After the incident at the residential building, sunlight once again spilled over the city, and life appeared to return to normal. But for Xiaohuo and his companions, everything had changed. The cracks now seemed to whisper from every shadow, and the city itself thrummed with a tension only they could sense.
I. Maya's Weightlessness and Self-Reflection
Maya sat alone by the window, watching the sunlight flicker across the alley. Ever since her direct encounter with the high-level resonator's soul, her emotions had felt torn open—a raw wound she couldn't quite close. Memories from the crack's illusion kept surfacing: the lonely child, the weeping mother, the vanished father. Each vision was a silent plea for help.
She found herself thinking, "If that pain were truly mine, could I face it? Would I run, or would I let myself be saved?"
This introspection was both agonizing and liberating. In her journal, she wrote,
"The crack is not just an external phenomenon; it's a projection of my own heart. Every soul we save is a reminder to face my own shadow."
When Sophie quietly joined her, Maya finally let herself cry. "I think I'm beginning to understand. The fear in the illusion—it's the same loneliness we've all felt. Maybe, only by facing it, can the crack begin to heal."
Sophie hugged her gently. "We're all the same. We can't always be strong, but at least we don't have to be alone."
II. Ethan's Anxiety and Search for Meaning
Ethan pored over his laptop, comparing crack data again and again. The resonance values from three monitoring points sent chills down his spine. For all his rationality, he began to doubt: "If the cracks are evolving into a city-wide network, our technology and theories aren't enough…"
Closing his eyes, he remembered his own isolated childhood—the feeling that no one truly understood him. It was the same silent ache he'd seen in the shadow's illusion. Suddenly, he realized his own anxiety could be a catalyst for the cracks' resonance.
"I can't just rely on instruments and logic," he wrote in his notebook. "Resonance is more than science; it's about emotion and conviction, too."
III. David's Vigilance and Doubt
David, ever observant, noticed more and more citizens displaying "crack symptoms"—blank stares, sudden emotional outbursts, people drifting between reality and hallucination.
A persistent doubt gnawed at him: "Are our small efforts really enough to change anything? If the cracks are deeper and wider than we think, will we just be swallowed up in the end?"
Yet every time he saw his friends encouraging and supporting one another, a flicker of hope stirred. "Maybe it's these fragile bonds that keep the darkness at bay," he thought, "and maybe that's enough."
IV. Sophie's Contemplation and World-Building
Sophie continued to document incidents, cross-referencing Professor Lin's theories, ancient texts, and modern psychology. Gradually, a profound hypothesis took shape:
"The crack isn't just a supernatural event," she mused. "It's the physical embodiment of the city's collective unconscious—of all the repressed, denied, and forgotten emotions pooling together."
In her diary, she wrote:
"Every crack is born from someone's extreme pain and loneliness. High-level resonators are fragments of souls overwhelmed and consumed by these emotions—they are both victims and gatekeepers. And those of us who can resonate… we're the city's self-healing agents."
She remembered the illusion's warning: "You, too, will be forgotten." It wasn't just a threat—it was the truth of modern urban life.
V. Xiaohuo's Burden and Resolve
Xiaohuo carried the weight of the cracks in silence. Some nights, he lay awake, haunted by those he'd saved—and those he hadn't. "If one day I'm swallowed by the darkness, will my friends come for me?" he wondered.
But memories of their shared struggles gave him new strength. He made a secret vow: "As long as someone believes in love and connection, the crack will never win."
He began reaching out to the community, organizing resonance workshops, and encouraging people to share their stories in small gatherings. He believed that even the smallest acts of openness could become a beacon.
VI. Deeper World-Building: The Nature of the Crack
During a team meeting, Sophie explained the evolving theory of the cracks:
Emotional Energy Network: Each person in the city is a node; emotions travel through social networks. When enough nodes are trapped in isolation, repression, or pain, these energies naturally converge into a crack.High-Level Resonators: Originally ordinary people, these souls were engulfed by their emotions at a breaking point. Transformed by the crack, they can now influence reality and trigger mass resonance—the "active expansion" phase.Crack Illusions: Every crack has a dominant theme (loneliness, abandonment, shame, loss, etc.). The illusion is a hyper-real space where these emotions play out. Only when the resonator faces—and accepts—these feelings can the crack heal, even temporarily.City's Self-Healing Mechanism: The cracks are not inherently evil; they are the collective unconscious's attempt to purge pressure. With each healing, the city's emotional load lightens—until the next crisis.
The team listened, shaken but enlightened. Every small action, every shared story, could alter the entire structure.
VII. Hope and Fear in Collective Action
As the crack network grew, city-wide anomalies multiplied: commuters dazed on the subway, children crying in malls, social media flooded with talk of "shadows" and "strange dreams."
A debate arose within the team—should they continue quiet rescues, or publicly call for collective awakening? Some feared mass panic; others believed only communal awareness could bring hope.
Xiaohuo made the final call. "We can't wait for the cracks to spread. Even if just a few are willing to look inward, the city has a chance."
They split up: Sophie led public seminars; Maya opened healing circles; Ethan and David handled technical monitoring and emergency alerts.
VIII. The City's Whisper and a New Dawn
One night, walking home alone, Xiaohuo heard a thousand whispers in the wind—each a fragment of fear, pain, or hope, resonating from every corner of the city. He closed his eyes and felt the truth:
"The crack is not our enemy. The crack is us. Every time we face ourselves, every act of healing, is the city's chance to breathe again."
He made a silent prayer: May this fragile light one day illuminate all darkness.