Sab kuch ek saath hua.
Hallway ke har kone se Fragments Aarav ki taraf rush karne lage. Unki movement unnatural thi... jaise shadows zinda ho kar crawl kar rahi ho.
Walls, ceiling, floor… koi direction safe nahi thi.
Meera ka face pale ho gaya. "Aarav..!"
Par Aarav already move kar chuka tha.
👉 "DOWN!"
Usne Meera ko kheechkar side mein push kiya aur next second ek Fragment un dono ke beech se blast ki tarah guzra. Wall crack ho gayi.
Doosra Fragment seedha Aarav par aaya.
Aarav ne block kiya..
impact itna strong tha ki uske pair floor mein slide kar gaye.
Andar Collapse excited tha.
Or usne kaha...
👉 "Finally…"
👉 "CHUP REH!" Aarav almost chillaya.
Meera ne immediately energy shield create ki, par Fragments ruk nahi rahe the.
Ek ko push karo..
do aur aa jaate.
👉"Yeh endless hain!" Meera ne tension mein kaha.
Aarav ne quickly surroundings dekhe.
Situation bad thi.
Bohot bad.
👉 "Central chamber," usne turant kaha.
👉 "Kya?"
👉 "Wahan barriers stronger hain!"
Meera ne bina aur question kiye haan ki.
Dono corridor ki taraf bhaage.
Fragments unke peeche.
Dusri side..
Kabir aur Zoya bhi struggle kar rahe the.
Kabir ne ek Fragment ko wall mein smash kiya. "Mujhe seriously salary milni chahiye iske liye!"
Zoya ne ek precise energy pulse release ki jisse teen Fragments freeze hue… par sirf kuch seconds ke liye.
👉 "Yeh adapt kar rahe hain," usne immediately realize kiya.
Kabir ka expression change hua. "Matlab?"
👉 "Matlab jitna hum fight karenge… yeh utna seekhenge."
Silence.
👉 "Great," Kabir ne sarcastically kaha, "ab enemies bhi intelligent ho gaye."
Achanak..
poori building phir shake hui.
Lights blink.
Phir complete darkness.
Ek second ke liye sab black.
Aur ussi second..
Kabir ne kuch feel kiya.
Koi presence.
Bilkul paas.
Usne instantly turn kiya..
par late.
Ek Fragment already uske saamne tha.
White eyes.
Distorted smile.
Attack.
👉 "KABIR!" Zoya chillayi.
Impact hua.
Kabir wall se takraya.
Hard.
Uske muh se khoon nikla.
Zoya ka expression instantly cold ho gaya.
👉 "Bad move."
Usne apni full energy release ki.
Poora hallway distort ho gaya.
Fragments ek second ke liye ruk gaye.
Aur phir..
Zoya ne direct attack launch kiya.
Central chamber ke gate tak pahunchte hi Aarav ruk gaya.
Door locked tha.
👉 "Seriously?!" Meera almost panic mein boli.
Aarav ne control panel activate karne ki koshish ki.
No response.
Fragments close aa rahe the.
Growling.
Scratching.
Jaise jaanwar.
👉 "Aarav hurry!"
👉 "I'm trying!"
Andar Origin finally bola..
👉 "Move aside."
Aarav freeze.
👉 "Kya?"
👉 "Door kholo."
👉 "Kaise?"
Silence.
Phir...
Aarav ka right hand suddenly glow karne laga.
Golden energy.
Different.
Pure.
Meera ne shock mein uski taraf dekha.
👉 "Aarav…"
Usne panel touch kiya.
Aur next second..
massive metal gate khul gaya.
Dono instantly andar gaye aur gate close hone laga.
Par ek Fragment last second mein andar ghus gaya.
Woh direct Meera ki taraf sprint kiya.
Aarav ne bina soche uske saamne jump kiya.
Attack seedha uske shoulder par laga.
Sharp pain.
Khoon.
Meera shock mein freeze ho gayi. "AARAV!"
Aarav ne teeth clench kiye aur Fragment ko pakad kar wall mein smash kar diya.
Ek baar.
Do baar.
Teen baar.
Jab tak woh move karna band nahi hua.
Silence.
Heavy breathing.
Meera turant uske paas aayi. "Tu theek hai?!"
Aarav ne answer dene ki koshish ki..
par uska body suddenly unstable feel hone laga.
Shoulder wound se dark veins spread ho rahi thi.
Meera ka heart sink ho gaya.
👉 "Nahi…"
Andar Collapse instantly bola..
👉 "Infection."
Origin silent tha.
Aarav ne wall pakdi.
Uska vision blur hone laga.
👉 "Yeh… normal attack nahi tha…"
Meera panic mein thi. "Hum kuch karte hain.."
👉 "Door…"
Aarav suddenly freeze ho gaya.
Central chamber ke center mein ek circular structure tha… jo pehle inactive tha.
Ab...
woh slowly activate ho raha tha.
Golden symbols glow karne lage.
Air heavy ho gayi.
Aur phir...
ek awaaz.
Deep.
Ancient.
👉 "Carrier detected."
Aarav ka saans ruk gaya.
Meera slowly peeche hati.
👉 "Kisne bola yeh…?"
Structure aur bright hone laga.
👉 "Origin presence confirmed."
Andar Origin finally bola...
👉 "Impossible…"
Aarav ne weakly poocha, "Kya ho raha hai…?"
No answer.
Sirf silence.
Aur phir...
structure ke center se ek holographic figure appear hua.
Human shape.
Par face clear nahi.
Woh directly Aarav ko dekh raha tha.
👉 "After all this time…"
Pause.
👉 "…you finally returned."
Aarav freeze.
👉 "Main…?"
Figure slowly aage badha.
👉 "Not you."
Silence.
Phir...
usne ek word bola...
👉 "Origin."
Room completely silent ho gaya.
Meera confused.
Aarav shocked.
Aur andar...
pehli baar...
Origin ki awaaz mein fear tha.
To be continued.