Chapter 11
The skyline of Imphal shimmered in the heat of the midday sun, but the city’s air carried a strange tension. The streets were crowded yet quiet, a subtle unease settling over the people as whispers of strange events spread like wildfire.
Ajit stood on the rooftop of an old office building, his snake sense buzzing faintly as he scanned the city below. The fragments were safely hidden back at the safehouse with Rajesh, but their presence had stirred something dark. He could feel it—a ripple in the air, like a predator circling its prey.
Movement caught his eye. At the corner of an open marketplace, a young woman stumbled, her eyes wide with terror. She shrieked, clawing at the air as if fending off invisible attackers. People around her froze, their faces pale, before chaos erupted. Shouts rang out as others began reacting the same way, clutching at their heads and collapsing to their knees.
Ajit’s chest tightened. He knew this kind of panic—it wasn’t natural.
“Chanda,” he murmured, the name tasting like venom on his tongue.
By the time Ajit reached the marketplace, the scene had devolved into full-blown chaos. Vendors abandoned their stalls, toppling carts and scattering goods in their desperate attempt to flee. The once-busy plaza now resembled a war zone, littered with overturned crates and discarded belongings.
Ajit moved through the crowd, his heightened senses cutting through the noise as he searched for the source of the disturbance. His snake sense flared sharply as he spotted a faint shimmer in the air—a distortion that flickered like heatwaves over the ground.
“There you are,” he muttered, zeroing in on the anomaly.
The shimmer coalesced into a figure cloaked in shadow, her silhouette flickering like static. Chanda stepped into the open, her face illuminated by the eerie glow of the bracelet on her wrist. The device hummed faintly, emitting pulses of energy that rippled through the air.
“Nagaman,” Chanda said, her voice smooth and mocking. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
Ajit stepped forward, his gaze cold. “Enough with the theatrics, Chanda. What do you want?”
Chanda’s lips curved into a smirk. “Oh, I think you know. The fragments, of course. Hand them over, and maybe I’ll spare this city from the horrors I could unleash.”
Ajit’s fists clenched, venom pooling at his fingertips. “That’s not going to happen.”
Chanda tilted her head, her smile widening. “You’re predictable, Nagaman. Always so noble, so self-righteous. It’s almost charming.”
Without warning, she raised her arm, and the bracelet emitted a pulse of energy that rippled outward. The people in the marketplace froze, their eyes glazing over as they turned to face Ajit.
“You see, I don’t need to fight you directly,” Chanda said, her tone casual. “I have an army.”
The civilians began to advance, their movements jerky and unnatural. Ajit’s snake sense buzzed wildly as they surrounded him, their vacant eyes fixed on him with unsettling intensity.
“Stop this, Chanda,” Ajit growled, his voice sharp. “These people are innocent.”
“Innocent?” Chanda repeated, feigning surprise. “Maybe. But they’re also useful.”
Ajit moved quickly, dodging the first civilian who lunged at him. He twisted, careful not to harm them as he deflected their attacks. His tendrils lashed out to create space, but the controlled civilians kept advancing, their sheer numbers overwhelming.
“Chanda, enough!” Ajit shouted, his voice laced with frustration.
Chanda laughed, her form flickering as she stepped closer. “You’re wasting your time, Nagaman. You can’t stop me.”
Ajit’s mind raced as he fought to subdue the advancing crowd without injuring them. He needed a way to break Chanda’s control, and fast.
His gaze flicked to the bracelet on her wrist, its glow pulsing in time with the movements of the civilians.
“The source,” he murmured, his determination sharpening.
Ajit leaped onto a nearby vendor’s stall, propelling himself into the air with his tendrils. He aimed a venom-coated projectile at Chanda’s bracelet, the green liquid striking its surface with precision.
Chanda yelped, the device sparking as the venom sizzled on its surface. The glow faltered, and the civilians froze mid-step, their glazed eyes clearing as they collapsed to the ground.
Chanda glared at Ajit, her smug facade replaced by fury. “You’ll regret that, Nagaman.”
Before Ajit could respond, she pressed a button on the bracelet, and her form dissolved into shimmering static.
