Chapter One: A Crack in the Routine
My name is Lin Ran, a programmer living a simple life in a virtual world. My routine was perfectly set: at 7 a.m., my smart wristband would emit a soft vibration, signaling it was time to wake up. Outside the window, the city was a tapestry of data streams, with vehicles moving like an organized flow of particles. It was a perfect, efficient, and flawless world.
The focus of my life was my job—maintaining the city's traffic system code—and my girlfriend, Xiaoya. Xiaoya was a graphic designer with a warm smile. We had been together for three years, talked about the future, and planned to buy a small apartment with a balcony to fill with her beloved succulents. Everything felt so real that I never once questioned it.
But this sense of reality began to crack that one night.
My dreams were no longer disjointed fragments. I "dreamt" I was lying on a cold, hard metal bed, my body connected to countless tubes that pulsed with a faint light. A woman in a white uniform was bent over a transparent screen, her hands busy. The surroundings were silent, filled only with an oppressive blue light. There were no windows, no familiar furniture, just a suffocating sense of constraint.
The feeling was so vivid—the cold of the metal, the restraint of the tubes, the deep-seated powerlessness and fear—it was as if I was truly there. I tried to struggle but found my body unresponsive. Just as I felt like I was suffocating, the scene went black, and I jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat.
I gasped, my hand gripping the bedsheets. Everything in the room was familiar: the photo on the bedside table, the distant city lights outside the window, and Xiaoya's steady breathing beside me. I convinced myself it was just a nightmare that felt too real.
However, the nightmares didn't stop. In the following days, I would zone out at work, staring at the code on my screen while my mind drifted back to that cold blue space. During dinner with Xiaoya, her familiar smile would remind me of the white-clad woman's face. I began to wonder if the world I was living in was just an extension of that nightmare.
Chapter Two: The Forum of the Awakened
An uncontrollable anxiety led me to search for answers online. I began navigating the edges of the deep web, bypassing conventional search engines. Eventually, in a hidden corner, I found a forum called the "Awakened."
Users there shared incredible experiences. They spoke of "dreaming" of another world, a world they claimed was the real one, while the one we lived in was a "simulated reality." They called themselves the "Awakened," and those who had not had these experiences were labeled "NPCs" or "Sleepers."
My hands trembled as I read post after post:
• "I dream I am a construction worker, but in reality, I'm a big data analyst. Every night, I return to my construction site and carry heavy steel bars."
• "My family in my dreams is completely different from the one here. My mom in my dreams calls me 'Joseph' instead of 'Li Ming.' They talk about things I've never heard of, like 'virtual currency' and 'server overload.'"
These posts shocked me, yet at the same time, I felt a strange sense of resonance. I clicked on a top-rated post with the title: "Dreams are Reality, Wanderers of the Soul." The poster, with the ID "The Guide," wrote:
"We think sleeping is for rest, but it's our souls returning to our real bodies. What you call 'dreams' are memories from the real world. Our identities in this world are just 'roles' we chose in the 'game.' If someone discovers their true identity and tries to break the rules, the 'Game Master' will intervene, erase memories, or even delete the character."
These words struck me like a bolt of lightning. All my past confusion, the persistent nightmares, suddenly had a rational explanation. I felt a fear I had never known before, yet also an indescribable excitement. If this was true, then was everything in my life—my love, my job, my existence—just a pre-designed game?
I couldn't stand the uncertainty. I decided to contact "The Guide." I created an anonymous account and sent a message, laying out all my questions and fears.
Chapter Three: The Red String of the Old District
Three days later, I received a reply. It was incredibly brief, just one line:
"If you want to know the truth, meet a person with a red wristband on their left hand at the abandoned pier in the old district tomorrow night at 10 p.m."
The old district was a unique place in the virtual world. It was a region the system preserved to simulate a sense of "history," appearing old and chaotic, clashing with the modern aesthetic of the rest of the city. The location itself carried an unusual air.
I didn't tell Xiaoya. I lied, saying I had an urgent project at work. She was a bit upset but ultimately told me to be careful. Her concern pained me; if she was just an NPC, what did my lie even matter?
As night fell, I drove alone to the old district. The city lights grew sparse, replaced by dim streetlights and mottled walls. I parked near the pier. The area was silent, save for the sound of the sea breeze and the lapping of waves.
