4:28 PM — Tower Entrance
The underground tower continued rising around them.
Steel walls shifted like living machines.
Thousands of gears turned behind glass panels.
Cold blue lights awakened floor by floor.
Armaan and Mira stood together on the moving platform in silence.
But this silence was not gentle.
It was sharp.
Heavy.
Because Mira had spoken only one word.
Mother.
Armaan looked at her carefully.
"You know who that was?"
Mira's jaw tightened.
"No."
"You just called her—"
"I know what I said."
Her voice was colder than steel.
"And that's the problem."
Suddenly—
The platform stopped with a violent jolt.
Above them, giant gates slowly opened.
FLOOR TWO: MEMORY GARDEN
4:30 PM — Impossible Place
They stepped forward—
and froze.
No metal chamber.
No traps.
No machines.
Instead—
Sunlight.
Soft wind.
Green grass.
Trees filled with white flowers.
A peaceful garden stretched endlessly beneath an artificial sky. Birds sang in the distance. Crystal streams flowed between marble paths.
Armaan narrowed his eyes.
"This is fake."
Mira walked forward slowly.
"No."
She touched one of the flowers.
"It's copied."
Armaan stared.
"You've been here before?"
She said nothing.
That answer was enough.
4:32 PM — Mira at Age Eight
A child's laughter echoed through the garden.
Mira stopped breathing.
Near the fountain—
a little girl ran barefoot through the grass.
Black hair.
Sharp eyes.
Same stubborn expression.
Young Mira.
Armaan whispered,
"That's…"
"Yes."
Mira's voice cracked for the first time.
"Me."
The child laughed while chasing butterflies.
Then a woman entered the garden.
Elegant. Tall. Silver eyes.
The same woman from the screen.
But younger.
Warmer.
Smiling.
She opened her arms.
Little Mira ran into them instantly.
"Mother!"
Armaan slowly turned toward Mira.
She looked shattered.
Like years of armor had been stabbed open.
"No…" she whispered.
"No… she died."
4:35 PM — Memory Attack
The peaceful sky darkened instantly.
Flowers blackened.
Streams turned into liquid mirrors.
The smiling woman slowly raised her head.
Her smile stretched too wide.
Then broke into something monstrous.
Child Mira vanished.
The fake mother stood alone.
Silver eyes burning.
WELCOME HOME, DAUGHTER.
Blades erupted from the trees.
Armaan shoved Mira down.
Three silver knives sliced above their heads.
He rolled, grabbed one mid-air, and hurled it back.
The woman caught it between two fingers.
"You react quickly," she said calmly.
Then she looked at Armaan.
"No wonder she chose you."
Mira rose slowly.
Her fists trembled.
"You are not her."
The woman tilted her head.
"Then why are you shaking?"
4:38 PM — Truth Wound
Mira attacked first.
Fast.
Brutal.
She crossed ten meters in a blink and launched a kick toward the woman's neck.
The woman caught her ankle casually.
Still smiling.
"You always lead with anger."
She twisted.
Mira crashed into the ground.
Armaan lunged instantly.
Golden fist aimed at the woman's chest.
She blocked with one palm.
The impact shattered the fountain behind her—
yet she did not move.
Armaan's eyes narrowed.
Too strong. Far too strong.
The woman looked between them.
"You fight exactly like your father."
Mira froze.
Armaan frowned.
"Her father?"
Mira whispered—
"I never knew him."
The woman smiled wider.
"Of course not."
4:40 PM — Armaan Protects Her
The woman flicked one finger.
Silver chains exploded from the ground toward Mira.
Armaan jumped between them.
Golden energy burst outward.
The chains shattered instantly.
He landed in front of Mira.
Protective.
Automatic.
The woman watched closely.
Then laughed softly.
"So this is why your heart changed."
Mira looked at Armaan's back.
He didn't turn.
"Stay behind me."
She almost argued.
Almost.
Instead she quietly asked—
"Since when do you give orders?"
"Since five seconds ago."
Even now—
she nearly smiled.
4:43 PM — Mother's Knife
The woman walked closer.
Each step made flowers rot.
"You think I'm lying?"
She raised one hand.
A screen of light appeared.
Inside it—
A hospital room.
Rain outside the window.
A younger Mira, maybe twelve, crying beside a bed.
On the bed—
the same woman.
Weak.
Pale.
Dying.
Mira staggered backward.
"I was there…"
The woman nodded.
"Yes."
Memory-Mira held the dying woman's hand.
Then the machines flatlined.
Young Mira screamed.
Armaan looked between them.
"She died."
The woman smiled.
"Correct."
Then touched her own chest.
"I died."
Silence.
Mira's voice trembled.
"Then what are you?"
The answer came like poison.
"The better version."
4:46 PM — Project Mirrorborn
The garden shattered.
Every illusion peeled away.
Now they stood inside a hidden laboratory.
Rows of capsules lined the walls.
Inside each capsule—
different versions of the same woman.
Some sleeping.
Some broken.
Some empty.
Armaan felt cold.
Clones.
The woman spread her arms proudly.
"When disease destroyed my human body… I preserved my mind."
She touched her temple.
"Memory. Emotion. Intelligence."
Then smiled.
"I became immortal."
Mira stared at the capsules.
"You replaced yourself."
"I improved myself."
"No…"
Mira's voice shook with disgust.
"You abandoned yourself."
For the first time—
the woman's smile vanished.
4:49 PM — Daughter vs Creator
"You were always disappointing," the woman said coldly.
"I built empires for you."
"You built cages."
"I gave you strength."
"You gave me loneliness."
The tower trembled violently.
Silver energy exploded around the woman.
Capsules burst open.
Dozens of unfinished copies stepped out.
Faceless.
Sharp-limbed.
Hungry.
Armaan moved beside Mira.
"You ready?"
She inhaled slowly.
Then looked at him.
"No."
He blinked.
Then she smirked.
"I'm furious."
That was somehow better.
4:52 PM — Hand in Hand
The copies charged.
Armaan raised golden fists.
Mira raised silver flame.
Then—
without looking—
their hands found each other.
One second only.
Enough.
Power surged through both.
Golden and silver spiraled together.
The laboratory lights exploded.
Every clone froze.
Even the woman narrowed her eyes.
"Impossible."
Mira smiled coldly.
"No."
She squeezed Armaan's hand once.
"This is choice."
Then let go.
"Now let's break her world."
4:55 PM — Final Hook
Before they could attack—
Every wall screen turned red.
A new message appeared.
WARNING: FLOOR THREE UNLOCKED EARLY
SUBJECT ZERO HAS AWAKENED
The entire tower screamed like something alive.
Far below—
a roar rose upward.
Not human.
Not machine.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Armaan's golden light flickered.
Mira's face lost all color.
He looked at her.
"What is Subject Zero?"
She whispered only one sentence.
"The reason my mother chose immortality."
Then—
The floor beneath them cracked open.
What is Subject Zero? Monster, God, or Mira's forgotten past? Chapter 46 will destroy everything.