Darkness. Boundless darkness.
This was the world Zhou Tianming saw when he opened his eyes.
In the darkness, his body glowed faintly with a halo of light.
Where was this?
Had his transmigration gotten stuck halfway?
Looking around, the pitch-black surroundings revealed no clues.
Beep—beep—beep—
A rhythmic sound echoed from somewhere in the darkness.
"How's the development progressing?" A stern male voice spoke.
Another, slightly younger male voice replied excitedly, "Doctor Hibiki, it's a success! Vital signs are stable. Test Subject 11754 will definitely succeed."
"Don't get careless." Though stern, the voice carried a hint of joy. "Continue monitoring. Not a single error is allowed."
"Understood!"
Zhou Tianming turned toward the source of the voices. At first, there was only darkness, but when he squinted, he spotted a tiny golden dot in the distance.
Was that the key?
Zhou Tianming tried to move closer but found himself completely immobile.
Attempting to step forward felt like treading on air—no solid sensation beneath his feet, just emptiness.
Waving his arms yielded no tactile feedback either.
Looking down at his glowing body, he pinched his arm.
His fingers passed through as if grasping nothing, feeling neither muscle nor touch.
Am I in some kind of soul state?
Giving up on physical effort, Zhou Tianming steadied his breath and focused his mind, chanting inwardly—Forward! Forward!
He distinctly felt his body shift slightly.
Encouraged, he redoubled his efforts.
After what felt like an eternity, voices sounded again in the distance.
The stern male voice now carried anger. "What's going on? Why can't we detect any brainwave readings?"
A trembling female voice replied, "I'm sorry, Doctor Hibiki. We don't know why, but we've found that Test Subject 11754 has never shown any brainwave activity from the start."
After a pause, she added, "He's in a vegetative state."
A long silence followed before the stern voice turned icy. "Dispose of it, then. Don't waste my valuable resources."
"But Professor Zhou, she—" The woman hesitated. "...Understood. I'll handle it."
"Remember, the Ultimate Coordinator project is under my authority. No one else gets a say."
Zhou Tianming's mind reeled in shock.
Ultimate Coordinator?
Is this Gundam SEED?
Doctor Hibiki—that must be Ulen Hibiki? Kira's biological father.
Is Test Subject 11754... me?
Zhou Tianming felt like crying but had no tears. He quickly analyzed the situation.
With this new information, he pieced together his predicament—his inability to move was likely due to a mismatch between his soul and body.
If that was the case, the solution was simple. As a transmigrator from China, he was well-versed in the concept of soul possession.
Closing his eyes, he focused his mind, recalling the meditation techniques from novels he'd read.
Sure enough, he felt movement.
Opening his eyes, it seemed as though he hadn't moved at all.
Again!
...
September 5, C.E. 55, GARMR&D Institute (Genetic Advanced Reproductive Medicine Research and Development Institute).
First floor of the institute. The soft glow of the colony's artificial sunlight streamed through the windows, casting light across the corridor.
A 25-year-old woman in a dark blue janitorial uniform mopped the beige anti-slip tiles.
Her delicate features were striking, but her gaunt cheeks bore an unhealthy pallor.
Though dressed in a janitor's uniform and doing cleaning work, she carried an air of scholarly refinement.
Tap, tap, tap—!
The sound of hurried footsteps approached from a distance as three men in dark security uniforms, each carrying five or six gun holsters, ran past her.
She looked up, her clear black-and-white eyes filled with a hint of curiosity.
The three security guards stopped not far ahead and filed into a door labeled [Weapons Storage Room].
A young man's voice came from inside the half-open door: "Captain, what if something happens after we've put away all the weapons?"
"Tsk, tsk—what nonsense are you spouting?" a gruff middle-aged voice retorted. "Nothing's going to happen that easily. Besides, the visitors are all big shots from an Earth-based nonprofit organization. I heard they brought dozens of bodyguards alone—we might not even be a match for them if it came to a fight."
"Oh, oh..." The young man's voice paused, then suddenly rose: "Captain, what if—"
Smack!
"—Shut up!"
...
The woman gradually stopped her work, leaning on the mop handle as she listened intently.
Suddenly, an aged yet composed male voice sounded beside her: "Hanxiang? What are you standing here for?"
Startled, the woman quickly turned to look.
A white-haired old man in a pristine lab coat stood before her, his silver locks neatly combed. Behind him trailed a group of similarly dressed young men and women.
Upon seeing the woman, they greeted her in unison: "Hello, Professor Zhou."
Zhou Hanxiang nodded in acknowledgment before addressing the elderly man: "It's nothing. I just saw the security guards packing up their weapons and got a little curious."
The old man craned his neck to glance ahead: "Ah, that. An Earth-based nonprofit organization is making an impromptu visit. To avoid giving the impression that the institute is unsafe, I suggested the guards temporarily store their weapons away."
At the mention of an Earth-based nonprofit, Zhou Hanxiang's heart skipped a beat, an inexplicable sense of foreboding washing over her as her pulse quickened.