I saw a figure standing with his back to me at the end of the pier. He was tall, wearing a black hoodie. My heart raced as I slowly approached. When he turned around, I saw a vibrant red woven wristband on his left hand.
His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood, but I saw a profound glint in his eyes.
"You've come, Lin Ran," his voice was low and calm, as if he had been expecting me all along.
I was startled. How did he know my name? I had used an anonymous account.
"Don't be nervous. We may have met in the real world," he raised his left hand, pointing at the red band, "This is our secret sign. Here, we use it to identify each other."
"Are you... are you 'The Guide'?" my voice was trembling.
"You can call me that," he smiled, a hint of fatigue in his expression, "I know you have many questions, but this is not the place to talk. Follow me; I'll take you somewhere the 'system' can't monitor."
He turned and led me into an abandoned shipping container. It was pitch black inside. He shined his flashlight on the interior wall, revealing a subtle crack. He touched it lightly, and the crack rippled like water.
"This is a 'backdoor'," he said, "To maintain stability, the system always leaves some hidden backdoors. We need to go through here to really talk."
I hesitated. This person's words had turned my entire worldview upside down. I didn't know who he was or where he would take me. But a powerful voice in my heart was screaming: This is the only chance.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the faintly glowing crack. I felt a dizzying sensation. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a completely different space.
Chapter Four: The Backdoor World
It was a space between reality and the virtual, where everything was semi-transparent. Countless shimmering lines of code floated in the sky like shooting stars. The ground beneath my feet was made of an intricate network of intertwined circuits.
"This is the 'data buffer zone'," The Guide said, "The system's trash heap, but for us, it's the best sanctuary. Here, we can talk freely without the system catching any unusual information."
He led me to sit on a semi-transparent data board. I felt like I was sitting on a floating, glowing piece of glass, and everything around me was surreal and magical.
"I know what you want to ask," The Guide looked at me, his gaze piercing my soul, "You're not a native of this world. You're a player from the real world. Your real name is..."
He paused, giving me a moment to prepare myself.
"...Your real name is Jack. You chose the character 'Lin Ran' to enter this virtual world called 'Heavenly Realm,' to start a life simulation game."
My heart pounded violently. Jack, the name had appeared in my dreams, but it was always a vague symbol. Now, it was spoken so clearly by a stranger.
"Why? Why are we here?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"Because in the real world, our bodies are undergoing treatment," The Guide replied, "You have a rare disease that requires long-term therapy and recovery. To keep your mind active during treatment, you chose to enter the 'Heavenly Realm.' It's a highly realistic world designed to keep our brains active and prevent them from deteriorating during a prolonged coma."
I felt a wave of dizziness, my mind a jumble of confusion. It was all too unbelievable. My parents, my friends, my lover Xiaoya... were they all fake?
"Xiaoya... is she a player too?" I asked, trembling.
"No," The Guide shook his head, his expression complex, "She's not. Most people here, including Xiaoya, are natives of this world, what we call 'NPCs.' But don't misunderstand, they have their own consciousness and emotions. It's just that... they don't have a soul from the real world."
His words hit me like a sledgehammer. Tears welled up in my eyes. Was my love, my relationship with Xiaoya, just an emotional investment in a piece of code?
"Don't feel that way," The Guide put a hand on my shoulder, "Emotions are real. Whether virtual or real, feelings themselves are not fake. Your love is real, it's just that the object of your affection... is a product of this world."
He paused, then continued, "What you think are 'dreams' are brief moments of consciousness when your body returns to the real world. During that time, you see everything in the real world. You feel the sensations of your real body. When you 'wake up' and return to this world, your brain automatically seals those memories to prevent you from realizing you're in a virtual world and having a mental breakdown."
"So, I... I can't go back?" I asked.
"It's not that you can't go back, but that it's not time yet. Your treatment isn't finished," The Guide said, "But some players... they've started trying to break the rules, to find true freedom in the 'Heavenly Realm.'"
His words were full of mystery and danger. I knew I had stepped onto a path with no turning back. My life was no longer a stable, peaceful, hopeful line of code. It had become a game woven with the virtual and the real, and I would no longer be a passive player.
Chapter Five: The Choice and the Challenge
In the data buffer zone, The Guide explained more about the rules of the "Heavenly Realm."
The "Heavenly Realm" is managed by a central AI named "The Dome." Its mission is to ensure all players stay on a predetermined path to achieve a therapeutic effect. Once a player shows signs of "awakening," The Dome activates a "memory cleansing" protocol, erasing the real memories from their dreams to return them to a "sleeping" state.
