Chapter 13 – “The Weight of a Name”
In the world's eyes, they were a perfect match.
Dev Rajan & Meera Sharma.
India's first and only UR-ranked Awakened duo — heroes, saviors, miracles.
But beneath the headlines and celebrations, there was a truth the System never showed.
A truth that lived between their glances and silence.
---
They were married now.
Not because of love.
Because the System demanded it.
And yet…
When Dev looked at Meera in their newly-assigned quarters, he didn't see a stranger.
He saw the same girl who had once stood up for a starving child during the Tower's first chaos.
The same girl who had walked back into the flames to carry his unconscious body on the first floor.
But he also saw her walls.
Unshakable. Untouchable.
Beautiful — and terrifying.
---
"Why are you standing so far?" Meera asked without turning. Her back was to him as she stood by the window.
Dev rubbed the back of his neck. "Just… giving you space."
She scoffed. "We're married now, Dev. The System doesn't leave space."
He lowered his eyes.
"I know."
The silence between them stretched thin, like glass before it shatters.
---
They came from different worlds.
Meera Sharma.
Daughter of a Delhi industrialist family. English-speaking elite. Groomed in Switzerland. An heiress in a warrior's body.
Dev Rajan.
Son of a Dalit mason. Raised in a village with no electricity. Educated under a tin roof. Grew up being told not to drink from public taps.
They met only because of the Tower.
They stood side by side because the System forced their hands.
But even fate couldn't erase the invisible line between them.
---
Later that night, Meera scrolled through the messages from her family.
Some were curt.
Some were cruel.
> [Meera, your mother refuses to attend any celebration until you annul this pairing.]
[We can still use legal loopholes to challenge System protocols. Don't make this permanent.]
[You are a Sharma. Not his equal.]
She stared at the last message.
Then slowly deleted it.
But Dev had seen it already — reflected in the glass of the kitchen panel.
He said nothing.
Only clenched his jaw until his molars hurt.
---
They trained the next morning in Zone A3's simulation fields.
Meera was flawless — as always.
Dev pushed himself harder than usual.
She noticed.
"You're overexerting."
"I'm trying to keep up."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't need to prove anything."
"I do."
"To who? Me? The world?"
He turned away. "To myself."
---
That night, Meera caught him washing his only pair of casual clothes — by hand — in the bathroom sink.
Her voice was soft. "Why didn't you use the auto-cleaner?"
He didn't look up. "Old habit."
"Dev…"
"I don't belong in this life," he muttered. "This room, this luxury, this—"
He gestured at the gold-trimmed furniture and auto-kitchen. "It's not mine."
She walked in, sat beside him on the tiled floor.
He froze.
She gently took the wet shirt from his hands, her fingers brushing his knuckles.
"I didn't choose you because the System forced me."
He finally looked at her, pain swimming in his dark eyes. "Then why?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered, "Because when the sky collapsed… you still shielded others before shielding yourself. And you smiled through bloodied lips just to calm a crying child. I've lived in mansions and sat at diamond tables, Dev. But no one ever made me feel safe the way you did that day."
Tears gathered in his eyes.
He lowered his head.
"I don't want to be your shame."
She touched his cheek.
"You're my heart, Dev Rajan. I just didn't know how to say it until now."
---
They didn't kiss that night.
They just sat together — hand in hand — on cold tiles, soaked shirt between them, and warmth blooming where pain used to live.
---
But the world outside was not kind.
Meera's name still trended online.
#MeeraSharmaDisgrace
#URDuoMismatch
#DalitNotDeserved
Someone leaked her marriage contract.
Dev's origins became public.
The internet exploded with opinions.
---
Her father cut all ties.
Her mother filed to disown her.
But she didn't cry.
Not even when the court summons came to her Tower terminal.
Not even when former friends ignored her calls.
---
She only cried when Dev made her tea for the first time.
He served it with shaking hands, unsure if he'd added too much sugar.
She took one sip… and wept into her cup.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For staying."
He leaned down, his forehead resting gently against hers.
"I was born to stand behind others, Meera."
She smiled.
"Then stand beside me from now on."
---
The peaceful moment between Dev and Meera didn't last long.
A harsh, chilling tone rang through the air — an unmistakable sound that came from nowhere but was heard everywhere. A System Notification.
---
[System Notification – Urgent]
[System Detected: Unauthorized Humiliation of Awakened Duos]
[Warning: The System has identified multiple attempts to disgrace and degrade the dignity of a UR-ranked Awakener. Immediate cessation of all hostile actions is required. Failure to comply will result in termination of the responsible parties.]
---
Meera froze, her tea cup slipping from her hands and crashing to the floor. The shards scattered across the polished tiles like fractured thoughts.
Dev stared at the ceiling, eyes wide.
"What the hell…" he muttered, standing up quickly. The room seemed to hum with tension.
---
The notification wasn't the end.
It had only just begun.
---
[System Notification – Continuing]
[All actions degrading or attempting to humiliate the honor of the Awakened and their partners will be immediately punished. Those responsible will face forced termination.]
[Current Status: Global Monitoring Activated.]
---
Meera's heart began to pound as the words sunk in. Her eyes darted to the terminal across the room, where the glowing hologram displayed the current global headlines. The posts were everywhere.
#URMismatch
#SharmaTheShame
#DalitNotDeserving
She clenched her fists.
"This… this wasn't the System's doing. This is just the world. The people," Meera whispered under her breath, her voice laced with frustration and fury. "But they don't know what it's like to—"
Before she could finish, the next notification came in, louder than before.
