The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the college courtyard, but Aarav's mind was elsewhere — already moving pieces on a board no one else could see.
He had two allies now: Vihaan and Rishi.
Both capable. Both resilient. Men who didn't break under pressure — they sharpened inside it. The kind who could turn a losing battle into a spectacle.
The Forsaken had tried to humiliate them once. Now, their bruised pride demanded revenge. Plans were being whispered in corners again — reckless, loud, emotional. But Aarav?
He was preparing his own kind of war — quiet, patient, and exact.
He needed one more person. Someone who could balance chaos with precision.
And so, between lectures and the chaos of the campus, Aarav searched.
That's when he saw Ishaan.
He didn't stand out — and that was exactly his strength.
There was something predatory about him, something coldly efficient.
He moved like a sniper — unseen, unheard, but always there.
People never even realized he was around until he wanted them to. His presence was like a faint static in the air — barely felt, but impossible to ignore once noticed.
Aarav approached him slowly, tone calm, eyes steady.
> "Would you like to join my group?"
Ishaan looked at him, a faint smirk curving his lips.
> "Your group? Never heard of it. What's the name?"
> "No name yet," Aarav replied, unfazed. "We're new. But we'll have one soon. I'm still choosing the right people."
> "How many so far?" Ishaan asked.
> "Including you?" Aarav said, voice low. "Four. Vihaan. Rishi. Me. And maybe… you."
Ishaan didn't answer immediately. His gaze was sharp — the kind that dissected people in silence. Aarav continued calmly:
> "There's no rush. Join only if you want to. After college, we stay near the old five-story abandoned building beyond the gate. That's our place. If you decide, you'll know where to find us."
And without waiting for a reply, Aarav turned and walked away — measured steps, no hesitation.
The day ended.
And as the college emptied into the evening air, the Forsaken returned — twenty-two of them, faces twisted with pride and vengeance.
This time, Vihaan wasn't alone.
He stood with Rishi on his right and Aarav on his left.
Three against twenty-two.
Even the Forsaken laughed.
But none of the three flinched.
There was no fear — only a cold anticipation.
The camera would've slowed here — catching the faint smirk on Aarav's face, the wild grin on Vihaan's, the silent readiness in Rishi's stance.
> "Three men against twenty-two…" Aarav thought.
"Good. Let's show them how numbers lie."
The scene cut to black — the sound of footsteps, tension, and a storm about to break.