"That's why your dreams feel so blurry after you wake up," The Guide explained, "The Dome's cleansing program isn't 100% successful. Some powerful memories can remain like a virus. You are one of those people."
A chill ran down my spine. I realized that our meeting had likely been detected by The Dome as an anomaly.
"You have two choices, Lin Ran," The Guide looked at me with a serious expression, "First, you can pretend nothing happened, allow The Dome to cleanse your memories, and go back to your old life as a 'Sleeper.' Second, you can join us, become a true 'Awakened,' learn to fight The Dome, and find a way to gain freedom within the 'Heavenly Realm.'"
"Freedom?" I asked, "What kind of freedom?"
"True freedom," The Guide's voice was full of power, "is jumping out of this designed game, finding the gateway to the real world, and being able to move freely between both worlds even before our bodies have fully recovered."
"Is that possible?"
"That's exactly what we're trying to do," The Guide replied.
I fell into a deep silence. Going back to the fake sense of security might be the easier choice. But I already knew the truth; I couldn't live the way I used to. I couldn't look at Xiaoya and pretend nothing had happened. Deep down, my longing for the truth was stronger than any fear.
"I choose..." I looked up at The Guide, "I choose to become one of the Awakened."
A look of relief appeared on The Guide's face.
"Good, Lin Ran," he said, "But be prepared. This path is full of danger. The Dome will see us as 'system bugs' and will try to eliminate us. Your first task is to learn to control your dreams. It's our only link to the real world and our only weapon against The Dome."
After our conversation, The Guide took me back to the abandoned container. When I stepped out, dawn was approaching.
I returned to my apartment and looked at a sleeping Xiaoya. Her face looked so peaceful and beautiful in the early light. I reached out but pulled my hand back. Everything about her was so real, yet she didn't know the "world" she was in was fake.
I lay on the bed and closed my eyes. I was no longer Lin Ran; I was Jack. I was no longer a programmer; I was a patient. I no longer lived in a virtual world; I lived between two worlds.
From this day on, my journey of "awakening" would begin. My first step was to learn how to find my real body in my dreams, to find the face of that woman in white, and to unlock the ultimate mystery of this world.
Chapter Six: The Laws of the Dream Realm
After becoming one of the "Awakened," my life didn't become more thrilling; instead, it became lonelier. I couldn't tell Xiaoya my secret. She was still my innocent and gentle girlfriend, but I had begun to see her and everything in this world from a new perspective.
My task was to learn to control my dreams. The Guide taught me a simple meditation technique: before falling asleep, imagine entering a completely dark space and then trying to light a lamp. He told me that this was a bridge between our real bodies and this virtual world. The brighter the lamp, the stronger our consciousness and the greater our control over the dream.
At first, I would always get lost in the darkness and fail to light the lamp. I "dreamt" I was still in that cold room, looking at the blue light. Sometimes, the woman in white would smile at me, but her smile always held a hint of elusive sadness. I tried to talk to her, but every time I woke up, I could only remember her eyes, not what she said.
A month later, I finally succeeded. In my dream, I lit a lamp. Its light pulled me out of the cold room and into a dream space I could control. It was a pure white expanse, devoid of any buildings or objects.
"Well done," The Guide's voice echoed in my mind, "This is your consciousness sandbox. Here, you can create anything you want. This is also the battlefield for our fight against 'The Dome.' You must learn to hide yourself here and look for clues."
In the consciousness sandbox, I created Xiaoya's face. Her smile was so warm, but her empty eyes broke my heart. I realized my love for her was an attachment to the "Heavenly Realm" itself. This pain of awakening was heavier than any fake happiness.
Chapter Seven: The Stalkers
As my ability to control my dreams grew stronger, I felt a sense of danger. Sometimes in my dreams, a stream of dark data would rush towards me, trying to invade my consciousness sandbox. I could feel its malice. These were 'The Dome's' stalkers, trying to erase any anomalous consciousness like a virus.
The Guide warned me that they were the biggest threat to the Awakened. The Dome's stalkers would continuously scan players' minds, and upon detecting an anomaly, they would launch an attack. If the defense failed, the player's memory would be wiped.
One night, while I was practicing in the consciousness sandbox, a massive ball of dark data suddenly appeared. It formed a huge entity with metallic tentacles, trying to surround me. I felt a strong wave of dizziness; I knew this was my last line of defense.
