Kadam ki awaaz…
bilkul uske peeche।
Anmol ka body instantly react kar gaya।
Wo bina mudhe ek step side me slide hua—
SWISH!
Kuch uske paas se hawa kaat-te hue nikla।
Agar wo ek second late hota…
toh shayad abhi zameen par hota।
Anmol dheere se mudha।
Andhera ghana tha…
lekin uski aankhen ab adjust ho chuki thi।
Wahan…
ek figure khada tha।
Normal insaan jaisa…
lekin kuch alag।
Uska chehra shadow me chhupa hua tha,
aur uski body bilkul still।
"Tu… Player hai?"
Anmol ne seedha poocha।
Koi jawab nahi।
Sirf ek halki si distorted awaaz—
jaise do awaazein ek saath bol rahi ho—
"Run…"
Anmol ki aankhen sikud gayi।
"Same message…?"
Usne turant calculate kiya—
Unknown number
Same warning
Aur ab… ye entity
"Matlab… ya toh ye mujhe bachana chahta hai…"
"Ya phir…"
"Ye mujhe darana chahta hai।"
Anmol ne apni stance adjust ki।
"Main nahi bhagunga।"
Ek second ka silence।
Phir—
CRACK.
Wo figure achanak jhatke se hil gaya।
Jaise uski body ke andar kuch toot raha ho।
Anmol ka heartbeat fast hua—
"Ye normal nahi hai…"
Agla second—
BOOM!
Wo entity seedha Anmol ki taraf dash ki।
Speed…
insane thi।
Anmol ne turant react kiya—
side step + counter punch—
THUD!
Uska punch entity ke shoulder par laga…
lekin—
"kuch feel hi nahi hua…?"
Jaise usne hawa ko hit kiya ho।
Entity ne turant uska wrist pakad liya।
Grip…
inhuman tha।
Anmol ke face par pehli baar strain dikha।
"Strength… is level ki…?"
Usne turant apna body weight drop kiya—
aur ek sharp twist ke saath apna haath chhudaya।
Backstep।
Distance create।
"Ye fight normal nahi hai…"
TING.
System activate hua—
"Warning: Unknown Entity Detected."
"Classification: ERROR"
"Threat Level: ???"
Anmol freeze ho gaya।
"Error…?"
"System bhi ise identify nahi kar pa raha…?"
Uski aankhon me ek nayi seriousness aa gayi।
"Matlab…"
"Ye system ke rules me nahi aata…"
Entity dheere dheere seedha khada ho gaya।
Uska head thoda tilt hua—
jaise wo Anmol ko study kar raha ho।
Phir—
ek creepy si smile uske face par aayi।
"Found… you…"
Anmol ka heartbeat ek second ke liye skip hua।
"IT…?"
Uske dimaag me message flash hua—
Run… before it finds you.
"Too late…"
Anmol ne dheere se kaha।
Phir usne apni mutthi band ki।
"Toh… ab bhagna option nahi hai।"
Uski aankhon me wohi cold calculation wapas aa gayi।
"Fight… ya die।"
Next moment—
wo khud dash kiya।
CLASH!
Is baar dono takra gaye—
force itni strong thi ki aas-paas ki hawa hil gayi।
Anmol ne rapid strikes start kiye—
Punch
Elbow
Knee
Har hit precise tha—
lekin entity…
react hi nahi kar rahi thi।
Jaise pain exist hi nahi karta uske liye।
"Problem ye hai…"
Anmol ne socha—
"Ye feel nahi karta…"
"Matlab… isse rokne ka tareeka alag hoga…"
Entity ne achanak uska collar pakda—
aur use hawa me utha diya।
"Shit—!"
Agla second—
BAM!
Anmol seedha road par gira।
Uske muh se halki si blood ki taste aayi।
Body me pain shoot hua—
lekin usne turant uthne ki koshish ki।
"Abhi nahi…"
"Abhi girna mana hai…"
Entity dheere dheere uski taraf badh rahi thi।
Har kadam…
heavy।
Jaise maut chal kar aa rahi ho।
TING.
System flicker hua—
jaise struggle kar raha ho।
Phir ek broken message aaya—
"Trial… Condition… Updated…"
"Survive… 10 minutes…"
Anmol ki aankhen wide ho gayi।
"Bas… survive?"
Usne turant time check kiya—
00:01
"9 minutes 59 seconds…"
Usne ek gehri saans li।
Phir…
wo halka sa hasa।
"Toh… game ye hai…"
"Jeetna nahi…"
"Zinda rehna।"
Usne apni stance fir se set ki।
Body pain me thi…
lekin mind crystal clear।
"10 minutes…"
"Main tujhe handle kar lunga।"
Entity ruk gayi।
Jaise usne ye suna ho।
Phir—
wo dheere se bola—
"Try…"
Aur next second—
wo phir se vanish ho gaya।
Anmol ki aankhen shock me expand hui—
"Disappea—"
WHOOSH!
Is baar attack upar se aaya।
Anmol ne bas last moment par apne haath upar kiye—
CRASH!!
Impact itna strong tha ki wo ghutno par aa gaya।
Ground crack ho gaya।
"Time… tick kar raha hai…"
Anmol ne apne aap se kaha—
"Har second… important hai…"
Usne upar dekha—
Entity bilkul paas thi।
Aur uski aankhon me—
ek hi cheez thi—
Hunger.
Cliffhanger:
Anmol ne pehli baar realize kiya—
"Ye sirf Trial nahi hai…"
"Ye shikaar hai…"
Aur wo—
Shikaar ban chuka hai।