"What is wrong with those people? Why are they just standing there watching?"
Nitya's voice was low and laced with concern. Her eyes were fixed on the roof of the adjacent building. She had noticed them a few moments ago—a group of strangers who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They wore immaculate, high-grade clothing, their faces radiating an arrogant, untouchable pride. The varying colors and distinct styles of their uniforms made it painfully obvious that they did not belong to the same organization.
She already had a sinking feeling about why they were there.
"They came to recruit the new Authority," Vidyut explained, his expression grim. "I think the host has already managed to control their own essence of breath. Now, those people are just biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make their move."
It was the cruel, ugly reality of an Awakening happening in a public place. When a newly awakened Breather was surrounded like this, it was incredibly rare for them to survive with their freedom intact. They were either claimed, or they were destroyed.
Vidyut clenched his fists, staring at the rival factions. Deep down, he knew the bitter truth: if he possessed the power of a major family or a massive organization, he would be doing the exact same thing. He would throw everything he had into a bloodbath just to drag that newly awakened person onto his side.
"We have to make a move, too, or we might lose Yug over there," Kruti spoke softly.
She had been silent for an hour, projecting her authority to sense the chaotic energy unfolding on the adjacent building. It was incredibly difficult to perceive the finer details, but she had picked up enough clues to form a terrifying prediction. She could be miscalculating, but the only way to confirm the situation was to go there herself.
BAM!
"What?!" Sneha slammed her hands down on the restaurant dining table. She leaned forward, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, a barrage of frantic questions written all over her face.
Vidyut, who had slumped back into his chair, was just as shocked as Sneha. He didn't have a physical outburst, but his voice was loud and tight with disbelief.
"What do you mean, Kruti? Is Yug... is Yug Awakening?"
"I'm not sure yet," Kruti replied, her gaze still fixed on the distance. "However, we can't rule it out. He was always too different. Even in his normal human form, he could easily rival a Breather. That alone made him too unique—it was almost expected that he would eventually Awaken. You both sensed it too, didn't you? He could tell the difference between us and normal humans right from the beginning, even though it's hard for us to recognize each other. So, I guess..."
She trailed off, swallowing hard.
She had originally come to this restaurant on a date with Yug. She had known an assassin was coming for him tonight. But because she knew what Yug was capable of, she had actually let him go, assuming he would easily survive the encounter.
Now, her heart raced, a tight, painful squeezing sensation gripping her chest. A deep, suffocating unease washed over her. It felt as though if she didn't get over to that building right now, she was going to lose something incredibly precious to her forever.
Nitya glanced at Kruti's expression, and it told her everything she needed to know. She had originally assumed Kruti was just using Yug for her own personal motives, but seeing the raw, unguarded concern in her eyes proved that Kruti actually harbored genuine feelings for him.
"Let's go over there," Nitya declared softly. "But we need to conceal our identities. If we step into their line of sight as we are, we'll become targets for trying to steal the very prize they came to claim. It would permanently ruin our normal lives. We all know what will happen to Yug if those factions get their hands on him before we do. The wild Essence of Breath is already dimming; the new Authority is taking root. We have to hurry."
Nitya clarified the grim reality of the situation, holding everyone's gaze. None of them truly trusted one another, but in this exact moment, they were bound together by a fragile chain of shared motives.
It was obvious to all of them: everyone wanted to witness the birth of a new Authority, and ideally, they wanted to secure that immense power for their own side. Having a newly awakened Breather in their debt would be an immeasurable asset for the future.
"And I also need to find Lavanya," Nitya added, her voice hardening. "She is just a fragile girl. I refuse to let her die caught between those monsters."
Nitya turned her fierce gaze back toward the adjacent building, glaring directly at the distant, arrogant figures waiting in the shadows. Her final words drew a clear, unyielding line in the sand.
"Hey, snap back to reality," Sneha interjected, her voice sharp and uncompromising. "Can't you see them? They are literally radiating power. If nobodies like us go over there, we will die. Stop dreaming like we're some kind of heroes. Snap out of it."
Sneha flatly rejected the idea of a useless rescue mission. It simply wasn't worth her time. She had only come here tonight for the money—or whatever special reward Vidyut had promised her. She didn't even know Yug or Lavanya, so why would she risk her neck for total strangers?
Furthermore, she wasn't a fighter. Her expertise was gathering information from the shadows. In a brutal physical clash against those monsters, she would be the glaring weakness of their group—the very first one to lose her life. And Sneha knew her own limits.
"I'll follow you, Kruti," Vidyut spoke up, cutting through Sneha's negativity. "Let's do this. I actually think we have a chance. Those factions over there have no coordination; they are entirely driven by their own selfish greed. If they start fighting each other, we can slip through. We just need a perfect plan before we move. But Nitya is right—protecting our identities is the most important part. You all know what will happen to us if we are exposed."
A genuinely soft, reassuring smile appeared on Vidyut's face as he looked at Kruti. He wanted to earn her trust. He wanted to show her just how deeply he cared for her, proving that he wouldn't back down or run away when it came to standing by her side in a crisis.
"Hey, you idiot, don't act like you can just handle everything yourself," Sneha snapped at Vidyut. "You have—"
"Triple the amount Vidyut promised you," Kruti interrupted smoothly.
Sneha blinked. "Huh?"
Kruti had a sharp inkling about how this situation needed to be handled. There was something highly valuable about Sneha's skill set, and Kruti had already grasped that Sneha's intelligence gathering might be the only way to successfully lead them through the chaos. She couldn't afford to let her walk away.
Kruti kept her unblinking gaze fixed firmly on the informant. She watched closely and caught the subtle, involuntary twitch in Sneha's expression. She had taken the bait.
"Ahem." Sneha brought a closed fist to her mouth and coughed delicately, trying to compose herself. In truth, this was exactly what she had been angling for from the very beginning—a massive raise.
"Well, he didn't exactly promise a specific amount," Sneha said, her calm, refined posture snapping right back into place. "However, I do have a number in mind. I will tell you what it is after the job is completed."
She expertly hid her overwhelming greed behind a mask of cool professionalism, though on the inside, she could have wept tears of pure, unadulterated joy.
Kruti gave a single, firm nod of agreement, then turned her attention back to Nitya.
"Alright, then. We need a plan. How are we going to retrieve them?"
Nitya stared at Kruti for a brief moment.
She is far more dangerous than I realized,, Nitya thought. How did she even know Sneha was short on cash, or that money was her primary motivator? Hmm. I need to keep a very close eye on her.
Nitya mentally shook the thought away, snapping back to the urgent reality of their situation.
"Let's put up a barrier before we start," Nitya whispered.
She closed her eyes and tapped into her Authority. Instantly, all the ambient noise and sensory input from the surrounding rooftop restaurant was cut off from their dining table, enclosing them in a silent, invisible bubble. The others stared at her in sheer amazement for a second. They couldn't pinpoint exactly what type of Authority she was using, but they could all feel the distinct, deeply unique signature of her Breath.
Safe within the soundproof barrier, they leaned in close across the table.
For the next fifteen minutes, they fiercely hashed out the details. They argued over every potential error, aggressively poked holes in each other's strategies, and analyzed the rival factions waiting in the shadows. The intense, hushed debate didn't stop until they finally agreed on a flawless plan that accounted for every possible variable they could imagine.
With the strategy locked in, Nitya dropped the barrier. They slipped out of the restaurant as quietly as ghosts, leaving the rooftop as though they had never been there at all.