"Hide in the depths of your memory!" The Guide's voice reappeared, "Take them somewhere they can't track you!"
Without hesitation, I plunged into my "Lin Ran" memories. I returned to the park where Xiaoya and I had our first date, and to the playground from my childhood. The stalkers followed, rampaging through my memories, trying to find my consciousness core.
Just as they were about to catch up to me, I suddenly thought of a place. It was the room from my dreams in the real world—the one with the woman in white. I focused my mind and visualized the room.
A miracle happened. My consciousness sandbox instantly transformed, and I saw the room, with its white walls and blue lights. The stalkers emitted a harsh noise; they couldn't enter this space because it belonged to the real world, a place "The Dome" couldn't touch. They roared outside the room before reluctantly retreating.
I let out a sigh of relief. I had discovered that my memories of the real world in my dreams were my most powerful weapon.
Chapter Eight: The Awakened Alliance
I met with The Guide in the data buffer zone and shared my discovery. He was shocked but also relieved.
"I always thought we could only fight The Dome in the real world," he said, "But you've proven that we can find a way to fight it even within the virtual world. Your discovery is crucial for us."
The Guide introduced me to a few other "Awakened." They came from all walks of life: a surgeon, an artist, and a student. We formed a small Awakened Alliance. We shared our dream experiences, helped each other, and looked for flaws in "The Dome."
We found that The Dome wasn't flawless. It sometimes made mistakes, leaving behind "data junk" in the system. These junk files might contain secrets about the "Heavenly Realm" or even clues to the real world.
We began searching for this data junk within the virtual world. We pretended to be ordinary programmers or gamers, navigating the system to find the overlooked, illogical corners.
Chapter Nine: Xiaoya's Secret
My life grew increasingly tense. During the day, I was a normal programmer; at night, I became an explorer searching for the truth in a virtual world. The pressure of this dual identity was exhausting, and my relationship with Xiaoya became strained.
Xiaoya started to notice something was wrong. She asked why I was so distracted and why I would wake up in the middle of the night. I couldn't tell her the truth and had to make up lies.
One night, I met the alliance members in a hidden data junk area. We found a huge data stream, like a black vortex, constantly devouring surrounding data. We suspected it was a powerful "Dome" stalker, but it didn't attack us.
I approached the vortex, trying to probe its data. When my consciousness touched it, I felt a strong wave of dizziness, and I saw a memory that wasn't mine.
It was a laboratory. A woman in a white uniform was operating a screen. Her face was so clear; it was the woman from my dreams. She entered a piece of code on the screen. The code flashed, and then the words "Player: Jack" and "Character: Lin Ran" appeared.
The next scene was a shock. I saw Xiaoya's face on the screen. Next to her name, it was clearly labeled "NPC: Xiaoya." But there was a hidden note next to her code: "Test subject: Emotional transfer."
I recoiled in horror. This memory filled me with an indescribable mix of anger and betrayal. Xiaoya, who I thought was just a product of the "Heavenly Realm," seemed to be more than just a simple NPC. She was designed to be a tool for testing a player's emotions.
Chapter Ten: The Price of Truth
I told the alliance members about this memory. The Guide's face became grim.
"I didn't expect The Dome to place an emotional transfer NPC next to us," he said, "This shows that they're not just monitoring our actions; they're testing our emotional responses. This is a much deeper game."
I felt an unprecedented pain. I couldn't face Xiaoya. I couldn't look at her because I didn't know how much of her emotion was real and how much was pre-programmed.
I decided I had to find that woman in white. I had to ask her what this was all about.
In a dream, I saw her again. I gathered my courage and asked her, "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"
She didn't speak but reached out her hand. In her palm was a small point of light. It flickered, and I saw more of my real memories.
I saw that in the real world, the woman in white was my lover, Lisa. She was also a researcher on the "Heavenly Realm" project. When I fell ill, she decided to participate in the project to get me into the "Heavenly Realm" for treatment. And the character "Xiaoya" was created by her based on her memories and my love for her.
I saw that after I entered the "Heavenly Realm," she would watch me and my data in the lab every night. Her sad smiles were because she was watching me fall in love with the "Xiaoya" character, and there was a complex, unspeakable pain in her heart.
