Aryan returned to the room to find Malisha already there, standing with the crew.
Terrified would have been an understatement.
No one met her eyes. No one spoke—not to her, not about her. Even breathing felt measured, as if sound itself could trigger something irreversible.
Aditya entered last, the door closing softly behind him.
"Where's Athena?" Aryan asked, breaking the silence.
"She left," Malisha replied evenly. "The meeting was over. I let her go."
Aryan exhaled through his nose, then glanced at Aditya. "Looks like our newly appointed OG captain woke up in the mood to die today—walking straight into Rank Eight."
Malisha turned sharply. "What happened?"
Her voice dropped. "Adi—what did you do?"
"I left," Aditya snapped. "While you were killing a man and sitting there like you were proud of it. That's what I did."
The words hit.
Malisha looked away—not because she didn't have an answer, but because she had too many.
"And then," she said coldly, turning back, "you were stupid enough to walk straight into a rank. And not just any—Rank Eight. Are you out of your mind? Or are you trying to add to the trouble you're already in?"
Aditya laughed, sharp and bitter. "Trouble?"
He stepped forward. "What—are you going to kill me too? Like him? Go on, Mal. Or should I say—my queen?"
The room stiffened.
"No," Malisha said quietly. "But if you keep acting like this, I might not be able to save you."
Siya swallowed hard. She understood the weight behind those words now—the rules, the threats, the world Malisha lived in.
"Well then," Aditya shot back, "why isn't the six-million unwanted guarantee enough?"
Malisha's eyes flicked instantly to Aryan.
For the first time, Aryan looked uncomfortable. He forced a smile that didn't land anywhere. "Relax," he muttered.
"No," Malisha said flatly. "It's not enough. You have no idea what kind of world you're stepping into. I don't want to go with you either—but that's not the point anymore. Your actions raised the stakes."
Dweep cleared his throat nervously. "So… the bus. Is it ready?"
Malisha didn't answer him.
Her gaze stayed locked on Aryan.
Slowly, reluctantly, Aryan pulled the keys from his pocket and tossed them to Raghav. He caught them cleanly.
"As good as new," Aryan said. "Checked it myself."
Then, almost under his breath, "Sorry. Should've given these to you an hour ago."
He didn't look at Malisha when he said that.
Aditya adjusted his bag. "You're not coming as captain," he said firmly. "If you come at all, you come as crew. Same as the survivors. Otherwise, you're a liability."
Silence followed.
Then—
"Aye aye… Captain."
Malisha didn't look at him as she spoke.
She turned and walked out of the room.
The bus stood ready to leave.
For the first time in days, Raghav smiled. Pain still sat heavy in his chest, but he didn't care. This—movement, escape—was enough.
The crew followed Aryan outside and settled into their seats while he explained the recent improvements with practiced ease. He smiled, joked, gestured—perfectly casual. Anyone watching would think everything was under control.
No one would guess he was buying time.
Malisha was late.
Then she appeared.
Three dogs burst ahead of her, tails wagging wildly as they leapt onto the bus, instantly finding familiar faces. One of them stopped near Aditya, sniffed his hand, and then moved in the room with the other two. Aditya glanced down, surprised, then up.
Malisha noticed. She always did.
She walked out slowly, hands in her pockets, her expression relaxed—almost bored—the same mask she wore every day. The crew exchanged brief glances and murmured under their breath before turning away, pretending not to see her. Malisha pretended the same. Silence, mutual and deliberate.
Aryan finally turned toward her.
"So," he said lightly, "leaving already? I'd ask you to stay, but this place holds some unpleasant memories for you. Probably best you go."
"I was never staying," Malisha replied, smiling. "You've maintained it well, though. Keep doing that—and don't make any blunders, player."
"Yes, well," Aryan hesitated, then rushed on, "I hope you're… ready to leave. I mean—with them. I—never mind."
Her smile flickered, irritation flashing beneath it.
"Sometimes I wonder why I hired you," she said calmly. "Then you speak like this, and I remember exactly when I'll fire you."
Aryan grinned. "You hired me because I'm irresistibly good-looking, my queen."
Malisha didn't respond. She simply turned toward the bus.
"I should go. They've waited long enough."
"Farewell, then," Aryan said, bowing slightly. "Until next time, my queen."
She stepped onto the bus. The door shut behind her.
Aryan walked away the moment the engine started. Within seconds, he disappeared back into the luxury of Davila Pearl, as if he had never stepped outside at all.
The bus rolled forward.
Ahead lay a broken world—one that smelled of blood, decay, and betrayal. It had never been welcoming. Now, it was far more dangerous.
And every person on that bus had chosen to face it together.
Inside the bus, the air felt heavier than the world outside.
"Here's the route," Aditya said, standing where everyone could see him—crew and survivors alike. "We go straight. There's a short stretch of red zone, less than an hour if we keep moving. It's the same path we were instructed to take."
It was protocol. One Malisha had never bothered to follow.
