Albert and Bhalla drove through the desert, the SUV jolting over uneven sand. Silence hung heavy between them, oppressive, like the heat itself had weight.
"We shouldn't have left him," Albert muttered, his voice tight, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Bhalla stole a glance at him. "Sir… since when have you started worrying? Don't worry. He'll be fine."
Albert said nothing. After a long pause, he muttered sharply, "Turn the car."
They drove on until they reached a clearing. The sight froze them. Rows of old and young men lay lifeless across the sand, each covered in white cloth. Faces pale and stiff, eyes closed, their bodies eerily still. Albert's hands trembled slightly, gripping the wheel.
Bhalla stepped out first, scanning the scene, jaw tight. "This… this is…"
Albert didn't finish. He pulled a flare from the SUV, ignited it, and tossed it onto the nearest pile. Flames roared, smoke curling upward, the heat harsh against their faces.
"They had no chance… not a single one," Albert said, voice low and tense.
"Sir… do you think… Aarvansh—" Bhalla began, his voice quiet, almost broken.
"He's not here. He's not anywhere nearby," Albert cut him off, sharp and final.
Bhalla's hands clenched at his sides. "Then… where did he go? He couldn't have just—"
Albert shook his head, jaw set tight. "We left him behind, Bhalla… and now he's gone. Alone. If he's out there…" His voice faltered for a brief second, then hardened. "God help him."
"And we're just supposed to… leave him?" Bhalla asked, stepping closer, voice tense.
Albert's eyes bore into him. "What choice do we have? We can't chase shadows in the desert. Not now."
"Do you think he's alive?" Bhalla whispered, almost to himself.
Albert clenched his jaw, gaze fixed on the flames. "I have to hope… otherwise everything we did… it means nothing."
A pause. Bhalla's voice dropped even lower. "And if he's gone… if Aryan—"
Albert slammed his hand against the SUV, cutting him off. "Don't. Not here. Not now. Drive."
Bhalla climbed back into the car. The engine hummed to life, and the SUV rolled forward. Neither spoke again. Behind them, the desert stretched endlessly, carrying only the flames.
Back in Delhi, AGNI Headquarters was tense. Agents whispered among themselves, anxious at Albert's unexpected return.
"Sir, where have you been?" one asked. "You were gone for weeks! We thought—"
Albert raised a hand, his tone calm but firm. "Enough. All questions will be answered in the meeting. Two hours. Raghu, Pritam, Dipesh, Rudra—you four need to be present. No excuses."
The agents dispersed reluctantly. Bhalla stayed beside him, expression unreadable.
Two hours later, the meeting room filled with quiet anticipation. Albert began, composed and measured, explaining everything that had happened to the people he trusted most.
Raghu, known for dismantling immense cyber networks, finally asked, "And where's Aarvansh? How did those men die?"
A tense pause. Whispers tickled the edges of the room. Then Bhalla spoke, calm but firm. "The situation… it's out of hand. We had to leave the place temporarily before the radiation could've killed us. When we returned, the men were dead, and he wasn't there."
Albert's jaw tightened. Eyes flashing, he paced briefly. "You gave him the serum… while I was gone, handling a mission already stretched beyond limits. And now… another enhanced human is out there, unsupervised. If something happens—who's responsible? SENIOR ASSISTANT BHALLA SINGH!"
Bhalla said nothing.
Albert's anger simmered, controlled but intense. "Do you understand what this means? The variables, the consequences… the risks you've taken? I trusted this agency to handle things responsibly while I was away. And this is what I return to?"
He slammed a fist lightly on the table. The echo filled the room. The agents flinched, but Bhalla's gaze stayed fixed on the floor.
Albert turned to the others. "Raghu, Pritam, Dipesh, Rudra… I trusted you guys. You let him do this."
Rudra began to speak. "Sir, we didn't have any option… You were—"
"Quiet! I told you, Bhalla, I could handle it, yet you risked another goddamn—"
Albert exhaled slowly, fury contained but palpable. "Meeting dismissed."
The agents filed out quietly. Albert lingered a moment longer, staring at Bhalla. Silence thickened the room.
Later that night, in his apartment, Albert sat alone. His mind replayed every detail of the mission, the desert events, Aryan's moves, and the uncertainty surrounding Aarvansh. Responsibility, guilt, and fear churned within him.
His phone buzzed. A message appeared:
"Your destiny is written, my friend, with your blood."
Albert's grip tightened around the device. A chill ran down his spine. He knew the real storm had only just begun.