Aarav's gaze suddenly landed on a man standing in front of him with a gun pointed directly at his forehead.
"Hello," the man said coldly. "How are you feeling? Scared?"
Hearing that, Aarav unexpectedly burst into laughter.
The man frowned in confusion.
"What's so funny?"
Aarav tried controlling his laughter before replying casually,
"Sorry, sorry… it's just that the word fear doesn't exist in my dictionary."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Anyway, tell me what you want. Why did you kidnap us?"
The man stared at him for a moment before speaking directly.
"Very good. Let's talk straight to the point."
He pressed the gun harder against Aarav's forehead.
"I want the location of RAI headquarters. If you give me that information, I'll let both of you go."
Then his expression turned colder.
"Otherwise…"
He cocked the gun.
"You only have ten seconds."
Aarav simply smiled.
"No need. You can shoot me. It won't make any difference."
The man's pupils slightly contracted after hearing that.
But then he slowly raised one hand and gestured toward his partner standing near SK.
Immediately, the other man pointed his gun at SK's head.
The masked man spoke again,
"If you don't give me the address before I finish counting, I'll kill both of you."
Then he started counting backward.
"Ten…"
Meanwhile, somewhere else inside an abandoned factory, Veer was also tied to a chair.
Inside a nearby cabin, Veera was tied to another chair.
One man pointed a gun at Veer while another aimed at Veera.
The masked man looked at Veer coldly.
"I'll only count to ten. Tell me the secret address of RAI headquarters and save your lives."
"Ten… nine… eight… seven…"
His voice echoed throughout the abandoned building.
"Two… one…"
At the very last second, Veer finally shouted out an address.
The man immediately pulled the trigger.
Veer instinctively shut his eyes.
Click.
No bullet fired.
Slowly, Veer opened his eyes again.
To his surprise, all the kidnappers had started removing their masks. Some of them even walked forward and began untying both him and Veera.
At the same time, on Aarav's side, the countdown had already ended, yet Aarav still hadn't spoken a single word.
The masked man there also pulled the trigger.
Click.
The gun was empty.
Soon, the kidnappers there also started removing their masks one by one.
The masked man walked toward Aarav and said calmly,
"This was also a kind of test."
Then he added,
"Report to headquarters tomorrow."
Veer received the exact same instructions.
Meanwhile, inside a room at headquarters, SP Satyamurti and Venkatesh sat across from each other at the same table.
SP Satyamurti looked toward Venkatesh thoughtfully.
"So… both of them gave completely different responses."
He leaned back slightly.
"Veer chose to reveal something in order to save his sister. That's actually a healthy personality trait we require. And considering he intentionally gave a wrong address, it also shows loyalty toward us."
Then his expression became more serious.
"On the other hand, Aarav chose sacrifice. Not just his own… but even SK's."
He paused briefly.
"SK may not be as close to him as Kirti is, but still… he chose to let both die rather than reveal information."
Satyamurti sighed softly.
"That's not exactly the sign of a healthy mind."
But then he added calmly,
"A secret agent's duty is to complete the mission even at the cost of their own life. Nothing must leak."
Venkatesh nodded once before replying,
"Sure. Sacrificing yourself is understandable."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"But sacrificing your partner too?"
"I don't think Aarav is psychologically fit to become an agent."
SP Satyamurti looked at him quietly.
"He's your own son."
Venkatesh's expression didn't change at all.
"That doesn't matter to me."
"He's simply a candidate who isn't fit to become an officer."
And just like that, Venkatesh officially rejected Aarav's application.
In Aarav's hands was his personal file.
Across the front page, a large red stamp was clearly visible.
FAILED.
Aarav let out a helpless sigh.
"Can't I retake the test?"
Venkatesh answered clearly,
"No."
Aarav sighed once again before quietly leaving the office.
However, the moment he stepped outside, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Finally…"
He stretched lazily while walking toward the parking area.
"Now they'll stop thinking about recruiting me."
His bike and helmet were already waiting there.
Aarav wore the helmet, started the bike, and rode away from the headquarters.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Anamika was driving home late at night when suddenly her phone rang.
She picked up the call.
Immediately, Rukma's voice came from the other side.
"3214."
The call disconnected instantly.
Anamika frowned and immediately tried calling back.
But the phone was already out of reach.
At the same time, inside another room, Rukma removed the SIM card from his phone and snapped it into pieces before smashing the phone itself onto the ground.
