Chapter 15: The Traitor’s Gambit
The base was quiet as the team returned, the storm outside finally breaking into a faint drizzle. Prithvi stepped out of the hovercraft first, his visor retracting as he scanned the perimeter. Everything looked as it should—secure, intact, and undisturbed. But something felt off.
“Chanakya,” Prithvi said, his tone sharp. “Run a full systems check. I want a status report on the base.”
“Systems nominal,” Chanakya replied after a moment. “Perimeter defenses and internal security show no signs of breach.”
“Good,” Prithvi muttered, though his unease didn’t fade. He glanced back at the others. “Let’s unload and debrief. We’ve got work to do.”
The team filed into the base, their exhaustion evident. Sona peeled off toward the med bay to check on supplies, while Arjun headed to the training room with a half-hearted promise to “keep sharp.” Kaal disappeared into the shadows without a word, as usual.
Vikram stayed close to Prithvi, his gaze lingering on the containment unit holding the Ring of Angaraka. “You’re still worried,” Vikram said. It wasn’t a question.
Prithvi didn’t look at him. “Something about this doesn’t feel right. The storm’s cleared, but it feels like the calm before something worse.”
“Paranoia isn’t a bad thing in our line of work,” Vikram said, his voice light but not unserious. “Still, let’s not borrow trouble if it’s not here yet.”
Prithvi gave a faint nod but said nothing more.
In the command room, the hum of the base’s systems was a familiar comfort. Prithvi set the Ring of Angaraka into its containment slot, watching as the energy stabilizers engaged.
“Chanakya,” he said, his tone brisk. “Where are we on Surya Reactor refinement?”
“Progress is within expected parameters,” Chanakya replied. “However, I must reiterate my earlier assessment: completion will require at least two more weeks of focused development.”
“Not good enough,” Prithvi said, his frustration evident. “If Varunasura gets even one more ring, two weeks might as well be two years.”
“You could accelerate the process,” Chanakya offered, “though it would increase the risk of instability.”
Prithvi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course it would.”
The door slid open, and Sona entered, her expression guarded. “Med bay’s stocked. We’re good on supplies for a while.”
Prithvi nodded absently, still staring at the containment unit.
“Something wrong?” Sona asked, stepping closer.
Before he could answer, the lights flickered. It was brief—barely a second—but it was enough to make everyone in the room pause.
“Chanakya,” Prithvi said sharply. “What just happened?”
“Investigating,” the AI replied.
Sona glanced at him, her expression tense. “You sure we’re alone here?”
“I’m not sure of anything,” Prithvi admitted.
The flickering stopped, but the uneasy silence that followed was worse. Prithvi tapped into the base’s internal security feeds, scanning the various rooms and corridors. Everything appeared normal—until it didn’t.
“Wait,” he said, freezing the feed on one of the storage rooms. “Zoom in.”
The camera focused on a shadowed corner, revealing movement—a figure slipping through the room, careful and deliberate.
“Who the hell is that?” Sona asked, her voice low.
Prithvi’s stomach sank as recognition hit him. “Kangana.”
Before Sona could respond, alarms blared through the base. Chanakya’s voice cut through the noise, urgent and direct. “Unauthorized access detected in the core systems. Perimeter defenses are compromised.”
“Kangana’s not working alone,” Prithvi said, already moving. “She’s let someone in.”
Sona drew her plasma baton, her expression dark. “So much for subtlety. What’s the plan?”
Prithvi grabbed his gauntlets, powering them up as he strode toward the door. “We stop her. Whatever she’s after, we can’t let her get it.”
The halls of the base were eerily quiet as Prithvi and Sona moved toward the core systems. The flickering lights cast long, shifting shadows, adding to the tension.
“She’s always been one step ahead of us,” Sona said, her tone bitter. “Makes me wonder how long she’s been feeding Varunasura information.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Prithvi replied. “What matters is stopping her now.”
As they turned a corner, a group of armed intruders came into view—Naga cultists, their uniforms bearing the mark of Varunasura.
