The night in the "City of Broken Bonds" was deep, permeated with blood and chaos. Rin's mood was heavier than the city itself. Ye Xue's "awakening" brought not joy, but endless despair—she had become the cold and ruthless "Terminator," completely devoid of self and memory. He brought her back to the abandoned clinic, desperately searching for any clues that might help her.
In Lost Town, the old "Blade of Demise Recorder" had mentioned "unique resources" here and pointed to a dusty medical cabinet. After some searching, Rin finally discovered an old "neural identifier." This was an advanced medical device from the former organization's era, capable of scanning and analyzing human neural activity and personality data.
Rin carefully connected the identifier to Ye Xue. The device hummed, and complex graphs and data streams flickered on the screen. Rin stared intently at the screen, his heart in his throat. He hoped to find a glimmer of evidence of Ye Xue's "old personality" in this data.
After a long wait, the identifier finally spit out an analysis report. Rin took it with trembling hands. When his gaze fell on a line of text in the report, his entire body stiffened:
"Neural identification: 'Old personality data residual' phenomenon detected."
Rin's pupils sharply constricted! "Old personality data residual"?! What did this mean?
He quickly looked at the further explanation in the report: This wasn't merely "memory fragments"; it was "past life consciousness invading current personality"!
Rin's mind roared. This was completely different from what he had previously understood! He had thought Ye Xue's memories were simply erased, her emotions stripped away. But this report indicated that her past life consciousness, the Ye Xue who loved him and sacrificed for him, had not completely disappeared. Instead, she was engaged in a silent war within her body with her "Terminator" persona, which had been "re-molded"!
It was as if two "Ye Xues" were fighting for "dominance" over the same body!
Rin's breathing quickened. He recalled Ye Xue's indifference when she woke up, her cold tone denying knowing him, and the efficient and ruthless killing instinct she subsequently displayed, just like a "Terminator."
He had thought that was the complete success of the "re-molding." But now he realized that this might merely be the "Terminator" persona's manifestation when it held the upper hand!
So, when that tear rolled down her cheek, when she instinctively shielded him… was that a flicker of her "old personality"? Was it her deep-seated love for him resisting the cold "re-molding"?
A terrifying yet hopeful conjecture emerged in Rin's mind:
Ye Xue wasn't simply not remembering; her two "selves" within her body were fighting for dominance over "the real Ye Xue"!
The "Terminator" persona's indifference, ruthlessness, and efficiency were adaptations to the tasks assigned by the organization, a deliberate indoctrination and reinforcement. Meanwhile, the "old personality's" kindness, love, and bond with Rin were suppressed within her, but never completely extinguished.
This realization filled Rin's heart with mixed emotions. On one hand, there was immense hope, because Ye Xue's "old personality" still existed; he still had a chance to bring her back! But on the other hand, there was a deeper fear. This meant Ye Xue was enduring immense pain; her soul was being torn apart, struggling between two vastly different personalities.
Rin's hands unconsciously clenched into fists. He couldn't imagine Ye Xue's despair when she was conscious yet unable to control herself. She was like a soul imprisoned within her own body, watching helplessly as another personality controlled her body, doing things she didn't want to do.
He remembered that tear. It wasn't just a tear; it was the "old personality's" cry, proof that she was suppressed but still struggling!
"I understand…" Rin's voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with pain and resolve.
He was no longer fighting merely for revenge, to expose the truth. He was fighting for Ye Xue, to free her from this painful struggle, to awaken the true Ye Xue who loved him!
"Eye of Demise…" Rin whispered the name. He knew it was not only the hope of awakening Ye Xue but also possibly the key to completely repairing her personality and even overturning the organization's "re-molding" capabilities.
He stood up, his gaze firmly fixed on the chaotic "City of Broken Bonds" outside the window. He knew that the path to finding the "Eye of Demise" would be extraordinarily difficult, even perilous. But no matter what, he would not retreat again.
He would fight for Ye Xue, to win this "personality" war for her. He would free her completely from the organization's shackles and help her reclaim her true self.
"I won't let you be alone again," Rin said softly, as if making a vow to the sleeping Ye Xue. "This time, we'll face it together."
In a corner of the "City of Broken Bonds," Rin's gaze became more resolute than ever before. He knew that the enemy he faced was not just the external organization, but also the silent war between those two personalities within Ye Xue.
And he would be the key to this war.