The door handle moved.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
A soft metallic click echoed through the small apartment.
Nadia felt her heartbeat slam against her ribs.
Every instinct screamed at her to move, to run, to do something—
But her body stayed frozen.
Because Varma hadn't moved.
He stood between her and the door.
Still.
Silent.
Waiting.
The voice from the other side spoke again.
Calm.
Controlled.
"You're better than this, Varma."
A pause.
Then
"I expected you to last longer."
Nadia's eyes flicked toward him.
They know his name.
Varma didn't respond.
But something in his posture changed.
Subtle.
Dangerous.
Like a blade shifting inside its sheath.
The handle turned again.
This time It didn't stop.
The door opened.
Just a few inches.
Then wider.
And a man stepped inside.
Black clothing.
No insignia.
No visible weapons.
But everything about him radiated precision.
His eyes moved instantly Scanning.
Measuring.
Calculating.
They landed on Varma.
Then shifted to Nadia.
Just for a second.
Then back.
A faint smile appeared.
"So it's true," he said.
"You're not alone."
Silence stretched.
The rain outside felt distant now.
Muted.
Like the world had shrunk down to just this room.
Just this moment.
Varma spoke first.
"Who sent you?"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"That's not important."
"It is to me."
A small pause.
"You can call us… interested parties."
Varma's eyes hardened.
"That means nothing."
"It's not supposed to."
The man took a slow step forward.
His movements were smooth.
Controlled.
Like everything had already been planned.
Nadia felt her breath tighten.
"Stay back," Varma said quietly.
She didn't argue.
But her eyes never left the stranger.
"You're outnumbered," the man continued calmly.
Varma didn't react.
"Am I?"
The man smiled slightly.
"Yes."
As if on cue a faint sound came from outside.
Footsteps.
More than one.
Nadia's stomach dropped.
"They're surrounding the building," she whispered.
Varma already knew.
His attention never shifted.
"How many?" he asked.
The man shrugged lightly.
"Enough."
Silence.
and
Movement.
It happened in less than a second.
Varma moved first.
A sudden, explosive step forward his hand shot out grabbing the door and slamming it shut. At the same time, his other hand struck Fast.
Precise.
Aimed directly at the man's throat.
But The man reacted instantly.
He twisted sideways.
Varma's strike missed by inches.
The air shifted violently between them.
The man countered, A sharp, controlled movement, A strike aimed at Varma's ribs.
Varma blocked.
Their arms collided with a dull impact.
Nadia flinched.
The speed….
It was unreal.
They separated.
Just for a moment.
Both recalibrating.
Both analysing.
Then—
They moved again.
The man stepped in, A rapid series of strikes
Not wild.
Not rushed.
Each one calculated.
Each one testing.
Varma deflected them smoothly.
Redirecting.
Minimizing movement.
Wasting nothing.
Nadia watched, stunned.
This isn't a fight…
This is something else.
A sudden shift Varma stepped inside the man's range..Too close … Too fast
His elbow drove forward
A sharp, brutal strike. The man barely managed to block.
But the impact forced him back.
Half a step.
Then another.
Varma didn't let up.
He pressed forward.
Relentless.
A controlled storm.
The man's expression changed slightly.
Not fear.
Recognition.
"So that's how it is," he muttered.
He adjusted his stance.
More serious now.
More focused.
Outside
The footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Nadia's panic spiked.
"They're coming up!"
Varma heard it.
But he didn't look away.
"Get to the window," he said.
"What?"
"Now."
Nadia hesitated.
"I'm not leaving you."
"You're not leaving," Varma replied sharply.
"You're positioning."
Another strike
Another block
The man tried to break away but Varma didn't allow it.
"Move," Varma said.
This time
She listened.
Nadia rushed toward the window.
Her hands trembled as she pushed it open.
Cold rain rushed in.
Wind.
Noise.
Freedom.
And danger.
She looked down.
Three floors.
Not impossible.
But not safe.
Behind her the fight intensified.
The man shifted tactics.
Lower stance.
Faster movements.
Less testing.
More intent.
Varma adapted instantly.
Matching him.
Reading him.
Countering.
Then—
A sudden change.
The man reached into his jacket, Nadia's eyes widened.
"Varma—!"
Too late.
A flash of metal.
A blade.
Small.
Sharp.
Deadly.
The man moved fast, a direct strike. Aimed to kill.
Varma twisted—
The blade sliced through his sleeve—
Missing flesh by inches.
But now—
The fight had changed.
Varma's expression hardened completely.
No more restraint.
No more testing.
He stepped in. Closer than before.. Ignoring the blade. His hand shot out grabbing the man's wrist twisting Hard.
A sharp crack echoed in the room.
The man's grip faltered.
The knife dropped.
Varma didn't stop.
A second strike—
Precise.
Brutal.
The man collapsed to one knee.
Silence—
For half a second.
Then
A loud crash from the hallway.
The door shook.
Once.
Twice.
They were breaking in.
Nadia's voice shook.
"Varma—!"
Varma didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the fallen man's jacket, Pulled him up And slammed him against the wall.
Hard.
"Who sent you?" he demanded.
The man coughed slightly.
But smiled.
"You're too late."
Varma's grip tightened.
"For what?"
The man's eyes flicked toward Nadia.
Then back.
"For everything."
The door behind them cracked.
Wood splintering.
Time running out.
Varma released him.
No more questions.
No more time.
He turned toward Nadia.
"Go."
"What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you."
Another crash.
The door was seconds from breaking.
Nadia didn't argue this time.
She climbed onto the window ledge.
Rain soaked her instantly.
Cold.
Sharp.
Real.
She looked back once.
Varma stood in the center of the room.
Calm.
Focused.
Unmoving.
Like the storm didn't exist.
Then
The door shattered.
Nadia jumped.
The world dropped.
Wind rushed past her.
Rain blurred everything.
Her heart stopped
She hit the ground hard
Rolling
Pain shot through her body
But she forced herself up.
Breathing fast.
Alive.
Above
Shadows moved at the window.
Figures.
Multiple.
Watching.
A second figure appeared.
Varma.
He didn't hesitate.
He jumped.
He landed cleanly.
Barely a sound.
Already moving.
"Run," he said.
They ran.
Through rain.
Through darkness.
Through a city that suddenly felt far too small.
Behind them
The building stood silent.
But the hunt had begun.
And this time
It wasn't just about answers.
It was about survival.