The rain had stopped.
But the silence it left behind felt heavier than the storm itself.
Aarav stood in the middle of the broken street, surrounded by cracked ground and damaged cars. The agents were slowly getting back on their feet, still shaken from what had just happened.
Everything felt unreal.
The man with black eyes was gone.
But his words were still echoing inside Aarav's mind.
"You will become me."
Aarav clenched his fists.
"No… I won't."
"Aarav."
The agent's voice came again, calmer this time.
"You've seen enough. Come with us."
Aarav didn't argue this time.
He was tired. Confused. And more than anything… he wanted answers.
He nodded.
Inside the SUV, no one spoke for a while.
The city outside looked different now. Not because it had changed overnight, but because Aarav was seeing it differently.
Every person… every movement…
Felt uncertain.
After a few minutes, Aarav finally spoke.
"What is Project Astra?"
The man sitting beside him looked ahead before answering.
"It's the reason you're alive."
Aarav frowned.
"That doesn't explain anything."
The man continued.
"Years ago, a series of experiments were conducted on selected individuals. Energy manipulation. Genetic adaptation."
Aarav felt a chill.
"Selected… individuals?"
The man turned slightly toward him.
"Children."
Aarav's heartbeat increased.
"No… you're lying."
"Think carefully," the man said quietly. "Those flashes you saw. The lab. The voices. That wasn't imagination."
Aarav looked down.
His hands were shaking again.
"So… I was part of it?"
"Yes."
Silence filled the car.
"And the others?" Aarav asked slowly.
"Some survived. Some didn't."
Aarav swallowed.
"And now?"
The man's voice turned serious.
"Now they're waking up."
The SUV finally stopped.
A large building stood in front of them. It didn't look like a normal facility. It was heavily guarded, silent, and hidden from the main city.
Aarav stepped out.
"This place…"
"Welcome to Astra Division," the man said.
Inside, everything was controlled.
Clean corridors. Armed guards. People moving quickly with purpose.
Aarav felt like he didn't belong here.
Suddenly—
A voice interrupted.
"So… he's the one?"
Aarav turned.
A girl was standing near the glass wall.
She looked about his age.
Calm. Confident.
And for some reason… familiar.
Her eyes met his.
For a second, everything else disappeared.
"Who is she?" Aarav asked.
The agent replied, "Her name is Meera."
Meera walked closer.
"So you're Aarav."
Her tone was normal, but there was something hidden behind it.
Aarav nodded slightly.
"Do I know you?"
Meera paused.
Then she smiled faintly.
"No."
But her eyes said something else.
Before Aarav could ask more, an alarm suddenly rang.
The entire building shifted into chaos.
Red lights flashed.
"What's happening?" Aarav asked.
A guard shouted from the hallway.
"Unauthorized breach!"
The agent's face turned serious.
"That's not possible…"
Then—
The lights flickered.
A sudden cold wave passed through the corridor.
Aarav felt it instantly.
He knew that presence.
"No…" he whispered.
"He's here."
At the far end of the hallway…
Darkness gathered.
And from within it—
A figure stepped forward.
Slowly.
Calmly.
Unstoppable.
Meera's expression changed.
For the first time—
She looked worried.
Aarav's heart started racing again.
"This time… he came inside."
The man with black eyes had arrived