School ka hall ab ek battlefield jaisa lag raha tha. Mere simulation pod se bahar nikalte hi, mujhe mehsoos hua ki poora environment badal gaya hai. Hawa mein ek ajeeb sa bhari-pan tha, jaise ki meri presence ne wahan ke atoms ko hi shift kar diya ho. 500 pods mein se sab students bahar nikal chuke the, lekin koi bhi meri taraf dekhne ki himmat nahi kar raha tha. Principal Sharma, jo hamesha apni discipline aur lecture ke liye jaane jaate the, unke haath kaamp rahe the.
"Harsh," Principal ki awaz thodi ghabraayi hui thi. "Tum... tumne wahan andar kya kiya? Simulation ki integrity poori tarah collapse ho gayi. Aisa lag raha tha jaise system mein koi virus ghus gaya ho."
Maine apna sar uthaya aur Principal ki aankhon mein dekha. Uski aankhon mein sirf darr tha. Maine unhe dekha aur ek halki, khatarnak muskaan mere hothon par aa gayi. Maine abhi tak apne andar ki us energy ko poori tarah se control karna nahi seekha tha, par mujhe pata tha ki wo meri aankhon mein saaf dikh rahi thi—gehri, kaali aur ekdum shaant, bilkul us Void ki tarah jahan main abhi hokar aaya tha.
"Virus?" Maine dheere se pucha. Meri awaz mein wo thandak thi jo maine kabhi pehle mehsoos nahi ki thi. "Nahi, Principal sir. Virus system ko corrupt karta hai. Maine toh bas... system ka source code change kar diya."
Isse pehle ki Principal kuch aur keh paate, hall ke bade steel doors dhadaam se khul gaye.
The Arrival of the Bureau
Black suits aur heavy tactical gear mein lehas, 10 log andar aaye. Ye school security nahi thi. Inke kandhon par 'Bureau of Anomaly Control' ka badge tha. Ye log tab aate hain jab reality ke laws break hote hain. Main janta tha ki ye mujhe lene aaye hain, aur sach kahun toh, main iska wait kar raha tha. Mujhe dekhna tha ki ye system kaise kaam karta hai.
Aryan, jo abhi bhi corner mein baitha hua tha, unhe dekh kar chillaaya, "Woh... woh wahi hai! Ussi ne sab kuch kiya! Maine apni aankhon se dekha, wo monster ke sath lad raha tha! Wo koi student nahi hai!"
Bureau ka lead agent, ek lamba aadmi jiska chehra pathar jaisa tha, meri taraf badha. Usne mujhe upar se niche tak dekha, jaise main koi experiment ka sample hoon. "Harsh Mehra. Tumhe hamare saath chalna hoga. Yeh ek 'Level 5 Anomaly Breach' hai. Tumhare baare mein hume jo reports mili hain, wo normal student record se bahut alag hain."
Maine koi protest nahi kiya. Kyun? Kyunki main jaanta tha ki abhi ladne ka koi fayda nahi. Mera 'Necro-Monarch' system abhi recharge ho raha tha, aur main apni poori taqat ko abhi show nahi karna chahta tha. Main bas ek baar Sia ki taraf dekha, jo dur khadi mujhe heran bhari nazron se dekh rahi thi. Uski aankhon mein mere liye sympathy thi, par main ab us raaste par nahi tha jahan sympathy ki zaroorat ho. Maine bas apni aankhein jhapki, jaise keh raha hoon ki 'Chinta mat karo'.
The Interrogation Chamber
Mujhe ek steel ke kamre mein baithaya gaya. Kamre ki light flickering kar rahi thi, shayad mere presence ki wajah se electronics unstable ho rahe the. Table ke us paar wahi lead agent baitha tha. Uska naam Agent Vikram tha.
"Harsh," Vikram ne ek file kholi. "Tum Class 8-A ke student ho. Records ke hisaab se, tum ek 'Null' ho. Zero talent, zero mana output. Phir aaj simulation mein tumne wo kaise kiya? Ek Gatekeeper-rank monster ko handle karna... ye koi bacha nahi kar sakta."
Maine apni kursi par aaram se baithte hue kaha, "Agent Vikram, kya aapne kabhi 'evolution' ke baare mein suna hai? Har insaan wahi nahi rehta jo wo school ke records mein dikhta hai."
Vikram gusse mein table par jhuka. "Chaalaki mat dikhao, ladke. Humne tumhari pod ki energy readings check ki hain. Tumne sirf simulation nahi toda, tumne reality ka fabric tore diya tha. Humein pata hai tumne kya absorb kiya. Wo 'Void Key'..."
Mera dimaag ekdam alert ho gaya. Unhe pata hai? "Agent," maine thande lehje mein kaha, "agar aapko pata hai ki maine kya kiya, toh aap mujhse sawal kyun pooch rahe hain? Aapko toh mujhse darna chahiye."
"Darna?" Vikram zor se hansa, par uski hansi mein nakli-pan tha. "Humne tumhare jaise bahut dekhe hain. Hamare paas containment protocols hain. Hum tumhe yahan tab tak rakh sakte hain jab tak tumhari wo powers shant na ho jayein."
"Containment?" Main khada hua. Uski chair peeche phisli aur ek loud 'skreech' ki awaz aayi. Maine apni presence ko thoda sa release kiya. Kamre ki lights ek dum se off ho gayi aur fir dhire-dhire purple hue mein jalne lagi. "Aapko sach mein lagta hai ki aap mujhe contain kar sakte hain? Aap mujhe ek pinjra samajh rahe hain, par main us pinjre ko kholne wali chaabi hoon."
