Inside the cab, a man strummed his guitar in the front passenger seat beside the driver. His fingers danced lazily across the strings, weaving a soft melody that filled the quiet ride.
In the back seat, Riya sat beside Isha and Rohit, her eyes fixed outside the window. Absentmindedly, she reached up and touched the wound on her neck a memory carved there by Ajay. Her fingers stiffened.
"I'll never forgive you," she muttered, venom in her voice.
But the gentle sound of the guitar grated against her fury.
She snapped, "Teja, will you stop playing that damn thing?"
Still smiling, Teja only played louder, the strings singing defiantly.
"It's beautiful," he replied, not missing a beat. "That anger in your voice. The fire in your eyes it's all beautiful."
Riya clenched her fist. "Then how about a beautiful punch to your face? Stop playing or get out of the cab!"
Teja's smile widened. "Even your threats are beautiful." The melody continued.
Fuming, Riya turned toward Isha and Rohit. "Why did you even bring this guy along? He's driving me insane."
But both Isha and Rohit remained silent.
Then the music stopped.
Teja tilted his head back, eyes still on the ceiling of the cab. "It's beautiful," he said softly. "That the two of you chose not to reveal my identity." He glanced at Isha and Rohit, a hint of reverence in his tone. "I'm impressed… the holder of the Sword."
Riya blinked in confusion. "Wait, what? What do you mean?"
Isha reached out, resting a hand on Riya's arm. Her voice dropped low.
"Riya… please don't irritate Mr. Surya ,the holder no the next Founder of Sword."
Riya's eyes widened in shock.
"What… what are you saying?"
But Surya only chuckled under his breath.
"Isha, stop teasing me," he said calmly. "Who would willingly take the burden of being called a next founder? It's just a myth. Right now, I'm just a humble admirer of two things the Sword, and love."
Riya narrowed her eyes. "Sword? Are you talking about the sword Pooja and Sneha were obsessed with? You really had it hidden in that guitar? Who are you?"
Surya glanced back, playful but cryptic. "Yes, I hid it. I already told you I am just admirer of sword and love. So Riya got a spear symbols"
"Symbols?" Riya repeated, still lost. "What symbols?"
Before Surya could answer, Rohit gently interrupted.
"Riya," he said softly, "I know today you saw things that go beyond anything we call normal. But are you ready to see the other side of that world? The one ordinary people never know exists?"
Surya added, " it's really annoying for maintaining that trance in humanity, anyway this annoying sword also teases me that we need to take back our home planet named as ea.."
He peered out the window. "We're almost at the command center."
Then, with a knowing glance to Rohit and Isha, Surya added,
"By the way, before we step in I'll need status updates. Ayaan and Dev's weapons. Are they secured?"
Inside the cab, as the vehicle slowed toward the airstrip ahead, Isha pulled out her tablet, the screen flickering to life.
Rohit responded without hesitation.
"Under General Rathore's guidance, Isha returned Dev's gauntlets. I retrieved Ayaan's sniper rifle and handed both over to the Command Center for secure containment."
Isha nodded, eyes on the tablet.
"Mr. Surya, Commander-in-Chief Mrs. Padma has already confirmed both weapons have been safely returned and are now logged under restricted access."
Riya, completely lost, threw up her hands.
"Wait — wait, wait! I don't understand any of this. Ayaan's weapon is a sniper? Like an actual gun? And Dev… I thought his weapon was just a dagger? But he told me weapons choose their master?"
Before anyone could answer, the cab came to a gentle stop. Riya looked out her breath caught.
They were parked near a decrepit aircraft maintenance hangar. Rusted panels, floodlights flickering faintly in the distance nothing about it screamed command center, and yet, there was a chilling gravity to the place.
Surya unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Rohit, with me. Isha take Riya to her father's quarters. And to the recovery room. Dev should be stabilized by now."
Riya, suddenly tense, reached for Isha's hand. Her fingers trembled.
Isha noticed immediately and gripped her hand gently, reassuring her.
"Come," she said, "you're not alone anymore."
Just as they were about to step out
"Riya!" Surya called out, his voice slicing through the silence.
She turned, startled. "What?"
Surya tilted his guitar forward revealing the blade tucked inside. The legendary Sword.
His voice dropped.
"Tell me honestly. Is Dev really that strong?"
Before Riya could speak, Isha stepped in calmly.
"I didn't see how Dev took down the Hollow Pact hybrid either. But one thing is clear if you fight Dev with all your power, you'll win."
She paused.
"But… if you fight him using only your raw strength, no enhancements, no techniques Dev wins."
Surya's eyes lit up, amused.