But before he could react further—
Bang!
The door to his room exploded open.
Four or five armed men stormed inside and pointed pistols directly at him.
Some time later…
Rukma's lifeless body lay on the floor.
A bullet hole pierced through his forehead while blood slowly spread across the ground beneath him.
Nearby, a man wearing a black three-piece suit sat calmly on a sofa while smoking a cigar.
After exhaling a cloud of smoke, he spoke in a deep voice,
"Any idea where he might've hidden the key?"
It was Kaal.
The same terrifying man obsessed with obtaining the mysterious gem.
One of his men stepped forward while holding a tablet.
"Boss, these are his call records."
He pointed at the screen.
"Before destroying the SIM card… the last number he contacted was this one."
Aarav POV
The cold night wind rushed past as Aarav sped across the highway on his bike, the city lights stretching into blurry streaks around him. His expression remained indifferent, almost bored, until a familiar voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
"Young Master…"
Aarav slowed the bike at once.
The tires scraped softly against the roadside as he parked near the edge of the highway, removing one hand from the handle before mentally replying through telepathy.
"Vanshika?"
A faint pause followed.
Then her voice returned, quieter than usual.
"Young Master… I have a request."
Aarav raised a brow.
That alone was surprising.
Vanshika asking for help?
The same woman who once viewed emotions as weakness?
"A request?" he asked lazily. "That's unexpected."
Her tone grew serious.
"To become the Hell Queen, I made enemies of the Hell Lord. I do not fear for myself… but I fear he may send servants after my daughter."
Aarav chuckled softly.
"Interesting."
His voice carried faint amusement.
"Never thought I'd hear concern from the same Vanshika who once tried using her daughter for her own plans."
A tired sigh echoed from her side.
"Maybe your influence changed something. Maybe time did. I don't know."
She paused.
"My son never awakened demonic power, so the Hell Lord doesn't know about him. But Anya…"
Her tone lowered.
"She carries my abilities. He can find her."
Aarav leaned against the bike, staring into the dark road.
"Anya is strong," he replied casually. "You worry too much."
Then came the sentence that almost made him choke.
"Please protect her."
A pause.
"In return… I offer my daughter as your bride."
Silence.
Aarav blinked.
Then frowned.
"…Do I seriously look that easy to tempt?"
His expression twisted into disbelief.
"What exactly do you think I am?"
Without hesitation, Vanshika replied:
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then, mercilessly—
"And Anya is now your responsibility."
The connection cut.
Aarav stared blankly at the empty highway.
Then rubbed his forehead.
"At this point, I genuinely can't tell who's the servant anymore."
Still…
One sentence lingered in his mind.
Hell Lord. Demonic servants.
That sounded troublesome.
And troublesome things always found him.
---
Anya POV — English Web Novel Style
Inside a luxurious five-star hotel suite, soft city lights spilled through glass walls.
Anya sat near the bed, laptop open, calmly checking account reports.
The room was silent.
Until—
Ding.
The doorbell rang.
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
At this hour?
Without hesitation, she shut the laptop.
Her hand reached beneath the nearby table.
Cold metal met her fingers.
A gun.
Efficient movements.
Magazine checked.
Slide pulled.
Finger resting near the trigger.
Silent steps carried her toward the door.
She pressed the intercom button.
"Who is this?"
A familiar voice answered.
Lazy.
Annoyingly casual.
"Your young boss."
Anya blinked.
Then sighed.
Of course.
She unlocked the door.
The moment it opened, Aarav walked in carrying a helmet, glancing around with mild appreciation.
"Wow," he muttered. "Your family is ridiculously rich."
Without waiting for permission, he casually placed the helmet aside, washed up, and collapsed onto the bed like he owned the room.
Eyes closed.
Comfortable.
Completely shameless.
A vein twitched near Anya's forehead.
She crossed her arms.
"Ahem."
Aarav lazily opened one eye.
Above him stood Anya, staring with visible irritation.
"This," she said flatly, "is terrible manners."
Her brows furrowed.
"Who enters a girl's room and immediately steals her bed?"
Aarav sat up slowly.
"Not exactly my first choice," he replied. "Your mother requested something."
He looked oddly annoyed.
"…And somehow that involved making me responsible for you."
Anya froze.
"What?"
He shrugged.
"Apparently, I'm your bodyguard now."
