The underground base was colder than Meilin remembered — a tomb of metal and memory.
Every echo of their footsteps sounded like a heartbeat in the dark.
Lin Yue led the way through the narrow corridor, the flickering lights revealing rusted doors and broken equipment. "They abandoned this level after the last experiment," she whispered. "But he's still here. Kept in isolation… because no one can control him anymore."
Rui's hand brushed against Meilin's. "If anything feels wrong, we turn back."
She nodded — though they both knew she wouldn't.
The air grew heavier as they descended the final staircase. Faint, rhythmic sounds filled the silence — the hiss of machines and the pulse of mechanical breath.
Lin Yue stopped before a reinforced glass chamber. Inside, a man sat on the floor, his back to them, head bowed. His long, dark hair fell over his shoulders, and the faint blue veins under his skin glowed like Meilin's — only brighter, more violent.
"That's him," Lin Yue said quietly. "Shen Yan — Subject 001. Or as they call him now, The Phantom."
Meilin's breath hitched. "He's… alive."
Her voice trembled, and at that sound, the man lifted his head. Slowly, he turned.
The moment their eyes met, Meilin's heart broke.
The same eyes. The same sharp jaw. But his gaze was hollow — empty of warmth or recognition.
The door's lock hissed as Lin Yue tapped the security code. "You have five minutes before the systems reboot. Talk fast."
Meilin stepped inside. The door sealed behind her with a hiss.
"Shen Yan," she whispered.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her with quiet confusion. "Who are you?"
"It's me… Meilin."
He blinked, as if tasting the name on his tongue. "That name… I remember screams when they said it."
Tears welled in her eyes. "You used to protect me. You promised you'd never let them hurt me."
His expression flickered — pain, then nothing again. "Promises belong to the dead."
"Then let me remind you," she said, stepping closer. "You're my brother."
His body stiffened. "No," he muttered. "I don't have a sister. I am a weapon."
"Lies," she said fiercely. "That's what they made you believe."
Blue light flared beneath his skin. The air crackled with energy. "Leave before I forget I'm not supposed to kill you."
"Then kill me," she said, voice breaking. "If you truly don't remember me, then end it here."
The room went silent except for the sound of her tears hitting the cold floor.
Shen Yan's hand trembled midair, light surging from his palm — then fading. His breathing grew ragged. "Why… can't I?"
"Because you still know me," she whispered. "Because somewhere inside, you're still my brother."
He stumbled back, clutching his head, flashes of memory ripping through him — two children under cherry blossoms, a little girl laughing, his hand holding hers.
"Mei…" he murmured weakly. "They said you died."
She caught his hand. "And they told me the same about you."
For the first time, his eyes softened — the ghost of the brother she once knew breaking through the weapon he had become.
But before either could speak, alarms blared through the corridor. Red lights flashed. Lin Yue cursed. "They've detected movement in the chamber — soldiers are coming!"
Rui shouted from outside, "Meilin! We have to go, now!"
She turned to Shen Yan, gripping his hand tightly. "Come with me!"
He hesitated — torn between instinct and memory.
Then, just before the door burst open, he whispered, "Go. I'll find you when I'm free."
The explosion that followed threw Meilin back into Rui's arms. As the doors sealed shut, she saw Shen Yan standing tall
within the flames — his blue eyes burning with something almost human.