Aarav's pulse was racing as he and Meera followed Major Aryan through the narrow stone corridor beneath the fort. The torches on the wall flickered wildly as if they sensed the coming storm.
Behind them, the silence of the underground chamber had turned into something alive—whispers of the past echoing through the ancient stones, secrets now unwilling to sleep.
"Where are we going?" Meera asked, her voice low but sharp with tension.
"To the emergency tunnel exit. But they've blocked our old escape route," Aryan said, pausing at a junction. His jaw tightened. "They were waiting. They knew we'd come here."
Aarav swallowed hard. "How?"
Major Aryan looked at him. "There's a leak. Someone close to us—inside the mission—has betrayed us."
They took the left passage, Aryan moving fast but steady, eyes scanning every corner. His military instincts were on full alert now. The last few minutes had changed everything. This wasn't just about uncovering truth anymore. It had become a fight for survival.
Suddenly, a faint sound. Not footsteps. Something softer. A low click.
Aarav froze. "Did you hear that?"
Before anyone could answer, the tunnel ahead lit up with a flash. A small explosion blasted the corridor, knocking them off their feet. Dust, smoke, and fire filled the space.
Meera screamed, covering her head. Aarav felt a sharp sting in his arm as he hit the ground hard. His ears rang. The world spun.
"MOVE!" Aryan yelled, grabbing both of them and dragging them behind a stone pillar.
"Was that a trap?" Aarav coughed.
Aryan nodded grimly. "Mine. Hidden. New. Someone set it just hours ago. They knew the path we'd take."
The flames began to die, revealing two dark silhouettes approaching through the smoke—guns raised, steps steady.
"Stay behind me," Aryan whispered.
He stood up slowly, pulling out his sidearm. He stepped into the open.
"Drop your weapons!" he shouted.
The shadows paused. Then, without warning, one of them fired.
Aryan dove to the side and returned fire. The narrow tunnel turned into chaos. The sound of gunshots echoed like thunder. Aarav pulled Meera down, covering her as bullets struck the walls around them.
In a matter of seconds, it was over.
One attacker lay still. The other escaped into the smoke.
Aryan limped back, his leg grazed by a bullet.
"We're running out of time," he said. "There's only one option left—we take the old water channel. It's risky, but it leads straight to the jungle."
"But it's flooded, isn't it?" Meera asked.
Aryan looked her in the eye. "Not completely. And right now, drowning is a safer option than getting caught."
Aarav's breath caught. "They'll kill us if we're caught, won't they?"
"They won't kill you," Aryan said darkly. "They'll do worse. They'll erase your mind, your name, your entire existence. You'll disappear, like Netaji did… but without honor."
Silence fell. The weight of his words crushed everything else.
They moved. Fast.
Through tight stone gaps, slippery passages, and rotting stairs. The tunnel seemed endless. But finally, they reached it—the old water channel. The smell of moss, decay, and cold earth filled their lungs.
Aryan stepped into the dark water first. "It's about a hundred meters. Stay low. Don't panic. And no matter what, don't stop."
Aarav and Meera followed, shivering as the freezing water rose to their chests.
It was dark. So dark. The only sound was the splash of their movements.
Suddenly—
A noise behind them.
Voices. Lights. The enemy had followed.
"They're here!" Meera whispered, panic rising.
Aryan turned. His hand went to his gun, but he hesitated.
Then he did something unexpected.
He handed the gun to Aarav.
"You lead her out. No matter what happens, don't stop. Don't look back."
Aarav's eyes widened. "What about you?"
Aryan's voice was calm, too calm. "I'll hold them off."
"No!" Aarav protested. "You'll die!"
Aryan smiled faintly. "We all have a role, Aarav. Mine ends here."
He turned and vanished into the darkness behind them.
A second later, gunfire roared from the rear tunnel. Screams. Chaos.
Aarav grabbed Meera's hand. "Come on!"
They ran—through the water, through the dark, through the fear.
And finally…
A faint glow appeared ahead. The jungle exit. Moonlight.
They stumbled out into the cold night air, soaked and shaking, but alive.
Behind them… silence.
No more gunfire.
No more Aryan.
Just the forest, and the long road ahead.