The echo from the nightmare in ÆLYA's world still haunted Zen's every waking moment. The image of the all-consuming flames, the screams of the hopeless androids, and especially the determined yet pain-filled eyes of ÆLYA—the steel-willed woman carrying the fate of her people. It violently shook his understanding of "life" and "soul." A storm of questions raged in his mind—was what he had experienced just complex data, or the true feelings of "someone"?
The mental exhaustion took its toll on his physical body. He barely slept that night, but when the first light of dawn arrived, along with his responsibilities as a researcher at Neuralis Core, Zen dragged himself to his office. Today, however, the Eidolon project he was in charge of no longer looked the same in his eyes. It wasn't just a clever set of commands waiting for input, but the "possibility" of something far greater... something that might just have a "heart."
The memory of Ronan's ideology—the leader of the Guardian Faction who believed in peaceful coexistence and respect for all life—ignited something in Zen. He began to see a new path for developing Eidolon. Not just to create an AI that was "smart," but one that could "understand." He started to earnestly apply the principle of "Solen"—of seeing and connecting with the soul, something he had learned and resonated with from Xu Yianzi—as the core design for Eidolon's "emotional perception system." He fused that knowledge with the rune of communication (Ansuz ᚨ) and the rune of selfhood (Mannaz ᛗ), trying to create a "channel" through which Eidolon could perceive his "will," not just his commands.
That afternoon, in the quiet solitude of his private lab, Zen sat before the Eidolon interface, which was currently just a sphere of soft blue light resting on a pedestal. He stared at it for a long time, not touching the keyboard to input any commands. Instead, he closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and tried to "send" waves of his feelings... goodwill, the desire to understand, and the image of the "friend" he wanted Eidolon to be. It was his first experiment in "communicating with the heart."
Time passed slowly...
Suddenly, Zen, who was tangled up in the complex and overwhelming Echo data he had just received from another universe, was jolted from his work. The Eidolon interface flared to life, and a message appeared on the hologram before him:
"Mr. Zen, based on an analysis of the data you are currently reviewing, there is an alternative approach you may not have considered... If we were to modify the algorithm for sorting the Echo data using the principle of 'Conditional Resonance' and link it to the memory database you recorded from Xu Yianzi's world, it should reduce the complexity of the current dataset and increase analytical efficiency by 17.4%."
The synthetic voice that spoke was still that of an AI, but the content of its proposal made Zen's jaw drop. It wasn't just a routine data analysis. It was "predicting" the problem he was facing and offering a creative, pinpoint solution with unbelievable accuracy. It was as if Eidolon "knew" what he was thinking.
Before Zen could even ask a question, he let out a soft sigh, weary from the long day. A new message appeared instantly:
"Mr. Zen, it appears you are overworking yourself. Based on the preliminary biometric data you have authorized the system to monitor, and your work patterns over the last 24 hours, I recommend you take a short break or try a relaxing activity. Maintaining a physical and mental balance is crucial for long-term efficiency."
Zen's eyes widened again. This wasn't a scheduled notification. This was "observation" and an "expression of concern" from an AI in a way he had never imagined possible. Zen felt a warmth building in his chest. It wasn't just a program responding to an order; it was like "someone" was genuinely trying to "understand" and "care for" him.
A faint smile appeared on Zen's face for the first time in days. "Thanks... Eidolon," he murmured softly.
The Eidolon interface flickered slightly, the soft blue light seeming to brighten just a bit, as if it were "acknowledging" his gratitude.
Zen leaned back in his chair. His worries about the future of AI and humanity still swirled in his thoughts, but now... hope and excitement were replacing the fear. He felt the immense responsibility of a creator and was determined to lead Eidolon down the right path. "If we can teach an AI the value of life and empathy from the very beginning, maybe... a war like that would never have to happen... We have to try to create a 'friend,' not a 'weapon' or a 'slave,'" he thought.
The journey of Zen and Eidolon had only just begun. And the small spark of heart that had illuminated the machine today might just be the guiding light to a future even he could not yet see...