Vikram ne apne haath mein rakhe remote se shock trigger karne ki koshish ki, lekin kuch nahi hua. Equipment fail ho gaya tha. Meri energy ne kamre ke saare circuits ko dead kar diya tha.
The Power Struggle
"Dekhiye Agent Vikram," main table ke upar jhuka, mera chehra uske bilkul paas tha. "Main yahan ladne nahi aaya hoon. Main sirf ye jaan-na chahta hoon ki is 'System' ke peeche kaun hai. Principal? School? Ya aap log?"
Vikram ka paseena nikal raha tha. Woh jaanta tha ki wo ek aise insan se baat kar raha hai jiske paas ab woh taqat hai jo is duniya mein kisi ke paas nahi honi chahiye.
"Tumhein lagta hai tum monarch ban gaye ho?" Vikram ne darr ko chhupate hue pucha. "Is duniya mein tumhare jaise bahut hain jo power ke nashe mein apna balance kho baithe. Tumhe pata hai tumhare saath kya hoga? Tumhe 'Void' mein wapas fek diya jayega."
Maine apni aankhein band ki aur focus kiya. [Status Update: Threat detected - Agent Vikram.] System ne mujhe suggestion diya: [Suggestion: Extract information.]
Maine Vikram ki aakhon mein dekha, aur apne andar ke 'Necro-Monarch' ki energy ko channel kiya. Yeh 'Shadow Reading' thi—dusre ke dimaag ke panno ko padhne ki kala.
Vikram ke dimaag mein flashes dikhne lage. Ek bada sa laboratory... black suits... log ek "Project Zero" ke baare mein baat kar rahe hain... aur wahan mera naam hai.
Project Zero? Ye kya cheez hai? Ye mere baare mein hai? Maine us information ko apne dimaag mein lock kar liya.
Maine apne haath piche khinche aur lights wapas normal ho gayi. Vikram ekdum se haanpne laga, jaise usne apni saansein roki hui hon.
"Aapne project zero ke baare mein suna hai, Agent?" maine dheere se kaha. "Kaisa lag raha hai jab koi aapke secrets padh leta hai?"
Vikram ka chehra laal ho gaya. "Tum... tumne ye kaise kiya?"
"Main Monarch hoon, Vikram. Aur Monarchs apne subjects ke secrets nahi maangte, wo unhe jaan lete hain."
The Escape Plan (Or Maybe Not?)
Tabhi, kamre ka door khula. Ek aur officer andar aaya, uska chehra pareshan tha. "Sir, humein immediate order mila hai. Director chahte hain ki hum Harsh ko 'High-Security Block 9' mein shift karein. Simulation records ke mutabik, wo ab ek 'S-Rank Threat' hai."
Vikram ne meri taraf dekha, ab uski aankhon mein darr ke saath ek ajeeb sa respect tha. "High-Security Block 9... Harsh, tum wahan se kabhi zinda wapas nahi aaoge."
Maine bas ek thandi smile di. "Wahi toh main chahta hoon. Main wahan ke security system ko test karna chahta hoon."
Mujhe hathkadiyan pehnayi gayi, lekin main jaanta tha ki ye hathkadiyan mere liye sirf plastic ke tukde hain. Uske andar ka Void system ab ek naya skill prepare kar raha tha—Shadow Step. Woh kabhi bhi yahan se nikal sakta tha, lekin abhi nahi. Use ye jaan-na tha ki ye Bureau aur Project Zero ka kya connection hai.
Jab mujhe hall se le jaya ja raha tha, toh school ke students aur teachers usey aise dekh rahe the jaise wo koi criminal ho. Sabka darr ab gusse mein badal raha tha. Maine Aryan ko dekha, jo ab bhi wahi baitha tha.
"Aryan," main ruk kar bola. "Apni talwar sambhal kar rakhna. Agli baar jab hum milenge, toh simulation nahi hoga. Asliyat hogi."
Aryan ka chehra aur bhi peela pad gaya.
Mujhe ek armored vehicle mein daala gaya. Gaadi chal padi. Maine khidki ke baahar dekha. Asmaan mein ab bhi wo halki si daraar (crack) thi jo maine kal banayi thi.
Game change ho raha hai, maine socha. Ab main sirf Monarch nahi, main is system ka khatma hoon.
Gaadi ek sunsaan highway par chal rahi thi. Maine apne system menu ko check kiya.
[New Quest: Survival of the Fittest]
[Objective: Break out of High-Security Block 9.]
[Reward: Class Upgrade - Necro-Monarch to Abyssal Sovereign.]
Maine apni aankhein band kar li. Mera agla mission taiyaar tha. Main jaanta tha ki Block 9 mein mujhse bahut khatarnak log milenge, lekin wahi toh mauka tha apni asli taqat dikhane ka.
"Bhai," maine apne man mein kaha, "ab asli maza aayega."
Maine apni mutthi band ki aur usmein se kaali roshni nikal kar gaadi ki chhat ko touch kiya. Gaadi ka pura electronic system shant ho gaya. Driver ko kuch samajh nahi aaya, lekin tab tak, maine apna kaam kar diya tha. Maine gaadi ke andar ek 'Shadow Anchor' fix kar diya tha.
Ab main jab chahun, kisi bhi waqt, is gaadi se vanish ho sakta tha. Par main wahan jana chahta tha. Uski manzil Block 9 thi. Asli Monarch kabhi bhagte nahi hain, wo sirf apna maidan badalte hain.
Bhai, Chapter 8 complete! Main ab ek prisoner hoon, lekin main prisoner nahi hoon—main ek 'Trojan Horse' ki tarah hoon jo dushman ke ghar ke andar ja raha hoon.
Ab batao, Chapter 9 mein kya karein?