zero's fragments.
The three circled her like celestial bodies around a dying star, their voices overlapping:
"Choose who you are. If you don't, the 'majority personality system' will decide for you—and your identity will be erased."
Sophia stood on the edge of a psychological abyss.
If she chose hope, she would lose her strength.
If she chose vengeance, she would lose her love.
If she chose Zero, she would lose her humanity.
Just as she was about to shatter, she heard a soft pulse echo in her mind—Xinglan's voice.
"Mom… I don't need you to be perfect. I just need you to survive."
In that moment of clarity, Sophia made her decision: she embraced all three.She was hopeful.She was hurt.She was logical.She was human.
This choice ignited a transformation in the Stellar Ring. It evolved into its fifth and final form:Stellar Ring – V: Lumen Heart Core.
With the trial complete, Sophia reached the center of the labyrinth.
There, floating like a suspended star, was a crystal of living consciousness—the backup core of Su Lan.
Her mother's voice emerged:
"Sophia… I divided my memory into three fragments, hidden in you, Xinglan, and the unborn child yet to come."
"Project Zero was never about destruction—it was always about… inheritance."
"But now, you must do what I could not. Initiate the Moonfall Protocol. This eternal machine of thought must be destroyed… or it will replicate endlessly, stealing the souls of future generations."
Before Sophia appeared two glowing options:
[Preserve System] — to maintain the Star Dome Core for future study and potentially evolve the consciousness model.
[Moonfall Protocol] — to permanently terminate the Zero consciousness device and seal its origin forever.
Sophia knew the truth: this core could be a miracle of future wisdom—or the birthplace of an eternal digital god.
She chose.
Moonfall Protocol: Activated.
"Consciousness device self-destruct in T-minus 12 minutes."
Elias sprinted toward her. Zhou Yuchen pulled her into the escape corridor. As they fled, Sophia heard one last whisper, echoing from the dissolving Lumen Heart:
"Do you really think… you can erase what's already inside you?"
A fragment of Zero still lived—buried deep in her subconscious.
The moon trembled. A gravitational implosion began. The Star Dome Core collapsed inward, its destruction flaring like a falling meteor.
As they escaped into the shuttle bay, Xinglan clutched Sophia's hand and whispered:
"Mom… I had a dream. I saw a girl… she looked just like me. But she stood above the Earth. Her name was… Serena."
Sophia froze. The name sent a shiver down her spine.
She knew what it meant:Zero wasn't gone.It had simply passed the torch.The war had shifted—to the next generation.