Spirit Realm – Soul Recovery Chamber 03-A · 72 Hours Later
Lu Feng sat in silence, unmoving in the sensory chair.
The soul-link on his wrist had been sealed by runic locks. Only a thin pulse of energy remained, monitoring life signs.
He hadn't spoken in three days.
Not due to muteness—But a state known as "internal suppression":A subconscious shutdown of behavior, done to prevent the awakening of the "second self" within.
Kaelin, meanwhile, had stayed outside the observation chamber.She'd only left once—to sign the Spirit Vow Emergency Protocol consent form.
She knew this would be dangerous.Spirit vows—contracts driven by emotional resonance—were designed to stabilize soul resonance through memory alignment and heart-bound intention.
But if the original soul was already compromised—The vow could become a two-way devouring.
Either she would pull him back—Or they'd both be swallowed by the collapse of identity.
"I must try," she told the lead examiner."I'm the last soul-match anchor he recognizes."
"If even I won't reach for him… then he's already lost."
—
[Spirit Vow Initialization]
Initiator: Kaelin · ID-KL109Target: Lu Feng · ID-LF109Mode: Memory-driven resonance syncStatus: Confirmed
In the center of the projection chamber, Kaelin stepped into the vow circle.
Behind her, floating above the ritual platform, came images—Memories.Moments only she and Lu Feng shared:
—The first time he handed her tea, and she whispered "thank you."—The night she fainted with fever and he stayed awake watching her.—Their silent walk into the Gray Domain, tethered by something unsaid but unshakable.
All of it surged into the projection, flowing into the fractured soul-mark hovering before her.
Kaelin stepped forward.
She spoke softly:
"Can you hear me?"
"It's Kaelin."
"You told me once—if I was willing to stand beside you, that would be enough."
"Well... I'm here now."
—
The projection didn't respond.
Until—
She reached out and touched the cracked soul mark.
"This is you."
"If you're still inside—answer me."
For a moment, only silence.
Then, the soul mark burst with force, and a black shadow lunged outward.
"He doesn't belong to you anymore."
The voice of the second personality—cold, disembodied.
But Kaelin stood her ground, hand still pressed to the core.
Her vow activated fully—Her memories, voice, intent—all surged inward like fire.
"You may have his power…"
"But you will never know his heart."
"You weren't the one who stayed when he felt abandoned."
"You didn't hold his hand when he was afraid of the dark."
"I did."
—
The projection trembled—shattered—and then reshaped.
A figure emerged slowly, wrapped in intertwining strands of blue and white energy.
He opened his eyes.
It was Lu Feng.
"Kaelin…" His voice was cracked, barely audible.
"I'm here," she replied, without hesitation.
—
[System Update]
Spirit vow sync: 96.8%Second personality suppression: Temporarily stableSoul mark: Reconstructing · Primary awareness re-established
—
Somewhere, deep within his fractured self,the second personality whispered from within a sealed layer of thought:
"You won this round, Kaelin."
"But I'm not gone."
—
When Lu Feng finally opened his eyes in the real world, tears slipped silently down his cheek.
And Kaelin—
She gently lowered her forehead to his hand and whispered:
"Welcome back."