Chapter: Delhi Layover — The Outside World Again
The private jet descended slowly through thick clouds.
Through the window, the lights of Indira Gandhi International Airport stretched across the dark ground like a glowing city.
After fifteen days of desert survival…
The sight of civilization felt unreal.
Inside the plane, half the group looked dead asleep.
Percy snored loudly with his mouth open.
JJ threw a napkin at his face.
"Stop breathing like a broken engine."
He jerked awake.
"Huh? We landing? Are we alive?"
Everyone laughed tiredly.
The plane wheels touched the runway.
A heavy thud echoed through the cabin.
They had landed.
Back in the real world.
---
Arrival Chaos
The doors opened and cool night air rushed inside.
Airport staff escorted them quickly through a private entry route arranged by the administration.
The moment they entered the airport building…
Everyone froze.
Bright lights.
Huge screens.
People everywhere.
Phones ringing.
Announcements echoing.
After fifteen days of desert silence, the noise hit like a storm.
Percy covered his ears dramatically.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY HUMANS?!"
Matt replied dryly.
"Welcome to society."
Alex stretched his arms.
"I missed WiFi."
Lyra laughed.
"Of course you did."
But while everyone reacted loudly…
Care had already pulled out her phone.
The screen lit up.
Hundreds of notifications.
Messages.
Alerts.
Updates.
Her expression didn't change.
Lyra and Ash quietly moved beside her.
They opened their phones too.
Silently.
The three of them began typing rapidly.
No one noticed.
Except Cole.
He watched them for a moment.
Then looked away.
---
The Private Waiting Room
Soon an airport assistant approached the group.
"Please follow us."
They walked through several corridors until they reached a large quiet lounge.
A private waiting area inside the airport.
Soft couches.
Food tables.
Charging stations.
Large windows overlooking the runway.
Everyone stared.
Percy blinked.
"Okay who did this?"
Cole casually dropped into a chair.
"Airport service."
Alex sat beside him quietly.
Both of them exchanged a quick glance.
That was it.
No one else noticed.
The room had actually been arranged by Onyx.
Cole's underground identity.
But only Alex knew that.
---
Everyone Finally Online
The moment everyone connected to WiFi…
The room exploded.
"MY GOD MY PHONE IS ALIVE AGAIN!"
"WHAT DID WE MISS?"
"BRO THE WORLD IS ON FIRE!"
Everyone began checking messages.
News.
Emails.
Updates.
For some…
Much more dangerous things.
Matt leaned against the wall checking encrypted messages.
Race scanned a secure server.
Allison quietly opened a coded chat.
Zein looked at several security reports.
Meanwhile…
Care.
Lyra.
Ash.
Sat on one couch together.
Phones in their hands.
Typing fast.
Very fast.
Their expressions calm.
But the messages they were sending were not.
Orders.
Solutions.
Fixing problems inside their hidden networks.
Sixteen days offline had caused chaos.
But within minutes…
Their people were already receiving instructions.
Lyra whispered.
"Server breach handled."
Ash nodded.
"Shipment rerouted."
Care typed one last message.
"Crisis resolved."
She locked her phone.
Like nothing happened.
---
Two Hours Later
After resting for a while…
Five people stood up.
Care.
Lyra.
Ash.
Cole.
Alex.
Percy immediately noticed.
"Where are the five mysterious leaders going?"
Care replied calmly.
"Shopping."
Percy gasped.
"BRING FOOD!"
Alex nodded.
"That's the plan."
JJ added.
"And coffee."
They left the airport and stepped into the massive structure of the nearby mall.
---
Shopping Chaos
Inside the mall near Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 the energy was wild.
Music playing.
Crowds moving everywhere.
Food smells floating through the air.
Lyra looked around in excitement.
"Civilization!"
Ash laughed.
"You sound like we lived in the stone age."
Care already walked toward a specific store.
Cole noticed.
"You knew exactly where to go."
She shrugged.
"Maybe."
Inside a large outdoor equipment store…
Several large boxes were already waiting.
Alex raised an eyebrow.
"That was fast."
Care calmly opened one box.
Inside were 24 survival kits.
First aid supplies.
Emergency tools.
Flashlights.
Compact knives.
Signal devices.
Cole stared.
"You planned this."
Care smirked slightly.
"Preparation is survival."
They also picked up 24 ready-made sleeping bags.
Ash carried half of them.
Alex pushed a cart full of gear.
Lyra added thermal clothes and jackets.
"Ladakh will freeze us."
Cole grabbed gloves and heavy boots.
Within twenty minutes their carts were overflowing.
---
Food Break
After shopping they walked into a restaurant.
The smell of hot food immediately made everyone realize something.
They were starving.
They ordered everything.
Butter chicken.
Paneer.
Naan.
Rice.
Cold drinks.
Lyra took the first bite and almost cried.
"Oh my god."
Alex laughed.
"Real food."
Ash leaned back.
"I never want survival rations again."
Cole looked at Care.
"You still think preservatives are evil?"
Care smiled slightly.
"Vegetables still win."
Alex burst out laughing.
"YOU TWO ARE STILL FIGHTING ABOUT FOOD."
Lyra shook her head.
"You two are impossible."
They sat there eating and laughing for the first time in days.
For a brief moment…
They were just students again.
Not fighters.
Not survivors.
Not leaders of hidden worlds.
---
Back at the Airport
Meanwhile inside the waiting room…
Chaos continued.
Percy was narrating world news dramatically.
"Breaking news! My gaming clan replaced me!"
JJ rolled her eyes.
"Tragic."
Zein and Ace were quietly sitting together looking through travel maps.
Thyme sat beside Gorya making sure she took another fever tablet.
She glared.
"You're acting like my doctor."
"Someone has to."
Matt was charging three phones at once.
Race watched the airport security movements through the window.
Everyone had slowly returned to their own rhythms.
But something had changed.
They were no longer strangers.
---
Return of the Five
The doors suddenly opened.
Care's group returned.
Behind them were three airport carts full of equipment.
Everyone stared.
Percy jumped up.
"ARE WE GOING TO WAR?!"
Lyra laughed.
"Just preparation."
Ash started distributing items.
"Sleeping bags."
"Survival kits."
"Thermal gear."
Everyone took their packs.
JJ opened hers and whistled.
"This is military level."
Cole leaned against the wall casually.
"Better safe than sorry."
Alex dropped onto the couch.
"Next flight in ten hours."
Percy flopped back dramatically.
"Wake me up when we reach Ladakh."
Care walked toward the large airport window.
Planes moving.
Lights everywhere.
The world was loud again.
But something deep inside her remained alert.
Delhi was just the middle point.
The real game…
Was waiting in Ladakh.