When they all woke up, rubbing their eyes from the freezing Antarctic morning, they noticed Ayaan's bed was empty.
"Where is Ayaan?" Aditya asked, looking around.
They stepped outside, shivering slightly from the icy air, and froze at the sight in front of them—Ayaan was already wide awake, doing push-ups on the snow like it was nothing. His breath formed clouds in the cold, but his face was calm and focused. The morning sun reflected on the ice, giving him an almost cinematic glow.
"What the…? You're working out here?!" Anshuman said, eyes wide.
Ayaan didn't stop. "Yeah. The cold keeps you sharp."
Anant raised an eyebrow. "We'll also join. No way we're letting you get ahead of us in fitness."
Aditya smirked. "Oh, I get it now… this is how you attract girls. That's why the girls in our class only look at you."
Ayaan chuckled but didn't deny it. "Well, you asked—now get in position. I'll show you the routine."
They all groaned but started following his lead—push-ups, squats, planks, and even some strange ice-side lunges. Their teeth chattered, but Ayaan kept encouraging them with a grin.
A few minutes later, Aashi came walking by, holding a steaming cup of something warm. She stopped in her tracks, tilted her head, and smirked at the sight of all of them sweating in the snow.
"Wow… is this a fitness club or something?" she asked.
"We're training!" Aditya puffed out his chest proudly.
Aashi grinned. "Can I join?"
Before anyone could reply, she added playfully, "I'll just wear shorts and a short top. Give me two minutes." She walked away, leaving the boys staring at each other in stunned silence, the cold suddenly feeling a lot less cold.
When they were resting for just two minutes, catching their breath and rubbing their frozen hands together, Aashi came back. She had changed into shorts and a short top, completely unfazed by the icy Antarctic wind.
For a moment, nobody said a word—they were all just staring, their brains collectively frozen. How can a girl be this fit… and this hot? ran through everyone's mind at the same time. Her toned arms, confident smile, and the way she moved like the cold didn't even exist made the whole group go silent.
Aashi placed her hands on her hips, looking at them one by one with a playful smirk. "So…" she said, tilting her head, "who's the trainer here?"
They all said, "Ayaan is the trainer."
Aashi crossed her arms, smirking. "Oh, I had already thought he'd be the trainer."
Aditya raised an eyebrow. "How?"
She shrugged with a small smile. "By his body. You can tell he's strong just by looking—broad shoulders, perfect posture, the kind of guy who probably lifts boulders for fun."
Anshuman whistled. "Guess she's not wrong."
Ayaan, pretending not to care, simply said, "Alright then… enough talking. Let's start."
The group immediately tensed up, knowing "training with Ayaan" meant one thing—pain.
When they were training, everyone was sweating like crazy, so they sat down for a short rest.
Aditya suddenly said, "You know… Antarctica didn't have ice millions of years ago. So… how did all this ice come here?"
They all froze for a second, looking at each other.
Anant scratched his head. "Good question… I never thought about that."
Ayaan's eyes narrowed. "Then let's find out. But from now on, we have to be careful—some people will come to take this key from us."
Anshuman looked around. "Wait… where's the car?"
Aditya pointed toward the snow-covered vehicle half-buried nearby. "Right there… but uh… who's going to drive?"
Everyone slowly turned their heads toward Ayaan.
Aashi crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, how can he drive better than me?"
Aditya smirked. "Only one way to find out—let's make it a competition."
Aashi grinned. "Perfect. And lucky for you all, I've got one more car."
She pointed toward a sleek, snow-armored vehicle parked a little distance away, its engine already rumbling like it was ready for a race.
Ayaan smirked back. "Alright then… let's see if you can keep up."
Snow crunched under their boots as they all gathered in the middle of the icy plain, two vehicles facing forward like beasts waiting to be unleashed. The wind howled, sending flurries of snow swirling dramatically around them.
Aditya stepped forward, pointing toward the distant market barely visible through the snowstorm. "From here… to that market gate… and back. No shortcuts. First one here wins."
The cold air was so sharp it almost stung, their breaths turning to fog in the fading sunlight.
Anshuman's eyes darted between the two cars. "Okay… but who's riding with who?"
Aashi, leaning against her sleek, snow-armored vehicle, smirked. "I'll take the people with the guts to handle speed."
Ayaan cracked his knuckles, stepping beside his heavy-duty, rugged snow cruiser. "And I'll take the ones who value their lives."
They all looked at each other for a moment before deciding.
