Kavya froze.
Her breath stopped halfway.
The figure stepped forward, out of the shadows.
"Relax," he said calmly. "If I wanted to hurt you… I wouldn't be standing here talking."
Kavya's heart pounded violently.
"Inspector… Dev," she said slowly.
He gave a slight nod.
"Good. You remember me."
Kavya didn't move.
Didn't relax.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Dev Singh looked at the gate behind her.
Then back at her.
"Waiting," he said simply.
"For me?" she asked.
"Yes."
Silence.
Kavya's mind raced.
Aarav's words echoed—
Don't trust anyone.
That included him.
"Why?" she asked carefully.
Dev studied her.
"Because you're important now."
Her chest tightened.
"Important to who?" she said.
A pause.
Then—
"To both sides."
That answer didn't help.
Kavya took a small step back.
"I don't understand what you're saying."
Dev sighed lightly.
"I know."
Another pause.
Then—
"You saw the files, didn't you?"
Kavya's eyes widened.
"How do you—"
"I told you," he interrupted calmly.
"You're being watched."
Her heartbeat spiked again.
"So are you one of them?" she asked.
Dev didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He asked something else.
"Do you trust Aarav?"
Kavya blinked.
"What?"
"Answer the question," Dev said.
Kavya hesitated.
Then—
"Yes."
Dev nodded slowly.
"Good," he said.
That confused her even more.
"Why does that matter?" she asked.
Dev stepped closer.
"Because this," he said quietly,
"…is bigger than just him."
A pause.
"Bigger than you."
Kavya swallowed.
"Then explain it to me," she said.
Dev looked at her for a long moment.
Like he was deciding something.
Then—
He spoke.
"This isn't just a random network," he said.
Kavya listened carefully.
"It's structured. Organized. Hidden in plain sight."
Her mind flashed back—
The symbol.
The files.
The college itself.
"They operate through institutions," Dev continued.
"Schools. Offices. Systems people trust."
A chill ran down her spine.
"So the college…" she whispered.
"Yes," Dev said.
Silence.
Kavya's thoughts spun wildly.
"And Aarav?" she asked.
Dev's expression shifted slightly.
"He's been on their radar for years."
Her breath caught.
"Because of his father?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"But also because he didn't stop looking."
Kavya looked down for a second.
Then back up.
"What about Raghav?" she asked.
Dev's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Raghav is…" he paused,
"…complicated."
"That's not an answer," Kavya said.
"It's the only one I can give right now."
Kavya clenched her fists.
"I'm tired of half-truths," she said.
Dev gave a faint smile.
"Then you're in the wrong story."
That hit harder than expected.
Suddenly—
A phone rang.
Dev's phone.
He glanced at it.
His expression changed instantly.
Serious.
Urgent.
"They're moving faster than I thought," he muttered.
Kavya's heart raced again.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
Dev looked at her.
"It means," he said,
"…you're not safe here anymore."
"I already figured that out," she replied.
Dev almost smiled.
"Good."
Then—
He stepped aside.
"There's a car waiting outside," he said.
Kavya froze.
"What?"
"If you want to stay alive," he continued,
"you'll get in."
Her mind immediately reacted.
"No."
Dev raised an eyebrow.
"No?" he repeated.
"I'm not going anywhere without Aarav," she said firmly.
Dev studied her.
"That's not how this works."
"That's exactly how this works," she replied.
Silence.
Then—
Dev sighed.
"You're stubborn," he said.
"I've been told that."
Another pause.
Then—
Dev said something unexpected.
"Fine."
Kavya blinked.
"What?"
"We get him," Dev said.
Her heart jumped.
"You know where he is?"
Dev nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Meanwhile—
Back inside the campus—
Aarav stood still.
The three men surrounded him.
Silent.
Waiting.
"You should've run with her," one of them said.
Aarav didn't respond.
"You can't win this," another added.
Aarav's expression didn't change.
"I'm not trying to win," he said quietly.
A pause.
"Then what are you trying to do?" the man asked.
Aarav looked at them.
And for a moment—
Something dangerous flickered in his eyes again.
"Delay you."
Before they could react—
Aarav moved.
Fast.
A fight broke out.
Sharp.
Precise.
He wasn't stronger—
But he was smarter.
Every move calculated.
Every second bought.
Back at the gate—
Kavya looked at Dev.
"Hurry," she said.
Dev nodded.
They moved quickly toward the road.
A black car waited there.
Engine running.
Kavya hesitated for a split second.
This felt wrong.
Everything felt wrong.
But one thing was clear—
Aarav was in danger.
And she wasn't leaving him behind.
As they got into the car—
Dev looked ahead.
His voice calm.
But his words—
Deadly.
"Now," he said,
"…the real game begins."