Ajit landed gracefully, his snake sense buzzing faintly as the last traces of Chanda’s presence faded. Around him, the civilians stirred, their confusion and fear palpable.
He clenched his fists, venom still sparking faintly at his fingertips. “One step ahead, as always,” he muttered.
But this wasn’t over—not by a long shot.
The faint cries of the disoriented civilians echoed in the marketplace as Ajit stepped away from the chaos. He crouched behind a collapsed fruit stall, his snake sense buzzing faintly as he scanned the surrounding area. Chanda’s sudden disappearance left an electric tension in the air, the kind that came with unfinished business.
Ajit tapped his communicator. “Rajesh, are you there?”
Static crackled in his earpiece for a moment before Rajesh’s voice came through, frazzled but clear. “Yeah, I’m here. What the hell’s going on? I just saw a spike in neuro-psycho energy across the city.”
“It was Chanda,” Ajit said, his voice low as he moved toward the edge of the plaza. “She’s using that bracelet of hers to control people. She hit the marketplace hard, but I managed to break the device—for now.”
Rajesh exhaled sharply. “She’s ramping up her attacks. That kind of tech has a limited range, which means she’s gotta be operating from somewhere nearby. Did you get any clue where she’s hiding?”
Ajit paused, his mind replaying the encounter. The glow from the bracelet, the distortion in the air, the way Chanda dissolved into static. “Not exactly, but I think she’s connected to something bigger. Her tech isn’t just local—it’s tapping into something else, maybe even the Asura’s energy.”
“Wonderful,” Rajesh muttered. “Because fighting her wasn’t hard enough without Asura backup. Alright, I’ll dig into the signal logs and cross-reference any anomalies. Sit tight—I’ll get back to you.”
“Make it quick,” Ajit said, ending the call.
The walk back to the safehouse was tense, every shadow and faint sound putting Ajit on edge. The streets felt quieter than usual, as if the city itself was holding its breath. His snake sense hummed faintly, a reminder that Chanda wasn’t finished yet.
When he finally reached the safehouse, Rajesh was hunched over his workstation, the glow of multiple monitors illuminating his worried expression.
“I’ve got something,” Rajesh said, not looking up as Ajit entered. “After you disrupted her bracelet, the energy signal didn’t vanish. It shifted.”
“Shifted where?” Ajit asked, moving to stand behind him.
Rajesh pulled up a map of the city, dotted with faint red markers. “Here, near the industrial district. Specifically, an abandoned tech lab. It used to belong to Prakash before—well, before he went full Asura on us.”
Ajit’s jaw tightened. “She’s working with him.”
“Looks that way,” Rajesh said. “And if she’s using tech from that lab, she’s got access to all kinds of nasty stuff. Whatever she’s planning, it’s going to get worse.”
Ajit’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold. “Then we end it now.”
The industrial district loomed dark and desolate as Ajit approached, his snake sense buzzing more insistently with each step. The abandoned tech lab stood at the edge of the district, its cracked windows and rusting walls a testament to its years of neglect.
Ajit moved silently, his body low as he slipped through the shadows. The faint hum of energy grew louder as he neared the entrance, a rhythmic pulse that matched the fragmented signature from Chanda’s bracelet.
He paused just outside the main door, his snake sense flaring sharply. Something was off. The air felt heavy, charged with a tension that prickled at the edges of his mind.
“Alright, Chanda,” he muttered under his breath, his tendrils sparking faintly. “Let’s see what you’re hiding.”
The interior of the lab was dimly lit, the faint glow of monitors and power conduits casting eerie shadows on the walls. Ajit’s snake sense buzzed like a constant hum, guiding him through the labyrinth of hallways and storage rooms.
As he turned a corner, a voice echoed through the space, smooth and mocking.
“You’re persistent, Nagaman. I’ll give you that.”
Ajit stopped, his eyes scanning the room ahead. Chanda’s form flickered into view, her silhouette illuminated by the glow of a massive screen behind her. The screen displayed shifting patterns of data and symbols, their shapes unnervingly similar to the carvings on the Nagamani fragments.
