"Time…"
Anmol ne dheere se apne aap se kaha—
"00:02:17"
Sirf 2 minute 17 second hi hue the…
aur uski body already limit feel kar rahi thi।
Usne apni saanse control ki—
"Calm… warna khatam…"
Usne aankhen band ki ek second ke liye—
aur phir kholi।
Is baar—
wo sirf dekh nahi raha tha…
observe kar raha tha।
Entity phir se gayab thi।
Lekin iss baar—
Anmol ne move nahi kiya।
Wo bas khada raha…
bilkul still।
Jaise wo wait kar raha ho।
Hawa me ek halka sa vibration feel hua—
"Left… upar…"
WHOOSH!
Attack aaya।
Lekin—
Anmol pehle hi side step kar chuka tha।
Usne counter nahi kiya।
Sirf… dodge।
Entity ka attack hawa me gaya।
Wo ruk gayi।
Head tilt।
Jaise confuse ho gayi ho।
Anmol ke lips par halka sa smile aaya—
"Got you…"
Usne dheere se kaha—
"Tu copy karta hai…"
Silence।
Entity bilkul still ho gayi।
Phir—
usne wahi movement repeat kiya jo Anmol ne abhi kiya tha—
Side step. Pause. Turn.
Anmol ki aankhon me shine aayi।
"Delay…"
"Exactly 1 second ka delay…"
Uska dimaag instantly calculations me chala gaya।
Attack pattern
Reaction delay
Movement copy
"Matlab…"
"Tu sochta nahi…"
"Tu sirf repeat karta hai…"
Entity ne achanak attack kiya—
is baar fast।
Lekin—
Anmol already move kar chuka tha।
Ek smooth dodge।
Phir dusra।
Phir teesra।
Ab wo fight nahi kar raha tha—
wo dance kar raha tha।
Har move calculated।
Har step planned।
"00:04:51"
Time badh raha tha।
Lekin—
Anmol ka confidence bhi।
"Ab game clear hai…"
Usne socha—
"Main jitna unpredictable honga…"
"Tu utna hi useless ho jayega।"
Anmol achanak seedha uski taraf dash kiya—
Entity ne turant same move copy kiya—
1 second delay ke saath।
Yahi moment tha।
Anmol last second par ruk gaya।
Entity—
ruk nahi paayi।
BAM!
Wo seedha peeche ke electric pole se takra gayi।
Sparks udi।
Current flicker hua।
Anmol ne chance dekha—
aur turant ek stone uthaya।
Usne full force se pole par maara—
CRACK!
Wire loose ho gaya—
aur ek spark entity ke body se touch hua।
ZZZTTT—
Entity ek second ke liye freeze ho gayi।
Body twitch hui।
"Ye feel karta hai…"
Anmol ne turant note kiya।
"Pain nahi…"
"Interference…"
"00:06:12"
Half time cross।
Anmol heavy breathing kar raha tha।
Lekin—
uski aankhon me ab fear nahi tha।
Sirf calculation।
Entity dheere dheere wapas khadi hui।
Is baar—
uska movement thoda unstable tha।
Jaise system glitch kar raha ho।
Phir—
usne seedha Anmol ki taraf dekha—
aur bola—
"Learning…"
Anmol freeze ho gaya।
"Ye… evolve kar raha hai?"
Next second—
Entity ne ek aisa move kiya—
jo usne pehle kabhi nahi kiya tha।
Fake step.
Anmol ka dimaag ek second ke liye blank—
"Ye toh…"
Late reaction।
THUD!
Entity ka punch uske chest par laga।
Anmol peeche slide hua—
saans ruk gayi ek second ke liye।
"Shit…"
Wo ghutno par aa gaya।
"Ab ye copy nahi kar raha…"
"Ye seekh raha hai…"
"00:07:40"
Sirf 2 minute 20 second bache the।
Body damage ho chuki thi।
Speed kam ho rahi thi।
Anmol dheere se khada hua।
Usne apni blood wipe ki।
Aur halka sa hasa—
"Ab maza aayega…"
"Tu seekh raha hai…?"
"Toh main tujhe galat cheezein sikhaunga…"
Usne apni stance change ki—
completely different।
Erratic।
Unpredictable।
Random movements।
Jaise koi pattern hi nahi।
Entity ne copy karne ki koshish ki—
lekin—
glitch hone laga।
Steps mismatch।
Timing break।
Anmol ne chance dekha—
aur full speed me ek risky move liya—
wo seedha uske paas gaya—
aur uske kaan ke paas dheere se bola—
"System ka part nahi hai na tu…?"
Entity ek second ke liye freeze।
Yahi moment tha।
Anmol ne usse push kiya—
seedha road ke beech।
Us waqt—
door se ek truck aa raha tha।
High speed।
Horn—
PAAAAAAANNN!!
Entity ne react karne ki koshish ki—
lekin—
delay।
Glitch।
"00:09:32"
Anmol peeche hata—
uski aankhen sirf timer par thi।
CRASH!!!
Truck seedha entity se takraya।
Impact massive tha।
Road par dhool aur awaaz phail gayi।
Silence।
"00:09:58"
"00:09:59"
"00:10:00"
TING.
System activate hua—
"Trial Complete."
Anmol wahi khada tha।
Saans heavy।
Body injured।
Lekin—
zinda।
Usne dheere se truck ki taraf dekha—
"Finish ho gaya…?"
Dust dheere dheere settle hui।
Aur uske andar se—
ek shadow hilti hui dikhi।
Anmol ki aankhen wide ho gayi—
"Impossible…"
Us shadow ne dheere se apna head uthaya—
aur is baar—
uski awaaz bilkul clear thi—
"Good… player…"
Anmol ka heartbeat ruk gaya।
"Reward… granted…"
Screen flash hui—
"System Access: Partially Unlocked."
Anmol ke face par shock aur curiosity dono the—
"Ye trial tha…"
"Ya… introduction?"
Aur us moment—
uske phone par fir ek message aaya—
"Now you are visible."Game tab dangerous nahi hota jab enemies strong ho…
Anmol dheere se muskuraya—
lekin us smile me excitement nahi tha…
sirf ek realization tha
"Ab asli game start hua hai…"
"You have been marked."
Anmol ne apne haath par glowing symbol dekha—
aur uska dil ek second ke liye ruk gaya।
Andhere me kai aankhen ek saath khul gayiं—
ab wo sirf player nahi… shikaar ban chuka tha।