Half a day had passed, yet Rohit and Isha still struggled to process everything—the surreal events in the truck, the president's bodyguard's cryptic words, and now, this unfamiliar location.
Rohit let out a frustrated sigh. "I still can't believe what we saw. It doesn't make any sense."
Isha, her voice quieter than usual, murmured, "I know… At first, I was excited—seeing another side of human life. But after that incident—"
Rohit abruptly cut her off, his tone firm. "Wait. The president's bodyguard mentioned don't speak about that. Remember?"
Isha hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah… I remember. His words—I won't forget them."
Before the conversation could go further, Isha's eyes suddenly locked onto something outside. She grabbed Rohit's arm. "Rohit, look outside—it's the Aditya,The President ."
Both turned their attention to the window. The president was walking toward an old sage in white robes, his presence exuding a strange aura of wisdom and mystery.
Rohit's gaze darted around, his unease growing. "Where's his bodyguard?".
----
Aditya walked toward the old sage, his movements slow and deliberate. Just as he was about to bend down to touch the elder's feet in respect, the old sage raised a hand to stop him.
"Aaditya, please. You are the president now."
Aditya straightened but shook his head slightly. "President is just a label. No matter how much time passes, I am still just like one of your students, Master Suravarna ."
The old sage sighed, his expression unreadable. "Please, stop."
A brief silence lingered between them, filled with years of unspoken thoughts. Though they had known each other for over thirty years, the gap between them had only widened.
Breaking the moment, they exchanged formal greetings before the old sage gestured to the stone table beside them. "Aditya, Shall we play a game of chess?"
Aditya's lips curled into a small smile. "Yes, let's play."
Both men began placing their respective pieces on the board. But as Adhitya watched, he noticed something off. The old sage had arranged some pieces incorrectly.
"Your setup is wrong," Aditya pointed out.
The old sage chuckled softly. "Thank you for noticing. I'm just... trying to adapt to this new game."
Aditya stilled for a moment, analyzing the weight of those words. He understood—this conversation wasn't just about chess.
"I understand your meaning," Aditya replied, his voice calm yet firm. "But in the end, no matter how the game unfolds, there's always one winner and one loser."
The old sage, unfazed, adjusted his pieces, this time placing them correctly. With a knowing smile, he murmured,
"Looks like I placed them correctly this time."
A cool breeze swept through the air as the two men sat in silence, the game—both on the board and beyond—finally beginning
The game started with a soft clink as President Aditya moved his first piece. The old sage, his gaze calm yet knowing, glanced briefly toward Rohit and Isha before speaking.
"Looks like your first move is with pawns," he observed, his tone carrying a hidden meaning. Without hesitation, he moved his general piece forward.
Aditya nodded slightly, eyes locked on the board. "Yes, just like me those pawns are ordinary humans. But don't forget, under certain conditions, pawns can be unpredictable."
The old sage let out a soft chuckle as he captured one of Aditya's pawns with his general.
"I agree with your statement," he said, pausing before adding, "However, no matter how unpredictable a pawn may be, it will never become a king."
At those words, Aditya's expression shifted—anger mixed with something deeper, something closer to worry. His hand tightened into a fist as he muttered, "No..."
The old sage sighed, his gaze filled with quiet understanding. "You purposely stopped him from becoming king... and I understand your reasons."
Aditya lowered his head slightly, his silence confirming the unspoken truth.
Then, with renewed determination, he moved his knight and swiftly took down the old sage's general piece.
The old sage studied the board before letting out an amused hum. "Speaking of knights..." He leaned back slightly, tilting his head. "Where is my stu—" He corrected himself. "Where is your bodyguard,Rudra ? I haven't seen him."
President Aditya moved his knight once more, his voice steady. "This morning, he was here. He introduced the new pawns and then left. I assume you already know why."
The old sage's expression darkened. His fingers traced the edge of a captured piece as he muttered, "He is still no turning back… still filled with regret."
Then, his eyes sharpened as he noticed a small scratch on the Aditya's neck.
"So… yesterday, you—"
Aditya cut in immediately, "Yes. This scratch is their message. A move has been made."
The old sage let out a slow breath, concern evident in his gaze. "Council of six ?. Then tell me, no… tell us, what's our next move?"
Aditya's expression remained unreadable as he responded, "As long as we still have a general, we will get our answers."
The old sage nodded, his voice firm. "General Ri…If you are here , what will you do?"
A heavy silence settled between them until Aditya finally asked, "We only have 2.5 years left, don't we?"
By looking at rohit and isha ,The old sage didn't hesitate. "Yes. No matter what—whether new pawns emerge or the existing generals remain."
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when both turned to see a young man approaching—his presence commanding, his aura sharp and unwavering.
The old sage's gaze lingered on him before he continued, "Our warrior, Our pride Surya is physically ready, but he still lacks the mental preparation. But by the time 2.5 years pass, we must regroup. Aditya… please reconsider and make Ayaan as king. The fall of the shield will ..."
The chessboard reached a stalemate—a game neither could claim victory over.
Aditya let out a deep sigh, his fingers brushing against the king piece. "I want him to be king... but I don't want to break that promise."
With that, he stood and left.
Surya watched him go before turning to the old sage. "You still had a chance to win. Why accept a draw?"
The old sage chuckled, his eyes filled with a mix of resignation and hope. "Surya… yes, I could have won. But right now, what we need is a small change."
---
Ayaan sat quietly, gripping the singing competition poster, his mind lingering on his encounter with Anaya. A strange, unshakable feeling clung to him.
Just then, Dev stirred from his sleep. He stretched and glanced at Ayaan's hands.
"What's that?"
Ayaan blinked and quickly folded the poster. "Nothing."
The train slowed to a halt, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels against the tracks fading into silence.
Ayaan stretched slightly before reaching for his luggage, his mind still clouded with the events of the journey. Anaya's farewell, her teasing words, and that strange lingering feeling in his chest.
As he adjusted his bag, Dev's gaze flickered toward Ayaan's neck.
A faint scratch.
It wasn't deep, but the way it trailed slightly downward made Dev pause. He frowned, about to say something, but then shook his head.
It was just a small scratch. No point making a fuss over it.
Without a word, Dev followed Ayaan off the train.
The evening air hit them as they stepped onto the crowded platform. The station was alive with movement—people rushing past, vendors calling out, the scent of street food lingering in the air.
But for Ayaan, everything felt distant.
His fingers brushed against the folded singing competition poster inside his bag. The memory of Anaya's final words echoed in his mind.
Yet, he shook it off.
Right now, his focus was on one thing—his reunion with his family.
With a deep breath, he walked forward, blending into the sea of passengers.
---
Above the railway station, perched on the edge of a rusted rooftop, a lone figure stood.
A crimson axe spun effortlessly in his grasp, the metal catching the last rays of sunlight.
His gaze locked onto Ayaan, watching him disappear into the city.
And then, in a hushed murmur, he whispered
"Not yet."
The axe stilled.
A gust of wind swept through the station, and in the blink of an eye—
The shadow figure was gone.