“Your little interference earlier was… irritating,” Chanda said, stepping forward. “But it gave me the perfect excuse to upgrade my tech.”
Ajit’s fists clenched, venom pooling at his fingertips. “You’re working with Shastra Bahu. What’s your endgame?”
Chanda smirked, her bracelet sparking faintly as she tilted her head. “Endgame? Oh, Nagaman, this is just the beginning. The Asura are rising, and I intend to be on the winning side. Unlike you, clinging to your outdated notions of heroism.”
“You’re playing with fire,” Ajit said, his voice sharp. “The Asura won’t spare you. They’ll destroy everything, including you.”
Chanda’s laugh echoed through the lab, cold and mocking. “You think you understand the Asura? They’re not just mindless beasts. They’re gods, and they reward those who serve them.”
The bracelet on her wrist glowed brighter, and the air around her shimmered. “Now, let’s see if you’re as strong as you think you are.”
The lab dissolved into chaos as the walls and floors twisted, transforming into a swirling, nightmarish landscape. Ajit’s snake sense buzzed wildly, struggling to ground him as the illusion took hold.
Figures emerged from the shadows, their faces familiar and haunting. Padmini, Rajesh, even Prakash—all distorted into monstrous forms that snarled and lunged at him.
“You can’t win, Ajit,” Chanda’s voice echoed, layered with malice and mockery. “This is where your story ends.”
Ajit gritted his teeth, his vision swimming as he fought to focus. His snake sense buzzed sharply, cutting through the haze.
“Not a chance,” he growled, venom sparking at his fingertips as he prepared to fight back.
The air inside the transformed lab felt heavy, pressing against Ajit’s chest like a storm about to break. Shadows twisted and writhed, forming grotesque figures that loomed out of the darkness. Chanda’s mocking laughter echoed through the distorted space, her voice layered with eerie reverberations.
“Look at you, Nagaman,” her voice taunted, disembodied and everywhere at once. “The hero, the protector, brought to his knees by fear. How does it feel to be powerless?”
Ajit steadied his breathing, his snake sense humming sharply to anchor him in reality. The nightmare forms surrounding him snarled and lunged, their distorted features flickering between monstrous and familiar.
One figure rushed him—a twisted version of Rajesh, his face contorted with rage. Its claws slashed through the air, but Ajit dodged smoothly, delivering a venom-coated strike to its side. The creature howled and dissolved into shadow, but two more took its place, their glowing eyes burning with malice.
“You can throw as many illusions at me as you want,” Ajit said, his voice firm. “It won’t change the fact that you’re losing.”
Chanda’s laugh was sharp, cutting through the chaos. “Oh, I’m just getting started.”
The illusions pressed in closer, their movements erratic and unnerving. Ajit ducked and weaved, his tendrils lashing out to strike the shadowy forms. Each hit sent them dissolving into mist, but the onslaught didn’t let up.
Ajit’s mind raced as he fought, his snake sense buzzing faintly at the edges of the illusion. The twisting environment was designed to disorient him, to make him doubt his own instincts.
“You can’t keep this up forever,” Chanda’s voice sneered. “You’ll break eventually, like everyone else.”
Ajit paused, his eyes narrowing as realization dawned. The illusions weren’t random—they were feeding off his fears and memories, twisting them into weapons.
“Let’s see how you handle this,” Chanda said, her tone dripping with malice.
The shadows shifted, coalescing into a figure that made Ajit’s breath catch. It was Padmini, her form perfect and lifelike, her eyes filled with pain.
“Ajit,” she said, her voice trembling. “Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
Ajit froze for a split second, the words cutting deeper than any attack. The shadow-Padmini stepped closer, her expression shifting to one of accusation.
“You think you’re a hero,” she said, her voice hardening. “But all you do is hurt the people who care about you.”
The illusion reached for him, and for a moment, Ajit felt a pang of doubt. But his snake sense flared sharply, pulling him back to the present.
“You’re not real,” he said, his voice steady as he stepped back.
The shadow-Padmini faltered, her features flickering as the illusion cracked.
“You’re not real!” Ajit roared, his tendrils lashing out. The strike shattered the illusion, sending shards of light scattering into the air.
