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From the captain's words, Hira finally found answers to a few of the mysteries crushing his mind. But the most important one—where was Yash—remained untouched.
There was no confirmation. No hope. No closure.
Had Yash been buried alive in the landslide?
Or… was he among the thousands who had vanished without a trace?
The captain didn't know. No one knew.
A slow, throbbing ache settled in Hira's chest. His worry for Yash was one thing—but now his thoughts drifted to the rest of his family. Were his parents safe? Had they collapsed into the deep sleep? Were they among the vanished? Had Dada-Dadi survived the chaos of Vicyuta Day, or were they—
Before that spiral could swallow him, the captain exhaled and leaned back in his chair.
"You should rest now, Hira. Tomorrow morning, my men will arrange transport for you to Dehradun. From there, you can take the sonic train to Varanasi."
Hira didn't answer. His mind spun between two equally heavy choices—stay here and search for Yash, or return home and see if his family was even alive.
Both paths weighed on him like twin storms fighting for space inside his chest.
Ved watched him with a stern kind of patience. "You can't stay here," he said, tone firm but not cruel. "I can let your presence slide this once. But this is a restricted zone. Being here without official orders risks your life."
Hira's gaze fell to the dirt floor. The thought of leaving the last place his brother had been seen scraped at something raw inside him.
The captain's expression softened, just a little. "Go home, boy. If we find anything—anything—about your brother, we'll contact you immediately. And don't worry about your OmniOne bracelet; I'll have one of our spares issued to you."
Hira's breath trembled, but he nodded. He had no choice—not anymore.
Quietly, he stepped out of the tent. The sky above was darkening, as if dusk itself understood the heaviness in his chest.
A soldier stood outside—the same one who had led him earlier. His posture was rigid, but his eyes held a faint hint of empathy. Without a word, he guided Hira back to the small tent assigned to him.
. . . . . .
Inside Captain Ved's tent.
No sooner had Hira left than another figure slipped inside—a woman with an unreadable smile curling at her lips.
"Looks like you've developed a soft spot for that kid, Ved."
It was the same woman who had examined Hira earlier. Her voice carried a teasing lilt, the kind that poked at nerves on purpose.
Ved didn't bother hiding his irritation. "I hope you didn't come here to annoy me, Disha."
She pressed a hand to her chest dramatically. "Annoy you? Who has the time? I'm a very busy woman, you know."
Her smirk grew when she saw his expression tighten.
Ved sighed—an exhausted, here-she-goes-again sigh—and decided to cut her off before she drowned him in chatter.
"Did you get the information I asked for?"
"Straight to the point, I see. Have I ever failed at my job? You should know me better than that."
He answered her confidence with a flat glare.
"Fine, fine. Stop staring like that. I know I'm beautiful, but there's no need to get flustered."
"Information, Disha."
He raised his voice slightly, every syllable sharpened.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes. I got it."
She tapped the feather-shaped bracelet on her wrist. A holographic screen bloomed into the air, her fingers dancing across it with the speed of someone who spent too much time chatting online.
"The boy's details are in the files I sent you. Check it."
A soft blue pulse flickered from Ved's ring, confirming the transfer.
Before leaving, she turned serious—suddenly, sharply.
"You know, Ved… you might lose your position if you keep showing kindness to every stray you come across."
The shift in her tone made him pause. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean. But fine, I'll be blunt. You should've left him in the forest. And if you had to save him, you should've handed him over immediately."
Ved's eyes narrowed. "That's why I asked for his information. If there's anything even slightly suspicious, I'll turn him in."
Disha sighed, shaking her head—not in disbelief, but in something like reluctant respect. She cast one last glance at him before walking out.
For a few moments, Ved sat in silence.
Then, with a low breath, he tapped his ring. A hologram unfolded before him.
"Let's see what you're hiding, Hira Vedman," he murmured as the file opened.
Name: Hira Vedman
Born: 3rd March, 0074…
The rest of the data scrolled up like a quiet storm.
. . . . . .
In his tent, Hira sat on the edge of his cot, staring blankly at the dim white orb hanging overhead. His thoughts were a maze with no exit, every path leading back to the same echoing truth:
The world isn't the same anymore.
He heard Captain Ved's voice again and again, the sentence replaying until it felt carved into the back of his skull.
The image of Yash flickered in his mind—his grin, his voice, every memory overlapping with the uncertainty of what might have happened to him.
Hira didn't notice the night slipping away. Didn't notice the cold. Didn't notice the exhaustion.
By the time the dawn's faint light seeped into the tent, he hadn't slept a single minute.
A voice finally broke through the silence.
"Mr. Hira, your ride is here."
It felt like being yanked back into reality—one where nothing made sense, and everything he cared about was somewhere far beyond his reach.
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A.N. - VED and DISHA are the names of the captain and the doctor. Normal names, not in Sanskrit.