Suraj ki pehli kiran ne jab meri aankhon ko chhua, toh mujhe ehsas hua ki main abhi bhi zinda hoon. Omega Unit ke saath ladai ne mere sharir ka bura haal kar diya tha. Humari bike ab border ke paas ek abandoned industrial zone, 'Sector Zero', mein dakhil ho rahi thi. Yeh shehar kabhi tarakki ka markaz tha, par ab yahan sirf lohe ke kankal aur khaali imaratein bachi thi.
Bureau ke drones abhi bhi upar mandra rahe the, par is shehar ki magnetic field itni strong thi ki unka signal baar-baar drop ho raha hua.
"Harsh, Sia ko hosh aa raha hai," Aryan ne bike rokte hue kaha.
Sia ne dheere se apni aankhein kholi. Uska chehra abhi bhi peela tha. "Hum... hum kahan hain? Omega kahan hai?"
"Omega ab kachre ka dher ban chuka hai," maine use sahara dete hue kaha. "Hum safe hain... filhal ke liye."
[System Notification: Level-Up Rewards Pending.]
[New Skill Unlocked: 'Monarch's Domain'.]
[Passive Ability: 'Heart of Void' - Stamina recovery increased by 50%.]
Maine screen ko ignore kiya. Abhi stats dekhne ka waqt nahi tha, abhi zinda rehne ka waqt tha.
The Hidden Watchers
Hum ek purane factory warehouse ke andar gaye taaki dhoop aur drones se bach saken. Par jaise hi humne kadam rakha, mujhe kuch ajeeb laga. Hawa mein ek vibration thi—mana ki nahi, balki purani technology ki.
"Ruk jao," maine Aryan aur Sia ko ishara kiya.
Andhere se achanak 5-6 laal laser points hamari chati (chest) par aakar tiki. Diwaron ke peeche se log nikle. Unhone fati-purani military uniforms pehni thi, par unke haathon mein jo guns thi, woh Bureau ki modern tech se bhi zyada advanced lag rahi thi.
"Isse pehle ki tum ek bhi kadam aage badhao, apna identity code batao," ek ladki ki awaz gunji. Woh ek unchi balcony par khadi thi, uske haath mein ek sniper rifle thi.
"Hamare paas koi code nahi hai," maine apni 'Void Edge' ko halke se chamkaya. "Hum bas wahan se aa rahe hain jahan se koi zinda nahi laut-ta."
Woh ladki neeche koodi. Usne apna mask hataya. Uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi—jaise usne bahut kuch dekha ho. Usne mere haath ki purple energy ko dekha aur phir mere chehre ko.
"Harsh Mehra?" usne pucha, uski awaz mein hairani thi.
"Tumhe mera naam kaise pata?"
"Hum tumhara hi intezaar kar rahe the," usne apni gun neeche ki. "Main Maya hoon. Hum 'The Glitch' hain—Bureau ke woh experiments jo fail ho gaye the aur jinhe maut ke ghat utaarne ka order diya gaya tha. Hum yahan chhup kar ek hi cheez ka wait kar rahe the... ek asli Monarch ke aane ka."
The Rebel Base
Maya humein shehar ke neeche bane ek secret base mein le gayi. Yeh jagah kisi alag hi duniya ki tarah thi. Hazaron log—bacche, budhe, aur jawan—sab wahan the. Sabhi ke sharir par wahi 'Project Zero' ke nishaan the. Wahan ek bade screen par meri prison break aur Omega fight ki video loop par chal rahi thi.
"Tum ek hero ban chuke ho, Harsh," Maya ne kaha. "Bureau ne tumhare baare mein jhuth failaya hai ki tum ek terrorist ho, par hum jaante hain ki tum kya ho. Tum unki sabse badi galti ho jo ab unhe khatam karne aayi hai."
Maine un logon ko dekha. Unki aankhon mein umeed thi. Woh umeed jo mujhe darati thi. "Main koi hero nahi hoon, Maya. Main bas apne doston ko bachana chahta hoon."
"Wahi toh ek asli leader karta hai," Sia ne dheere se kaha, uska rang ab thoda wapas aa raha tha.
The Shocking Transmission
Tabhi, base ka main computer beeping karne laga. Pura kamra thanda ho gaya. Ek holographic screen beech mein prakat (appear) hui.
Yeh koi hacker nahi tha. Yeh Director tha.
"Harsh," Director ki thandi aur sapat awaz gunji. Uska chehra screen par itna bada tha ki lag raha tha woh humein dekh raha hai. "Mujhe pata tha tum 'Sector Zero' hi jaoge. Maya aur uske baare mein humein hamesha se pata tha. Humne unhe zinda rakha taaki tumhare liye ek 'rat trap' ban sake."
"Bakwas band karo, Director!" main chillaaya. "Maine tumhara Omega hara diya hai. Agli baari tumhari hai."
Director halka sa muskuraaya. "Omega toh bas ek test tha, Harsh. Real project toh ab shuru hoga. Kya tumhe lagta hai ki tumhare mummy aur papa ka accident ek ittefaq tha?"
Mera dil zor se dhadakne laga. "Kya matlab?"
"Woh mare nahi hain, Harsh," Director ne ek photo dikhayi. Ek ultra-modern lab mein do log pods ke andar so rahe the. Woh wahi the—mere mummy aur papa. Par unke jism par kaali nasein (veins) dikh rahi thi, bilkul mere jaisi. "Woh hamare 'Origin Cells' ke donors hain. Woh 'Project Zero' ki neev (foundation) hain. Agar tumne hum par attack karne ki koshish ki, toh main bas ek button dabaunga, aur unka existence hamesha ke liye mit jayega."
Pura kamra sannate mein doob gaya. Aryan ne mera haath pakda, par main sunn ho chuka tha. Meri puri zindagi ek jhooth thi. Meri powers, mera gussa... sab kuch unhone hi design kiya tha.
"Toh ab tumhare paas ek choice hai," Director ne aage kaha. "Wapas Bureau aa jao aur 'The Perfect Subject' ban jao, ya phir apne ma-baap ko apni aankhon ke samne raakh bante dekho. Tumhare paas 24 ghante hain."
Hologram gayab ho gaya.
The Monarch's Choice
Maya aur uske rebels mujhe dekh rahe the. Aryan aur Sia ke chehre par dard tha. Main wahi zameen par baith gaya. Mera 'Void' core itni tezi se ghoom raha tha ki base ki lights flick karne lagi.
"Harsh..." Sia ne paas aakar kaha. "Humein koi rasta dhoondhna hoga."
"Rasta hai," maine sar uthaya. Meri aankhein ab purple nahi, balki puri tarah se kaali ho chuki thi—ek gehra andhera. "Director ko lagta hai ki usne mujhe kamzor kar diya hai. Par usne mujhe woh wajah de di hai jo mujhe hamesha se chahiye thi."
"Tum kya karne wale ho?" Aryan ne pucha.
"Hum unhe release nahi karenge," maine apni talwar zameen par maari. "Hum Bureau ko jala denge. Aur main apne ma-baap ko wahan se nikalunga, chahe mujhe puri duniya ko hi kyun na khatam karna pade."
Maine system ko command diya: [ACTIVATE: Monarch's Domain - Level 1.]
Ek kaala ghera mujhse nikla aur pure base mein phail gaya. Sab log kaampne lage. Yeh darr nahi tha, yeh 'Authority' thi.
"Maya," maine kaha. "Apni army tayaar karo. Kal subah... Bureau ka aakhri din hoga."