She didn't comment. Instead, she moved quietly toward the counter, reaching for the coffee. Before she could finish, Dweep stepped in, instinctively helping, the way he did with everyone.
"We're already traveling with a red zone," Ishan muttered—low, careless, but loud enough.
"And no one's allowed on the roof," Aditya added, eyes flicking toward Malisha without fully turning.
Dweep handed her the cup, hands trembling. "I—sorry. I don't know if I should've—sorry."
"Thank you," Malisha said flatly, not looking at him.
She exhaled through her nose. The roof had been her next move. Aditya had anticipated it.
So she adjusted.
Without a word, she walked past him and stepped into the driver's cabin, coffee in hand. Raghav sat at the wheel, eyes forward, expression unreadable.
Aditya continued briefing the team behind them, steady and controlled.
Malisha stared out the windshield, not acknowledging Raghav at all.
"You know," Raghav said casually, "given the current situation, you're not exactly allowed to sit here like this."
"Old habit," she replied. Then, quieter, "Listen. You don't owe me anything. You don't have a reason to trust me—but you don't have a reason not to either. If you see any OG checkpoint, don't hesitate. Don't act like something's wrong. Don't let anyone—even Aditya—hint that they know anything about me."
Raghav glanced at her. "Why tell me?"
"Because I trust you," Malisha said. "All of you."
Aditya appeared at the doorway.
"So this is teamwork now?" he said coolly. "Entering the driver's cabin without permission? I hope you're not forgetting anything."
"No," Malisha replied, sipping her coffee. "This is how you find good coffee spots when your captain is busy wasting words. And permission? No one asked the former captain during her tenure. Why start now?"
"I want you out," Aditya said sharply. Then, turning, "Raghav—fix the radio. We need to contact OGs. We need Raj."
"Not until I finish my coffee," Malisha said calmly. "Please."
She turned slightly. "And I think it's better to stick to the original plan. Reach first. Talk later."
"All updates must be reported," Aditya replied. "Especially your situation. Not everything—but—"
"She's right," Siya said quickly, stepping in. "What if they send support now? If something happens on the way, that crew dies for nothing. That's why the connection was cut in the first place."
"It doesn't matter," Aditya said. "Raghav. Do it."
"It won't work," Raghav replied evenly. "I cut the connection completely."
Malisha looked at him—just for a second.
She understood.
He had lied.
And he had done it on purpose.
She placed the empty cup down, turned back toward the window, and said nothing.
The bus kept moving.
Siya left without another word.
Aditya turned back to Malisha, his eyes dropping to the cup in her hand.
"So," he said, "coffee done then?"
Malisha had reached her limit.
She turned to face him fully. "Adi, what do you actually want from me? No—really. Go sit with the people who are afraid to even look at me. You've already shut the roof; I know that was for me. Fine. Captain's orders. I'm following them."
Her voice hardened. "But me being here is best for everyone, don't you think? Or do you want to 'captain up' and guide a seasoned driver on his own familiar route? Because that would be pointless."
Raghav raised an eyebrow.
Aditya exhaled sharply. "Like you were ever going to listen to me."
He turned and shut the cabin door behind him.
Raghav glanced sideways at Malisha.
"What? He's being too much now. I can at least sit wherever I want," she muttered.
"If you ask me," Raghav said calmly, "your arrogance is starting to outweigh your restraint. Or maybe it's just lack of sleep."
"I'm not arrogant," Malisha muttered. "And I'm not sleepy."
Raghav nodded, unconvinced.
The bus rolled on.
Same road. Same endless, broken landscape.
Hours passed in silence. With no decisions to make and nothing to react to, Raghav was finally alone in the cabin—at least the only one awake. Malisha had fallen asleep, head resting against the window, exhaustion catching up after two or three sleepless days and nights.
The cabin door opened again.
Aditya stepped in, snacks in his hands.
"Need some here?" he asked, then stopped, taking in the scene.
Raghav reached for the plate and placed it on the dashboard, where there was already a designated spot—another quiet modification Malisha had once made to the bus.
"When did she fall asleep?" Aditya asked, looking at her directly now. No anger. No frustration. Just her.
"About an hour ago," Raghav replied. "Should I wake her?"
"No." Aditya shook his head quickly. "She didn't sleep last night. The night before that, she was on watch. Let her sleep."
He paused, the words feeling strange as they left his mouth. "After everything… she's still just human."
For the first time that day, it truly hit him.
"And," he added quietly, "it's her birthday."
Raghav glanced at him, surprised.
"Her birthday… Well. Then it's not going great."
"No," Aditya said softly. "But after everything, what else could we do?"
A faint smile crossed his face. "She never liked celebrating it anyway. We used to do it every year. I guess this time… this is her way."
He left the cabin.
Raghav drove on steadily, eating in silence as Malisha slept beside him.
Far ahead on the road, a group of men came into view.
Their uniforms were unmistakable.
OGs.
Normally, an OG checkpoint wouldn't mean much. They were common.
But after Malisha's warning—
Everything had changed.