“Looks like she brought friends,” Sona muttered, activating her baton.
“More targets,” Prithvi said, his gauntlets sparking with energy. “Let’s make this quick.”
The cultists charged, weapons raised. Prithvi moved first, a blast of fire and lightning erupting from his gauntlets and sending two of them sprawling. Sona followed, her baton striking with precision as she weaved through their ranks.
One of the cultists lunged at Prithvi with a curved blade, but he caught the attack on his gauntlet, twisting the weapon out of the attacker’s hand before landing a decisive blow.
“We don’t have time for this,” Sona said, kicking another cultist aside.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Prithvi replied, blocking another strike.
As the last of the cultists fell, the alarms grew louder, and Chanakya’s voice returned.
“Kangana has reached the reactor lab,” it said. “She is attempting to access the Surya Reactor.”
Prithvi froze. “The reactor? Why would she—”
“She’s not stealing it,” Sona interrupted, her voice grim. “She’s sabotaging it.”
Realization dawned on Prithvi’s face. “She wants to cripple us. If the reactor’s unstable, we lose our best chance against Varunasura.”
“Then let’s stop her,” Sona said, already moving.
Prithvi followed, his mind racing. Kangana’s betrayal wasn’t just a blow to their trust—it was a direct attack on their ability to fight back.
Prithvi and Sona sprinted through the base’s dimly lit corridors, the alarms blaring in sync with their racing heartbeats. The hum of the Surya Reactor pulsed louder the closer they got to the lab, a constant reminder of the danger Kangana posed.
“Kangana knew exactly where to hit us,” Sona said, gripping her plasma baton tightly. “She’s been planning this for a while.”
“Too long,” Prithvi muttered. “I should’ve seen it coming.”
“You trusted her,” Sona said, her voice softer. “That’s not a mistake, Prithvi. She made it one.”
As they reached the lab’s reinforced doors, they found them already forced open. Sparks showered from exposed wires, and smoke drifted through the air.
Inside, Kangana stood before the Surya Reactor, her hands moving swiftly over its control panel. The reactor’s core glowed erratically, its once-steady hum now an unsettling whine.
“Kangana,” Prithvi said, stepping into the room. His voice was calm, but the tension in his stance betrayed him. “Step away from the reactor. We can talk about this.”
She turned to face them, her expression cold. “Talk? You think words can fix what you’ve done, Prithvi?”
Sona advanced, her baton raised. “What we’ve done? You’re the one working with Varunasura.”
Kangana scoffed, her gaze sharp. “I’m doing what you’re too blind to see—ensuring survival. You think you’re saving the world, but all you’re doing is delaying its destruction.”
Prithvi held up a hand, signaling Sona to stop. “You let Varunasura’s forces into our base,” he said, his tone measured. “You’ve sabotaged everything we’ve built. How is that survival?”
“You don’t understand,” Kangana snapped, her voice breaking slightly. “Varunasura isn’t just another enemy to defeat. He’s inevitable. You can’t stop him—not with your suits, not with your rings, not even with this reactor.”
Her eyes flicked to the unstable core behind her. “But if I help him ascend, he’ll spare what’s left of humanity. That’s the only way anyone survives this.”
Sona stepped forward, anger flashing in her eyes. “Spare humanity? You think he’ll stop once he gets the rings? He’ll wipe us all out, starting with people like you who think they can control him.”
Kangana laughed bitterly. “And you think you’re different? You’re all pawns in this cosmic game, playing hero while the world burns. At least I’m choosing the winning side.”
Prithvi’s fists clenched, the Ring of Angaraka glowing faintly on his gauntlet. “It’s not about winning or losing, Kangana. It’s about doing what’s right—even if it costs us everything.”
“That’s your mistake,” Kangana said, her voice laced with venom. “You think sacrifice makes you noble. But it’s just weakness disguised as honor.”
Before Prithvi could respond, Kangana pressed a final sequence on the reactor’s controls. The core surged, its glow flickering wildly as the reactor began to destabilize.
“Stop!” Prithvi shouted, rushing toward her.
