Scene 1: A Final Attempt
On Lyoko, the Desert Sector had become the stage for an intense battle, where the tension was almost palpable. Ulrich and Odd, despite their exhaustion, stood ready to face what seemed like an unrecognizable version of Yumi. Transformed by XANA's powers, she floated above the ground, a dark energy surrounding her slender figure. Her red, piercing, and cold eyes were unrecognizable, but there was something even more unsettling: an eerie, almost calming tranquility emanated from her.

"Ulrich... no way are we giving up. We have to find a way to bring her back," Odd murmured, his usual light-hearted tone now grave and filled with worry. "But... I have no idea how we're gonna do that."

Ulrich, his muscles tensed, gripped his sword tightly. "There's always a way, I'm sure of it. Yumi's still in there, somewhere... I refuse to believe she's gone."

Yumi, observing her former friends with a cold calm, floated like a shadow above the ground. Her voice, soft yet cutting, sliced through the air like a blade. "What if the real Yumi is the one standing before you right now?"

"No, Yumi, that's not true! XANA is manipulating you, devouring you! Come back to us! This isn't you!" Ulrich shouted, his voice betraying a desperation he struggled to contain.

Yumi shook her head gently, a mysterious smile on her lips. "Manipulated? XANA has freed me from my suffering, from my weaknesses. You're only delaying the inevitable."

Without further warning, she raised her hand and unleashed a wave of electric energy, which surged terrifyingly toward Ulrich and Odd. The two boys dodged just in time, but the impact left them disoriented. Odd, trying to retaliate, fired a barrage of laser arrows, but Yumi deflected them with a mere gesture, sending them back toward him with disconcerting precision.

Ulrich rushed to help his friend, but William, waiting for his moment, emerged from the shadows. In one swift motion, he grabbed Odd by the collar and slammed him hard to the ground. "It's over for you, Odd," he declared, a cruel smile on his lips, before devirtualizing him with a quick strike.

Odd disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Ulrich alone against Yumi. William turned to her, a satisfied smile on his face. "Look, Yumi. I'm offering you a victory, a gift even XANA will approve of."

Yumi fixed William with a slightly hardened gaze. Then, turning back to Ulrich, her expression changed suddenly. "I don't need your offerings, William. But I thank you."

Scene 2: Chaos on Earth
On Earth, XANA was taking advantage of the situation to wreak havoc. The sky had darkened, lightning split the air with violent force, and the winds howled, carrying everything in their path. Kadic was in a state of panic, with many students and teachers under XANA's control, acting like puppets and spreading destruction across the school.

In the lab, Jérémie was frantically typing on his keyboard, his mind desperately searching for a solution. Aelita, devirtualized after their last confrontation, was helping him analyze the data, her own computer connected to the supercomputer.

"Jérémie, we have to act fast. XANA is taking over all of Kadic," Aelita said, her tone grave, revealing the urgency of the situation.

"I know, I know... but... wait... What's this?" Jérémie interrupted himself, staring at the screen with renewed intensity. "Aelita, look at this. It's a hidden file from Franz Hopper."

Aelita leaned in to examine the file, her face tightening with concentration. "He buried it deep... What does it mean?"

Jérémie began decrypting the data, with Aelita's help. Lines of code rapidly scrolled across the screen, revealing a complex program. "It's... a program. A program that might save Yumi, but..."

Aelita frowned as she analyzed the code. "But it's incredibly risky... Even if it's from my father, we don't really know what it's capable of. If we activate it, it could have irreversible consequences…"

Jérémie nodded, his face marked by tension. "I know. But this might be our one and only chance. If we don't act now, Yumi will be lost forever."

Aelita, resolute, nodded. "Alright. Do it, Jérémie. We have no other choice."

Jérémie activated the program, sending a stream of data directly to Lyoko. "Ulrich, hang in there. We're going to try a different approach…"

Scene 3: Alone in the Shadows
On Lyoko, Ulrich found himself alone against Yumi. This time, she gazed at him, not with hatred, but with an odd gentleness. It was as if, behind the darkness that surrounded her, something deeper was trying to emerge.

"Ulrich... Why do you persist?" she murmured, her voice soft, almost pleading. Ulrich didn't understand this sudden change in her behavior and chose to remain cautious.

She extended her hand toward him, a hand overflowing with dark, pulsing energy. "Come. You just need to stay with me."

She approached slowly, her movements filled with an enchanting fluidity. Her long black hair floated gently around her, accentuating a mysterious and dangerous beauty. Despite the gravity of the situation, Ulrich found himself troubled by this version of Yumi, so different and yet so familiar.

Sensing his hesitation, Yumi smiled tenderly and raised her hand to gently caress his cheek. "Ulrich… Don't fight me. Stay by my side."

The touch of her hand, though charged with dark energy, was strangely soothing. Ulrich's heart raced, torn between the temptation to give in and his duty to save Yumi from XANA's control.

"Yumi… This isn't you. XANA has imprisoned you, even if you think you're free. He took you from us," he murmured, his voice trembling with emotion.

Yumi gently shook her head, her red eyes glowing with an entrancing intensity. "Ulrich… I'm more myself than I've ever been. With you, everything would be different. But you have to stay by my side, here…"

Ulrich, despite his confusion, shook his head, trying to regain control. "No... I can't let you fall. I'll bring you back, Yumi, even if it costs me my life."

