The white envelope placed on the car's bonnet, and the mark of a lion with its throat slit drawn in blood… this was no ordinary threat. It was the signature of the 'Shadow Order.' They were making it clear that they were not only close, but that they were watching Aryav's every move.
Somnath's face had turned pale.
"Aryav, we need to leave immediately. They're insane — they could attack in the middle of the street."
Aryav picked up the envelope. He didn't throw it away; instead, he folded it and slipped it into his pocket. There wasn't even a trace of fear in his eyes.
"Stop being afraid, Somnath ji. If they wanted to kill me right now, they would've sent bullets instead of an envelope. They want to scare me into handing over that pen drive. And when someone tries to intimidate you, it means they themselves are afraid of something."
Aryav looked out the window.
"We need to go to Kavya Mehra right now. If the 'Shadow Order' can find me, they can find her too. And she has the information we desperately need."
Darkness and a Fearless Journalist
In a small café behind an old press club in Mumbai, Kavya Mehra was sitting. A pile of files lay scattered across her table, and her laptop was running continuously. Kavya was considered one of the city's sharpest investigative journalists, but for the past year, she had been 'blacklisted.' Why? Because she had tried to dig into the fall of 'Singh Global' and the secret network of the 'Shadow Order.'
Outside, the rain had started again. Suddenly, the café door opened. A tall young man wearing an expensive suit entered. Behind him were two broad-shouldered bodyguards and an elderly man.
Aryav's eyes went straight to Kavya. She was exactly as Somnath had described — sharp eyes, a stubborn spark on her face, and a personality that spoke the truth without fear.
Aryav sat down in the chair opposite her without asking.
Kavya looked up, her brows tightening.
"Excuse me, this table is booked. And I don't have coffee with strangers."
"I'm not a stranger, Kavya," Aryav said calmly. He placed the ring engraved with the lion symbol on the table.
The moment Kavya saw the ring, her hands froze. The color drained from her face. She glanced around and whispered,
"You… you're here? Do you even realize that wearing this ring means you're walking around with a big 'target' on your back?"
"The target has been on me since childhood. I just found out about it today," Aryav said, locking eyes with her.
"I need the information your father gathered about 'Project Reborn.' I know his disappearance is connected to my father's death."
Pain flickered in Kavya's eyes, but she quickly hid it.
"I have nothing. And even if I did, why would I give it to you? You could just be a spoiled rich heir fighting for your inheritance. My fight is for the truth."
Sudden Attack
Before Aryav could respond, Somnath's voice rang out,
"Aryav! Get down!"
'Crack!'
The large café window shattered. A sniper shot! The bullet passed exactly where Aryav's head had been a second earlier. Chaos erupted inside the café. People began hiding under tables.
"They're here!" Kavya shouted. She immediately grabbed her laptop bag.
Outside the café, two black vans screeched to a halt. Six masked gunmen stepped out. They were no ordinary thugs — judging by their movement and weapons, they appeared to have professional military training.
"Somnath ji, get Kavya out through the back exit!" Aryav ordered.
"And you?" Kavya asked in shock.
Aryav flipped over a heavy wooden table nearby, turning it into a shield. He pulled the small pen drive from his pocket and threw it toward Kavya.
"Protect this! If something happens to me, it contains the password that will unlock your years of hard work. Now go!"
Kavya caught the pen drive. For a moment, she looked at Aryav — the boy she had assumed was a 'spoiled heir' was risking his life to save hers. She ran toward the back door with Somnath.
Prey or Predator?
Now only Aryav and the six attackers remained inside the café. The leader of the attackers stepped forward, aiming his gun.
"Aryav Singh, you've run enough. Hand over that ring, and we'll make your death easy."
Aryav slowly stood up from behind the table. There was no fear on his face — only a violent calm.
"You made a big mistake today."
"What?" the leader laughed.
"You dropped glass shards on my new suit," Aryav said coldly.
At that very moment, four shadows jumped down from the café ceiling. These were not Aryav's bodyguards — this was the 'secret army' Somnath had mentioned. In the blink of an eye, the café turned into a battlefield. The sounds of bones cracking and men groaning in pain echoed through the space.
Aryav did not move. He stood there, watching the attackers fall one by one. He could feel the blood running through his veins — blood that had been suppressed for decades. The blood of an emperor.
Within two minutes, all the attackers were on the ground. Aryav walked over to the leader, who was bleeding heavily. Grabbing him by the throat, Aryav lifted him up.
"Go and tell your master, Devansh Malhotra… that the 'zero' has started counting. And that count will begin with your corpses."
Aryav stepped out of the café, where the rain was still pouring. Kavya and Somnath were safe inside the car. Kavya rolled down the window and looked at Aryav carefully.
"You're crazy," she said. "But maybe this world needs a crazy emperor to fix it. I have a file… and it will be with you tomorrow morning. But remember, once you read it, you'll never be able to turn back."
Aryav nodded. As he was about to get into the car, his eyes fell on a man standing across the street, holding an old camera and taking his photograph. Around that man's neck hung a locket — a burning lion.
Does Kavya's file contain a truth that will shake Aryav to his core? And who is that mysterious photographer?
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