Kangana turned, pulling a compact energy blade from her belt. She swung at Prithvi, forcing him to halt his advance.
“You’re too late,” she said, her voice cold. “The reactor will implode in minutes. And when it does, Varunasura will have everything he needs to finish what you started.”
Prithvi activated his gauntlets, blocking another strike. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, his voice strained. “We can still stop him—together.”
Kangana hesitated for a fraction of a second, her blade trembling in her grip. But then her expression hardened. “No. You’ve already lost.”
Sona lunged forward, her baton colliding with Kangana’s blade in a shower of sparks. The two women clashed fiercely, their movements quick and calculated.
“Kangana, stop!” Sona shouted, deflecting another strike. “You’re better than this!”
“Am I?” Kangana countered, pressing her attack. “Or was I always just waiting for the right moment to act?”
Prithvi moved to the reactor’s control panel, his gauntlets sparking as he tried to stabilize the core. “Chanakya, give me options,” he said, his voice tight.
“The reactor is nearing critical overload,” the AI replied. “Recommend immediate shutdown of all non-essential systems to divert power to the stabilizers.”
“Do it,” Prithvi said, his focus unwavering.
Sona landed a decisive blow, knocking Kangana’s blade from her hand. But instead of retreating, Kangana stepped closer, her expression fierce.
“You think you’ve won?” Kangana hissed. “You don’t even know what’s coming.”
“What’s coming?” Sona demanded, grabbing Kangana by the collar. “What did Varunasura promise you?”
Kangana smirked, blood trailing from the corner of her mouth. “The end of this war. The end of everything.”
Before Sona could respond, Kangana twisted free, pulling a small detonator from her belt. She pressed it without hesitation.
The alarms blared louder as the reactor’s core surged violently, its glow turning a dangerous red. Prithvi turned, his eyes widening. “What did you do?”
Kangana backed away, her smirk fading into something almost regretful. “Good luck, Prithvi. You’re going to need it.”
She activated a concealed device on her wrist, vanishing in a flash of light as a teleportation beacon whisked her away.
“Coward!” Sona shouted, her baton sparking as she swung it at empty air.
Prithvi stepped away from the control panel, his face grim. “The reactor’s on the verge of collapse. We need to shut it down now, or it’s taking the base—and us—with it.”
Sona joined him at the console, her hands moving swiftly as she input commands. “Can we stabilize it?”
“Not without risking a total meltdown,” Prithvi said, his voice tight. “Chanakya, initiate emergency containment protocols.”
“Containment protocols activated,” the AI replied. “Estimated time to implosion: five minutes.”
“Great,” Sona muttered. “No pressure.”
Prithvi’s mind raced, every second feeling like an eternity. Kangana’s betrayal had left them vulnerable, but they couldn’t afford to dwell on it now.
“We’re not losing this reactor,” he said, his tone resolute. “Not today.”
The ground beneath the base trembled, and the Surya Reactor’s ominous glow spilled across the control room like liquid fire. Prithvi worked furiously at the reactor’s console, his gauntlets sparking with energy as he attempted to stabilize the core.
“Chanakya,” he said through gritted teeth, “what’s our status?”
“Containment field integrity is at 41% and falling,” the AI responded. “Reactor overload imminent. I estimate 240 seconds before critical implosion.”
Sona paced behind him, her plasma baton still crackling from her fight with Kangana. “We’ve been in bad spots before, but this? This feels different.”
Prithvi didn’t look up. “Focus, Sona. If we don’t shut this thing down, there won’t be a ‘different’ left to feel.”
A sudden explosion shook the base, the sound reverberating through the walls. Sona spun toward the door, her grip tightening on her weapon.
“That came from the south wing,” she said. “That’s… the main entrance.”
Chanakya’s voice cut through the tension. “Alert: multiple hostiles detected. Naga cultists are breaching the perimeter.”
Prithvi slammed a fist against the console, his visor snapping into place. “Of course they are. Kangana’s betrayal wasn’t just about the reactor—she handed us over to Varunasura’s forces.”
