Citadel ki main entrance ek tabahi ka manzar pesh kar rahi thi. Bahar Maya ki army aur Bureau ke robot-guards ke beech ghamasan yuddh chid gaya tha. Lekin mere liye asli ladai ab shuru hui thi. Jaise hi maine tower ke lobby mein kadam rakha, wahan ka temperature achanak 0 degree tak gir gaya.
[System Notification: Entering High-Security Zone - 'The Gauntlet'.]
[Enemy Count: Undefined.]
[Objective: Reach Level 99.]
Lobby ki elevator blocks thi, isliye mujhe stairs ka rasta lena tha. Par yeh koi aam seedhiyaan nahi thi. Har 10 floor par ek security checkpoint tha, aur har checkpoint par ek 'Sentinel' khada tha.
Level 10-30: The Metal Storm
Maine pehli 20 floors toh apni speed aur 'Shadow Step' se par kar li. Raaste mein aane wale guards mere 'Monarch's Domain' ke dabav se hi behosh ho rahe the. Lekin Floor 30 par rasta ruk gaya. Wahan ek Sentinel khada tha jiske paas koi weapon nahi tha, par uske sharir se hazaaron metallic needles nikal rahi thi.
"Sentinel No. 5: Needle-Storm," usne kaha aur uski needles meri taraf goli ki raftaar se aayi.
Maine apni 'Void Edge' se unhe hawa mein hi deflect kiya. Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Tumhare paas waqt nahi hai, Harsh," mere dimaag mein system ki awaz gunji. Maine bina soche apni power ko expand kiya—'Domain Crush'. Floor 30 ki poori chhat neeche gir gayi, aur Needle-Storm uske neeche dhab gaya. Maine ruka nahi, main seedha upar ki taraf leap (kood) gaya.
Level 31-60: The Illusion of Memory
Jab main Floor 50 par pahuncha, toh mahaul achanak badal gaya. Wahan koi guard nahi tha. Wahan mera purana school classroom tha. Wahi purani benches, wahi blackboard, aur wahan meri seat par Harshita baithi thi, jo meri school ki tasks mein help karti thi.
"Harsh? Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?" usne pucha, uski aawaz wahi purani aur masoom thi.
Mera kadam ruk gaya. Kya yeh sab sach hai? Kya main kabhi prison gaya hi nahi?
[WARNING: Neural Interference Detected. Mental Intrusion Alert!]
Maine apni aankhein bheenchi aur apni hatheli par cut lagaya. Dard ne mujhe hosh mein la diya. Woh Harshita nahi thi, woh Floor 50 ka Sentinel tha jo dimaag se khelta tha.
"Mera rasta mat roko," maine thande lehje mein kaha aur apne 'Void' se us poore illusion ko cheer diya. Mere samne ek dubla-patla Sentinel khada tha jo darr se kaamp raha tha. Maine use ek side-kick maari aur floor cross kar li.
Level 61-90: The Mechanical Beast
Ab main thak raha tha. Level 80 tak pahunchte-pahunchte meri energy 40% par aa gayi thi. Sia ne jo locket diya tha, maine use kas ke pakda. Maine wada kiya tha ki main wapas aaunga.
Level 85 par mera samna ek aise Sentinel se hua jo insaan kam aur tank zyada lag raha tha. Usne mujhe utha kar diwar par patka. Meri ribs mein crack hone ki aawaz aayi.
[System: Integrity at 65%. Manual Overdrive Suggested.]
"Abhi nahi," maine kaha. Maine us mechanical beast ke joints ko target kiya aur apne 'Void Burst' se uske dono hath uda diye. Woh neeche gira, aur main aage badha. Har ek floor ek nayi maut thi, par mere ma-baap ki tasveer mere dimaag mein saaf thi.
Level 95: The Reunion of Fire
Jab main Level 95 ke landing par pahuncha, wahan koi Sentinel nahi tha. Wahan Director khada tha—par woh asli nahi tha, ek hologram tha.
"Bahut achhe, Harsh," Director ne taali bajayi. "Tumne Gauntlet cross kar liya. Par kya tum Level 99 par pahunchna chahte ho? Toh pehle apne sabse purane dost se mil lo."