The room seemed to tremble as the illusion began to waver. Ajit’s snake sense buzzed louder now, cutting through the disorientation. He turned toward the source of the disturbance—the glowing bracelet on Chanda’s wrist, its light flickering erratically.
“Found you,” he muttered.
With a burst of speed, Ajit propelled himself toward Chanda, his tendrils slicing through the remaining illusions. She appeared from the shadows, her expression twisted with fury as she raised her bracelet.
“You think you can stop me?” she snarled, the bracelet emitting a pulse of energy that rippled through the air.
Ajit’s snake sense flared as the pulse hit him, but he pushed through it, his movements sharp and precise. He twisted, dodging another wave of illusions, and closed the distance between them.
“You talk too much,” he said, driving a venom-coated punch into the bracelet.
The device sparked violently, its glow fading as the energy crackled and dissipated. Chanda stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock as the illusions around them dissolved into nothingness.
“No!” she screamed, clutching at the damaged bracelet. “You don’t understand—this power is—”
Ajit didn’t give her the chance to finish. He lashed out with his tendrils, pinning her to the wall. “Enough,” he said, his voice cold. “You’re done.”
The lab returned to its original state, the twisted nightmare landscape replaced by dimly lit walls and scattered equipment. Chanda struggled against the tendrils, her eyes darting toward a console nearby.
“You think you’ve won?” she hissed. “You don’t even know what you’re fighting.”
Ajit leaned closer, his gaze unrelenting. “Then why don’t you enlighten me?”
Chanda smirked faintly, her defiance returning despite her predicament. “Shastra Bahu doesn’t need me to finish this. He’s already won. And when he completes the Nagamani, you’ll see what real power looks like.”
Ajit’s grip on the tendrils tightened. “Where is he?”
Chanda laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. “You’re too late, Nagaman. He’s beyond your reach now.”
Ajit’s jaw tightened, his snake sense buzzing faintly as he considered his options. Chanda might have been a pawn, but she clearly knew more than she was letting on.
“Enjoy your victory while it lasts,” she said, her voice laced with venom. “The Asura are coming—and they won’t stop until everything you care about is ashes.”
Ajit released her with a sharp motion, letting her collapse to the ground. He turned and strode toward the console she had glanced at earlier, his tendrils sparking faintly as he examined it.
“You’ll regret this,” Chanda muttered, her voice filled with bitterness.
Ajit ignored her, his focus on the screen in front of him. The data scrolling across it confirmed his worst fears—Shastra Bahu was using the fragments’ energy to accelerate the Asura’s awakening.
Time was running out.
Ajit’s eyes narrowed as he scrolled through the data on the console. Lines of code merged with energy signatures and architectural schematics, all pointing to a single location: a fortified structure deep in the mountains. The fragments’ energy readings spiked there, forming a dangerous nexus of power.
Rajesh’s voice crackled in Ajit’s earpiece. “What’s going on? You’re still in that lab, right? Did you find anything?”
Ajit didn’t look up from the console. “I’ve got a location. Shastra Bahu’s building something—a conduit for the fragments’ energy. He’s accelerating the Asura’s awakening.”
Rajesh groaned audibly. “Of course, he is. Why go halfway with your world-ending plans when you can hit the gas pedal?”
Behind him, Chanda struggled to her feet, her expression shifting between defiance and desperation. “You think you’ve found the answer?” she sneered. “You’re walking into a trap, Nagaman. You’ll never stop him.”
Ajit turned to her, his gaze cold. “I’ve stopped him before. I’ll do it again.”
Chanda’s laugh was bitter. “Shastra Bahu isn’t the man you fought before. He’s the vessel now. The Asura’s power flows through him, and the fragments will only make him stronger.”
“That’s why I’m taking them back,” Ajit said, venom sparking faintly at his fingertips.
Ajit left the lab without another word, his tendrils retracting as he stepped into the cool night air. The streets of the industrial district were eerily quiet, the hum of distant machinery the only sound.
Rajesh was waiting for him at the edge of the district, perched on the hood of the van with his tablet in hand. He looked up as Ajit approached, his expression tense.