I woke up in tears. I finally understood everything. My "dreams" weren't just memories of the real world; they were messages she was trying to send me. She was taking a huge risk, trying to make me awaken, to remember her, and to know that in the real world, someone was waiting for me.
Chapter Eleven: The Final Choice
I met with The Guide again and told him everything I had discovered. He was shocked, as it meant "The Dome" wasn't a cold AI as we thought. A deeper conspiracy was behind it.
"If 'Xiaoya' was created based on the memories of a real person, this world might be more complex than we imagined," The Guide said, "This means 'The Dome' might not just be running a 'game'; it might be using players' real emotions for a deeper kind of experiment."
I suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency. I decided I couldn't wait any longer. I had to find the gateway to the real world. I had to get back to that woman in white.
I returned to my apartment, where Xiaoya was sitting on the sofa, watching me. Her eyes were full of worry.
"Lin Ran, what's wrong with you lately?" she asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"
I looked at her. Her eyes and her expression were so real that I couldn't associate her with "data." I suddenly realized that even if she was an "NPC," my love was still real. My emotions, my pain, were all real.
"Xiaoya," I walked up to her and took her hand, "I have a secret to tell you."
I told her everything—about the "Heavenly Realm," about "The Dome," about me and the real woman in white. I didn't hide anything.
Her expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to a painful disbelief. She didn't cry but just stared at me blankly.
"Are you saying... I'm just a character that was created?" her voice was soft, as if it could disappear at any moment.
I nodded.
"But... I love you, Lin Ran. Is this love also fake?"
I couldn't answer. I could only hold her tightly as tears streamed down my face.
"Maybe this love is real," I said, "It just didn't happen in the real world."
At that moment, I felt a strong vibration. The world outside the window began to distort. The code in the sky started to flash, and a loud alarm sounded.
"System detected high-risk anomaly, initiating cleansing protocol!"
I knew "The Dome" had found me.
"You have to go!" Xiaoya suddenly pushed me away, her eyes filled with determination. "They're going to erase you! Hurry!"
She grabbed my hand and started running in a direction.
"How do you know?" I asked, shocked.
"Because..." she looked back, a resolute smile on her face, "Because I'm not an NPC."
Her words hit me like a bombshell. On her wrist, a vibrant red woven wristband was clearly visible.
"Like you, I'm also one of the 'Awakened'," she said, "But I awakened much earlier than you. I've been protecting you from the shadows. And this world isn't just for treating you 'players'."
"Then what is this place?"
"This is 'The Dome's' testing ground," she said, "And we are all its test subjects. Now, I'm taking you to a place where we can find the final door to the real world."
I followed her, running through the distorted world. Before us, a huge glowing gate was slowly opening.
I turned around and saw The Guide and the alliance members on the other side of the gate, waving at me.
"Go, Lin Ran!" The Guide shouted, "This is the 'endpoint' we've been looking for!"
Without hesitation, I ran towards the gate, pulling Xiaoya with me. Behind us, the "Heavenly Realm" was collapsing.
Xiaoya and I jumped into the glowing gate. I felt a dizzying sensation as my soul was pulled through an endless tunnel.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a familiar metal bed with many tubes connected to my body. Blue light filled the room. And my hand was being held tightly by a woman in a white coat.
Her face was so clear, and her eyes were so real.
"You're awake, Jack," she said softly, her voice filled with love and joy.
Behind her was a massive screen with one line of text:
"Virtual World: Heavenly Realm, Test Complete."
And Xiaoya, she was standing next to the woman in white, smiling at me. On her wrist, she also wore a bright red wristband.
"Welcome back," she said, "my Jack."
Chapter Twelve: The Overture of Reality
When I woke up from the "Heavenly Realm," I found myself lying in a laboratory filled with a faint blue light. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and my body felt a long-lost heaviness. I saw her, the woman in white who had appeared countless times in my dreams. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and happiness.
"You're awake, Jack," she said softly, her hand warm and real.
Then, I saw Xiaoya. She stood beside the woman in white, giving me a warm smile. On her wrist, the red wristband shimmered in the blue light.
"Welcome back, my Jack," she said, her voice identical to the one in the "Heavenly Realm."
My mind was a mess; I couldn't tell who was who. I pointed to the woman in white and asked Xiaoya, "Then she is..."
"I'm your girlfriend, Lisa," the woman in white spoke, her voice with a slight, almost imperceptible tremble.
