"Is everyone okay? No one's hurt… right? Nobody got injured?"
Om moved quickly toward his uncles and Sharda, his eyes scanning each of them carefully. Without wasting a second, he pulled Isha into a brief hug too, checking if she was alright.
But this—
This calm concern in the middle of chaos—
It snapped something inside Bali.
Rage exploded across his face.
"You bastard! Everyone's going to die—and you too! Don't worry, I'll send each one of them up there, one by one! And you dare threaten Bali?!"
With that, he hurled the knife in his hand straight at Om.
Fast.
Deadly.
But—
Om caught it.
Mid-air.
Barehanded.
Like it was nothing.
His eyes lifted slowly… locking onto Bali and Singhania.
Cold.
Burning.
"I told you… I'll come to you in a moment. Don't you understand?"
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried weight.
Enough to make Bali feel something unfamiliar—
Fear.
For a brief second, that same strange feeling crept into him again. The same one he couldn't explain.
And then—
Om's gaze shifted.
Toward Savita.
His expression hardened further.
"As soon as this is over… we need to talk, big aunt."
The words landed like a death sentence.
Savita's face drained of color.
Her heart began to pound violently.
Because somehow—
Those words felt more terrifying than anything else happening in that house.
"You think you can ignore me?!"
Bali snapped.
His patience broke completely.
Fury took over.
He raised his gun, pointing it straight at Om.
"No one has ever insulted Bali like this! And you—a kid—talking to me like that? Looks like your time is up! Go meet your family… in heaven!"
He pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The gunshot echoed.
Everyone screamed.
But the next moment—
Silence.
Because Om—
Wasn't hit.
He had already moved.
Dodged the bullet.
Effortlessly.
And before anyone could even process it—
He struck back.
In a flash—
Om's attack landed on Bali's hand, knocking the gun straight to the ground.
Before Bali could react—
Om had already picked it up.
And now—
The gun was pointed at Bali's head.
The entire room froze.
Bali's eyes widened.
For the first time—
Real fear crept in.
"What… how… how can a 20–22-year-old move this fast…? This… this isn't possible…"
His thoughts spiraled.
But Om wasn't done.
Without even looking—
He turned and drove a brutal kick straight into Singhania's groin.
"AAHHHH!"
Singhania collapsed instantly, screaming in agony, clutching himself on the ground.
And just like that—
In a matter of seconds—
Om had:
Dodged a bullet.
Disarmed Bali.
Taken control of the weapon.
And knocked Singhania out.
All in one fluid motion.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
It wasn't just skill.
It was precision.
Lethal precision.
Bali stared at him—
Now not just shocked…
But disturbed.
Because this—
This wasn't normal.
These weren't the moves of an ordinary man.
These were the instincts of someone trained to kill.
And suddenly—
A memory surfaced.
A story.
A rumor.
A legend.
A child.
A boy who had wiped out more than 500 terrorists in Kashmir… alone.
A ghost with no name.
No face.
No identity.
Gone without a trace.
But rumored to still be alive.
Somewhere.
Watching.
Waiting.
Bali had never seen him.
Never confirmed it.
But now—
Standing in front of Om—
With Maya—003—lying there…
Everything started connecting.
A dangerous possibility.
And for the first time—
Bali thought about something he never did before.
Retreat.
Because if this was true—
He couldn't win.
Not alone.
He needed to get out.
Inform the organization.
Survive.
And so, suddenly—
His tone changed.
Calm.
Careful.
Almost respectful.
"Number 00… is that you?"
The question hung in the air.
Om blinked.
Caught off guard.
"What do you mean?"
Bali smiled faintly.
"Enough acting. I know now… you're the legendary Number 00."
For a moment—
Silence.
Om stared at him, confused.
Outside the house—
The mysterious man in black continued working along the walls.
Unnoticed.
Unseen.
Devices.
Wires.
Bombs.
But it wasn't clear—
Was he planting them?
Or… modifying something?
Either way—
It wasn't good.
Back inside—
"Are you crazy or what? I'm not any '00'!"
Om snapped, clearly confused.
But Bali just chuckled.
"Come on… these combat skills, this speed, this strength… I've only heard of one person like this. And what better proof than your team's killing lady—003—lying right there? She risked her life for your family. That tells me everything."
His eyes narrowed.
"You are 00… the Shadow Mercenary."
This time—
Even Om was shaken.
And Maya—
Despite her condition—
Looked just as stunned.
Because Bali was wrong.
Completely wrong.
And yet—
The way everything looked right now…
Even the lie felt dangerously close to the truth.
For a brief second—
Om and Maya exchanged a glance.
Both confused.
Both silent.
Because one thing was certain—
Something much bigger was unfolding.
And they were standing right in the middle of it.