The message stayed on the screen.
---
"Come back."
"Or I'll keep exploring."
---
No extra words.
No explanation.
---
It didn't need any.
---
---
Ayaan didn't move.
---
Didn't speak.
---
He just looked at the screen—
---
As if waiting for something else.
---
---
Nothing came.
---
---
Meera broke the silence first.
---
---
"We're going back."
---
---
Ayaan looked up.
---
---
"No."
---
---
Immediate.
---
Absolute.
---
---
Meera didn't react.
---
---
"You don't decide that alone," she said.
---
---
Ayaan's gaze hardened.
---
---
"Yes, I do."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
That—
---
Was the line.
---
---
---
Meera stepped closer.
---
---
Not slowly.
---
---
Not cautiously.
---
---
Direct.
---
---
"You're not the only one involved," she said.
---
---
---
Ayaan didn't step back.
---
---
"I'm the one controlling the outcome."
---
---
---
Meera's eyes narrowed slightly.
---
---
"You're trying to."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
"You're failing."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
That hit—
---
Clean.
---
---
But Ayaan didn't react.
---
---
Not outwardly.
---
---
---
"They're in your space," he said.
---
---
---
Meera didn't deny it.
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
---
"They want you to return."
---
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
---
"They'll be prepared."
---
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
"Then we go prepared too," she said.
---
---
---
Ayaan's gaze sharpened.
---
---
"No."
---
---
---
Again.
---
---
Immediate.
---
---
---
Meera exhaled slowly.
---
---
Not frustrated.
---
---
Measured.
---
---
---
"You're still thinking in isolation," she said.
---
---
---
Ayaan didn't respond.
---
---
Because he wasn't wrong.
---
---
---
"If we stay here," she continued,
---
---
"They keep control."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"If we go back," she added,
---
---
"We take it."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
That—
---
Was logical.
---
---
Too logical.
---
---
---
Ayaan looked at her.
---
---
Carefully.
---
---
"You're walking into their environment," he said.
---
---
---
Meera stepped closer.
---
---
Again.
---
---
Always closing the distance.
---
---
---
"And you brought me into yours," she replied.
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
"Difference is," she added,
---
---
"I didn't resist."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
That—
---
Changed the dynamic.
---
---
---
Ayaan didn't like it.
---
---
---
"You don't understand the risk," he said.
---
---
---
Meera's expression didn't change.
---
---
"No."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
"I understand it better than you."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Ayaan stepped closer.
---
---
Now—
---
No space left.
---
---
---
"Explain," he said.
---
---
---
Meera held his gaze.
---
---
Steady.
---
---
---
"They chose me first," she said.
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"They entered my space before you even knew."
---
---
---
Another pause.
---
---
"They watched me before they tested you."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
That—
---
Shifted the timeline again.
---
---
---
Ayaan processed it.
---
---
Fast.
---
---
---
Which meant—
---
---
This wasn't about him originally.
---
---
---
He was added later.
---
---
---
"You're the primary target," he said.
---
---
---
Meera didn't deny it.
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
"That's why we go back," she said.
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Ayaan's jaw tightened slightly.
---
---
---
Because that logic—
---
---
Was hard to reject.
---
---
---
"If they want me," she continued,
---
---
"They'll come out."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
"If we stay here," she added,
---
---
"They stay hidden."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Ayaan looked at her.
---
---
Long.
---
---
Focused.
---
---
---
"You're using yourself as bait," he said.
---
---
---
Meera smiled slightly.
---
---
"I'm using what they already chose."
---
---
---
That—
---
Was different.
---
---
---
Not reckless.
---
---
Strategic.
---
---
---
Ayaan stepped back.
---
---
Just slightly.
---
---
Thinking.
---
---
Recalculating.
---
---
---
Then—
---
He spoke.
---
---
"If we go," he said,
---
---
"I control the movement."
---
---
---
Meera nodded.
---
---
"Fine."
---
---
---
"You don't separate from me."
---
---
---
"Fine."
---
---
---
"You don't engage unless necessary."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Meera held his gaze.
---
---
Then—
---
"Define necessary."
---
---
---
Ayaan's eyes narrowed slightly.
---
---
"I will."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Then—
---
She nodded.
---
---
"Fine."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
She added quietly—
---
---
"Now we're equal."
---
---
---
No.
---
---
Not equal.
---
---
But—
---
Closer than before.
---
---
---
Ayaan turned.
---
---
Picked up the phone.
---
---
Looked at the message again.
---
---
Then—
---
Typed.
---
---
---
"We're coming."
---
---
---
He didn't hesitate.
---
---
Didn't rethink.
---
---
---
He sent it.
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Meera watched him.
---
---
Carefully.
---
---
---
"You just confirmed their plan," she said.
---
---
---
Ayaan locked the phone.
---
---
"Yes."
---
---
---
A pause.
---
---
Then—
---
He looked at her.
---
---
---
"And now," he said,
---
---
"We break it."
---
---
---
Silence.
---
---
---
Because this time—
---
---
They weren't reacting.
---
---
---
They were walking in—
---
---
Knowingly.
---
---
---
And that made it worse.
---
---
---
End Chapter 24