Aditya pointed. "Alright—Anshuman and Affan with Ayaan. Me and Anant with Aashi."
The teams walked to their cars in slow motion, like in an action movie—snow kicking up with each step, engines rumbling louder. Ayaan slid into the driver's seat, checking the rearview mirror with a calm, focused expression. Aashi, meanwhile, revved her engine twice, the sound echoing across the empty ice field.
Aditya raised his hand, ready to start the race. The wind picked up, the world seemed to pause.
"GO!"
Engines roared, snow exploded behind the tires, and the race began—two streaks of metal and fury cutting across the white wilderness toward the distant market.
The moment Aditya's hand dropped, both cars shot forward like rockets.
Ayaan's snow cruiser dug its tires into the frozen ground, throwing up a wall of white powder behind it. Inside, Anshuman gripped the side handle so hard his knuckles turned pale, while Affan was already shouting, "FASTER!"
Meanwhile, Aashi's snow-armored beast tore through the track like a predator, engine growling, headlights slicing through the icy fog. Aditya was holding on to the dashboard, half-laughing, half-panicking. Anant leaned out the window just to yell, "We're winning!" before almost losing his beanie to the wind.
The two vehicles were neck and neck, skidding over ice patches, bouncing over frozen ridges. Snow flew up in massive sprays, making it hard to see. Ayaan leaned forward, calm but deadly focused, his eyes tracking every bump. Aashi, however, was grinning like a maniac, drifting dangerously close to Ayaan's side just to mess with him.
The market's giant wooden gate came into view—a dark silhouette in the blizzard. The crowd of people inside peeked out to see the madness unfolding.
But just as Aashi's car got close, BAM!
A massive shadow dropped from a ledge beside the market. A man—easily over 7 feet tall, muscles like boulders—swung a fist the size of a sledgehammer straight into the side of Aashi's car.
The impact was brutal. Metal crunched, glass shattered, and the car flipped onto its side, sliding across the snow before coming to a stop. Aashi coughed, unbuckling herself, while Aditya groaned. Anant stumbled out, clutching his shoulder.
"What the hell was THAT?!" Aditya shouted, wiping snow off his face.
Anant looked around, panicked. "Wait… where are the others?"
The blizzard swirled heavier now. In the distance, Ayaan's car had vanished beyond the gate.
The giant man stood there, chest heaving, clearly ready to smash the next thing that moved. But then—
Fweeeet!
A sharp whistle cut through the cold air. The big man froze mid-step, his head tilting slightly. Slowly, he turned around.
And there, leaning casually against a wooden post inside the market, was Ayaan—hands in his pockets, a calm smirk on his face, looking like he had been waiting for hours.
Right beside him, Affan and Anshuman were sitting on a fruit stall counter, casually munching bright orange berries and some weird icy-looking apples. Affan waved lazily. "Hey, big man… are you the fruit seller?"
The crowd around them burst into laughter, some even clapping at the joke. Anshuman held up a half-eaten fruit. "Because if you are… this stuff is amazing!"
The big man's face twitched between confusion and anger, his massive fists tightening.
Meanwhile, Ayaan just tilted his head, his eyes locked on the giant. "So… you like punching cars? Or should I give you something that can actually hit back?"
The big man's expression hardened, but before he could take a step toward Ayaan, the crowd's laughter suddenly died.
A strange chill swept through the market, and from behind the giant, a shadow emerged. At first, it looked like a normal man—about the same height as Ayaan, walking calmly through the falling snow. His face was partly hidden under a hood, his movements slow… almost casual.
Affan narrowed his eyes. "Uh… who's that guy?"
Before anyone could answer, the man's body blurred—
and in a blink, he was gone.
A fraction of a second later, BAM!
A devastating punch landed squarely in Ayaan's back, the impact echoing through the market.
Ayaan stumbled forward a step, his boots scraping against the frozen wood. The crowd gasped. Affan and Anshuman jumped off the fruit stall instantly, scanning for the attacker.
The shadowy figure was already standing behind Ayaan again, his head tilted slightly, as if mocking him.
A slow grin spread across Ayaan's face. "Heh… so you're fast. Let's see if you're faster than me."
The market erupted into chaos.
On one side, the big man roared and swung his massive arms at Aashi, Aditya, and Anant. The three dodged in different directions—snow and splinters flying every time his fists smashed into the ground. Aashi slid under his legs, kicking his knee to slow him down, while Aditya grabbed a wooden pole from a stall and swung it like a bat. Anant kept darting in to land quick strikes, then jumping back before the giant could grab him.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the shadow was a blur. Ayaan, Affan, and Anshuman tried to corner him, but every time they lunged, he'd vanish and reappear behind them. His speed was unreal—like fighting a ghost made of steel.
