The first light of dawn spilt across Delhi.
Golden sunlight touched the rooftops, washing away the terror of the night.
But inside the black SUV, no one felt relief.
Rohan kept both hands tight on the steering wheel, his face pale and exhausted.
The cracked windscreen let in the cool morning air.
The city outside was beginning to wake.
Tea stalls reopened.
Street vendors arranged their carts.
Office workers moved through the streets.
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
As if the world had no idea that people from the future were hunting them.
Aarav leaned back in his seat and glanced at Aelina.
She sat beside him in silence, his jacket still draped over her shoulders.
Her silver hair caught the morning light, almost glowing.
The wound on her shoulder had mostly healed.
Only a faint red line remained.
Rohan looked at them through the rearview mirror.
"I'm asking one last time."
He took a deep breath.
"Who is she?"
Aarav and Aelina exchanged a glance.
Then Aarav sighed.
"She's from the future."
Rohan was silent for three seconds.
Then—
"Bro, at least lie better."
Aelina turned calmly toward him.
"My designation is AELINA-500."
Rohan blinked.
"…That doesn't help."
"I was born in the year 2526."
This time the silence lasted longer.
Rohan looked from the road to the mirror, then back again.
"…You're serious."
Aarav nodded.
Rohan let out a slow breath.
"Of course this happens to you."
Even in the middle of chaos, Aarav almost smiled.
That was exactly how Rohan was.
The kind of friend who accepted insanity first and questioned it later.
Aelina's holographic interface flickered into existence above her palm.
The Tokyo signal pulsed red.
SECOND UNIT: MIRA-700
RETRIEVAL COUNTDOWN: 05:32:16
Aarav leaned closer.
"So we have five hours."
Aelina nodded.
"The Hunters will reach her vault before then."
Rohan frowned.
"Then why are we still driving around Delhi?"
Aarav looked at him.
"We need to get to the airport."
Rohan gave him a look.
"You think they'll just let us board a normal flight after whatever happened last night?"
Aelina answered before Aarav could.
"They won't."
Both boys turned to her.
She zoomed the holographic map outward.
Delhi Airport.
One section flashed blue.
PRIVATE TERMINAL — SECURE ACCESS
Aarav frowned.
"What is that?"
Aelina's expression became thoughtful.
"The underground lab beneath your mansion was not isolated."
Her glowing eyes met his.
"It was part of a global temporal containment network."
Aarav stared.
"So there are more hidden facilities?"
"Yes."
She highlighted a path on the map.
"One of the secure terminals still has access to legacy transport routes."
Rohan raised an eyebrow.
"You're telling me there's a secret future-backed airport route in Delhi?"
Aelina looked at him.
"In simplified terms… yes."
Rohan shook his head.
"I need coffee."
An hour later, the SUV pulled into a restricted service road near the far side of the airport.
The area looked abandoned.
No passengers.
No visible security.
Only a chain-link gate and a weathered building marked as Maintenance Zone C.
Aarav stepped out first.
The early morning air smelt of jet fuel and rain.
Aelina followed, scanning the area.
Rohan came last, still holding a cup of tea he had somehow insisted on buying.
"I'm still not over this."
Aelina approached the rusted gate.
She pressed her hand against a seemingly blank section of metal.
Blue light spread beneath her fingers.
A hidden scanner activated.
The gate unlocked with a soft hiss.
Rohan stared.
"…I'm definitely not over this."
They entered the building.
Inside, it was far larger than it looked from outside.
Dim lights flickered on.
Old equipment lined the walls.
At the far end stood an elevator.
No buttons.
Only a glowing handprint panel.
Aelina placed her palm against it.
The elevator doors opened.
The three stepped inside.
The doors closed.
Then the floor began descending.
Far deeper than any airport basement should go.
Aarav looked at Aelina.
"How many secrets are hidden beneath this city?"
She answered quietly.
"More than your world is ready to know."
The elevator finally stopped.
The doors slid open.
Aarav's breath caught.
A hidden underground hangar stretched before them.
Massive.
Metallic.
Silent.
At its centre stood a sleek silver aircraft unlike anything he had ever seen.
No visible windows.
Smooth aerodynamic body.
Blue light pulsing along its wings.
It looked like a fusion of jet and spacecraft.
7
Rohan slowly lowered his tea cup.
"…Nope."
Aarav stared.
"What is that?"
Aelina's expression was calm.
"A temporal stealth transport."
Rohan looked ready to faint.
Aarav gave up trying to understand the names.
"Can it get us to Tokyo?"
"Yes."
"How fast?"
Aelina looked at the aircraft.
"Forty-seven minutes."
Silence.
Rohan finally spoke.
"…Commercial airlines are officially useless."
Before anyone could move, the hangar lights suddenly flashed red.
A warning tone echoed.
UNAUTHORIZED TRACKING SIGNAL DETECTED
Aelina's face hardened.
"They found this terminal."
The giant doors above the hangar began opening.
Red drones descended from the ceiling.
At least ten.
Their central lenses glowed crimson.
Rohan stepped back.
"Why do they always show up dramatically?!"
Aarav clenched his fists.
"Can you fly that thing?"
Aelina looked at him.
"Yes."
He pointed at the aircraft.
"Then go!"
The drones opened fire.
Red beams streaked across the hangar.
Aarav and Rohan ducked behind a metal crate.
Aelina sprinted toward the aircraft.
Her silver hair flashed like moonlight under the red warning lights.
One drone swooped toward her.
She leaped upward.
A blue energy blade formed in her hand.
With one clean motion—
SLASH!
The drone split in half.
Sparks rained across the floor.
Rohan peeked out.
"…I'm never skipping gym again."
Aarav grabbed him.
"Move!"
They ran for the aircraft.
More drones descended.
Energy blasts exploded behind them.
The aircraft door slid open automatically as Aelina reached it.
She turned and extended her hand.
"Aarav!"
He grabbed it.
Rohan jumped in right behind him.
The door sealed shut.
Inside, the cockpit glowed with blue holographic controls.
Aelina took the pilot seat.
Her fingers moved across floating interfaces.
The aircraft hummed to life.
Outside, the drones converged.
Aarav's heart pounded.
"Please tell me this thing has weapons."
Aelina's lips curved faintly.
"It does."
The engines roared.
The aircraft shot upward.
Straight through the opening hangar doors.
Into the Delhi morning sky.
Tokyo awaited.
And somewhere beneath its streets—
Mira was still fighting alone.