Sona activated her comms. “Arjun, Kaal, we’ve got incoming. South wing’s compromised.”
“On it,” Arjun’s voice replied, already moving.
“Finally,” Kaal muttered over the line, his tone cold. “Something to hit.”
Prithvi turned to Sona, his expression grim. “Go. Help them hold the line.”
“What about the reactor?” she asked, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
“I’ll manage it,” he said, though the strain in his voice betrayed him. “You’re better with them than here.”
Sona hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. “Don’t let it blow up while I’m gone.”
“I’ll try my best,” Prithvi said, a faint smirk breaking through his tension.
Sona dashed out of the room, her boots echoing against the metal floor. Prithvi turned back to the console, his focus razor-sharp.
The battle erupted in the south wing as Naga cultists stormed through the shattered entrance, their weapons glowing with faint elemental energy. Arjun was already in the fray, his blade Vritra cutting through the chaos like a living thing.
“Is it just me,” Arjun shouted over the din, “or are these guys getting smarter?”
Kaal Sarp emerged from the shadows, striking down a group of cultists with precise, venomous efficiency. “They’re more desperate,” he said. “Kangana gave them a target, and they’re making the most of it.”
“Well, they’re about to regret it,” Arjun said, his blade clashing with an enemy spear.
Sona joined the fight, her plasma baton flashing as she disarmed one cultist and incapacitated another. “Keep them away from the reactor!” she shouted.
“I thought that was obvious,” Arjun quipped, spinning his blade to deflect an incoming attack.
Kaal moved like a shadow, his strikes swift and lethal. “Less talking, more killing.”
Sona rolled her eyes even as she slammed her baton into another cultist. “Charming as ever, Kaal.”
Despite their efforts, the cultists pressed forward, their numbers overwhelming.
Back in the reactor lab, Prithvi’s situation wasn’t much better. The console sparked violently, and the reactor core’s glow grew brighter, its hum deepening into a dangerous rumble.
“Chanakya,” Prithvi said, sweat dripping down his temple, “I need options. Now.”
“The reactor’s energy matrix has destabilized,” Chanakya replied. “Without external reinforcement, containment will fail.”
“Reinforcement from what?”
“The rings,” Chanakya said simply. “If you channel their energy into the reactor’s core, it may stabilize long enough to prevent implosion.”
Prithvi’s jaw tightened. “And if it doesn’t?”
“Then the implosion will be exponentially worse.”
Prithvi glanced at the containment unit holding the rings they’d collected so far. The Ring of Angaraka pulsed faintly, its fiery energy calling to him.
“Great,” he muttered. “We’re really doing this.”
He grabbed the Ring of Angaraka, sliding it onto his gauntlet. The heat surged through him instantly, his veins alight with power.
“Begin energy transfer,” Prithvi said, stepping closer to the reactor.
“Confirmed,” Chanakya replied. “Initiating transfer in three… two… one.”
The reactor pulsed as the ring’s energy flowed into its core. Prithvi staggered under the strain, his gauntlet sparking as the power threatened to overwhelm him.
“Containment field stabilizing,” Chanakya said. “Core energy levels approaching safe parameters.”
But before Prithvi could catch his breath, another explosion rocked the base. Chanakya’s voice returned, urgent. “Warning: enemy forces are advancing toward the reactor lab.”
“Of course they are,” Prithvi muttered, turning toward the door. “Chanakya, lock down the lab.”
“Unable to comply,” the AI said. “Power diversion has compromised security protocols.”
Prithvi activated his gauntlets, flames licking along their edges. “Guess I’m the security now.”
The door to the lab burst open, and a squad of cultists charged in. Prithvi didn’t hesitate. He unleashed a wave of fire, the flames roaring across the room and forcing the intruders back.
One cultist managed to break through, wielding an electrified spear. Prithvi caught the strike on his gauntlet, twisting the weapon out of the cultist’s grip before slamming him into the wall.
The others hesitated, wary of the fire radiating from Prithvi. He stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. “You want the reactor? Come and get it.”
