Location: Abandoned Watch Tower – Edge of Sector 3
Time: 6:42 AM
Vashti sat on the floor, her hands trembling from more than just adrenaline.
They had escaped Mirage's underground, barely alive—bruised, bloodied, and breathless. But there was no celebration. No peace.
Only silence.
Arya sat in the corner, whispering to herself. Her hallucinations were growing louder, more real. She kept mumbling about mirrors and machines… and a girl with her face.
Shabd paced in front of Vashti, watching her like she might fall apart at any second.
She did.
> "They documented my whole life, Shabd. From the second I was born. Every school I got into, every illness I had, every grade I scored—it wasn't mine. It was theirs."
He knelt beside her, grabbed her hand.
"You're still Vashti. You're not their property."
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
"Then why does it feel like I don't even exist?"
---
A Buzz — Arya's Device Lights Up
Incoming message.
But it wasn't sent to them.
It was broadcasted everywhere.
> "THIS IS MIRAGE."
"Subject V has escaped containment. Vashti Dhiman, a registered neurosurgeon, is considered a high-risk, genetically enhanced individual. Approach with caution. Report all sightings. PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT — LEVEL RED."
The world… now knew her name.
Shabd's face paled.
"They exposed you to everyone."
Vashti stared at the screen.
Her face was being shown across city billboards, hospital screens, news apps. Not as a doctor.
As a threat.
She had gone from invisible experiment… to the most wanted woman in the country.
---
Flashback — Vashti, Age 12, Hiding Behind School Lockers
A younger Shabd sat on a bench, reading anatomy notes while the other students screamed about cricket and cafeteria fights.
Vashti watched him silently. Her hair messy, nose still runny from a fight she'd just gotten into. But when she looked at him…
She didn't feel like a mess.
She felt seen.
Back then, she thought falling in love would be the scariest thing in her life.
She was wrong.
---
Back to Present
Arya snapped out of her daze.
"Do you guys realize what this means? If Mirage went public… they don't care about hiding anymore."
Vashti stood.
"No. It means they've lost control."
Shabd turned to her.
"What are you thinking?"
She looked him dead in the eyes.
> "I'm going to finish what they started. If they want war—fine. I'll give them one."
---