Limbo was not darkness.
There was no light either.
It was a lack of intention.
There was no ground, but there was support. There was no sky, but there was depth. Space existed only because it needed to exist—an interval between states, a place where nothing began and nothing ended of its own accord.
In the center of that non-place, a consciousness trembled.
It had no defined form. Sometimes it seemed human, sometimes just an accumulation of memories that stubbornly refused to dissolve. Regret kept it cohesive, like a knot too tight to untie on its own.
She remembered.
I remembered the laughter that was stifled in silent libraries.
I remembered holding hands under tables in cheap cafes.
I remembered the feeling of equality — rare, precious.
And above all, he remembered the moment when he realized he could only admire from a distance.
Regret didn't scream. It didn't beg. It simply remained.
That's when the system registered his presence.
Active regret detected.
State: persistent.
Origin: standard world.
Nature: unresolved one-sided romantic relationship.
The voice doesn't echo. It simply went. Information that transcended space.
The soul sensed something akin to attention—not care, not compassion. Just functional recognition.
Probability of spontaneous dissipation: less than 3%.
Intervention is necessary.
Limbo responded with an imperceptible shift. Layers of reality folded in on themselves, revealing streams of data that were neither numbers nor images, but records of lives, decisions, and capabilities.
The system has started the search.
The directive was clear:
The agent could not belong to the same world of origin as the repentant soul.
Direct interference would invalidate the process.
Excessive empathy, too.
Hundreds were analyzed. Then thousands.
Heroic souls were discarded — too much emotional involvement.
Kind souls were rejected — risk of premature compassion.
Cruel souls were useless—incapable of generating genuine love.
Until a record interrupted the automatic flow.
Not by mistake.
Due to high statistical compatibility.
Entity identified: Lin Yue.
Origin: a unified world with high technological development.
Social structure: imperialist.
Training: elite female figures destined for imperial concubinage.
The system didn't judge. It only read.
Training in emotional reading.
Expression control.
Strategic use of vulnerability.
The ability to create attachment without immediate personal involvement.
Emotional history:
— Affection treated as a resource.
Romantic love is considered unstable.
Strong resistance to one-sided attachment.
Risk of violating the main rule: acceptable.
Estimated success rate: high.
Lin Yue's consciousness was not yet awakened. She remained bound to her own world, living under rigid rules where choices did not exist—only elegant survival.
The system initiated the connection.
There was no light.
There was no divine calling.
Just a slight shift in perception.
When Lin Yue "woke up," limbo adjusted to her presence.
Unlike the repentant soul, it possessed form—not physical, but defined. Its consciousness did not tremble. It was stable, alert, assessing.
She understood immediately that she was not in her element.
"Interesting…" he thought, without fear. Fear was useless where there was no power to be disputed.
You have been selected.
The voice didn't ask for attention. It assumed.
Lin Yue didn't answer immediately. She observed. She felt. She calculated.
"Why?" he finally asked.
To execute the settlement of a human repentance.
The repentant soul contracted slightly, as if ashamed to be seen.
Lin Yue noticed. He registered it. He didn't react.
The method?
Winning the genuine love of the designated target.
A slight interest arose — not romantic, but professional.
And the compensation?
The system took exactly the time needed to demonstrate that the question was expected.
Any material wealth within the boundaries of one's world of origin or functional equivalent.
Lin Yue smiled—not with her lips, but with her intention.
And the restrictions?
You cannot love the target until they are completely in love with you. Violation results in immediate failure.
She tilted her head slightly, as if accepting the rules of a well-structured game.
A contract, then.
Correction: an operational link.
Silence.
The repentant soul observed Lin Yue without finding pity or judgment in her. Only competence.
"I accept," Lin Yue said without hesitation. "Provided the conditions are recorded."
Registered state.
Progress in progress.
The limbo remained the same.
But something, somewhere, had already begun to move.
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