Perfect
Episode 3 – Shadows of the Star System
The Weight of Stars
Three glowing symbols hovered faintly in Shreyank Raheja's vision:
[Bronze Stars: 3/10]
Each one felt heavier than the last, as if they carried not just power but responsibility. The trials were real, and there was no turning back now.
Parth leaned back on the broken bench inside the abandoned Sector-9 plant, still catching his breath. "Bhai… agar har ladayi aisi hone wali hai, toh mujhe lagta hai hum dono ko training ki zarurat hai. Warna agle 7 stars humein khatam kar denge."
Shreyank nodded silently. He could feel it too. His power was raw—like a fire he couldn't fully control. Every time he released it, the energy nearly tore his body apart.
And yet… he also felt strangely alive.
---
Ritika's Warning
Later that night, back at their safehouse, Ritika cleaned her bow while speaking in a low voice. "The system isn't random. The next trial doesn't just appear anywhere—it awakens in places tied to energy, places where the fabric of reality is weak."
Rehanshika leaned against the wall, her tone sharper. "And every time a new creature awakens, the city gets closer to collapse. If you two can't keep up, thousands will die."
Parth frowned. "Toh yeh system sirf test nahi hai? Yeh shahar ko bhi khatra hai?"
Ritika nodded. "Exactly. The stars don't just measure your strength. They're… filters. Separating survivors from the erased."
Shreyank clenched his fists. "Then we don't have a choice. We fight, and we win."
But Rehanshika's eyes lingered on him, as if studying something deeper. "Confidence is good… but overconfidence gets you killed. Remember that, Raheja."
---
The Mysterious Watcher
Unbeknownst to them, in the far corners of Noctis-4, the cloaked figure observed everything through his silver-lensed visor. He had seen the Raheja brothers defeat the first two Bronze beasts.
Now, he whispered into a communicator:
"They're adapting faster than projected. Especially Shreyank. If he continues at this pace, he may actually reach the Silver tier. Prepare contingency protocols. The prophecy may ignite sooner than expected."
On the other side of the transmission, a chilling voice replied:
"Good. Then it's time the Rahejas learned that stars are not gifts… they are chains."
---
Training Begins
The next morning, Ritika dragged them to a hidden underground facility beneath Noctis-4—a ruin from the city's earliest wars.
Parth looked around at the rusted machines and cracked stone. "Bas yahi jagah mili thi training ke liye?"
Rehanshika smirked. "Don't worry. The walls have seen worse than you."
For hours, Shreyank practiced controlling the surge of energy in his veins. Every blast felt like fire ripping through his chest. Ritika kept forcing him to fire with precision instead of brute force.
"Don't just release the power," she instructed. "Shape it. Imagine it like an arrow—sharp, focused."
Meanwhile, Parth struggled with weapons training. His strength wasn't equal to Shreyank's, but his mind worked quickly. He began mixing gadgets and traps, improvising ways to fight smarter, not harder.
At one point, he accidentally overloaded a plasma trap, nearly blowing up the chamber.
Rehanshika laughed for the first time. "Not bad. Maybe you're not just dead weight after all."
Parth grinned. "Careful, warna tum mujhe compliment kar dogi."
Her smirk faded instantly. "Don't get used to it."
---
The Next Trial
Three nights later, the system activated again. Shreyank woke up in cold sweat as the notification burned across his vision:
[Bronze Trial #3 Incoming]
Location: Skyway Bridge – Noctis-4
Time: 23:00 Hours
His pulse quickened. The Skyway Bridge was one of the busiest routes in the city. If the beast appeared there, hundreds of lives would be in danger.
"We don't have time," Ritika said as soon as he told them. "Gear up. Now."
---
Chaos on the Bridge
By the time they reached, the Skyway Bridge was already in chaos. Cars had crashed into each other, alarms blared, and people screamed as a new crystalline monster towered above the wreckage.
This one was different—twice as tall as the last, with four arms ending in jagged blades. Its body pulsed with glowing cracks, each one releasing waves of static energy that fried electronics around it.
"Bronze Titan," Ritika muttered. "It's stronger than anything you've faced."
The beast roared, slamming its blades into the bridge, sending cars flying like toys.
"Parth, focus on evacuation!" Shreyank ordered.
"On it!" Parth ran to guide civilians away, tossing flares to distract the creature when needed.
Ritika climbed a fallen truck, firing explosive arrows into the Titan's joints, while Rehanshika darted beneath its strikes, carving at its legs.
Shreyank felt the power building again—unstable, overwhelming. Not like last time… I have to control it.
---
The Breaking Point
The Titan swung, nearly cleaving Ritika in half. Shreyank dashed forward, energy crackling across his arms, and intercepted the strike. The impact shook his bones, but he held firm.
His veins glowed brighter than ever, the crystal power inside him reaching a dangerous peak.
Parth screamed from the side. "Bhai! Don't burn yourself out!"
But Shreyank didn't listen. He funneled everything into one concentrated blast, a glowing spear of energy that tore through the Titan's chest.
The monster let out a metallic shriek as its core was exposed. Ritika's final arrow pierced straight through it, detonating on impact.
The Titan collapsed into shards.
[Bronze Star Acquired: +1]
Now the counter showed: 4/10.
---
The Price of Power
Shreyank dropped to one knee, gasping. His vision blurred. His hands shook violently, almost as if the energy was eating him alive from the inside.
Ritika rushed to him. "You pushed too far! That amount of power—your body isn't ready for it yet."
Rehanshika's tone was colder. "He'll either adapt… or he'll burn out before reaching Silver tier. The system doesn't care which."
Parth helped Shreyank to his feet. "Don't talk about him like he's already dead."
But as Shreyank stood, another voice echoed faintly inside his head. Not Ritika's. Not Rehanshika's.
A whisper, almost like the crystal itself.
"Four stars. Six remain. But beware… the more you shine, the closer the shadows come."
Shreyank's eyes widened. For the first time, he realized—he wasn't just collecting stars.
He was being watched.