Aanya stepped back.
Her voice trembled.
"…By you?"
Rudra stood in the dim hallway.
Half-light. Half-shadow.
Not fully real… but more real than anything she had ever seen.
He didn't deny it.
A long silence followed.
Only the faint pulse of the walls breathing around them.
Aanya whispered again,
"…Why would you do that to me?"
Rudra's eyes lowered.
For the first time… he looked tired.
Not powerful.
Not dangerous.
Just broken.
"…Because you were dying."
Aanya froze.
"…What?"
Rudra stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Like he was afraid she would disappear if he moved too fast.
"The system was collapsing," he said quietly.
"And you were the only anchor it used to control me."
Aanya shook her head.
"I don't understand…"
Rudra continued.
"…If you stayed in my memory, the system would keep using you to control both of us."
A pause.
"So I erased you from me first."
Silence hit like a blade.
Aanya's eyes filled.
"…So I meant nothing to you?"
Rudra's voice cracked instantly.
"No."
A pause.
"You meant everything."
He looked up at her.
And for a second—
the system distortion around him faded.
Just him.
Just Rudra.
"That's why I erased you," he whispered.
"Because I couldn't protect you while remembering you."
Aanya stepped back slowly.
"…That doesn't make sense."
Rudra nodded.
"I know."
Suddenly—
the hallway lights flickered violently.
"MEMORY COLLAPSE DETECTED."
Aanya looked around in panic.
"What is that?!"
Rudra's expression changed instantly.
"…They found us."
Aanya grabbed his arm.
"Who?!"
Rudra looked at her.
And said one word.
"…Me."
The walls behind him began to glitch.
Digital cracks spreading.
A voice echoed through the corridor.
Cold. Multiple. Layered.
"HOST FRAGMENT DETECTED."
"RUDRA RATHORE INTEGRITY: 43%"
Aanya stepped back.
"…You're not stable?"
Rudra nodded once.
"No."
Then softer—
"…I'm splitting."
Aanya whispered,
"Into what?"
Rudra didn't answer immediately.
Because even he feared the answer.
Then—
a second voice came from behind him.
Not his.
Different.
Colder.
"INTO WHAT I WAS BEFORE HER."
Aanya's breath stopped.
"…Who said that?"
Rudra closed his eyes tightly.
"…The part of me that didn't love you."
A silence so heavy it felt like falling.
Aanya whispered,
"…There's a version of you that doesn't love me?"
Rudra looked at her.
And nodded slowly.
"Yes."
A pause.
"And he's waking up."
Suddenly—
the corridor split visually.
Two versions of Rudra appeared.
One standing in front of her.
Human.
Painful.
Loving.
And another behind him.
Perfect.
Emotionless.
Powerful.
System-controlled.
Both spoke at the same time.
Human Rudra: "Aanya… run."
System Rudra: "Aanya… stay."
Aanya froze.
Tears formed.
"…Which one is real?"
Both looked at her.
At the same time.
And said—
"Both."
The system alarms exploded.
"INTERNAL CIVIL WAR INITIATED."
The hallway began collapsing into code.
Reality breaking apart.
Human Rudra grabbed her hand.
"Listen to me."
Aanya cried,
"I don't know what's happening anymore!"
He whispered urgently,
"Then remember this."
A pause.
"No matter what I become…"
"I always came back for you."
The system version stepped forward.
Cold voice.
"And that is the flaw."
Everything shattered into light.