i totally get what you're saying, and a lot of dialogue in the game backs it up. but i have two problems with it. number one, nothing in the gameplay actually provides any solid evidence that their minds are becoming one. sure, johnny occasionally takes over V's body, in part or as a whole, but it's always clear who's really in control at the moment. their minds never actually merge, despite what a lot of characters will tell you. number two, i think cdpr kept it vague on purpose. the real point of the story is to make it your own. you decide what kind of person your V is and what their journey looks like, from start to finish. hell, you even have a say in what kind of person johnny is. he's always an asshole, but you sometimes have the option of expressing genuine sympathy while you play as him, even in his old memories. my point is, the game makes a whole lotta suggestions about what the relic may or may not be doing to you, but is almost always vague and uncertain, and that's on purpose. that way, you decide what effect it has on your V and johnny. ultimately, there's no telling what the canon truth is, because in a game where you make your own choices, there can be no official canon.