The world was asleep when the sky split open.
A thunderless boom echoed across continents as a colossal shadow descended from the heavens. Not a ship. Not a drone. Something older… something that moved like technology and breathed like a beast.
It hovered over the Blue Fortress, blotting out the moon.
The Guardians looked up, eyes widening.For the first time since the Order had risen—the fortress trembled.
The Black Leviathan
The shape unfurled.
Thousands of black, insect-like drones spilled from its surface like cascading rain. Some had wings sharp as razors. Others crawled with spider-like legs. Some glowed with crimson sensors, scanning, analyzing, choosing targets.
Defensive cannons locked on.
Energy barriers surged to life.
But the Leviathan didn't attack first.
It simply hovered, massive and silent—like a predator watching prey struggle.
Shakti Kaur stepped beside Raj Kharge on the upper rampart.
"What is that thing?" she whispered.
Raj's eyes narrowed.
"Not built by humans," he said."And not controlled by them either."
The First Strike
Without warning, the sky darkened as the drones dove.
The first wave was fast—too fast for human eyes.Blue shields flared painfully bright as they absorbed the impact.
Explosions rippled across the fortress wall.Metal cracked.Stone shattered.Guardians braced themselves as shockwaves shook the ground.
"Hold the lines!" Raj called out.
His voice cut through the chaos like steel.
Gatka-trained warriors formed coordinated phalanxes.Marksmen fired precise shots.Engineers rerouted defensive energy to failing sectors.Healers evacuated the injured.
The Blue Fortress was built to withstand armies—
But this was something else.
Inside the Fortress: A Battle of Nerves
Control rooms filled with smoke.Holographic screens flickered.Over half of the communication grid collapsed in minutes.
"Sir! They're jamming every frequency!"
"Backup generators failing in Sector Five!"
"Shields down to 42%!"
The Guardians worked furiously, but the darkness pressed harder.
Raj Kharge swept into the command center with Shakti and Commander Ariv.
"Status."
"Dire," Ariv replied. "But we can still stand for hours."
Raj shook his head.
"No. We won't survive this siege by defending."
He turned to the map.
"We need to find their command node. Destroy the source."
Shakti understood immediately.
"You want to go out there."
Raj nodded.
"This attack isn't to destroy the world.It's to destroy us."
The Shadow Speaks Again
Lights flickered.Screens went black.The room chilled as the Shadow's voice poured through every speaker.
"Brave words, Raj Kharge.But courage cannot save your fortress."
A distorted silhouette appeared on the cracked hologram.
"You inspired humanity to rise.Now watch them fall with you."
Raj stepped closer, unflinching.
"You came for me," he said."So here I am."
The shadow tilted, as if smiling.
"Good.Because this time…you will not escape."
The hologram burst into static.
Alarms wailed—the Leviathan was descending.
It was preparing to land.
The Ground Shakes
When the massive structure touched the earth outside the fortress walls, the ground heaved like a living thing.
Shockwaves rippled.Stone towers cracked.Pieces of the outer wall crumbled.
Drones swarmed into the breach.
Guardians rushed to intercept.
Shasti-plumes flashed.Energy shields clashed against mechanical talons.The battlefield became a storm of blue and black.
Raj tightened his gauntlets.
"Shakti," he said."You hold the fortress."
She shook her head immediately.
"I'm coming with you."
"Not this time."His voice was calm but final."If we both fall, the world loses its shield."
Her throat tightened.
"But you—"
Raj placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This war is bigger than us."
He stepped back, drew his khanda, and turned toward the breach.
Into the Mouth of Darkness
Raj Kharge moved like a comet through the battlefield—dodging blasts, cutting through drones, clearing a path alone.
He leaped over fallen debris.Rolled under a barrage of plasma bolts.Shattered a sentinel drone with a single stroke.
Every movement was precise.Every strike carried purpose.
Guardians watching from the ramparts felt a surge of hope.
"He's going for the Leviathan!" someone shouted.
And he was.
Straight toward the massive black structure—toward the source of the Shadow's power.
A Revelation in the Dark
As Raj reached the Leviathan's hull, panels slid open with a hiss—revealing an entry chamber lit with pulsing red veins.
A message echoed in his mind.
We've been waiting, Raj Kharge.
Raj paused, breathing steadily.
The Shadow's voice continued:
You protect humanity…but you still don't know what's coming.
Raj raised his khanda.
"Then show me."
The doors sealed behind him.
And the chamber plunged into darkness.
The real battle—
the battle for the heart of the Shadow itself—
was about to begin.