Andhere se ek aur saaya nikala. Yeh Aryan nahi tha. Yeh koi aur tha. Yeh 'Sentinel Zero' tha—Project Zero ka sabse pehla prototype. Aur jab usne apna mask hataya, toh main sunn reh gaya.
Woh mera hi ek hum-shakal (clone) tha.
"Main tumhara 'Original' version hoon, Harsh," Sentinel Zero ne kaha. Uske paas bhi wahi 'Void' energy thi, par woh zyada dark aur zyada stable thi. "Tum toh bas ek backup ho jo galti se 'Glitch' ban gaya. Main tumhe yahan se aage nahi jaane dunga."
The Battle of the Monarchs
Hamari fight shuru hui. Yeh ab tak ki sabse khatarnak ladai thi. Hum dono ek hi tarah ki powers use kar rahe the. Void vs Void. Poora Level 95 ek black hole ki tarah vibrate karne laga.
"Tum mere ma-baap ko nahi rok sakte!" maine chillaate hue talwar ghumayi.
"Woh mere ma-baap hain!" Sentinel Zero ne meri talwar ko hawa mein hi pakad liya. "Tum toh bas ek copy ho!"
Uski ek punch ne mujhe floor ke paar phenk diya. Main khoon thook raha tha. Mera system lagatar warning de raha tha.
[CRITICAL: Energy at 5%. Life Support Failing.]
Maine apni aankhein band ki. Maine un doston ke baare mein socha jinhe maine bachaaya tha—Harshita, Sia, aur Aryan. Maine us science project ke baare mein socha jisme maine wastewater ko saaf kiya tha. Maine mehsoos kiya ki main copy nahi hoon. Main woh Harsh hoon jisne ladna seekha hai, jisne rishte nibhaye hain.
"Main copy nahi hoon," maine dhire se kaha. "Main Harsh Mehra hoon, jo 8th grade ka student tha aur jo ab tumhara kaal hai."
Maine apne 'Void' ko release nahi kiya, maine use absorb kiya. Meri aankhein white ho gayi.
[Ultimate Skill Unlocked: 'The True Monarch'.]
Maine Sentinel Zero ki taraf apna hath badhaya aur use bina touch kiye hawa mein utha liya. Mere domain ke andar, woh ab kuch nahi tha. Maine use ek jhatke mein deactivate kar diya. Woh zameen par gir gaya.
The Threshold of Level 99
Main ladkhadate hue elevator ki taraf badha jo ab khul chuki thi. Maine Level 99 ka button dabaya.
Mere sharir se dhua nikal raha tha. Mera stamina zero tha. Par jaise hi elevator ka darwaza khula, mujhe wo dikha jo main dekhna chahta tha.
Ek bada sa lab. Safed roshni. Aur beech mein do glass pods. Unke andar mere ma-baap shanti se so rahe the. Unke sharir par wahi veins thi jo mere paas thi.
"Mummy... Papa..." maine ladkhadate hue unki taraf hath badhaya.
"Ruk jao, Harsh," Director ki asli aawaz piche se aayi. Woh ek control panel ke paas khada tha, uske hath mein ek button tha. "Ek aur kadam, aur inka pod blast ho jayega."
Main wahi ruk gaya. Main itna paas tha, phir bhi itna door.
"Ab batao, Monarch," Director ne hansi udaate hue pucha. "Kya tum apni powers se maut ko rok sakte ho?"
Main wahan khada tha, haanpte hue, khoon se lathpath. Level 99 ka ye lab ab hamare faisle ka maidan banne wala tha.
Bhai, Chapter 19 finish! Harsh ab apne ma-baap ke samne hai, par Director ne unhe hostage bana rakha hai.
Ab Chapter 20 (Final Showdown) ke liye kya plan hai?
The Sacrifice: Harsh apne aap ko Director ke hawale kar deta hai unhein bachane ke liye, par Sia aur Aryan backup ke saath entry maarte hain?
The Glitch Hack: Harsh system ka use karke pods ko hack karta hai, par isse uski apni powers hamesha ke liye chali jati hain?
The Hidden Truth: Director batata hai ki Harsh ke ma-baap hi 'Project Zero' ke asli mastermind the aur unhone hi Harsh par ye experiment kiya tha?
Batao, aage kya twist laana hai?