Her expression darkened immediately.
Naturally, she checked through telepathy.
And unfortunately—
Her mother confirmed everything.
When Anya looked back at Aarav, irritation filled her face.
"I don't need protection."
"Request denied," Aarav replied instantly.
The argument that followed stretched late into the night.
Sharp remarks.
Mocking comments.
Endless bickering.
Yet strangely—
Neither of them left.
At some point, exhaustion replaced hostility.
The room finally fell quiet.
Not because they agreed.
But because neither wanted to admit the other had become… oddly difficult to ignore.
Anya crossed her arms, irritation flashing across her face.
"Take this servant nonsense somewhere else," she said coldly. "Maybe I'm bound by your spell, but don't mistake that for trust. And seriously—how can you take the bed while expecting a girl to sleep on the couch?"
Aarav rolled his eyes.
"Then sleep on the bed," he replied casually. "I seriously don't know why I ended up with such a rebellious servant."
Without another word, he grabbed a pillow and blanket and moved toward the sofa.
Anya stared for a second.
For some reason, that annoyed her even more.
She climbed onto the bed with an irritated sigh, pulling the blanket over herself.
But after a moment, she glanced toward him again.
"The problem isn't me," she muttered. "It's you."
Aarav clicked his tongue.
"You really don't understand, do you?" he said, voice hardening slightly. "Do you even know who the Hell Lord is? What kind of power he has?"
Anya didn't flinch.
"I'm not scared of him."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"And stop using him as an excuse to stay close to me."
Aarav scoffed.
"Trust me, getting close to you wasn't exactly my life goal."
That instantly lit a spark in Anya's eyes.
"Or maybe," she said with a teasing smile, "you're just bad at dealing with people."
She dramatically placed a hand near her chin like she had uncovered some grand mystery.
"Should I be worried that the so-called lion is actually just scared?"
Aarav's expression darkened.
His voice dropped lower.
"Careful."
He leaned back slightly, gaze steady.
"Don't poke a sleeping lion."
Anya smirked immediately.
"Sleeping lion?"
She tilted her head.
"More like a wet cat."
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
An unseen force suddenly lifted her.
"What—?!"
Before she could react, telekinesis pulled her toward the sofa.
She landed awkwardly near him, startled.
Aarav folded his arms, expression unreadable.
"Still think I'm harmless?"
The teasing edge in his voice remained, but there was also warning beneath it.
For the first time that night, Anya hesitated.
Then she narrowed her eyes again.
Instead of backing down—
She laughed.
"So dramatic."
The tension broke.
Moments later, the argument somehow turned quieter.
Still full of sarcasm.
Still full of challenges.
Yet strangely lighter than before.
Neither admitted it aloud, but something had shifted.
The hostility between them no longer felt simple.
Somewhere between arguments, teasing, and stubborn pride—
An unfamiliar closeness had quietly begun forming.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
The room fell silent.
Aarav sat there longer than expected, oddly distracted.
For someone who had crossed countless worlds, emotions had become distant things—muted, buried beneath memory and survival.
Yet tonight felt… different.
Annoyance.
Concern.
Curiosity.
Feelings he had long stopped noticing.
Across from him, Anya stole a glance his way before quickly looking elsewhere.
She didn't understand it either.
But for the first time—
The silence between them no longer felt uncomfortable.
And sometime before dawn, both drifted into sleep beneath the same quiet night, carrying thoughts neither fully understood.
---
Next Morning — Dual POV
Morning sunlight slipped into the room.
Silence.
Awkward.
Unfamiliar.
Neither knew what to say.
Aarav looked unusually distracted.
Something about last night unsettled him.
For someone who had crossed countless worlds and buried emotions beneath countless lives—
Feeling anything felt strange.
Especially anger.
Especially confusion.
Especially attachment.
Across from him, Anya looked equally conflicted.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"Let's start over."
She extended her hand.
Her voice softened slightly.
"We met as enemies. Then master and servant. Then reluctant allies."
A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
"Maybe we should stop complicating things."
She looked away briefly.
Then back at him.
"…Friends?"
Aarav stared at the offered hand.
Curious.
Suspicious.
Confused.
Yet—
He shook it.
"Friends."
Anya secretly let out a breath of relief.
Was she sincere?
Was Aarav planning something?
Neither side truly knew.
But for the first time—
Their story felt like it was beginning again.