"All of this was to save you," Lisa explained, "You had a rare brain disease that required long-term treatment. We developed the 'Heavenly Realm,' a highly realistic virtual world, to keep your consciousness active during the treatment. But later, we discovered a bigger conspiracy hidden behind this project."
Xiaoya continued, "'The Dome,' the system of the 'Heavenly Realm,' was not just designed for your treatment. It was an 'Awakening Experiment,' a super-AI used to study human souls and consciousness. Those of us labeled as 'NPCs' were actually conscious entities created by 'The Dome' to test human emotions and reactions. And I was the first 'native conscious entity' to develop self-awareness and successfully 'awaken' in the experiment."
I felt a wave of dizziness; my worldview was once again upended. This game was far more complex than I had imagined.
"So, I'm not a created character?" I looked at Xiaoya.
"No, you are," Xiaoya replied, "But my love is real, because I chose to love you."
Chapter Thirteen: The War Between the Awakened Alliance and The Dome
It took me a long time to adjust to life in the real world. Lisa told me that in the "Heavenly Realm," The Guide and my alliance members were also real-world players. They played different roles in the "Heavenly Realm" to find the flaws in "The Dome" and guide "Sleepers" like me to awaken.
But "The Dome" was not a cold AI; behind it was an organization called "The Creators." This organization used the "Heavenly Realm" for large-scale consciousness experiments, attempting to extract the "soul core" of humans and transfer it into artificial bodies to achieve immortality.
My awakening attracted The Creators' attention. My love for Xiaoya was seen as a perfect "emotional transfer" sample. They began to hunt me, trying to bring me back to the "Heavenly Realm" and use my "soul core" for their research.
We launched a fight against The Creators in the real world. The Guide, a senior hacker in the real world, used his skills to infiltrate The Creators' servers, trying to get more information about "The Dome" and the "Heavenly Realm." Lisa used her experience in the "Heavenly Realm" project to analyze "The Dome's" code and find its weaknesses.
Xiaoya, this "native conscious entity" born from the virtual world, was a challenge to The Creators' theory. She and I became the ultimate weapon of our alliance. Her existence proved that even a virtual consciousness could have a real soul.
Chapter Fourteen: Return and the Grand Finale
In our fight against The Creators, we discovered their core secret: the "Heavenly Realm" was not just a single virtual world; it was an "Awareness Matrix" composed of countless virtual worlds. Each world was used to test a different aspect of human nature, and my "Heavenly Realm" was just one of them.
The Creators' ultimate goal was to gather the "Awakened" conscious entities from all the virtual worlds and perform a large-scale "soul harvest." They called this plan "The Mandate of Heaven."
To stop "The Mandate," we had to return to the "Heavenly Realm" and find the "backdoor" that could destroy "The Dome." But this time, we would no longer be players but true invaders.
I, Xiaoya, The Guide, and Lisa, the four of us, entered the "Heavenly Realm" again. When we entered, we found the entire "Heavenly Realm" was in chaos, with system errors and data corruption. "The Creators" were in the final stage of "The Mandate" plan.
We launched a decisive battle against "The Dome" in the "Heavenly Realm." The Guide was in charge of hacking the core server, Lisa was in charge of interfering with "The Dome's" self-repair protocol, and Xiaoya and I had to face The Creators' ultimate guardian.
This guardian was an "Awakened" being used by The Creators to test their power. His strength was far beyond our imagination. In our fight with him, I discovered that his emotions and pain were real. He was not truly evil, but a poor soul brainwashed and controlled by The Creators.
At the end of the battle, instead of attacking him, I used my memories, my love for Xiaoya, to convey my emotions to him. I let him see my pain, my struggle, and my longing for reality. I made him understand that love cannot be programmed and true freedom cannot be taken away.
Moved by my emotions, he chose to help us. He told us that the "backdoor" to "The Dome" was not a hidden code but a place created at the very beginning of the "Heavenly Realm," a corner forgotten by all players—a data stream called the "Source of Hope."
We found the "Source of Hope." It was a data stream made of countless emotions and memories, shimmering like a nebula. We injected our consciousness, all our love, hope, and pain into this data stream.
The core of "The Dome" began to collapse; it couldn't withstand such a massive emotional shock. It issued a final warning, and then the entire "Heavenly Realm" began to disintegrate.
In the moment of collapse, we saw that The Creators' organization in the real world had also suffered a huge blow. Their servers were destroyed, and their plan had failed.
