"MANAV…!"
Priya's voice shook as the boy kicked on her stomach.
The bread was already in one of the boys' hands.
"Let's kill this bitch", one of them said.
"We can't stay weak anymore."
Something inside Manav tightened.
Not fear.
Not courage.
Something heavier.
He started breathing heavier
His body released immense heat.
He saw Priya on the ground.
Saw the bread.
Saw their empty faces.
And something changed.
His body moved before his thoughts caught up.
THUD.
His fist slammed into the boy holding the knife.
The boy staggered backward in shock.
He immediately took knife from that boy.
Slammed him to ground and stabbed on his heart multiple times and killed him.
Manav's breathing became uneven.
"We fought in that war!" he shouted towards the rest of 3 boys.
His voice was shaking but loud.
"The only reason people like you are still alive…"
He stepped forward.
"…is because we stood there instead of running."
The remaining boys stared at him.
The leader frowned.
"Then you should have stayed there too."
He gestured forward.
"Take him down."
The boy with the chain swung first.
Uncontrolled.
Desperate.
The metal links struck Manav's shoulder.
Pain shot through his arm.
He almost backed away.
Then memory stopped him.
Raghav's voice inside his head:
"If you step back first, you lose control."
Manav grabbed that chain and took it from his shoulders.
He threw it straight at the boy's eyes.
The boy cried out and manav slammed him to ground.
Forcibly took the chain from his eyes , resulting in loss of that boy's eyeballs
Manav looped the chain through that boy's neck and pushed it so hard.
It resulted in that boy's declining breath and eventually his death.
Manav kicked the boy immediately.
Another knife boy rushed again.
Faster now.
Manav stepped forward.
He grabbed the boy's wrist.
Twisted hard.
The knife fell harmlessly to the ground.
Manav took the knife and stabbed on that boy's wrist multiple times.
Then slammed him down.
Then stabbed on both of his legs multiple times
And on his heart multiple times
The boy died collapsed to ground , staring onto sky with his wide dead eyes.
Priya watched in disbelief.
This wasn't panic.
This wasn't luck.
Manav was choosing his actions.
The wooden stick boy attacked next.
The sharpened end scraped Manav's arm.
A thin line of blood appeared.
Manav ignored it.
He grabbed the stick tightly.
Pulled it away.
The attacker stumbled forward.
Manav pushed him down.
The boy stayed there.
Too shocked to continue.
Three dead.
The last boy hesitated.
Manav took the wooden stick and striked on that boy's head multiple times
The boy started crying.
The boy even begged manav to leave him.
That hesitation mattered.
Manav picked up the fallen chain.
And wrapped around boy's neck with a brutal push he tightened it.
Until that boy stopped to breathe and the boy eventually died.
Manav took the chain from that boy's neck and slammed it against a metal plate nearby.
CLANG.
The sound echoed sharply.
A warning.
Manav stood over him.
"You all are done," he said quietly
All four were killed.
Manav's chest heaved.
His hands were shaking again.
But not from fear.
Priya stared at him.
"Where did you learn to do that?" she asked softly.
Manav took a breath.
"Raghav taught me how to self defend yourself."
That answer was enough.
He helped Priya sit up carefully.
Her hands were still trembling.
"You didn't freeze," she said softly.
Manav looked confused.
"You used to stop moving whenever things got loud."
Manav realized she was right.
He didn't freeze this time.
"I didn't want to watch again," he said quietly.
Priya understood immediately.
Manav broke the bread into two equal pieces.
He handed her one.
She pushed it back.
"You need it."
"We both do."
They shared it.
Each bite slow.
Careful.
Food wasn't just food anymore.
It was survival time.
For a moment, everything became quiet.
Then new footsteps approached.
Manav turned instantly.
Alert.
A familiar voice spoke.
"Looks like he really did train you."
Arjun.
19 years old.
Raghav's closest friend.
Same tired eyes.
Same quiet strength.
He looked at the four defeated boys.
"Guess you're not the kid he used to carry anymore."
Manav stayed serious.
"What do you need?"
Arjun pulled out an old damaged phone.
"I came because of this."
Priya frowned.
"What is it?"
Arjun showed them the screen.
A recorded emergency broadcast.
World leaders seated around a circular table.
"Today there was a global meeting," Arjun explained.
"They finally admitted Earth's condition is worse than expected."
Manav listened carefully.
"They approved something called…"
Arjun paused slightly.
"Project Void."
Manav's expression changed immediately.
His eyes sharpened.
"Project Void?" he whispered.
His thoughts raced.
"That's impossible."
"No country has the money."
"No country has resources."
"No country has working technology left."
Arjun nodded slowly.
"That's what most experts said."
Priya asked quietly:
"Then why even talk about it?"
Arjun locked the phone.
"They said there is still one possible option."
Manav felt something heavy settle in his chest.
"Don't tell me…"
Arjun looked directly at him.
"You already know who that means."
Manav's jaw tightened.
"That country…"
His voice lowered.
"The country everyone feared."
Arjun nodded once.
"Yes."
Wind passed through the broken cemetery.
Dust lifted around their boots.
Crows circled above silently.
And for the first time since the war ended…
Manav felt something worse than survival fear.
Uncertainty about what comes next.
Priya touched his arm lightly.
"We'll face it," she whispered.
He looked at her.
Not at comfort.
At resolve.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"One more fight," he added.
And he meant it.
But against the world that refused to end its wars.
Each knew survival was not guaranteed.
The wind moved again.
It carried the smell of smoke, ash, and decay.
The sound of distant engines.
Manav ignored it.
He focused on Priya, the bread, the broken ground.
They shared the final bites slowly.
Savoring life in a world that had taken so much.
Then Arjun tapped the phone again.
"Project Void," he said.
Manav's eyes darkened.
"One country left," he muttered.
"One option left," Arjun confirmed.
Priya squeezed his hand.
Manav looked onto his eyes.
"Don't say it's that country"
Arjun hesitated.
"Yeah it's that country...."
"The country of devils".
Manav's jaw tightened.
"That country…"
His voice lowered.
"The country everyone feared."
Arjun nodded once.
"Yes."