Vihan’s hands clenched around the frayed edges of the Bhagavad Gita, his mind reeling from the revelation.

  Kalki shall not come as a savior. He shall come as a reckoning.

  His entire life, he had believed that the prophecy of Kalki was about restoring balance—about a divine force meant to save the world from ruin. But the words in front of him, ancient and unaltered, told a different story.

  A story of destruction.

  Asha had been taken. The Council of 9 had her. And now, the only way to get her back was to step into the very trap they had set.

  Isha leaned forward, her piercing gaze fixed on him. “You understand what’s at stake now?”

  Vihan exhaled sharply. “Yeah.”

  Isha tapped the table. “Good. Because if we do this wrong, we won’t be getting her back. And you won’t be walking out alive.”

  Zara smirked. “I like her. She’s very motivating.”

  Vihan ignored her. “Where is Asha?”

  Stolen story; please report.

  Isha slid a small tablet across the table. A grainy satellite image appeared on the screen—a fortress-like building near the docks, surrounded by high walls and surveillance towers. The logo of a pharmaceutical corporation was stamped in the corner.

  Vihan frowned. “This is a lab.”

  Isha nodded. “One of many that the Council controls. Officially, it’s a research facility. Unofficially, it’s a place where they take people they don’t want the world to know about.”

  Zara leaned closer, studying the map. “And you’re sure she’s there?”

  Isha sighed. “I know how the Council operates. If they have her, that’s where they’ll be keeping her.”

  Vihan’s stomach twisted. “Why take her alive?”

  Isha hesitated before answering. “Because they think she knows something about the book. And if she doesn’t, they’ll make sure she does.”

  Vihan’s jaw tightened. “We need to get her out. Fast.”

  Zara grinned. “Now you’re talking.”

  Isha pulled out a small USB drive and slid it across the table. “This is a backdoor into their security system. It won’t shut everything down, but it’ll buy you a few minutes before the alarms trigger.”

  Vihan picked it up, feeling the cold weight of it in his palm. “And you’re just giving this to us?”

  Isha smiled faintly. “Let’s just say I have my own reasons for wanting to see the Council bleed.”

  Zara clapped her hands together. “Alright, then. Break into a heavily fortified black-site lab with minimal time, no backup, and enemies who want us dead. Sounds fun.”

  Vihan shot her a look. “I hate you sometimes.”

  Zara winked. “That’s how I know I’m doing my job right.”

  Isha stood. “We move at dawn.”

  Vihan’s grip tightened around the book.

  This wasn’t just about Asha anymore.

  This was about the truth.

  And the truth was far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.