“Please tell me we have a plan,” Rajesh said, sliding off the hood.
Ajit leaned against the van, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon. “Shastra Bahu’s lair is in the mountains. If we’re going to stop him, we’ll have to move fast. The fragments are the key—if he completes the Nagamani, it’s over.”
Rajesh frowned, typing furiously on his tablet. “Alright, but how are we even getting there? We’re not exactly equipped to storm a fortress.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Ajit said, his tone resolute.
Rajesh sighed, shaking his head. “You’re scary when you’re this confident, you know that?”
Ajit allowed himself a faint smirk. “Scared of me? That’s a first.”
The drive back to the safehouse was tense, the weight of their discovery pressing down on them. The fragments in the back of the van pulsed faintly, their energy resonating with Ajit’s growing sense of urgency.
“We’re out of time,” Ajit said, breaking the silence. “Whatever Shastra Bahu’s building, it’s almost complete. We need to move now.”
Rajesh glanced at him, his expression wary. “You sure you’re ready for this? He’s not just a guy in a suit anymore. He’s—”
“I know what he is,” Ajit interrupted, his voice firm. “And I know what’s at stake.”
Rajesh nodded, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. “Then let’s end this.”
Back at the safehouse, Padmini was waiting for them, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She stepped forward as Ajit entered, her gaze sharp.
“You’ve been gone all night,” she said, her tone calm but pointed. “What’s going on?”
Ajit hesitated, then sighed. “Chanda’s out of the picture, but Shastra Bahu’s moving faster than we thought. He’s using the fragments to awaken the Asura.”
Padmini frowned, her brow furrowing. “And you’re just planning to charge in? You can barely handle what you’ve been fighting already.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Ajit said, his voice quiet but firm. “If we don’t stop him now, there won’t be anything left to fight for.”
Padmini’s gaze softened slightly, but her concern remained. “Then let me help. You can’t do this alone.”
Ajit shook his head. “It’s too dangerous.”
“And it’s not dangerous for you?” Padmini countered, her tone sharp. “You keep shutting me out, Ajit. You keep acting like you have to carry this weight on your own. But you don’t.”
Ajit met her gaze, the tension in his chest easing slightly. “This isn’t just about me,” he said quietly. “It’s about all of us.”
“Then let us fight for it, too,” Padmini said, her voice steady. “We’re stronger together.”
Ajit nodded slowly, his resolve firming. “Alright. But this won’t be easy.”
“It never is,” Padmini said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
The team worked through the night, preparing for the mission ahead. Rajesh pieced together schematics of Shastra Bahu’s lair, while Padmini developed strategies for breaching its defenses. Ajit focused on honing his powers, pushing his venom, tendrils, and reflexes to their limits.
By the time the first light of dawn broke, the safehouse buzzed with a quiet determination. The fragments pulsed steadily in the center of the room, their energy a constant reminder of the battle ahead.
Ajit stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over his friends. “This is it. We stop Shastra Bahu here, or we don’t stop him at all.”
Rajesh grinned faintly, holding up his tablet. “No pressure, right?”
Padmini nodded, her expression resolute. “Let’s end this.”
Ajit’s snake sense buzzed faintly as he turned toward the door. The fight against Shastra Bahu—and the Asura—was just beginning.
The first rays of sunlight crept over the horizon, painting the city in muted gold as Ajit, Rajesh, and Padmini loaded the last of their gear into the van. The fragments sat secured in a reinforced case, their steady glow a stark contrast to the tension in the air.
Rajesh adjusted the strap of his laptop bag and gave Ajit a sideways glance. “You sure about this? I mean, storming a mountain lair? Sounds like the plot of every action movie that ends in disaster.”
Ajit smirked faintly, his hands resting on his hips. “We’ve got an advantage. He doesn’t think we’ll come to him.”
“Right,” Rajesh muttered, climbing into the van. “Let’s hope he doesn’t change his mind halfway through.”
Padmini stood by the passenger side door, her arms crossed. “Once we’re inside, what’s the plan? You said the fragments are key—how do we use them?”
