Rain tapped softly against the hospital windows while silence filled the private recovery room.
The kind of silence that comes after surviving something horrible.
Bandages.
Medicine smell.
Dim white lights.
And four girls trying to pretend they weren't still replaying everything in their heads.
Durga sat with her arms crossed aggressively like she was personally offended at being injured.
Saraswati quietly played with the edge of her blanket.
Radhika stared outside the window lost in thought.
And Sia stood near the glass with her back facing everyone.
None of them had properly slept.
Fragments kept returning.
Smoke.
Chains.
Blood.
Voices.
Arms carrying them.
Eyes.
Always the eyes.
Durga finally groaned loudly.
"I hate hospitals."
Radhika didn't even look at her.
"Hospitals hate you too."
"Fair."
Saraswati looked toward Sia carefully.
"You've been staring outside for ten minutes."
Sia crossed her arms tighter.
"Thinking."
Durga immediately replied,
"Dangerous activity."
Sia turned slowly.
"Do you want your second shoulder broken too?"
"See? Hospital changed nothing."
That finally earned a small laugh from Saraswati.
But the mood faded quickly again.
Because one question still remained.
Durga frowned slightly.
"Something doesn't make sense."
Radhika looked toward her now.
"Why was he there himself?"
Silence.
Sia's expression darkened immediately because she already understood.
"The mastermind doesn't move personally unless it matters."
Saraswati nodded slowly.
"He could've sent people."
"He has thousands of people," Durga added. "Why come there himself?"
Radhika unconsciously touched her neck.
And froze slightly.
Her chain.
Gone.
A blurry memory flashed through her mind.
A hand touching her face carefully.
Warm fingers brushing near her cheek despite all the chaos and that was disgusting the mastermind near her made her feel nothing but fear and disgust.
Then smoke.
Completely opposite,
Arms lifting her.
Her heartbeat became uneven for a second.
Durga noticed immediately.
"What?"
Radhika quickly lowered her hand.
"Nothing."
Lie.
Complete lie.
Saraswati looked at her carefully for a few seconds before speaking softly,
"Radha probably has something he wants."
Radhika frowned.
"Like what?"
Nobody answered.
Because none of them knew.
Sia finally pushed herself away from the window.
Her expression turned serious again.
Leader mode.
"Whatever this is…"
She looked at all of them one by one.
"We barely survived."
There was regret in the her eyes, the regret she couldn't save her team.
The room became quiet.
Because that part wasn't debatable.
They remembered the helplessness too clearly.
The drugs.
The chains.
Their bodies refusing to move.
Sia clenched her fist tightly.
"We need the alliance immediately."
Durga sighed heavily.
"You really think it's that bad?"
Sia laughed softly.
No humor in it.
"At this rate we'll die before we even find answers."
That sentence settled heavily inside the room.
Rain crashed harder outside.
Then Sia finally said the thing all of them already knew.
Quietly.
Coldly.
"He knows we're connected to Empire."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The name itself changed the atmosphere.
Empire.
The shadow their parents never fully explained.
The past everyone avoided talking about.
Durga looked away first.
Radhika's jaw tightened slightly.
Even Saraswati lowered her eyes.
Because deep down…
they knew Sia was right.
Before anyone could continue, the room door suddenly opened.
Two nurses walked in carrying medicines and reports.
The younger nurse smiled brightly seeing them awake.
"Finally. Do you girls know how worried everyone was?"
Durga frowned immediately.
"Everyone?"
The older nurse started checking Saraswati's IV calmly.
"The men who brought you here."
Instant attention.
Sia straightened slightly.
"What men?"
The two nurses exchanged one look.
That exact dangerous gossip look.
Radhika noticed immediately.
"Who brought us here?"
The younger nurse failed to hide her excitement.
"The one carrying you," she pointed toward Radhika, "was terrifying."
Radhika blinked once.
The nurse continued dramatically,
"He walked in covered in blood carrying you like the world was ending."
Durga immediately looked interested.
"Then?"
"Then he nearly scared the receptionist into another dimension."
Saraswati burst out laughing softly.