The fight in the lab raged on, each clash pushing Prithvi closer to his limits. But the core’s hum had stabilized, and for now, the reactor held.
In the south wing, Sona, Arjun, and Kaal continued to fend off the cultists, their movements growing more desperate as the battle wore on.
“We can’t keep this up forever,” Sona said, her voice strained.
“We don’t have to,” Arjun replied, slashing through another enemy. “We just need to outlast them.”
Kaal didn’t respond, his focus entirely on the fight. But even he knew their odds were growing slimmer by the second.
The base trembled again as another explosion rocked the lower levels. The Surya Reactor’s hum grew louder, its light spilling through the lab like a rising sun.
Prithvi stood alone, battered but unbroken, flames flickering around him as the cultists regrouped for another assault.
“Chanakya,” he said, his voice steady despite the chaos. “How much time do we have before the reactor’s stable?”
“Stabilization will complete in three minutes,” the AI replied.
Prithvi’s fists tightened, the flames on his gauntlets flaring brighter. “Then I just have to hold the line for three more minutes.”
The air in the reactor lab sizzled with heat and tension. Prithvi fought relentlessly, each swing of his gauntlet sending bursts of fire into the advancing cultists. The Surya Reactor pulsed erratically behind him, its core a brilliant, dangerous light.
“Chanakya,” he barked, ducking a spear strike, “status!”
“Containment field at 71%,” the AI replied. “Stabilization nearing completion, but interference persists. Warning: probability of external sabotage remains high.”
“External sabotage?” Prithvi muttered, shoving an attacker into the wall with a fiery blast. He scanned the chaos around him. Something wasn’t adding up.
The Surya Reactor wasn’t just under attack—it was a distraction.
In the south wing, the battle wasn’t faring much better. Sona, Arjun, and Kaal were being pushed back as cultists surged through the broken entrance. The storm outside had finally eased, but it had done its job, cloaking the cult’s approach until it was too late.
“They just keep coming!” Arjun shouted, his blade Vritra glowing faintly as it deflected another strike. “Where are these guys even from?”
Kaal Sarp moved like a wraith, his twin daggers striking faster than the eye could follow. “Loyalists,” he said, his tone clipped. “Fools who think Varunasura’s rise will save them.”
Sona gritted her teeth as she struck a cultist squarely in the chest with her plasma baton. “If we don’t thin their numbers fast, it won’t matter what they think. They’ll overwhelm us.”
The comm in Sona’s ear crackled. “Sona,” Prithvi’s voice came through, strained but steady, “pull back to the reactor. Now.”
She blocked another strike before responding. “If we pull back, they’ll overrun the south wing.”
“They already have,” Prithvi said, his tone firm. “This attack isn’t about taking the base—it’s about the reactor. If we don’t regroup, we lose everything.”
Sona hesitated, her instincts clashing with his logic. “Fine. Arjun, Kaal, fall back!”
Arjun groaned but complied, carving a path through the cultists with quick, precise strikes. “You owe me for this, boss,” he muttered.
Kaal didn’t argue, though his eyes lingered on the south wing as they retreated.
The three of them burst into the reactor lab moments later, the glow of the unstable core casting eerie shadows across the room.
“About time,” Prithvi said, blasting an incoming cultist with a jet of flame.
“You’re welcome,” Arjun said, already moving to cover the entrance. “Now, what’s the plan?”
Prithvi didn’t answer immediately. His focus was on the reactor, its erratic pulses quickening. “Chanakya, options.”
“The reactor’s containment protocols can be reinforced manually,” Chanakya said. “However, hostile interference is—”
“Chanakya!” Prithvi snapped, his patience fraying.
The AI paused. “Probability of successful manual stabilization: 67%. Risk to operator: extreme.”
Sona caught the edge in Prithvi’s tone. “You’re not seriously considering—”
“There’s no choice,” he interrupted, his gaze locked on the reactor. “If we don’t stabilize it, the implosion will take out everything within a hundred-mile radius.”