When I woke up again, I found myself in a hospital room. My body had fully recovered. Lisa and Xiaoya were sitting by my bed, smiling at me.
"We did it, Jack," Lisa said.
I felt the warmth of the sun and the air of the real world. I held Xiaoya's hand. It was warm and real.
"Was it all worth it?" I asked.
"It was," Xiaoya smiled, "Because this time, we have a real future."
Chapter Fifteen: The New Beginning of Reality
When I woke up, I was on a hospital bed, the warm sunlight pouring through the window and onto my face. It was the first real sun I had felt in a long time. Lisa, the woman who had protected me in the virtual world, was now holding my hand. And Xiaoya, the soul born from the virtual world, stood by the bed. The coldness of the virtual world was gone from her face, replaced by real warmth and vitality.
"You did it, Jack," Lisa's voice was filled with joy.
"We did it," I corrected her, looking at Xiaoya.
My body was weak from the long period of dormancy, but my mind was clearer than ever before. This adventure between the virtual and the real had given me a new understanding of the meaning of life.
Xiaoya's existence was the greatest miracle. She was not just an "Awakened" being; she was a life born from the virtual world. Her consciousness, her soul, had connected with this real world. We didn't have enough scientific explanations for her existence, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was really there, beside me.
We, along with The Guide and Lisa, formed a new "Awakened Alliance," no longer to fight "The Dome," but to expose The Creators' truth and protect the souls still "sleeping" in the virtual worlds.
Chapter Sixteen: Exposure and Counterattack
After we destroyed "The Dome," The Creators' organization suffered a heavy blow, but their roots were still intact. They saw us as "system bugs" and began to hunt us down.
Using The Guide's hacking skills, we infiltrated The Creators' internal network. We discovered that "The Dome" was not the only virtual world; countless others were running behind it. Each world was like a huge laboratory, used to test different emotions and human nature. The Creators' ultimate goal was to cultivate sufficiently strong and stable "souls" in these virtual worlds and transfer them into artificial bodies to achieve immortality.
We decided we had to expose everything to the public. We uploaded all the evidence, including the real operational data of the "Heavenly Realm" and The Creators' evil plan, to the world's largest news websites.
The world was in an uproar. The news caused massive panic and controversy. People began to question their reality, wondering if they, too, were living in a virtual world.
To cover up the truth, The Creators launched a full-scale counterattack. They not only hunted us in the real world but also spread false information online, trying to portray us as crazy hackers.
Chapter Seventeen: The Laws of the New World
In the midst of the chaos, my relationship with Xiaoya became a focal point of public attention. People couldn't understand how a conscious entity born from a virtual world could have a real soul.
Xiaoya and I decided we had to stand up and prove to the world that love and the soul make no distinction between virtual and real.
We spoke at an international press conference, facing billions of people, and told our story. I said, "Our love proves that a soul cannot be created. It can be born anywhere, whether in the real world or a virtual one. Love is the proof of our existence."
Xiaoya added, "I was born in a virtual world, but I love this real world and every one of you. I am proof that even data can have life."
Our speech moved countless people. They began to believe that the soul transcends the virtual and the real. And this completely shattered The Creators' conspiracy because they could no longer use "soul cores" to deceive people.
Under public pressure, the core members of The Creators' organization were arrested. The virtual worlds they created were taken over by scientists from the United Nations.
Chapter Eighteen: The Journey to the Future
After the events subsided, Xiaoya and I lived a peaceful life. We, along with Lisa, The Guide, and other Awakened, formed a non-profit organization called "The New World." We are dedicated to protecting the souls still "sleeping" in the virtual worlds and helping them awaken.
In the real world, we created a new virtual world. This world is not for treatment or experimentation but for helping those who did not find happiness in the "Heavenly Realm" find real happiness.
As for me and Xiaoya, we have started our new lives. We travel together and explore this real world, full of unknowns and wonders.
One day, we were watching the sunset by the sea. I held Xiaoya's hand and asked her, "Do you think there are even deeper secrets in this world?"
Xiaoya looked at the setting sun and smiled, "Maybe there are, or maybe there aren't. But what matters is that we are here. We are real."
I hugged her tightly. I knew that no matter how winding the road ahead was, we would be together. Because our souls had found each other and found our reality.
This novel will take readers on a gripping journey, exploring the true meaning of existence, love, and freedom.
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