Bhumi said, "Sapna."
Priya blinked. "Who is Sapna?"
Bhumi replied, "Like I said before, the Unbound are split into clans. One of them is the Nivarsha. They're divided into four groups — Military, Surveillance, Medical, and R&D."
Forge continued, "Each group has a captain and a vice-captain. Sapna is the vice-captain of R&D. If we're going to rescue your dad, we have to get him from Sapna."
Bhumi's face went pale. "Wait — we are what?"
Forge kept a straight face. "Yes."
Bhumi protested, "We do this your way, but you're responsible."
Forge shrugged. "Fair. It was our mistake."
Bhumi squared her shoulders. "If we're doing this, let's do it right." She turned to Priya. "Listen — these aren't normal humans. They regenerate any part, even their heads. To stop them, you must burn the wound where you cut, and to kill them you must pierce their hearts. That's the only way."
Priya swallowed. "Okay. I don't want to fight — but if I have to, I will."
Bhumi asked, "Forge, give her a weapon."
Forge smirked. "Which do you prefer? Since it's your first time… try a pistol." He snapped his fingers, a pistol materialized, and he handed it to her.
They set off for the R&D facility, planning how to break in. Forge suggested, "Enter through the side and avoid henchmen as much as possible."
Bhumi replied sarcastically, "Really? What excellent information — I don't know how we lived without it."
When they reached the facility, they jumped the outer wall, dispatched a few henchmen and raced to the cell where Priya's father was kept. Forge muttered, "This seems too easy, doesn't it?"
Bhumi shrugged. "Who cares — let's get him and go."
Priya ran to her father, tears streaming, and began explaining everything. Forge cut in, "Okay, say that later — we need to move." They started for the exit.
But Forge couldn't shake the feeling that it was a trap. Why was it so easy? he wondered. If it is a trap, how will it hit us?
Before he could finish the thought, thousands of henchmen materialized around them. Above the swarm, mounted on a dark platform, sat Sapna — a tall, striking woman with red hair and a proud, cruel smile. The moment she opened her eyes, Bhumi and Forge instinctively covered theirs.
"Don't look!" Forge hissed, grabbing Priya to shield her — but in that split second, his eyes met Sapna's. A wave of unnatural force hit him; he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.