"That nonprofit organization—"
Noticing Zhou Hanxiang's troubled expression, the old man guessed the reason: "Don't worry. From the spaceport to the institute, there are at least three or four layers of security. Unless they have inside help, those Blue Cosmos lunatics won't get in."
He then added reassuringly: "Besides, that nonprofit brought dozens of bodyguards. Even if one or two troublemakers slipped through, they wouldn't stand a chance."
Zhou Hanxiang, who deeply trusted her instincts, opened her mouth to say more but was cut off as the old man raised his hand.
"Let's not dwell on this. Has Tianming shown any improvement recently?"
Her grip on the mop handle tightened as Zhou Hanxiang lowered her gaze, the light in her once-bright eyes dimming slightly: "No..."
"Ah—" The old man sighed, frowning momentarily before patting Zhou Hanxiang's slender shoulder. "Five years... You've done all you could. Think about your own future now."
Just then, a long-haired woman holding a file folder approached and whispered in the old man's ear: "Professor Keller, the time..."
Nodding, Keller withdrew his hand and strode away.
The young men and women following him hurried after. Once they were some distance from Zhou Hanxiang, some who didn't know the background whispered questions to their companions.
Those in the know answered quietly: "Professor Zhou has a child, but they've been in a vegetative state since birth."
"Ah!" one exclaimed before hastily lowering their voice. "That child..."
A young woman looked on with admiration, "Professor Zhou never gave up and has been caring for him for a full five years. She even took on the job of a cleaner to earn extra money for the medicine that keeps the child alive."
Those who knew the truth gasped in surprise, turning their heads discreetly to glance back.
The slender, frail figure stood tall and straight, like an unyielding mountain.
Zhou Hanxiang, with her keen senses, overheard their hushed whispers. Noticing their gazes, she responded with a faint smile.
A few young men blushed and quickly turned away, while several young women waved back with admiration in their eyes.
...
Half an hour later, Zhou Hanxiang finished cleaning the hallway and returned the tools to the storage room before heading to a secluded corner on the third floor.
There, a lone door stood in the corner, labeled "035 – Utility Room."
She opened the door, revealing a narrow rectangular space no more than ten square meters in size.
Zhou Hanxiang walked to the far end and sat down beside a metal-framed bed.
On the bed lay a five-year-old boy, covered by a thin blanket, his eyes closed in deep slumber.
His features were delicate—two sharp brows arched above his closed eyes, his skin pale and almost translucent, devoid of color.
Round Brainwave detectors were attached to his temples, connected by two aged, discolored wires to a bulky, outdated machine nearby.
On the machine's display screen, the Brainwave lines rose and fell steadily.
A few more wires extended from beneath the boy's blanket, linked to a heart monitor beside him.
Next to the bed stood a silver metal rack holding four transparent IV bags, their needles inserted into the back of his exposed hand, slowly infusing the medicine into his body.
Zhou Hanxiang gazed at the boy intently, reaching out to stroke his cheek, her fingers brushing through his uneven, tousled black hair.
Blushing, she quickly stood up to check the machines and the IV drip.
Heart rate—normal. Brainwaves—normal. Medicine dosage—normal...
Satisfied, she nodded and sat back down, clasping the boy's hands in hers. "Tianming, Mom will never give up on you. Even if you never wake up."
"I have a feeling something is about to happen. If you wake up and don't see me, don't come looking for me. Just protect yourself."
Realizing how grim her words sounded, she quickly changed the subject, sharing recent news and occasionally leaning in to whisper some gossip in a hushed tone.
...
About ten minutes later.
Beep beep beep—!
An electronic alarm cut through her murmurs.
She silenced the alarm on her watch and bent down to press a gentle kiss to Zhou Tianming's forehead.
"May my sleeping prince awaken soon."
With that, she stood and walked to a gray metal locker behind the door, changing out of her blue janitor uniform and into a white lab coat.
Pulling her long black hair into a low ponytail, Zhou Hanxiang left the room.
As she closed the door, unease settled in her heart. She hesitated, standing still for a moment, but ultimately bowed to the demands of life.
With a sigh, she locked the door, twisting the key twice in the lock.
She tugged hard on the door twice, ensuring it wouldn't budge, before finally turning away. At the corner, she glanced back one last time before hurrying off.
On the bed, Zhou Tianming lay motionless in deep sleep—yet in the dark depths of his consciousness, he was wide awake.
In the pitch-black void of his mind, Zhou Tianming sat cross-legged, eyes closed, suspended in midair. Not far above him floated a hazy golden orb of light.
According to estimates, he should wake up in just another day or two, but Zhou Hanxiang's words just now gave him an ominous premonition.
Not long ago, he'd heard Zhou Hanxiang say that Via Hibiki's two children had been born safely.
Now he was hearing Zhou Hanxiang speak of an ominous feeling.
Zhou Tianming immediately realized where the danger was coming from - that incident when Blue Cosmos attacked Mendel Research Institute, which had claimed Kira's parents' lives.
Time. He needed time. If he could just wake up, he could persuade Zhou Hanxiang to leave with him. Just one or two more days.
Ah——!!!!
Suddenly, a scream pierced through from the glowing sphere above.