The room went completely silent after the message appeared.
"A-00 LINK ESTABLISHED WITH HEART VARIABLE."
Aanya stepped back slowly.
"…Riya… what is happening to me?"
Riya didn't answer immediately.
Her face had changed.
No confidence. No attitude.
Just fear.
"…You shouldn't have heard that name," she whispered.
Aanya frowned.
"A-00?"
Riya nodded slowly.
"…It was never meant to wake up."
Suddenly—
the pendant fragments on Aanya's hand started to float.
Not fall.
Float.
A faint female voice returned.
Calm… but not human.
"AANYA VERMA…"
Aanya trembled.
"…Who are you?"
The voice responded instantly.
"I AM THE ORIGINAL TEMPLATE."
Riya stepped back.
"No… no, this is impossible…"
Aanya turned toward her.
"What is she talking about?!"
Riya's voice cracked slightly.
"…A-00 was the first emotional control experiment."
A pause.
"The first attempt to create attachment-based dominance."
Aanya whispered,
"…Dominance?"
Riya nodded.
"Every system after her was built to copy one thing…"
A pause.
"…love as control."
Aanya shook her head.
"No… Rudra loved me. That was real."
Silence.
Then—
the voice inside the fragments spoke again.
"LOVE IS NOT REAL."
Aanya froze.
The voice continued.
"LOVE IS A STABILITY CODE."
"AND YOU ARE THE FINAL STABILITY KEY."
Riya shouted suddenly,
"SHUT IT DOWN!"
But it was too late.
The room lights flickered violently.
Walls started showing code again.
Like reality itself was rewriting.
Aanya grabbed her head.
"Stop… please…"
Then—
a second voice appeared.
Broken. Male. Familiar.
"DON'T LISTEN TO HER…"
Aanya's eyes widened.
"…Rudra?!"
But the system voice interrupted instantly.
"SUBJECT RUDRA RATHORE IS PARTIALLY ABSORBED."
Aanya's breath stopped.
"…Partially what?"
Riya whispered,
"…He's inside two systems now."
Aanya looked at her.
"What does that even mean?!"
Riya finally confessed:
"…It means Rudra is no longer fully human or system."
A pause.
"He is a bridge."
Suddenly—
the floor beneath Aanya lit up.
A circular pattern formed again.
"A-00 REQUESTING DIRECT CONSCIOUS ACCESS."
Aanya stepped back in fear.
"No… I don't want this!"
Riya grabbed her.
"You don't have a choice anymore!"
Aanya cried,
"Why me?!"
And then—
the female voice answered softly.
Almost… emotional.
"BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE HE DID NOT FORGET."
Silence shattered everything.
Aanya froze.
"…He… remembered me?"
A pause.
Then—
a vision hit her instantly.
Rudra.
Standing in darkness.
Covered in glowing code.
Looking directly at her.
Struggling.
"Aanya… if you hear this… don't trust A-00…"
The vision broke.
Aanya gasped.
Riya whispered,
"…It's starting to merge again."
Aanya looked up.
"Merge what?"
Riya's voice lowered.
"…Past, present, and original system."
Suddenly—
the pendant exploded into light again.
But this time… it didn't disappear.
It stayed open like a portal.
And inside it—
Aanya saw her reflection.
But not alone.
A second shadow stood behind her.
Smiling.
A different voice whispered from inside the light.
Soft.
Dangerous.
"LET ME SHOW YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT RUDRA RATHORE."
Aanya whispered,
"…What truth?"
And the shadow replied:
"THE DAY HE WAS CREATED… YOU WERE THERE."