The nurse copied his deep voice dramatically:
"'Treat her first.'"
Even Radhika couldn't stop the tiny smile threatening to appear.
Unfortunately Durga saw it instantly.
"Oho."
Radhika glared immediately.
"Shut up."
Meanwhile the older nurse pointed toward Sia now.
"Yours barely spoke."
Sia frowned slightly.
"Barely?"
The nurse nodded.
"That kind of quiet person that makes everyone nervous."
The younger nurse joined instantly,
"One doctor asked him to wait outside and suddenly nobody else wanted to ask anything."
Durga snorted loudly.
"Sounds dramatic."
"No," the nurse replied immediately.
"Scary."
A blurry memory flashed inside Sia's mind again.
Strong arms.
A low voice near her ear.
"Trust me."
Her fingers tightened unconsciously over the blanket.
Meanwhile Saraswati raised her hand slightly.
"What about mine?"
The younger nurse melted instantly.
"Yours was sweet."
Durga looked personally offended.
"Impossible."
The nurse laughed.
"You were unconscious but still holding his shirt."
Saraswati froze immediately.
A warm voice echoed inside her mind again.
"I'm here."
Her cheeks turned pink instantly.
And unfortunately…
Durga noticed that too.
"OH?"
Saraswati panicked immediately.
"Stop looking at me like that."
The older nurse smiled before pointing toward Durga.
"Yours looked exhausted."
The whole room laughed instantly.
Durga pointed dramatically.
"Excuse me?"
The younger nurse nodded while laughing.
"You apparently punched him."
Durga looked proud immediately.
"Good."
"And after that he still carried you while you kept threatening random people."
A memory flashed inside Durga's head instantly.
A hand catching her punch.
A voice near her ear.
"Calm down."
Her ears turned slightly red.
Which was unfortunate.
Because Sia noticed immediately.
"Why are you blushing?"
Durga looked horrified.
"I am not."
"You absolutely are," Radhika replied instantly.
The nurses finally finished before walking toward the door.
But right before leaving, the younger one turned back dramatically.
Then grinned.
"Honestly? Those men cared too much to be strangers."
And just like that…
they left.
Silence returned immediately.
A very suspicious silence.
Then Saraswati blinked slowly.
Durga blinked back.
And both looked at each other at the exact same moment.
Sia narrowed her eyes immediately.
"No."
Radhika looked between them suspiciously.
"Why do you both suddenly look guilty?"
Durga crossed her arms defensively.
"Nobody looks guilty."
"You look extremely guilty," Sia replied.
Saraswati hesitated before speaking carefully,
"Yesterday… when we came back from the mission…before the V stadium thing."
Radhika already looked done with life.
"I don't like where this is going."
Too late.
Saraswati continued anyway.
"We met Braves."
Dead silence.
Purav.
Agni.
Jai.
Veer.
The irritating group from yesterday.
Durga's ears immediately turned pink remembering Veer shamelessly annoying her with that stupid grin.
Meanwhile Saraswati remembered Jai walking beside her quietly and smiling every time she talked.
And unfortunately…
both reactions were noticed immediately.
Radhika looked horrified.
"Absolutely not."
Sia looked equally disgusted.
"No chance."
Durga defended herself instantly.
"I'm not saying it was them."
"Your face is saying it," Sia replied immediately.
Saraswati tried helping weakly.
"Jai did seem kind…"
Radhika nearly stood up from the bed.
"YOU TOO?"
Durga suddenly looked toward Radhika with evil energy.
"Imagine if Purav carried you."
Radhika's face changed instantly.
"I'd rather go back unconscious."
Sia looked disgusted too.
"And Agni carrying me? Horrifying."
Durga grinned wider.
"He'd definitely talk the entire time too."
Sia looked ready to commit murder.
"I will throw him off a building."
Radhika frowned harder imagining
Purav smirking while carrying her.
Absolutely not.
Instant violence.
But slowly…
the joking faded again.
Because Saraswati quietly spoke after a moment,
"No random person risks their life for strangers here."
The room quieted.
Because that was true.
Nobody walks into hell for people they don't know.
Nobody fights the mastermind personally just to save random girls.