Affan dove low to trip him, Anshuman came in from the side, and Ayaan struck from the front. In one synchronized move, they all grabbed hold of his cloak.
RIP!
The hood fell back… and the market fell silent for a second.
Standing there wasn't a normal man at all. His face was a polished steel mask, glowing lines running across it like veins of blue light. His eyes were mechanical lenses, scanning with a faint whirring sound. The body was human-shaped, but every joint and muscle fiber was made of advanced alloy—an exact height and build as Ayaan.
Affan's eyes widened. "Wait… is that a robot version of you?!"
The robot tilted its head, mimicking Ayaan's smirk perfectly before vanishing again in a flash of speed.
Ayaan's jaw tightened. "Oh… now this is personal."
The robot Ayaan stood still for a moment, its glowing eyes scanning each of them.
Then—BOOM!
It slammed its metallic fist into the ground. The impact shook the entire market, splitting the wooden planks beneath their feet. A violent cloud of dust and snow exploded into the air, blinding everyone.
Aashi shielded her face, Aditya coughed, and Anant stumbled back. Affan and Anshuman shouted Ayaan's name, but the thick dust made it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.
When the snow-mist finally cleared…
the big man and the robot Ayaan were gone.
Everyone's eyes darted around in panic.
Aditya turned sharply to Ayaan. "What was that thing?!"
Ayaan raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but sharp. "If I knew that… why would I still be here with you?"
The group went silent for a moment—realizing whatever this was, it wasn't just some random attack.
The group trudged back through the snowy streets, their bodies sore and clothes dusted with ice and snow from the chaos at the market. Finally, they reached Aashi's house, a warm glow spilling from the windows that promised comfort and food.
Inside, the smell of steaming dishes made everyone's stomach growl. Plates were passed around, bowls clinked, and laughter slowly returned as they started eating, sharing jokes about how insane the day had been.
Meanwhile, outside, Ayaan stood on the porch, arms crossed, looking at the sky. The golden sunset reflected off his sharp features, his presence somehow commanding even in silence.
The group inside kept sneaking glances at him.
Anshuman nudged Affan. "Hey… who really knows Ayaan better than anyone?"
Affan smirked confidently, leaning back in his chair. "That's easy—I know him better than anyone here. Definitely better than you guys."
Aashi raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh really? Prove it, then."
Affan's grin widened. "Watch and learn. I've been with him longer, I've seen him do the impossible, and I know exactly what he's thinking right now."
Everyone's attention shifted toward him, curious to see if he could actually read Ayaan like he claimed.
Just as Affan was about to boast some more, Ayaan walked inside quietly, his boots clicking softly against the wooden floor. Without a word, he slid into a chair, sitting down like he owned the room.
Everyone's heads turned instantly. "Wait… do you mean Affan really knows you better than all of us?" someone asked, incredulous.
Ayaan's lips curled into a slow, amused smile. "He's been with me since… basically forever. We've done all the crazy, fun things together. There's almost nothing he doesn't know about me."
Affan puffed out his chest proudly. "See! I told you guys!"
Ayaan chuckled, shaking his head. "Exactly. So don't even try to argue—he's the only one who truly gets me."
The rest of the group groaned, half annoyed, half impressed, while Affan just sat back, basking in his small victory, a smug grin plastered across his face.
The group leaned forward eagerly, curiosity written all over their faces.
"Affan," Aashi said, "tell us… what was Ayaan thinking back there?"
Affan grinned knowingly. "He was thinking… how can there be a copy of him? I mean, we're talking millions of years ago, and now there's a robot that looks exactly like him. How is it even possible for something that advanced to exist here?"
Ayaan looked at him and laughed, a warm, genuine sound that made everyone else pause. "Affan… you get me every single time."
Affan puffed out his chest proudly, while the others shook their heads in awe. Somehow, even in the middle of all this chaos and mystery, Affan always seemed to understand Ayaan perfectly.
Ayaan leaned back in his chair, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement. "Seriously… how do you do that?"
Affan just shrugged, smirking. "It's called being the OG best friend."
The room erupted in laughter, the tension from earlier slowly melting away, leaving only warmth, friendship, and a hint of wonder about the strange events still looming outside.
Than they all slept.