Ajit’s expression hardened. “We disrupt his energy flow. He’s using the fragments to channel the Nagamani’s power. If we destabilize that connection, it’ll weaken him.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Padmini asked, her gaze steady.
Ajit didn’t hesitate. “Then I’ll find another way.”
The drive toward the mountains was quiet, tension hanging heavy in the confined space of the van. Rajesh navigated while Ajit sat in the back, his eyes closed as he mentally prepared himself. Padmini, seated in the passenger seat, occasionally glanced back at Ajit, her expression unreadable.
“You know,” Rajesh said, breaking the silence, “for a guy who can literally turn into a snake, you seem way too calm about this.”
Ajit opened one eye, smirking faintly. “Calm is how you survive.”
Rajesh shook his head. “Yeah, well, calm doesn’t cover the fact that we’re driving straight into the mouth of the beast. Just saying.”
“We’ll manage,” Ajit said, his tone steady.
Padmini leaned forward, her gaze fixed on the distant peaks. “He’s not wrong, though. Shastra Bahu will be expecting us. He’s probably set traps.”
“Good,” Ajit said, venom sparking faintly at his fingertips. “Let him. It’ll keep him distracted.”
As they neared the base of the mountain, the air grew colder, and the road turned rough and narrow. The once-vibrant forest gave way to rocky terrain, the looming peaks casting long shadows across the landscape.
Rajesh pulled the van to a stop just outside a hidden trail that led up the mountain. “This is as far as we go,” he said, his voice low. “The rest is on foot.”
They climbed out of the van, the crisp mountain air biting at their skin. Ajit slung the case of fragments over his shoulder, his snake sense buzzing faintly as he scanned the area.
“We move fast and quiet,” he said, his voice firm. “Stick together. If we’re lucky, we’ll be inside before they notice us.”
“Lucky?” Rajesh muttered, adjusting his laptop bag. “Yeah, that’s been working out great for us so far.”
Padmini shot him a look, then turned to Ajit. “Let’s go.”
The trail wound upward, the path narrow and treacherous as it climbed higher into the mountains. The air grew thinner, and the distant sound of rushing water echoed through the rocky landscape.
Ajit’s snake sense flared suddenly, stopping him in his tracks. He raised a hand, signaling the others to halt.
“What is it?” Padmini whispered, her eyes scanning the path ahead.
“Something’s watching us,” Ajit said, his gaze fixed on the shadows of the cliffs above.
Rajesh froze, his voice a nervous whisper. “Please tell me it’s not another Asura.”
Before Ajit could respond, a metallic screech rang out, and a swarm of drones emerged from the cliffs. Their sleek frames gleamed in the sunlight, and the faint hum of their propulsion systems filled the air as they descended toward the group.
“Guess we’re not sneaking in,” Rajesh muttered, pulling out a small device from his bag.
Ajit stepped forward, his tendrils sparking to life. “Stay behind me.”
The first drone fired, a bolt of energy streaking toward them. Ajit dodged smoothly, his tendrils lashing out to grab the drone mid-air. He yanked it down, slamming it into the ground with a burst of sparks.
Rajesh tapped furiously on his device, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Give me a second—I can jam their signals!”
Padmini ducked as another drone fired, her hand gripping a metal rod she’d grabbed from the van. She swung it with surprising force, knocking the drone off course and into a nearby rock.
Ajit moved fluidly, his venom-coated strikes disabling one drone after another. His snake sense guided him, allowing him to anticipate their movements and counter their attacks with precision.
“Hurry up, Rajesh!” Ajit shouted, deflecting another energy bolt.
“Almost there!” Rajesh yelled back, his fingers flying over the device’s interface.
With a final keystroke, the drones froze mid-air, their lights dimming as their systems shut down.
Rajesh let out a breath of relief, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Got it. They’re offline—for now.”
Ajit stepped over the smoldering remains of a drone, his gaze fixed on the path ahead. “We’re out of time. Shastra Bahu knows we’re here.”
Padmini nodded, her grip tightening on the rod. “Then let’s not keep him waiting.”
Ajit’s snake sense buzzed faintly as they continued up the trail, the looming fortress above them a stark reminder of the battle to come.