---
[System Notification – Continuing]
[System Error Detected: Unacceptable Action Toward UR Duos.]
[All attempts to undermine, shame, or ridicule the Awakened have triggered an automatic countermeasure.]
[Current Status: Subject to Immediate Action.]
---
A new notification appeared.
---
[System Notification – Immediate Action]
[Termination Protocol Active]
[Target: Global Social Media Platforms – Disrespectful Content]
[Status: Content flagged for deletion. Responsible accounts will be identified and terminated.]
---
Meera looked at Dev, her expression darkening.
"I… I don't know if I should feel relieved or angry," she muttered.
Dev didn't reply at first, his eyes fixed on the screen. "Angry. Definitely angry. But… this is the world we live in. They can't understand."
His voice grew quiet. "I didn't ask for any of this, Meera. I don't belong in their world, and I don't belong in this life. But I don't know how to make it right."
She stepped forward, her hand gently touching his cheek. "You are in my world now. We're in this together."
He shook his head. "But can you stand being with someone like me?"
Meera took a deep breath. "I told you, Dev. I choose you. I didn't choose you because the System told me to. I chose you because… I believe in you."
Dev's heart fluttered at the sincerity in her voice.
---
But the notifications didn't stop. The System wasn't finished with its message.
---
[System Notification – Final Warning]
[To All Awakened Duos:]
[All humbling, degrading, or disparaging actions toward Awakened duos are being monitored.]
[Immediate action has been taken to silence those who would dishonor the bravery and sacrifices made by our warriors.]
[Failure to comply with System regulations will result in termination.]
[This is your final warning.]
---
The message repeated several times, its chilling echo seeming to fill the entire room. Meera stood frozen, the weight of it sinking into her chest like an anchor pulling her under.
"This is crazy…" she whispered.
Dev grabbed her shoulders, turning her to face him. "Forget them. Forget what they think."
"But it's not just them. It's everyone. It's… it's everything." Her voice cracked, but she pushed it down, refusing to let the tears fall. "The world may never accept us, Dev."
Dev pulled her closer, his voice low. "Then we'll make our own world."
---
The room fell silent again, save for the occasional soft hum of the System's monitoring.
But now, it was quieter.
More serious.
The outside world could rage and scream. The System could delete all traces of their enemies and threats, but they couldn't erase what they felt for each other.
They couldn't erase the love that, despite everything, had grown between them — a love born from shared hardships, trials, and survival. A love that had no time for titles, no need for approval, and no room for rejection.
Only truth.
And right now, the truth was that Meera and Dev — no matter the odds — were stronger together than apart.
---
As the notifications stopped, the world outside quieted, at least for a while.
But the battle wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
And neither were they.
---
As the final System notification faded, a new one appeared. This time, there was no room for ambiguity.
---
[System Notification – Judgment Protocol Activated]
[Status: Final Warnings Ignored.]
[Initiating Termination of Identified Individuals Who Participated in the Unjust Humiliation of UR-ranked Duo Dev Rajan and Meera Sharma.]
[Reason: Mindless Abuse and Intentional Psychological Sabotage of Awakened Warriors.]
[Casualties: 127 Confirmed Targets Across 14 Countries.]
[Action: Instant Neural Disconnection. Brain Death Executed.]
---
All over the world — in bustling cafes, dorm rooms, news studios, underground forums, and corporate offices — people collapsed. Lifeless. Eyes wide open. Heart stopped. Brain severed from consciousness.
Their bodies dropped without a sound, without fanfare.
Just cold silence.
A new headline emerged globally:
"Mass Death Event – Linked to System Response"
"Top Social Media Trolls, Influencers, and Commentators Found Dead"
"System Delivers Unprecedented Punishment"
---
In a luxury apartment in Tokyo, a young social media star who'd mocked Meera's marriage slumped over her makeup desk, her livestream ending in a sudden crash of static.
In a U.S. newsroom, an anchor who had run a special segment titled "UR Mistake: Why She Could've Done Better" keeled over mid-sentence, eyes glassy.
In a cafe in Mumbai, two men laughing over edited memes of Dev's family went stiff, then collapsed on the floor, steaming mugs falling from their hands.
---
Back in their apartment, Meera read the headlines, her hands trembling.
"Dev… they're all…"
Dev read it too. His voice barely came out. "The System… actually killed them."
---
[System Notification]
[Warning to Remaining Population:]
[The Awakened are Humanity's Final Hope. All attempts to ridicule, break, or demoralize them will be seen as an act of sabotage against the future of the planet.]
[This is your only warning. The System does not offer second chances.]
---
Meera sat down slowly, her face pale.
"I didn't want this," she whispered.
Dev knelt beside her. "Neither did I. But maybe it's what was needed…"
They looked at each other. The hatred. The caste slurs. The laughter. The memes. The whispers behind their backs. It had been killing them slowly — every glance, every insult, every comment that made them feel less than human.
But now the world would be forced to think.
To pause.
To fear.
---
Meera reached out and held Dev's hand tightly. "Will they ever accept us?"
Dev responded quietly, "I don't know. But at least now… they'll think twice before hating us for something we never chose."
Meera's eyes filled with tears. "You're not just a lower-class boy from a village anymore, Dev. You're my partner. My equal. The man I'll fight with… and die with, if I must."
Dev smiled faintly. "And you're not just some goddess born into wealth and pride. You're mine. And no one's ever going to tear us apart again."
---
Outside, the world was quieter.
The cruelty dulled.
And for the first time in days, the two of them sat in silence — hand in hand — as the System watched and ensured no more venom would be spat their way.
Not again.
Never again.
---