03:58 PM – Inside Research Facility
The moment the emergency lights flickered back—
Everything became clear.
Too clear.
Dozens of people stood in the corridor.
Still.
Silent.
Eyes empty.
Every single one of them… staring at Srikant.
A chill ran through the air.
Behind him, Sasmita slowly stood up, her body still slightly weak but her eyes alert.
"They're not normal…" she whispered.
Beside them, Rudra Sen checked quickly.
"Neural response suppressed… they're being controlled."
Srikant's grip on his weapon tightened.
Then one of the controlled men stepped forward.
Slow.
Mechanical.
His lips moved.
"Primary target…"
Pause.
His eyes locked on Srikant.
"Eliminate."
Attack Begins
Without warning—
All of them charged.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Move!" Srikant shouted.
He pushed Sasmita behind him and stepped forward.
First attacker—
Direct strike.
Srikant blocked, twisted the arm, and knocked him down.
Second attacker—
From the left.
Punch aimed at his neck.
He dodged and countered with a precise hit.
But there were too many.
They weren't afraid.
They weren't holding back.
And they weren't stopping.
Non-Lethal Fight
"Don't kill them!" Rudra shouted.
"They're victims!"
Srikant nodded.
But that made it harder.
Every move had to be controlled.
Precise.
One mistake—
Could cost a life.
Or his own.
Sasmita's Instinct
Behind him, Sasmita watched everything.
Not with fear.
With focus.
Patterns forming in her mind.
Movements repeating.
Angles predictable.
Suddenly—
She stepped forward.
"Right side!"
Srikant reacted instantly—
Dodged just as an attacker lunged from his blind spot.
Rudra looked at her.
"You saw that?"
She didn't answer.
Her eyes were moving rapidly.
Analyzing.
Swarm Pressure
More people flooded in.
From the back corridor.
From the sides.
They were being surrounded.
Srikant's breathing grew heavier.
Even he couldn't handle this forever.
Rudra fired a shock round—
One attacker dropped.
But ten more replaced him.
"This isn't working!" Rudra shouted.
The Shift
Suddenly—
Sasmita moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
She stepped into the crowd.
Before Srikant could stop her—
She grabbed one attacker's wrist, twisted it perfectly, and used his own momentum to throw him into two others.
Then another—
She moved like she already knew their actions.
Before they even made them.
Rudra froze.
"She's predicting multiple targets…"
Dangerous Precision
One attacker rushed from behind Srikant—
Before he even turned—
Sasmita shouted—
"Duck!"
He dropped instantly.
She kicked the attacker directly in the chest.
Perfect timing.
Perfect angle.
Perfect force.
Not normal.
Not human-level reflex.
Emotional Disconnect
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Her face—
No emotion.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just execution.
Rudra whispered—
"She's slipping into the protocol again…"
Srikant noticed it too.
"Sasmita, stop!"
No response.
She continued fighting.
Like a machine.
Breaking Through
After intense struggle—
They finally pushed forward.
Reached a side corridor.
Door partially open.
Srikant grabbed both of them.
"Inside!"
They rushed in and sealed the door.
Outside—
Banging.
Controlled people trying to break in.
Temporary Safe Zone
Inside the room—
Silence.
Heavy breathing.
Srikant leaned against the wall.
Rudra locked the system.
"That door won't hold long…"
Srikant looked at Sasmita.
She stood still.
Calm again.
Like nothing happened.
The Question
"Sasmita…" he said slowly.
She looked at him.
"Yes?"
Normal tone.
But something still off.
"How did you do that?"
She paused.
Then replied—
"They were predictable."
Rudra frowned.
"That wasn't just prediction…"
"That was advanced combat adaptation."
The Hint
Suddenly—
A weak voice came from the corner.
A scientist.
Injured.
Barely conscious.
They rushed toward him.
He grabbed Srikant's hand weakly.
"Too late…"
Srikant asked—
"What happened here?"
The scientist struggled to speak—
"They tested it…"
"On humans…"
His eyes moved toward Sasmita.
Then he whispered—
"Primary control unit…"
Srikant leaned closer.
"What do you mean?"
The scientist used his last strength to say—
"Target… was never the lab…"
Pause.
His eyes locked on Srikant.
"Target… is you…"
Final Scene
Suddenly—
The door started cracking.
Controlled people breaking in.
Srikant stood up.
Gun ready.
Rudra prepared backup.
Sasmita stood behind them.
Silent.
Watching.
Thinking.
And for a brief second—
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Not warm.
Not soft.
But something else.