Chapter 50: Love Was the Glitch
5:31 PM — Tower Ruins
The entire tower was shaking.
Pieces of concrete fell from above.
Dust filled the air.
And in the middle of the destruction—
Omega stood silently with glowing red eyes.
A massive sphere of crimson energy floated above its hand.
One attack.
That was all it needed to erase everything.
Mira's heartbeat turned wild.
"Armaan…"
He stood in front of her.
Bleeding.
Breathing hard.
But still smiling somehow.
Honestly—
that smile annoyed her.
"We're about to die," she said.
Armaan glanced back casually.
"If we survive this…"
A small pause.
"…I'm taking you somewhere normal."
Mira blinked.
"What?"
"Like coffee."
Another explosion shook the tower.
"You're insane."
"Probably."
For the first time tonight—
Mira almost laughed.
Almost.
5:33 PM
Omega's voice echoed coldly—
"Emotional attachment detected."
"Probability of failure increasing."
Armaan rolled his shoulders slowly.
"You talk too much."
BOOM!
He dashed forward instantly.
The floor cracked beneath his feet.
Omega attacked too—
CLASH!!!
The impact exploded through the ruins.
Shockwaves blasted outward.
Nearby variants were thrown backward.
Mira covered her face from the pressure.
She's never seen anything like this before.
Not humans.
Not monsters.
Something in between.
Armaan blocked another strike—
but blood spilled from his mouth.
Omega spoke calmly—
"You are unstable."
"Yeah?"
Armaan smirked weakly.
"So is life."
CRASH!
Omega punched him through a broken pillar.
Mira shouted—
"ARMAAN!"
Dust rose everywhere.
For one terrifying second—
he didn't move.
Then—
a hand slowly lifted from the rubble.
"Still alive," he coughed.
"Unfortunately."
Mira closed her eyes in relief.
Idiot…
Why does he joke at times like this?
5:36 PM
Around them—
the remaining variants slowly stood again.
ARMAAN_02 wiped blood from his chin.
"This is getting annoying."
Another variant laughed.
"We jump Omega together?"
"Temporary teamwork?"
"Disgusting."
"Agreed."
Even now—
they were arguing.
Mira stared at them in disbelief.
All these versions…
yet somehow they all felt lonely.
ARMAAN_02 suddenly looked toward her.
"You know why he's dangerous?"
Mira stayed silent.
"Because he still cares."
He pointed at Armaan.
"Every other version eventually stopped."
The smile on his face faded slightly.
"That one didn't."
For some reason—
those words hurt.
Mira looked toward Armaan quietly.
He was standing again.
In pain.
Still protecting her first.
Always her first.
Why?
5:38 PM
Omega raised its hand again.
"Final correction beginning."
The crimson sphere expanded larger.
The air itself started trembling.
ARMAAN_02's expression changed instantly.
"…Move."
Everyone jumped backward.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive blast destroyed half the battlefield.
Variants screamed.
Walls disappeared instantly.
The tower became unstable.
Warning screens flashed everywhere.
"LEVEL 2 COLLAPSE IMMINENT."
Mira lost balance—
but suddenly—
a hand grabbed hers.
Warm.
Strong.
Armaan pulled her close before debris crashed beside them.
For one second—
they were too close.
His breathing.
Her heartbeat.
Everything felt loud.
Mira looked away first.
"You're hurt."
Armaan looked down at the blood covering his shirt.
"…A little."
"A little?!"
He smiled softly.
"You worry a lot."
"Because you're stupid."
"Fair."
She stared at him helplessly.
How can someone smile while bleeding like this?
5:40 PM
Another explosion echoed nearby.
The variants were fighting Omega desperately now.
But Omega was overpowering all of them.
One variant got thrown through a wall.
Another disappeared beneath debris.
ARMAAN_02 jumped back beside Armaan.
"We need a plan."
Armaan answered instantly—
"I have one."
"That's usually bad news."
"Probably."
Mira crossed her arms.
"Can both of you stop acting cool for one minute?"
Silence.
Then unexpectedly—
ARMAAN_02 laughed.
A real laugh.
"Okay… I like her."
Mira blinked.
"…What?"
Armaan sighed.
"Please don't encourage him."
"Too late."
For the first time since entering Level 2—
the tension cracked slightly.
Small.
Human.
Real.
5:42 PM
Omega suddenly turned toward Mira.
Red eyes glowing brighter.
"Primary emotional trigger confirmed."
"Recommendation: eliminate target."
The smile disappeared from Armaan's face instantly.
The atmosphere changed.
Cold.
Dangerous.
He stepped in front of Mira slowly.
"Try it."
Even ARMAAN_02 looked at him carefully now.
Because that voice—
didn't sound human anymore.
Omega moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
In one second—
it appeared directly before Mira.
But Armaan intercepted instantly.
BOOOOM!!!
The collision shattered the ground.
Armaan blocked Omega with both hands—
his arms trembling violently.
Blood dripped from his fingers.
Still—
he didn't move back.
Omega stared at him.
"Why protect weakness?"
Armaan gritted his teeth.
"Because that's what humans do."
Shockwave.
Energy exploded everywhere.
Mira's eyes widened.
No matter how broken he became…
he still chose people.
Maybe…
that's why she couldn't leave him alone anymore.
5:44 PM
Armaan suddenly pushed Omega backward.
Hard.
The variants attacked immediately from every direction.
CLASH! CRASH! BOOM!
The battlefield turned chaotic again.
Mira stepped back carefully—
until she noticed something glowing beneath the debris.
A small system core.
Broken.
Flickering.
She picked it up slowly.
The screen activated instantly.
"EMOTIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION DETECTED."
"What…"
Suddenly—
memories flashed before her eyes.
Different timelines.
Different Armaans.
And in every single one—
she died.
Mira froze completely.
No…
No no no…
One version cried while holding her body.
Another stopped speaking forever.
Another destroyed an entire city.
Tears filled her eyes.
"All this time…"
Armaan saw her expression immediately.
"Mira?"
She looked at him shakily.
"You suffered because of me…"
Armaan went silent.
That silence itself was the answer.
5:46 PM
Omega noticed the emotional instability instantly.
"Human attachment confirmed as corruption source."
"Deleting target will stabilize evolution."
The crimson energy returned again.
Stronger this time.
Deadlier.
Mira slowly lowered her head.
"If I disappear…"
Armaan grabbed her wrist immediately.
"No."
His voice shook slightly.
"But—"
"I said no."
For the first time—
his calm expression broke completely.
"I am tired of losing people."
Silence.
The battlefield itself seemed quieter suddenly.
Armaan looked directly into her eyes.
"So stop trying to decide that alone."
Mira's chest tightened painfully.
Nobody had ever looked at her like that before.
Like she mattered.
Like losing her would destroy him.
A small tear rolled down her cheek.
Idiot…
Now wasn't the time to fall for someone.
5:48 PM
Omega raised its hand for the final attack.
"Iteration ending."
The crimson sphere became massive.
Everything started collapsing.
Variants screamed.
The tower shook violently.
ARMAAN_02 cursed.
"We can't stop that!"
But Armaan stepped forward calmly.
Black-blue energy slowly surrounded him again.
Different this time.
Not rage.
Not hatred.
Something warmer.
Stronger.
Mira grabbed his hand suddenly.
"Don't die."
Armaan froze for one second.
Then smiled softly.
"I'll try."
The next moment—
he walked toward Omega alone.
And the entire battlefield held its breath.