Once again, I’d lost count of how many times I’d been knocked sideways today, but the sharp, jagged sound of an argument started ringing in my ears like a bad radio signal. My eyes snapped open, and surgical white light stabbed at my retinas, blinding me instantly.

  Slowly, the world stopped spinning. The first thing I saw was Divyansh, leaning over me and grinning like a complete idiot.

  I took a few ragged breaths, trying to find my bearings. I was in a room with white-painted walls and a few clinical-looking beds. A sharp, chemical tang hit my nose—the kind of smell that lives in hospitals and morgues. Rows of cupboards lined the walls, filled with hundreds of glass bottles glinting in every color of the rainbow. It felt like a cross between a high-tech infirmary and a mad scientist's lab.

  Divyansh’s voice pulled me out of the fog. "Yo, dude. Glad you’re back. You almost missed the show!"

  My voice felt heavy, like I’d swallowed a handful of dry sand. "Show? What are you talking about?"

  He gave me a mischievous look and started fumbling with his watch. I watched, stunned, as a holographic screen flickered into existence in the middle of the air. I thought this stuff only happened in movies, I thought. Then again, I was already knee-deep in a nightmare, so why not?

  The screen showed a bloodbath. The men of Tiger’s Den were moving like machines, systematically wiping out a group of intruders. I noticed the attackers were wearing the same uniforms as the people who’d snatched me and my friends. Mr. Khan was at the front of the line, his hands moving frantically as he barked orders. While his men were lugging around AR rifles and heavy gear, Khan was just holding two simple-looking pistols. He didn't miss. Every shot was a kill.

  "I think we were worried for nothing after all," Divyansh remarked.

  I looked at him, confused. Why was he here with me? Based on what he’d shown me earlier, he was stronger and way more effective than any regular soldier. He was a monster, wasn't he?

  Divyansh chuckled, reading my face. "You’re wondering why I’m hiding out here, right? Don’t worry. Everyone who finds out about me reaches the same conclusion."

  "What conclusion?"

  He just shook his head and smiled to himself, refusing to elaborate. I wanted to push him, but something in his eyes told me the answer wasn't something I actually wanted to hear.

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  I turned back to the screen. A few Tiger’s Den soldiers were down, but it was nothing compared to the other side. The intruders were being annihilated. They had the numbers, but they were being picked apart like amateurs.

  "Hey," I said, looking back at Divyansh. "Before you knocked me out, you said I brought 'unwanted guests.' You meant these guys, right? But what did I do?"

  Divyansh pointed at my back. "It wasn’t your fault, not really. They set the whole thing up. They let you get captured, and they let Mr. Khan 'accidentally' rescue you. It was a Trojan Horse play. They planted a tracker on you so they could find this place and eliminate us before we could get in their way later."

  I felt a cold wave of frustration hit me. A tracker. We were just on a simple vacation, and now I was a walking beacon for a private army.

  "But why are they losing so badly?" I asked. "It feels weird. They’re just dying in droves. Isn't that a waste?"

  I expected a joke, but Divyansh actually nodded, his face turning grim. "It’s way too suspicious. You don't send fodder to face an enemy this capable. You send your elites."

  I didn't have a comeback for that. I’m a writer, not a war tactician. I sat there, expecting the fight to wrap up in a few minutes, but that’s the thing about expectations—they usually get shattered.

  BOOM.

  The wall between the two groups didn't just break; it vanished in a cloud of fire and debris. Soldiers from both sides were tossed through the air like broken dolls. For a heartbeat, everything went silent, the screen obscured by thick, grey smoke.

  Then, a roar tore through the air—a sound so primal it felt like it was paralyzing my soul. The bed beneath me shuddered. It sounded like the thing was standing right in front of me.

  The smoke began to clear, and my heart gripped with ice.

  It was the same rotten monster from before. Its arm was a mess of decaying flesh and yellowed bone, stained with dark patches of blood. It was holding something... no, someone. The figure was struggling helplessly, but the smoke was still too thick to see who it was. The creature’s milky-white eyes gleamed with a sickening malice, crisscrossed with angry red veins.

  The smoke lifted completely. The person in the monster's grip was Mr. Khan.

  The creature sniffed him, its huge maw opening to reveal rows of jagged, yellow teeth. Long strings of slime-like saliva dripped from its mouth, and wherever it hit the metal debris on the floor, the surface began to melt and hiss.

  I closed my eyes. I couldn't watch. I knew what was coming. It was over.

  A sudden gust of wind whipped through the room, ruffling my hair. I snapped my eyes open. Divyansh was gone.

  I looked back at the screen. A new figure was standing there, holding Mr. Khan. The monster had been thrown back a few feet, scrambling to its feet.

  It was Divyansh. His eyes were that same milky white, reflecting the monster's gaze with a terrifying intensity. Everything else about him looked human, but the killing intent coming off him was just as heavy as the beast’s.

  "Divyansh!" Khan screamed, struggling in his grip. "I told you—no matter what, you don't jump in! That's an order! Go back now!"

  Divyansh didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared at the creature.

  I took one deep breath, and then all hell broke loose.