Sona grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. “You’re not doing this alone. We’ll figure out another way.”
“There is no other way,” Prithvi said, his voice quiet but unyielding.
Before Sona could argue further, an explosion rocked the base, the shockwave throwing them all off balance.
“Chanakya,” Prithvi said, pulling himself up, “what just happened?”
“Explosion detected in the containment sector,” the AI replied. “Source: external breach.”
Prithvi’s heart sank. “Kangana.”
As if on cue, the main door to the lab slid open, revealing Kangana flanked by a group of cultists. Her expression was unreadable, but the gleam in her eyes was unmistakable.
“Prithvi,” she said, her voice almost cordial. “Still playing the hero, I see.”
“You’re too late, Kangana,” Prithvi said, stepping forward, his gauntlets sparking. “The reactor’s stabilizing.”
She smiled faintly. “Oh, I don’t need to stop the reactor, Prithvi. That was never the plan.”
She held up her hand, revealing the Ring of Brihaspati, its golden glow faint but unmistakable.
Sona’s eyes widened. “The ring… You stole it during the chaos.”
Kangana’s smile widened. “Distractions work wonders, don’t they?”
Prithvi’s fists clenched, flames licking along his gauntlets. “You don’t know what you’re doing. That ring is more than just power—it’s a responsibility.”
“Responsibility?” Kangana scoffed. “Spare me the lecture. Varunasura understands what the rings truly are—tools for reshaping the world. And I intend to make sure he gets them all.”
Before anyone could move, she activated a teleportation device on her wrist. “Goodbye, Prithvi. Enjoy cleaning up this mess.”
She vanished in a flash of light, leaving only silence in her wake.
Arjun was the first to speak, his voice low and bitter. “She played us. She played all of us.”
Sona slammed her baton against the wall, the sound echoing through the room. “Damn it! She was right here—we could’ve stopped her.”
“She was never the target,” Kaal said, his tone neutral but cold. “The reactor was the bait. She knew exactly how we’d react.”
Prithvi turned back to the reactor, his jaw tight. “Chanakya, status.”
“Containment field restored,” the AI replied. “Reactor stabilization complete.”
Prithvi exhaled, his shoulders sagging. “At least we didn’t lose the reactor.”
Sona rounded on him, her frustration boiling over. “But we lost the ring, Prithvi! How are we supposed to stop Varunasura when we keep falling apart like this?”
He met her gaze, his voice steady despite the weight of her words. “We’ll find another way. We always do.”
Sona shook her head, stepping away. “Maybe we’re running out of ways.”
The room fell silent, the team’s exhaustion and despair settling over them like a shadow.
In the distance, thunder rumbled, a storm gathering on the horizon.
The storm outside mirrored the atmosphere inside the base. Rain lashed against the reinforced windows, and the rumble of thunder seemed to shake the very walls. The team was gathered in the command room, their faces etched with exhaustion and frustration.
Prithvi stood at the center, his back to the others as he stared at the holographic map flickering above the console. The stolen Ring of Brihaspati was marked in red, a glaring reminder of their failure.
“We can’t keep doing this,” Sona said, breaking the tense silence. “Every time we get ahead, something like this happens. How many more times can we recover before it’s too late?”
Prithvi didn’t turn around. “We recover because we have to. There’s no alternative.”
Sona’s fists clenched at his detached tone. “That’s not good enough, Prithvi. Kangana didn’t just take a ring—she made us look like fools. And now Varunasura’s even closer to his goal.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Prithvi snapped, spinning to face her. His eyes burned with a mix of anger and guilt. “Do you think I’m not counting every single failure? Every time we lose ground, every time we lose a ring, it’s on me.”
“No one’s blaming you,” Vikram said, stepping forward cautiously. “But we can’t ignore what’s happening. The team’s breaking under the pressure.”
Arjun leaned back in his chair, his expression uncharacteristically grim. “Vikram’s right. We’re barely holding it together. And if Varunasura gets even one more ring, we’re done.”
