Mahati's POV
Mahati hated hackers.
Not the harmless ones who showed off tricks online.
She hated the dangerous kind.
The kind who slipped into systems like ghosts.
The kind who left no fingerprints.
The kind like Vishwa.
Her laptop screen glowed brightly in the dim light of her apartment. Lines of code scrolled across the screen as she typed quickly, her fingers moving almost automatically.
For three days she had been trying to track him.
Three days.
And nothing.
No IP address.
No location.
No pattern.
It was like trying to chase smoke.
Mahati leaned back in her chair, rubbing her tired eyes.
"This guy is unreal," she muttered.
Even government systems weren't this well protected.
Suddenly her screen flickered.
Mahati froze.
A new window appeared.
She didn't open it.
It opened itself.
Her heart skipped.
Only one person could do that.
The message appeared slowly on the screen.
White text on a black background.
Stop searching for me.
Mahati's pulse quickened.
She started typing commands instantly, trying to trace the signal.
"Come on… come on…"
But the connection bounced through dozens of servers.
Germany.
Singapore.
Canada.
Russia.
The signal kept jumping like a restless bird.
Then another line appeared.
Your friend Kiara is brave.
Mahati's hands stopped moving.
Her stomach tightened.
He knew about Kiara.
Of course he did.
This was Vishwa.
He knew everything.
Mahati typed faster, running deeper scans, opening every monitoring tool she had.
If there was even the smallest digital footprint, she would find it.
Another line appeared on the screen.
Tell her she shouldn't search for the truth.
Mahati's jaw clenched.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" she muttered.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard.
Firewall scanners.
Packet trackers.
Signal interceptors.
Nothing worked.
Every time she thought she had caught the connection, it vanished.
Another message appeared.
Your skills are impressive, Mahati.
Her heart nearly stopped.
He knew her name.
"How are you doing this?" she whispered.
The screen flickered again.
But not impressive enough.
Mahati slammed her hand on the desk.
"Stay online… just ten more seconds…"
If she could keep him connected for ten seconds, she could triangulate the signal.
Seven seconds passed.
Eight.
Nine.
Just when she thought she had him—
The connection vanished.
The window closed.
The code stopped moving.
The screen returned to normal.
Mahati stared at the laptop in disbelief.
He was gone.
Again.
She leaned back in her chair, running a frustrated hand through her hair.
"This guy is impossible."
Her phone buzzed suddenly
.
Kiara.
Mahati answered immediately.
"Tell me you found something," Kiara said.
Mahati hesitated.
"I did."
Kiara sounded hopeful.
"What?"
Mahati stared at the blank laptop screen.
"He sent a message."
Silence filled the line.
"What did it say?"
Mahati took a slow breath.
"He told us to stop searching for him."
Kiara didn't respond.
Mahati continued.
"And he knows about you."
Another long silence followed.
Finally Kiara spoke.
"Can you track him?"
Mahati looked at the complicated web of failed traces on her screen.
Every attempt had ended the same way.
Dead end.
"No," she admitted quietly.
Kiara sighed.
For the first time since they started chasing Vishwa, Mahati felt something unfamiliar.
Frustration.
She had spent years mastering cybersecurity.
Breaking encrypted systems.
Tracking digital criminals.
But Vishwa…
He was different.
He was always one step ahead.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
Because whoever Vishwa was…
He wasn't just a hacker.
He was playing a much bigger game.
And Kiara was already part of it.
Whether she wanted to be or not.
Mahati stared at the empty screen where the message had disappeared.
She hadn't been able to trace him.
Not even close.
Which meant one thing.
Whoever Vishwa was…
He had been letting them chase him.