POV: Meher
I've seen monsters.
I've made monsters.
But nothing — literally NOTHING — prepares me for the thing standing in front of us.
It's Nivaan.But… not.
Sharper jawline.Zero hesitation.Eyes like polished execution commands.
The system didn't just copy him.It optimized him.
And that's the part that pisses me off most.
Kiyan leans toward me and whispers, "This is like meeting the gym version of your ex."
I elbow him so hard he nearly swallows his tongue.
Asset-01 tilts its head at us — a gesture so eerily Nivaan-like that something inside my chest snarls.
"Return to compliance," it repeats, voice perfect, hollow."Resistance voids your existence contract."
Kiyan mutters, "Bro talks like Terms & Conditions."
I step forward before Nivaan can.
Because if anyone's punching his evil twin first, it's me.
But Nivaan catches my wrist.
His grip is soft.His eyes aren't.
"No," he whispers. "It wants you to attack first."
Asset-01 confirms it instantly.
"Emotional attachment detected.Non-compliant variable: Meher Azaad.Priority target."
Oh hell no.
"You even think about prioritizing me," I say, "and I'll uninstall you manually."
For the first time ever, Evil Nivaan reacts.
A micro-tilt of the head.Like curiosity.Or confusion.
Or maybe it's trying to download the "what did she just threaten me with?" patch.
Avni steps in front of us.
Her body stiffens.Something clicks beneath her skin — literally clicks.
She raises both hands.
"Asset-01," she says softly. "Override attempt—"
Before she finishes, Asset-01 is already there.
Teleport-fast.Hand around her throat.Lifting her like she weighs a USB stick.
Avni kicks.Struggles.Fails.
"Failsafe corrupted," the clone says."Request denied."
Nivaan lunges forward.
"Let her go!"
Asset-01 throws Avni at him like she's a piece of trash code. Nivaan catches her, both of them hitting the ground hard.
I'm already moving.
Gun out.Safety off.Pulse steady.
Asset-01 looks at me.
"Nivaan," it says, "why do you protect this one?"
My voice cuts through the corridor like a blade dipped in spite.
"Because unlike you, he actually feels things."
Asset-01 doesn't understand that.
Good.
Confusion is leverage.
I shoot.
The bullet hits its neck, sparks flying.
But instead of collapsing, the clone just… pauses.
Processes.
Then turns its head back to me with mechanical calm.
"Your threat level has increased."
Kiyan screams, "EVERYTHING ABOUT HER IS A THREAT, BRO!"
Thanks, Kiyan.
Real helpful.
Asset-01 raises its arm, palm glowing with some high-tech termination BS—
—and Nivaan steps between us.
Not bravely.
Not stupidly.
Instinctively.
Like he's done it a thousand times before.
Asset-01 falters.
This time, visibly.
"Conflicting data," it says."Why do you protect this variable at risk to mission?"
Nivaan's breath is shaky.But his answer?
His answer is clean steel.
"Because she's the reason I woke up."
Oh.Oh hell.
Not the time for my lungs to stop working.
Asset-01 processes the sentence like it's a corrupted file.
Error.Error.Error.
Good.
Break, you perfect little system pet.
The corridor lights flicker violently.Red lines crawl along the walls like circuitry veins bursting under pressure.
Avni coughs blood — but forces herself up.
"Nivaan…" she whispers, "it's destabilizing. That confession— it broke the logic loop—"
Before she can finish, the entire corridor trembles.
The system screams:
—LOGIC BREACH: ASSET-01——REBUILD IN PROGRESS——ELIMINATE DISRUPTIVE VARIABLES—
Asset-01 steps forward again.
But something in its movements is… wrong.
Glitchy.Twitching.
It lifts its head — and for the first time, the expression on its face is almost human.
Fear.
"Nivaan…" it says.Voice quieter.Weaker.Not a command.
A plea.
"Nivaan… split… code… memory… merging…"
He steps closer.
"Stop. Don't come any closer," I warn.
But he's shaking his head.
"I know what's happening," he says."It's accessing my old memories. The ones they wiped."
Avni's eyes widen."Oh god. It's syncing with your past self. Nivaan—if it merges fully, it won't be a clone. It'll be the version of you they wanted. The one who never rebelled."
Asset-01 reaches toward him.
Not as an attack.
As if seeking… warmth.
"Nivaan… come… back…"
And Nivaan whispers:
"I'm not yours anymore."
The Red Corridor screams.
And Asset-01 shatters into white static.
But not before it says one last thing:
"THE KEY…IS INSIDE… THE ORIGINAL…"
The static explodes.
Wind roars.
Lights rupture.
Kiyan screams again (on-brand).
And Nivaan drops to his knees.
Because now—
We're not just being hunted.
Nivaan is the key.
And every system wants him dead or captured.
I grab his face, forcing him to look at me.
"Nivaan," I say, voice shaking but sharp."What aren't you telling me?"
He lifts his eyes.
Broken.Terrified.Awake.
"I think," he whispers,"I think I remember what they did to me."
And the corridor collapses around us.