Chapter 1: Breath of the Forgotten
Yuvaan was breathing like fire — each gasp flaring up like a restless storm. In the darkness of the tunnel, only the echo of his footsteps remained… and the faint blue glow of the ancient device.
Beep… beep…
A signal blinked on the device's screen.
Something inside the chip was reacting — a signal, old data… or maybe… a memory?
He picked up the device. A holographic projection appeared on the screen.
A girl.
There was recognition in her eyes… but the face — unfamiliar.
> "You forgot me, didn't you, Yuvaan?"
Her words held no force, just a tired sadness.
> "But I never forgot you…"
Yuvaan's mind stumbled.
Who is this girl? Why don't I know her?
And why does she know me… like this?
A lightwave from the device triggered the chip.
Suddenly, another memory surfaced — a fractured one.
A glimpse of a small lab.
A man in a white coat. His name on the board: Mr. Vaidya.
"Subject Y.M. revived. Chip integrated successfully.
But there's something inside him… something different."
Scene shift —
After a flash of white light, Yuvaan was in another memory.
He lay on a concrete floor, blood pooling near his head.
Three silhouettes leaned over him.
One said, "Knowing this much became dangerous for him."
The second pulled the chip from his eye.
The third one whispered, coldly —
> "This is not the end… this is the beginning."
And then… blackness.
Back in the tunnel, Yuvaan stared at the screen.
A name blinked in glowing text:
"Project 7M - Vaidya Log 41A: Keyholder Activated."
His hand trembled.
Vaidya… the chip… the girl…
Everything felt like part of a larger design.
But who made the design?
Just then, the chip pulsed again. But this time, something else was triggered.
A map was scanned from the device — the coordinates pointed to the outskirts of Old Delhi.
An abandoned asylum.
The same place where a "Black File" mission had once been conducted.
Another flash —
This time, Mr. Vaidya's face was crystal clear.
"If he ever comes back… send him to the asylum.
That's where his truth lies.
And that's where… his real face will awaken."
As Yuvaan reached the tunnel's exit, he heard footsteps behind him.
He slowly turned.
A shadow — tall, silent.
With a calmness in its eyes… so deep, even death looked small before it.
"Welcome back, Keyholder."
There was something in that voice — a strange vibration.
Like a scream… hidden inside a forgotten identity.
Yuvaan gripped the device tight.
It was time to go to the asylum — to meet the truth.
The one tied to his death…
to the
chip inside him…
and to the girl he never knew…
…But who never stopped remembering him.
To be continued…