After their final shopping spree, the mood between Arav and Sonic was electric. Their bags were packed with new clothes, gadgets, and the kind of unbridled optimism that only twenty-three-year-olds possess before their first big leap into the unknown. They were more than just friends; they were an anchor for each other in the shifting tides of the Tenjiku Federation.
As they hauled their bags into the car, Sonic leaned over, nudging Arav with his elbow. "So, brother, spill it. What's the real move once you land in the Rising Sun Empire? Clubbing? High-end parties? Meeting some of those legendary Japanese models?"
Arav sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Sonic, didn't you literally just tell your father we're going for business planning? Before we launch anything, we need to observe. We aren't just going to walk in and buy a conglomerate. The higher the layer of the empire you want to climb, the harder the surface becomes. We need to be solid before we even step on the ladder."
Sonic groaned, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, you are so boring sometimes. It's like traveling with a textbook."
"And you?" Arav countered. "Why the Pristine Peninsula? Just for the 'gangstery' vibes and the nightlife?"
"Exactly! Music, food, and absolute chaos," Sonic grinned, though his eyes sharpened for a second. "But seriously, let's get home. We need sleep. Tomorrow is the day."
As Sonic navigated the bike through the winding streets, he glanced at Arav through the rearview mirror. "Hey, be honest. You ever actually had a girlfriend? I mean, you're a good-looking guy, but you're... well, you're cheap."
Arav let out a dry laugh. "You know me, Sonic. I'm a professional 'chimney thief'—I don't let a single cent escape my pocket for anyone. You think a girl is going to date a guy who counts every rupee? If I had a girlfriend, what would I even feed her? High hopes and tap water?"
"Man, just take money from me! Feed her on my tab."
"So I should raise a girlfriend on your charity? That's your grand plan?"
"Why not?" Sonic shrugged. "Money doesn't care whose pocket it came from or where it's going. It's just fuel."
"Whatever, Mr. Playboy," Arav smirked. "Speaking of fuel, where did your fifth girlfriend go? The one you were 'head over heels' for last month?"
"Breakup," Sonic said casually. "Look, in our generation, 'True Love' is a myth people tell themselves to feel better. We meet, we kill time, we break up. It's a script. I just play my part."
"You're a piece of work, Sonic."
Departure Day: The 31111 Legacy
The next morning, Sonic was at Arav's door before the sun had fully cleared the horizon. "Move it, Arav! Time to hit the airport!"
Arav opened the door, bleary-eyed and rubbing his face. "Sonic... the flight is in four hours. What are you doing?"
"Four hours? That's practically zero! You need three hours for international check-in, security, and immigration. In the Tenjiku Federation, they won't even let you sniff the terminal without a full body scan. Rules are rules!"
"Fine," Arav muttered. "Give me five minutes. I'll be out in half an hour."
"Five minutes... out in half an hour? What kind of math is that?"
"It means stay there. I need to shower, eat, and breathe. My Dad made breakfast."
Sonic's ears perked up. "Uncle Vikram made breakfast? Why didn't you lead with that? I haven't eaten yet."
Inside, Sonic made himself at home at the dining table. "Uncle, is there magic in these hands? Honestly, Auntie's food is great, but yours... this is next level."
Vikram Sharma chuckled, quickly gesturing for Sonic to lower his voice. "Shhh! Keep that quiet. Don't say those things in this house. You never know where your Aunt has hidden a camera. If she finds out you're praising my cooking over hers, I'm a dead man."
"When is she coming back from her trip anyway?"
"Next month," Vikram sighed. "That's the only reason I'm letting Arav go. If his mother was here, she'd have tied him to the bedpost to keep him from leaving the country."
Sonic grinned, stuffing a paratha into his mouth. "So, Uncle, I heard stories... back in the day, you and my dad used to be quite the troublemakers. A lot of 'colorful' nights, right?"
Vikram's face turned serious. "We don't talk about those things with children."
"Technically, we're twenty-three, Uncle. Not exactly kids."
"You're kids as long as you're spending our money," Vikram teased. "Speaking of which, if I tell your father you're going to Korea for 'business' but spending his money on clubs, he'll find a way to send that belt across the ocean via courier."
"No, no! I'm a saint, Uncle! Look at me," Sonic said, flashing the Black Card. "My Dad is the best. Pin 31111. It's a family tradition of brotherhood. Just like you two were neighbors, we're going to be neighbors. We'll build our houses side-by-side. The tradition continues."
Arav walked out, fresh from the shower and dressed for travel. "Ready to go, Founder?"
The Rising Sun Empire: The 10 Million Dollar Hook
In Edo City, Aisha Khurana stared out at the skyline, her phone pressed to her ear. Her face was a mask of cold fury.
"Brother," she said into the phone. "Is it done? Is he dead?"
"Not yet," Ryuji replied from the other end, his voice calm. "The idiot hasn't stepped out of the hotel room for twenty-four hours. He's terrified. I've frozen your joint cards, so the hotel will kick him out by morning. Do you want me to finish it then?"
Aisha paused. A vision of Ren's betrayal flashed in her mind—the laughter, the girl, the absolute lack of remorse. "Don't kill him. Just... break an arm. For now."
"An arm? Aisha, he played with your heart and your fortune."
"I want to take my own revenge later," she hissed. "Break his arm so he remembers the weight of my name. I'll settle the rest of the debt slowly. I want him to watch me rise while he rots."
"Fine," Ryuji conceded. "Since you finally called your brother for help, I have something for you. A project. Ten million dollars."
Aisha's business instincts kicked in. "What kind of project?"
"I'm setting up a secret venture. A Live Broadcast network. We're going to track 'outsiders'—people coming into the Empire from other federations. We record them 24/7, secret streaming, reality-style. The more the TRP grows, the more our market share explodes. If you can stabilize this company and make it the #1 stream in the Empire, I'll sign the whole thing over to you. It'll be your first true, independent victory. Interested?"
Aisha gripped the phone. "I'll do it. But on one condition: I run the show. My rules, my edits."
"Deal. I'll send the contracts in two days. Get to work, little sister."
The Shadow in the Terminal
The Tenjiku International Airport was a cathedral of glass and steel. Arav stood in the center of the main terminal, his head tilted back, staring at the sheer scale of it.
"Wow," Arav whispered. "It's... massive."
"Of course it's massive, you villager," Sonic laughed, hauling their luggage. "It's an International Hub. Look at that fountain! Look at the digital displays!"
"I'm used to trains, Sonic. This is like a movie set."
"Well, welcome to the big leagues. Stay here," Sonic said, gesturing to a seating area directly beneath a massive, ornate crystal chandelier that must have weighed three tons. "I'll go handle the heavy luggage check-in. You just stay put and look pretty."
Arav nodded, pulling out his phone to take a photo of the magnificent chandelier. The crystals caught the morning light, fracturing it into a thousand tiny rainbows. It was beautiful, but as Arav zoomed in through his lens, he noticed something.
A faint, metallic creak.
One of the heavy steel bolts holding the central frame was sheared. Then another. The massive structure groaned, a sound lost in the terminal's bustle, but visible in the slight tilt of the crystals.
Arav's blood turned to ice. He dropped his phone, his instincts screaming. He tried to dive to the left, but the sheer size of the chandelier's radius was overwhelming.
The sound of snapping steel echoed like a gunshot.
The three-ton masterpiece of glass and light began its terminal descent, directly toward the spot where Arav stood. He lunged, his body moving in a desperate blur of motion, but as the shadow grew larger and the sound of shattering glass began to fill the air—