Yumi stared at him for a long time, her red eyes searching for something in his, before lowering her gaze, strangely filled with sadness. "... That's a shame."

Scene 4: Franz Hopper's Secret
In the lab, Jérémie and Aelita were working tirelessly to activate Franz Hopper's secret program. The complex code it contained seemed capable of altering the virtualization properties on Lyoko. Jérémie pressed the final key, his face serious. "It's now or never."

The program activated, sending a wave of data across Lyoko. Yumi immediately felt the disruption in the surrounding energy, freezing once again in mid-air.

"What is this…?" she murmured, her eyes shining with uncertainty.

On Lyoko, the terrain began to shake, lines of code swirling in the air around Ulrich and Yumi. Jérémie explained to Ulrich what they had discovered. "Ulrich, this program could save Yumi, but there's a risk… If we activate it fully, it could also destroy her."

Ulrich's heart raced, aware of the stakes. "I trust you, Jérémie. Do what you have to do."

Jérémie launched the final command, and a bright light enveloped Yumi. She flinched, wracked with deep pain as XANA's code began to be altered.

"Ulrich… what are you doing…?" her voice, tinged with confusion, seemed to reveal a crack in XANA's hold.

This was the moment Ulrich had been waiting for. He rushed toward her, his heart filled with hope. In a desperate move, he grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her.

Scene 5: The Embrace of the Heart
Ulrich's kiss, filled with love and despair, broke through the barrier XANA had erected around Yumi's soul. The impenetrable lines of code began to waver, weakened by both Jérémie's program and the intensity of the bond between Ulrich and Yumi.

Yumi, initially surprised by the gesture, felt a warmth she had nearly forgotten flood through her. Memories of her and Ulrich, of the moments they'd shared, surfaced. Her heart, stifled by XANA, began to beat with human intensity once again.

But the victory was not yet certain. XANA still fought to maintain control. Two forces were battling within her: love and darkness.

Ulrich broke the kiss and looked Yumi in the eyes. "I know you're still there, Yumi. Come back to us… I beg you."

Yumi closed her eyes, struggling desperately against the darkness that sought to reclaim her. "Ulrich… I…"

Suddenly, the light surrounding her faded, leaving a heavy silence. Yumi opened her eyes, still glowing red, but something had changed. They now gleamed with a different light, as though a part of her had been awakened.

"Ulrich…" she murmured, her voice filled with confusion and pain.

Ulrich held her tightly, refusing to let her go. "I'm here, Yumi. I'll never let you fall again."

Jérémie, observing the data on his screen, began to understand. "The program's working… but it's unstable. Ulrich, you have to keep her conscious… or XANA will take over again."

Scene 6: A Fragile Reprieve
Yumi, still under XANA's control, wavered between two worlds. XANA's force continued to pull her toward darkness, but Ulrich's love, reinforced by Franz Hopper's program, kept her teetering on the edge of the abyss.

"Why… did you do this…" she whispered, tears filling her eyes.

"There was no way we were going to leave you in the clutches of an evil entity," Ulrich replied, his voice filled with determination. "We're all here for you, Yumi. Remember who you really are."

Aelita, watching the data in the lab, shot a worried look at Jérémie. "Jérémie, we have to stabilize the program, or everything will collapse."

"I'm doing everything I can, Aelita… but something's missing…"

Jérémie frantically searched through the last fragments of code. "There's one final line… something Franz Hopper left here…"

Suddenly, he found what he was looking for. "Aelita, help me activate this. It's our last chance."

The two geniuses synchronized their efforts, launching the final phase of the program. Once activated, the program enveloped Yumi in a gentle, soothing light, contrasting with the darkness tearing at her.

Yumi felt the warmth, the light that seemed to emanate from within her. "Ulrich… I… I think…"

But before she could finish, the light intensified, then stabilized. Franz Hopper's program, designed to disrupt XANA's hold, succeeded in neutralizing part of the parasite code, giving Yumi a moment of clarity.

She collapsed into Ulrich's arms, exhausted but conscious. "Ulrich… I'm… sorry."

Ulrich held her tighter, tears streaming down his face. "Don't apologize… You're back. That's all that matters."

Scene 7: An Unfinished Fight
Despite this temporary victory, it wasn't over. XANA had been weakened, but his influence remained, lurking in the dark corners of Yumi's mind.

Jérémie, monitoring the data, straightened up, his face serious. "She's saved... for now. But XANA hasn't been completely eradicated. He's still there, inside her."

Ulrich, still holding Yumi in his arms, knew that the battle was far from over. They had bought time, but XANA would return, stronger and more determined than ever.

Aelita, her gaze fixed on the screens with renewed determination, nodded. "We have to prepare. This is only the beginning… XANA won't give up on Yumi that easily."

Ulrich, his eyes locked on Yumi's, responded softly but firmly. "We'll do whatever it takes to help you, Yumi. I promise."

As the team prepared to return to the real world, one certainty weighed on them: the next battle would be even harder. But for now, they had managed to save their friend, at least for a while. And that gave them the hope they needed to face the darkness ahead.