The rooftop above Block C was forbidden to students, which made it the perfect place for Samar to lead someone.
The two of them climbed the narrow stairwell in silence, shoes hitting concrete with dull thuds. The walls were cracked, with paint peeling in strips that curled like old paper. A single tube light buzzed overhead, flickering as if nervous.
Arjun followed one step behind Samar.
The distance felt too small. The silence felt too loud.
Samar's posture was calm—shoulders relaxed, hands in pockets—but there was a precision to every movement. He walked like someone who expected danger, even here.
When they reached the final steel door, Samar pushed it open with a soft creak.
The rooftop greeted them with blinding light.
Mumbai spread out in front of them—buildings stacked unevenly, satellite dishes pointed to the sky, laundry flapping like broken wings. Heat shimmered off the cement. The air smelled of dust, sunlight, and distant traffic.
Samar walked to the center of the rooftop.
Arjun stayed near the doorway, heartbeat rising.
Samar turned.
His brown eyes narrowed for a moment—not in anger, but in assessment, like he was studying a puzzle piece that refused to fit anywhere.
"You can come closer," Samar said.
Arjun stepped forward cautiously.
Wind brushed his long black hair across his cheek. His grey-brown eyes stayed alert, scanning without deciding to.
Samar noticed. Of course he noticed.
"You're different," Samar said quietly.
Arjun froze.
Samar continued, taking a slow step toward him.
"People change. Sure. They grow taller or stop caring about school or start caring too much." He pointed at Arjun. "But what you did in that video… that isn't normal."
Arjun didn't speak.
Samar's gaze sharpened. "I saw the alley clip."
Arjun swallowed.
"It was blurry," Samar added, "but I know what I saw."
Silence draped itself over the rooftop.
Wind rustled Samar's hair. Arjun's shirt fluttered. Birds circled in the distance.
Finally, Samar spoke again.
"You didn't fight like someone desperate."He paused."You fought like someone who knew."
Arjun's breath hitched.
Knew what? He didn't even understand himself.
Samar stepped closer.
Arjun's instincts tightened instantly—a shifting in his ribs, a subtle clench in his hands. Not fear. Readiness.
Samar noticed again—he saw everything.
He lifted his hand.
Not to hit. Not to grab.
To test.
He moved his palm toward Arjun's shoulder in a slow, obvious gesture—like a teacher demonstrating a basic drill.
Arjun's vision sharpened instantly.
[Instinctive Counter Triggered]Accuracy: 40% → 46%Stability: 22%
His feet reacted before thought.
Step back.Shift weight.Pivot the shoulder.
He evaded the touch with unnatural precision.
Samar's eyes widened for a half-second—the most emotion Arjun had ever seen on his face.
Then Samar smiled.
Not wide. Not malicious.
A small, dangerous smile of someone who had found a new interest.
"You are awakening."
Arjun's blood turned cold.
Awakening. The word was out. Spoken. Real.
He struggled for breath. "I'm not—"
"Don't lie," Samar said, stepping closer again. "Not to me."
Arjun backed up until his heel touched the low rooftop wall.
Samar wasn't angry. He wasn't mocking. He was fascinated.
"Someone like you," Samar said softly, "should not be invisible."
Arjun shook his head. "I don't know what's happening."
Samar's voice lowered.
"You're not the only one."
Arjun froze.
"What do you mean?"
For the first time, Samar looked away—just a flicker, a crack in the shell.
"Some people…" he said quietly, "are feeling strange lately. Stronger. Faster. Angrier. More alert."
Arjun's breath caught.
Samar's eyes returned to him, pupils sharp.
"I thought it was just stress," Samar whispered. "But then I saw your video."
Arjun flinched.
"And I realized," Samar continued, "something is happening to us."
Us.
Plural.
Arjun's heart jumped painfully.
Samar leaned forward slightly, studying him like a scientist examining evidence.
"You were always quiet," Samar said. "Walked with your head down. Never fought back."He He tilted his head. "Then suddenly, you move like a trained fighter?"
Arjun's pulse roared.
He looked at his own hands.
Thin. Shaking. Evolving.
Samar spoke again, voice low but steady.
"I'm not your enemy, Arjun."
Arjun looked up sharply.
Samar's expression softened—only a little.
"I didn't bring you here to threaten you." He paused. "I brought you here because I need to understand you."
Arjun felt dizziness roll through him.
The system flickered violently.
[High-Level Interaction Triggered]Instinctive Counter: 46% → 52%Adaptive Instinct: 17% → 23%Trait Synchronization Accelerated
The energy inside him pulsed like a heartbeat.
Samar stepped closer again—too close.
"I feel it too," Samar murmured. "Something under my skin. Something waking up."
Arjun inhaled sharply.
Samar's eyes hardened. "Tell me what's happening to you."
Arjun's voice cracked. "I don't know."
Samar's jaw tightened.
He seemed to believe him or wanted to.
Their silence stretched—heavy, electric, waiting to snap.
Then—
A sound rose from below.
Screaming. Running. Teachers yelling.
The rooftop vibrated from footsteps slamming the stairs.
Both boys turned instinctively.
Samar's eyes flared. "That's not normal."
Arjun's heart hammered.
The door burst open.
A breathless teacher yelled:
"YOU TWO—GET DOWN! NOW! THERE'S AN INCIDENT!"
Samar stiffened.
Arjun felt ice in his veins.
The teacher pointed down the stairwell, panic twisting her face.
"THERE'S BEEN AN AWAKENED STUDENT—HE'S LOSING CONTROL!"
Arjun's pulse exploded.
The system lit up like fire.
[Major Quest Updated] Incident Detected: Level Unknown Time Remaining: 48 Warning: High Threat on Campus
Samar turned to Arjun.
His expression had changed completely.
No curiosity.No annoyance.No dominance.
Just seriousness.
"Stay close," Samar said quietly.
Arjun swallowed.
Samar nodded once.
Then ran.
And Arjun—heart shaking, instincts flaring, system buzzing—followed him into the chaos.