"Oh? Interesting…" He sheathed the sword again. "It's beautiful."
Riya and Isha entered the command center.
Rohit watched them go, then turned toward Surya.
"She's just hyping Dev up because they're batchmates. But… why are you suddenly interested in Dev?"
Surya's grin widened, cryptic as always.
"Have you heard the new rumors circulating at the academy?"
Rohit squinted. "What rumors?"
Surya leaned in slightly, the voice hushed like a secret ready to explode.
"During this Operation SBS… we didn't just find the next potential Commander-in-Chief..."
He straightened up and looked at the rusting hangar ahead.
"But we also witnessed the potential of the one the previous Founder of Spear, Eswar's one and only discipline"
He paused dramatically.
"…And his name is Dev Kollari."
---
Rohit's voice was still catching up to the shock.
"Mr. Surya… I've known Dev for years. He's just… a chill guy. Laidback. Quiet."
Surya turned toward him. Then, slowly deliberately placed his hand over Rohit's chest.
"Rohit," he said, voice calm but piercing, "I met you two months ago. Trained with you. Watched you. And yet, I still don't know your true motive that fire is pushing you to make Project-M your last hope."
Rohit didn't reply.
Surya's gaze sharpened.
"You want revenge. For what happened at Numn University. For those you lost. For what was taken from you."
Rohit's fists clenched. His knuckles whitened.
"But," Surya continued, his tone darkening, "pursuing revenge without clarity will only lead to another failure. A worse one."
Rohit lowered his head slightly, breath heavy.
Surya noticed. His eyes softened and yet his smile remained.
"It's beautiful… that wrath in your eyes. It hasn't faded since I first began training you."
He paused. "But you're still lacking something."
Rohit's eyes snapped up. "What do you mean, Mr. Surya?"
"You're lacking the warrior spirit . Which can lead to your hesitation and eventually it will dilute your wrath ."
Rohit suddenly remembered the last promise of his important person "aisha..." and suddenly tighten his fist
Surya sighs "but.My grandfather… Suravarhña, the current Founder of Sword… once told me: The Warrior Spirit is a double-edged sword and it will make a monster and a few days back I witnessed the weight of that monster. Anyway it's embarrassing that my grandfather told me about the balance we need to realise the reason to hold back"
Rohit with confusion "I don't understand" . Surya unshealted his sword towards the moon "You can see if my admiration of sword is sword spirit then my admiration of love will be my reason to hold back "
For a brief second, Rohit's vision drifted. In his mind, flickers of the past: a warm campfire under the stars… Anaya and Isha singing side by side… friends clapping, smiling… a distant voice calling his name…
He murmured, a tear slipping down his cheek,
"The melody… of Numn University."
He blinked it away and snapped back to the moment. His voice is steadier.
"I understand now, Mr. Surya. I know what I'm lacking , but does this connect to Dev?"
Surya's voice dropped. "And in Dev's case…"
Rohit finished his thought instinctively.
"It's because of his mother… and because he was the only student of the previous Spear Founder."
Surya's smile dimmed, replaced by quiet concern.
"According to the Padma , in Dev's childhood , he witnessed the brutal death of his father in the hands of hollow pact .from that day Dev's young mind is filled with fear and vengeance. Then his mindset after meeting the previous founder of spear. mr. Eswar"
He paused.
"anyway Padma held onto her wrath. And saw dev as her reason to hold back and balanced her warrior spirit. That's why she stands as Commander-in-Chief today."
He exhaled deeply.
"But with Dev… we're worried. Even though he have his own warrior spirit. He doesn't yet find his own reason to hold back."
---
Inside the Command Center – Dev's Treatment Room
The medical systems whirred softly. Monitors blinked with soft blue light.
Dev sat upright, his eyes burning with rage. Bandages wrapped around his shoulder, chest, and torso. But none of it seemed to matter to him now.
He gripped the edge of the bed and shouted,
"Where is my dagger?! I'm done sitting around! I'm going to kill every last one of those Council bastards, especially the ones behind the Hollow Pact!"
Across from him, his mother, Padma, stood in silence. Her hand still bore the marks from gripping his hand moments earlier.
She didn't respond. Not yet.
---
Back outside the hangar
Surya's voice softened. "If Dev doesn't learn to hold back that spirit… then yes he will become a monster. A weapon without a heart."
He and Rohit turned toward the distant figure of Riya, stepping hesitantly into the Command Center beside Isha.
Why looking at Riya entering the command center..Surya added quietly,
"That's why… I wish she would become Dev's needs a reason to holdback and balance his warrior spirit ."