Darkness ab bhi wahi thi.
Par ab woh khaali nahi lag rahi thi.
๐ woh dekh rahi thi.
Beech mein...
๐ Aarav.
Yaโฆ
๐ jo ab Aarav tha.
Uski body stable thi.
Par uski presence...
๐ alag.
Jaise woh ek insaan bhi tha...
aur kuch aur bhi.
Usne dheere se apne haath ko dekha.
Energy flow ho rahi thi.
Light aur dark dono.
๐ "Yehโฆ main hoonโฆ?"
Awaaz peeche se aayi...
๐ "Haanโฆ aur nahi bhi."
Aarav ne mudkar dekha.
Shadow clear hone lagi.
Ek figure saamne aaya.
Normal insaan jaisa.
Par uski aankhon mein...
๐ void.
๐ "Tum kaun hoโฆ"
Woh halka sa hasa...
๐ "Main tumhara future bhi ho sakta hoonโฆ"
๐ "Aur tumhara end bhi."
Silence.
Aarav ne usse kaha...
๐ "Seedha bolo."
Woh ladka bola... Toh suno
๐ "Main woh hoon jo Observer ke baad aata hai."
Aarav ka expression tight ho gya...
๐ "Matlab?"
๐ "Matlab jab balance bhi fail ho jaata haiโฆ"
๐ "tab main aata hoon."
๐ "Main Collapse hoon."
Silence.
Jaise space khud react kar gaya ho.
Aarav ne kaha...
๐ "Toh tu enemy hai."
Collapse ne sir hilaya....
๐ "Enemyโฆ allyโฆ irrelevant."
๐ "Main inevitable hoon."
***
Power Test
Achanak...
๐ Collapse ne apni fingers move ki
Aur poora space distort hone laga.
Aarav ne turant react kiya.
Usne apni power activate ki.
Par...
๐ is baar kuch alag hua.
Uski energy Collapse ke saath resonate karne lagi.
Conflict nahiโฆ
๐ sync.
Aarav shock ho gaya.
๐ "Yeh kyaโฆ?"
Collapse muskuraya or usne kaha...
๐ "Kyuki tum change ho chuke ho."
๐ "Tum ab sirf system ka part nahiโฆ"
๐ "tum usse upar ho."
***
Reality.... Control Room
Kabir screen pe jhuk gaya...
๐ "Signal spike ho gaya!"
Meera ne poocha...
๐ "Kya matlab?!"
Kabir ne usko answer diya...
๐ "Yehโฆ yeh stable nahi haiโฆ"
๐ "Kabhi strongโฆ kabhi zeroโฆ"
Zoya ne dheere se kaha...
๐ "Woh fight kar raha haiโฆ"
๐ "Apne aap se."
***
Back to Unknown Space
Aarav ne Collapse ko dekha.
๐ "Tu kya chahta hai?"
Collapse ne bola...
๐ "Simple."
๐ "Tum choose karo."
Aarav ne usse pucha...
๐ "Kya?"
๐ "Returnโฆ"
๐ "ya evolve."
Silence.
๐ "Return ka matlabโฆ"
๐ "tum wapas jaogeโฆ"
๐ "par normal."
๐ "Limited."
๐ "Weak."
Aarav ne kaha....
๐ "Aur evolve?"
Collapse ne usko jawab diya..
๐ "Tum wapas nahi jaogeโฆ"
๐ "tum kuch aur ban jaoge."
๐ "Powerfulโฆ"
๐ "par alone."
Silence heavy.
Aarav ka saans slow ho gaya.
Usne socha..
Kabirโฆ
Meeraโฆ
Zoyaโฆ
Phir...
๐ woh power.
๐ "Agar main evolve huaโฆ"
๐ "toh main unhe protect kar sakta hoon?"
Collapse ne usse kaha...
๐ "Haan."
๐ "Par tum unke saath nahi reh paoge."
Ye sunte hi aarav freeze ho gaya.
๐ "Aur agar main return karu?"
๐ "Toh tum unke saath rahogeโฆ"
๐ "par next timeโฆ shayad unhe bacha na pao."
Silence.
Decision moment.
Aarav ne aankhein band ki.
Usne Meera ka face imagine kiya.
Kabir ki awaaz.
Zoya ki warning.
Uska saans heavy ho gaya.
Usne apne aap se kaha...
๐ "Mainโฆ"
Pause.
๐ "Dono nahi choose kar sakta?"
Collapse hasa or usne kaha...
๐ "Isi liye tum interesting ho."
Unexpected Move
Achanak...
๐ Aarav ne apni energy split ki.
Light ek side.
Dark dusri side.
Balance create ho gya.
Collapse ne pehli baar surprise feel kiya..
๐ "Yehโฆ"
Aarav ne kaha...
๐ "Main choose nahi karungaโฆ"
๐ "Main define karunga."
Energy merge hone lagi.
Space unstable ho gaya.
Reality crack.
Collapse serious...
๐ "Agar yeh fail huaโฆ"
๐ "toh tum exist nahi karoge."
Aarav ne usse kaha...
๐ "Risk lena padega."
***
Massive Shift
Ek blinding surge.
Fragments collapse.
Light + dark fusion.
Aur phir...
๐ silence.
***
Reality... Industrial Zone
Achanak...
๐ ek massive energy burst.
Kabir peeche girta hai...
๐ "Yeh kya tha?!"
Meera ne usse kaha...
๐ "Aaravโฆ!"
Zoya ne kaha...
๐ "Woh aa raha haiโฆ"
Hawa distort hone lagi.
Aur dheere dheere...
๐ ek figure appear hone laga.
Shadow se.
Light aur dark mix.
Aur phir...
๐ Aarav.
Par...
๐ same nahi.
Uski aankhon mein...
๐ do layers.
Ek normal.
Ekโฆ kuch aur.
Kabir ne dheere se kaha...
๐ "Bhaiโฆ?"
Aarav ne uski taraf dekha.
Smile ki.
Or kaha...
๐ "Main wapas aa gaya."
Relief.
Meera ki aankhon mein aansu aa gye..
๐ "Thank Godโฆ"
Par...
๐ Zoya chup thi.
Uski aankhon mein doubt tha.
๐ "Nahiโฆ"
๐ "Yeh same nahi hai."
Final Twist.
Aarav ne aas paas dekha.
Sab normal.
Par uske andar hi ander...
๐ kuch move hua.
Ek awaaz.
๐ "Good choiceโฆ"
Aarav freeze ek second ke liye.
๐ "Tumโฆ abhi bhi ho?"
Silence.
Phir...
๐ ek halki si laugh.
๐ "Ab main tum hoon."
Aarav ki aankhon mein ek second ke liye...
๐ darkness flash hui.
Phir sab normal.
Kabir ne aarav se poocha...
๐ "Kya hua?"
Aarav ne usse kaha...
๐ "Kuch nahiโฆ"
Par andar hi ander..
๐ sab kuch change ho chuka tha.
Kyuki ab...
๐ Aarav akela nahi tha.
๐ Collapse uske andar tha.
Aur iss baar..
๐ danger bahar nahiโฆ
๐ andar tha.
To Be Continuedโฆ