The island was silent. Bypassing the main stone steps where the tourists usually gathered, Rahul led them through a thick jungle path on the eastern hill.
The rain hammered the canopy above, but the dense foliage blocked most of the wind. They reached a narrow ravine hidden by thick banyan roots.
"Here," Rahul said, pulling back a curtain of vines. "My uncle used to hide smuggled goods here years ago. He said the tunnel goes deep under the main caves."
Vikram stepped in first, his hand on the damp stone wall. As they walked deeper, the air grew dry, and the sound of the storm faded into a heavy, oppressive silence.
The tunnel opened into a massive natural cavern. The ground was littered with ancient, broken pillars, their carvings worn away by centuries of moisture.
"Look at this," Rohan said, shining a shielded flashlight on the floor.
Black veins ran through the stone, pulsing with a faint, microscopic vibration. Vikram could feel his bio-electricity reacting, his skin tingling as if he were standing next to a high-voltage generator.
"This is a Tenebrous Node," Vikram whispered. "The dark matter concentration here is ten times higher than in the city."
"The air is already getting cold," Rahul said, wrapping his arms around himself.
"You two stay near the entrance," Vikram instructed. "If Malhotra's men find the boat, radio me. I need to focus."
He walked to the center of the cavern and sat cross-legged on a flat stone. He closed his eyes, tuned out the whispers of the wind, and began the deep breathing. The dark photons in the air began to swirl around him like a silent, invisible vortex.