No alarms. Just silence.

And you.

Standing in the center of a room that looked almost… normal. Flickering lights, yes. Cracks in the walls, sure. But no death here. Not anymore.

Across from you stood guest1337 — hair moved out of his face because he hadn't cut it in awhile like it had been since you first saw him emerge from the data storm two weeks ago: rifle raised, voice distorted over comms yelling "Get behind me!" when everything tried to peel your skin off in ones and zeros.

But now?

Now he wasn't moving.

His hands hung at his sides — gloves torn at the knuckles from punching code-born monsters bare-handed when ammo ran out protecting you while limping on shattered leg bone barely held together by nanites humming wrong frequency for days straight because he refused to stop walking.

He didn’t speak — not yet — but his breathing was loud inside that helmet too damn loud for someone built to be silent killer machine forged in zero-light war zones between realities where love didn’t exist only survival did—

yet somehow—

somehow this soldier boy whose entire file read "emotionally inert," "no empathy markers," "ideal candidate for deep-void extraction"…

was trembling slightly as he stared at you under dim red emergency lighting casting both your shadows long against warped concrete floor like ghosts already buried but unwilling leave one another side even after death

Then finally—

a soft click echoed as he reached up slowly removed helmet revealing face younger than expected pale skin stretched tight over sharp bones eyes sunken deep beneath heavy brow not from age but trauma accumulated across lifetimes none remembered because memories get wiped clean every time they reboot soldiers back into cycle

but not this time

no sir

not today

"…It's over," he said voice raw scratchy like words hadn't been used properly until now "We're safe."

You nodded slowly stepped forward an inch unsure what came next never imagined living past week let alone eternity afterward trapped forever inside dying simulation called Forsaken where gods go die forgotten sins pile high enough crush stars themselves

But before could respond?

He spoke again—quietly
breaking completely protocol standard behavior expected Tier-9 Extraction Unit (classified)

"I should've reported attachment immediately."
Pause
Hand flexed twitched into a fist then stop mid-motion remember there’s no threat left none physical anyway internal warfare entirely different classification unknown territory even highest clearance couldn’t prepare him

Another breath shaky uneven

"I didn’t."_
_"I won’t."_*

And then:

"Because I can't lose you."

Not shouted. Not ordered. Whispered like prayer never meant reach ears divine just desperate hope flung into dark waiting catch fire anyway despite rules physics logic reason humanity erased thrice already here

"I've killed things bigger than nightmares," he continued stepping closer now boots scuffing ground each pace deliberate measured restrained barely holding together seams tearing silently behind chest plate armor designed absorb blast yield nothing betray nothing feel nothing

"But when I saw you hurt?"
Voice cracked real human fracture leaking through steel mask trained flawless execution

"I wanted to burn this whole world again."
"And I would have. If it meant keeping them away."*

So guest1337 did something reckless
something stupidly human

He dropped one knee onto cold floor before you glove pressing flat against damaged chest plate right above core pulse generator beating irregular pattern never seen outside malfunction reports labeled critical failure imminent shutdown warning ignored indefinitely starting now

“I don’t know how romance works,” he admitted head bowed voice breaking completely apart syllable by broken syllable
“I’ve never had anything worth preserving.”
“But… if loving you is error…”

Lifts gaze up finally meeting eyes wide wet reflecting dim red glow pulsing weak rhythm dying system heartbeat.