That only happens when…
Sia looked upward thoughtfully.
"Either we are useful to them or.."
Then muttered quietly,At the exact same moment somewhere else in the city…
Ram leaned back against the warehouse chair and said calmly,
"Or bait."
The storm outside only grew louder.
The rain continued outside.
Three days.
Three days until Braves arrived.
Three days until the alliance.
The decision had already been made.
Queens would ally with Braves.
Hospital
Durga smiled into her pillow.
"I knew it."
Radhika looked up.
"You knew what?"
"That Veer wouldn't leave us."
Immediately.
A pillow hit Durga's face.
Warehouse
Shiva looked at Durga's photo.
"Stubborn."
Krish laughed.
"You got punched once."
"Twice."
"Even better."
Hospital
Saraswati stared out the window.
A tiny smile appearing.
"Jai probably stayed until he knew we were safe."
Radhika pointed dramatically.
"There."
"What?"
"That smile."
"There is no smile."
"There is a whole smile."
Warehouse
Dev closed the file.
"People assume too much."
Krish immediately looked suspicious.
"That sounded personal."
"It wasn't."
Nobody believed him.
Hospital
Sia folded her arms.
"At least Braves were useful."
Durga blinked.
"Useful?"
"Yes."
"They saved your life."
"Exactly."
"Normal people call that heroic."
"Normal people don't steal my band."
Warehouse
Ram looked down at the blade band.
"She's going to want this back."
Krish smirked.
"That's assuming she survives the conversation first."
Hospital
Radhika sat upright.
"And Purav."
The room groaned.
"Again?"
Durga asked.
"Yes. Again."
"What now?"
"He has my chain."
"You don't know that."
"I know that."
"How?"
Radhika folded her arms.
"Because life hates me."
Warehouse
Krish twirled the chain.
"Radhika."
Ram glanced up.
"What about her?"
"Nothing."
A grin.
"I just have a feeling she's angry."
Hospital
"I am angry."
Radhika announced.
"We know."
Three voices answered.
Warehouse
Krish pointed triumphantly.
"See?"
Hospital
Durga ignored them.
"Honestly?"
The others looked over.
"Veer carrying me sounds cool."
Saraswati nodded immediately.
"Jai too."
Radhika looked horrified.
"You two need help."
Warehouse
Shiva rubbed the faint marks still visible on his wrist.
"The punch girl is trouble."
Ram raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
A pause.
"Nothing."
Which meant absolutely something.
Hospital
Sia suddenly became serious.
"The mastermind."
Instantly.
The mood changed.
The smiles disappeared.
The laughter faded.
Radhika's hand moved to her neck.
Empty.
Her jaw tightened.
"He came himself."
Saraswati nodded slowly.
"That's what scares me."
Warehouse
Ram looked at the same report.
"He came himself."
Nobody spoke.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
Hospital
"So we need Braves."
Sia said.
"And answers."
Radhika nodded.
"And revenge."
Durga nodded.
"And an alliance."
Saraswati smiled softly.
"And maybe some trust."
Warehouse
Ram folded his arms.
"No trust."
Shiva nodded.
"Only answers."
Krish grinned.
"And maybe some entertainment."
Hospital
Sia stood.
"Three days."
Warehouse
Ram stood.
"Three days."
Hospital
"Braves."
Durga smiled
Saraswati smiled.
Radhika rolled her eyes.
Sia sighed.
Warehouse
"Queens."
Krish smirked.
Shiva folded his arms.
Dev looked away.
Ram remained silent.
Across the city...
four Queens waited for the friends they trusted.
Across the city...
four first rankers waited for the girls who stood between them and the mastermind.
One side believed the alliance had already been decided.
The other side believed it was only beginning.
And in three days...
Braves would arrive expecting a partnership.
First rankers would arrive expecting answers.
Queens would arrive expecting their rescuers.
But when the truth finally surfaced...
When names met faces.
When secrets met reality.
When the people they trusted stood beside the people who had actually saved them...
who would Queens choose?
The friends they already believed in?
Or the strangers who had walked into darkness for them?
Three days remained.