The next hours were a blur.
Ambulances. Police. Investigators swarming the compound.
Anvi was rushed to the hospital. The syringe had contained a powerful sedative—dangerous, but not lethal. She'd survive.
Sneha was found in the medical station, exactly where they'd left her. Still unconscious but stable. Also taken to the hospital.
Bhairav gave his statement to police. Shaking. Traumatized. But alive.
And Rudra sat in the principal's office—now a makeshift interrogation room—telling his story for the third time.
A detective listened. Took notes. Asked clarifying questions.
"And this... Karan," the detective said. "The consciousness in the computer system. You're saying he helped you escape?"
"Yes."
"We'll need to verify that. Our tech team is examining the facility's servers now."
"You'll find him," Rudra said. "If you know where to look."
The detective closed his notebook. "You're either the bravest kid I've ever met, or the most reckless."
"Can't it be both?"
The detective almost smiled. "Get some rest. We'll have more questions later."
Rudra left the office. The compound was swarming with activity. News vans. Investigators. Parents arriving to collect their children.
The field program was over.
Kupam Institute would never be the same.
Rudra found Bhairav sitting under the banyan tree. Alone. Staring at nothing.
"Hey," Rudra said, sitting beside him.
"Hey."
They sat in silence for a long moment.
"I saw things," Bhairav said quietly. "In that chair. When they had me hooked up. Memories that weren't mine. Thoughts I didn't think. It was like... like they were rewriting me."
"But they didn't finish," Rudra said. "You're still you."
"Am I?" Bhairav looked at him. Eyes haunted. "How do I know what's real anymore? What's me and what's them?"
Rudra didn't have an answer.
"I'm scared, Rudra," Bhairav admitted. "Not of them. Of myself. What if they changed something? What if I'm not the same person?"
"Then you figure out who you are now," Rudra said. "And you move forward. That's all any of us can do."
Bhairav nodded slowly. "Will you help me? I don't... I don't think I can do this alone."
"You're not alone," Rudra said. "You never were."
For the first time in hours, Bhairav's expression softened. "Thanks, man. For not leaving me behind."
"That's what partners do."
They sat together as the sun rose fully. Warming the compound. Chasing away shadows.
The Hospital
Two days later, Rudra visited the hospital.
Anvi was awake. Sitting up in bed. Looking pale but alert.
"You look terrible," Rudra said.
"You should see the other guy," Anvi replied with a weak smile.
Rudra sat in the chair beside her bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a truck. But alive. So that's something."
"The doctors said you'll make a full recovery."
"Good. Because I'm not done yet."
Rudra raised an eyebrow. "Not done with what?"
"Getting justice. For Meera. For all of them." Anvi's expression hardened. "Malhotra's in custody. The principal's been suspended. But there are others. People who funded Project Rekha. Who knew what was happening and did nothing."
"The police are investigating—"
"The police move slow. And they can be bought." Anvi leaned forward. "But we have something they don't. We have Karan. And we have each other."
Rudra studied her. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting we finish what we started. We dig deeper. We find everyone involved. And we make sure they all pay."
"That's not our job."
"Whose job is it then? The system that failed Meera? The adults who ignored every warning sign?" Anvi shook her head. "No. We can't trust them. We can only trust ourselves."
Rudra was silent for a moment. Then: "I'm not a vigilante, Anvi."
"I'm not asking you to be. I'm asking you to be what you've always been. Strategic. Careful. Effective." She met his eyes. "I'm asking you to be my partner."
"I already have a partner. Bhairav."
"Then we're a team. Three of us. Plus Karan, if he's willing."
Rudra thought about it. About Malhotra. About Project Rekha. About all the students who'd never gotten justice.
About how broken the system really was.
"Okay," he said finally. "But we do this smart. No unnecessary risks. No reckless moves."
Anvi smiled. "Deal."
They shook hands.
An alliance forged in trauma. In survival. In shared purpose.
"So where do we start?" Rudra asked.
Anvi pulled out her phone. "I've been tracking financial records. Project Rekha had funding. Lots of it. From a private organization called the Nexus Initiative."
"Never heard of them."
"Most people haven't. They're a think tank. Officially researching cognitive enhancement and human potential. Unofficially... funding illegal experiments."
"How do you know all this?"
"Karan. He's been feeding me data. Bank transfers. Emails. Meeting schedules. Everything Malhotra tried to hide."
Rudra took the phone, scrolling through the files. "This is... extensive."
"And it's just the beginning. Nexus has operations all over the country. Maybe internationally. Kupam wasn't an isolated incident. It's part of something bigger."
Rudra felt a chill. "How much bigger?"
"That's what we need to find out."
A nurse entered, checking Anvi's vitals. "Visiting hours are almost over."
Rudra stood. "I'll come back tomorrow. We'll plan our next move."
"Rudra," Anvi called as he reached the door. "Thank you. For coming back for me. For not giving up."
"We're partners," Rudra said simply. "That's what partners do."
As he left the hospital, Rudra pulled out his phone. A message from Bhairav:
Police want us back tomorrow for more questions. You ready?
Rudra replied: Ready.
Another message appeared. Unknown number.
He opened it.
KARAN: I found something. About your past. About why Malhotra targeted you specifically. We need to talk.
Rudra stopped walking.
His past. The thing he never talked about. Never acknowledged.
Malhotra knew.
And now Karan knew.
Rudra typed back: Where?
KARAN: The clearing. Midnight. Come alone.
Rudra stared at the message.
Then deleted it.
But the questions remained.
Who was he, really?
And what had Malhotra seen in him that made him such a perfect subject?
Rudra had a feeling he was about to find out.
Whether he wanted to or not.