Kaal Sarp’s voice cut through the room like a blade. “Maybe we were done the moment Kangana walked through our doors.”
All eyes turned to him. He leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed, his expression cold.
“She didn’t just betray us,” Kaal continued. “She exposed every weakness we’ve been trying to hide. Our trust, our teamwork—it’s all a lie. And now, Varunasura knows it too.”
“That’s enough,” Prithvi said, his voice low but commanding.
Kaal’s eyes narrowed. “Is it? Or are we just pretending everything’s fine because you can’t admit we’re losing?”
The tension in the room was suffocating, each word striking deeper than the last.
“Stop it,” Sona said, stepping between them. “This isn’t helping. If we turn on each other now, Kangana wins. Varunasura wins. Is that what you want?”
Kaal didn’t respond, his gaze dropping to the floor.
Prithvi exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “We’re all frustrated. Angry. But that’s exactly what Varunasura wants. If we give in to it, we might as well hand him the rings ourselves.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with truth. But the doubt in the room didn’t dissipate.
Arjun broke the silence, his tone lighter but no less serious. “Okay, so… what’s the plan? Because unless someone’s got a map to Varunasura’s lair and a big red ‘off’ button for his trident, we’re kind of winging it here.”
Prithvi stepped closer to the map, his eyes narrowing as he studied the flickering projection. “Kangana’s betrayal wasn’t random. She targeted the reactor, knowing it’s the only thing that can counter the rings. That means Varunasura is starting to worry about us.”
“Worry?” Sona said, raising an eyebrow. “We just handed him a ring. How is that him worrying?”
“Because if he wasn’t worried, he wouldn’t have sent Kangana to sabotage us,” Prithvi said. “He’d have just destroyed us outright.”
Vikram nodded slowly. “He’s right. Kangana’s actions prove that Varunasura sees the reactor as a threat. That means it’s still our best chance to stop him.”
“But it’s not ready,” Sona pointed out. “Chanakya said it needs weeks of refinement.”
Prithvi’s jaw tightened. “Then we don’t have weeks. We push it to the limit and make it work. Whatever it takes.”
Arjun whistled. “Bold. Risky. Probably going to kill us. I like it.”
Sona shook her head. “It’s not just risky—it’s reckless. If the reactor fails, we lose everything.”
“And if we don’t use it, Varunasura wins,” Prithvi countered.
The argument was cut short by Chanakya’s voice. “Incoming transmission.”
The holographic map shifted, revealing a projection of Kangana. She stood in a dimly lit chamber, the Ring of Brihaspati glowing faintly on her hand.
“Well,” she said, her tone mockingly cheerful. “You all look… tense. Rough day?”
Prithvi’s fists clenched, but he forced his voice to remain calm. “Kangana. Why are you here?”
“Just checking in,” she said, her smirk widening. “I wanted to thank you for the ring. Varunasura’s thrilled, by the way. He sends his regards.”
“What do you want?” Sona demanded, stepping forward.
Kangana’s smile faded, her expression turning cold. “I want you to stop pretending you can win this. Every moment you waste chasing some noble fantasy is another moment Varunasura grows stronger. Surrender the rings you have, and maybe he’ll let you live.”
“Not happening,” Prithvi said firmly.
Kangana sighed, almost as if she pitied them. “Suit yourselves. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when the storm comes.”
Her image flickered, then vanished, leaving the room in heavy silence once again.
Prithvi turned back to the map, his voice steady despite the weight of her words. “This isn’t over. Not by a long shot. We keep moving. We refine the reactor, we find the next ring, and we stop Varunasura before it’s too late.”
The others exchanged glances, their exhaustion and doubt evident. But one by one, they nodded.
“Fine,” Sona said, her voice quiet but determined. “But we can’t afford another mistake.”
“We won’t make one,” Prithvi said. “Not again.”
As the storm outside raged on, the team dispersed to prepare for their next mission. Prithvi remained in the command room, staring at the flickering map.
Kangana’s words echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of the stakes.
Every failure was his to bear. But he couldn’t afford to let it break him—not yet.