12:00 AM – Midnight Warning
The forest was silent.
But not still.
High in the trees surrounding the base, tiny blinking red lights appeared. Cameras.
Hidden.
Watching.
A small drone zipped silently through the branches, capturing the safehouse perimeter.
Inside, Ayush sat alone on the rooftop, eyes scanning the darkness. His instincts screamed.
He pulled out the walkie-talkie.
Ayush (quietly):"Everyone, up. Something's wrong."
Inside the house, everyone stirred. No screams. No panic.
Just swift movement. Silent prepping. It wasn't fear anymore — it was instinct.
12:10 AM – The Perimeter Check
Shivam, Kartik, and Suraj slipped outside with Ayush, checking every inch of the ground.
They found it.
A fresh bootprint. Large. Heavy. Not theirs.
Suraj (tense):"Ten minutes old, max. Someone's been circling us."
Ayush picked up a broken twig — still moist. Fresh break.
He looked at Shivam.
Ayush (low voice):"Sound the inner alarm. Quietly."
12:30 AM – Traps Are Triggered
The group waited inside. Weapons in hand. Heartbeats loud. Sweat on brows.
Then— snap.
A wire trap flung into action outside. Then another. And another.
Boom.
One of the homemade explosives lit up the outer fence. Screams. Two men outside. Burned. Crying.
The group rushed to the windows.
Ananya:"They're here."
12:35 AM – Attack Begins
Silhouettes began charging from the darkness — ten... no, fifteen of them.
Armed. Fast. Not zombies. Humans. Scorchers.
Ayush, Kartik, Shivam, and Suraj took positions at the windows and doors.
Ayush (to Kartik):"Suppressing fire. Keep them off the porch!"
Suraj (to Shivam):"Don't let them flank us on the left!"
They opened fire with handmade rifles and crossbows. Screams filled the night.
The group inside held their ground — defending their home like warriors.
12:50 AM – Inside Breach
A loud crash — the back window shattered. Two attackers poured in.
Niyati and Sanaa stood their ground.
Sanaa (gritting teeth):"You picked the wrong house."
She stabbed one man straight through the shoulder. Niyati slammed a chair into the other's head.
Ananya (from the hall):"They're breaking in! Everyone to the center hall!"
1:00 AM – Turn of the Tide
Ayush burst back into the house, dragging a wounded Kartik behind him.
Ayush:"They've got more men coming. A second wave."
Shivam (panting):"Then we hit first. Hard."
Suraj ran in from the front.
Suraj:"There's a fuel can near the garage. We can trap the second wave."
Ayush:"Good. Let's torch them."
They laid out the trap, lured the second wave toward it…
And boom.
Flames lit up the entire forest line. Screams echoed as the Scorchers were consumed in fire.
1:45 AM – Silence Again
Burnt bodies. Smoldering branches.
The Scorchers fled.
The group stood, breathing heavily. Battered. Bruised. But alive.
Ananya (looking at Ayush):"This isn't random anymore. They know who we are."
Ayush (darkly):"They're watching. Planning. And if we don't strike back... they'll keep coming."
2:15 AM – Message for the Enemy
Ayush dragged one of the scorched bodies to the clearing.
With a hunting knife, he carved a message into a wooden sign.
"Try again. We'll bury more."
He placed it in the middle of the forest trail. Visible. A warning.
3:00 AM – Sanaa's Breakdown
Later that night, while everyone rested, Sanaa sat beside Kartik, who had a deep wound across his back.
She cleaned it silently… but her hands were shaking.
Sanaa (softly):"You promised me. No more missions. No more pain."
Kartik (eyes barely open):"I didn't think they'd come so soon…"
Sanaa:"I thought I'd lost you again tonight…"
She leaned her forehead against his.
Sanaa (whispers):"I'm pregnant, Kartik…"
Kartik's eyes fluttered open. Shock. Fear. Joy. All at once.
Kartik (hoarse):"We're gonna have… a baby?"
She nodded silently. A tear rolled down her cheek.
Sanaa:"So come back home alive. Always."
4:00 AM – Rooftop Reflections
Ayush and Suraj sat on the roof again, watching the stars fade into the coming dawn.
Ayush (quiet):"They're testing us. Learning our defense. We won tonight, but not for long."
Suraj:"Then we strike before they do. Take the fight to them."
Ayush (nodding):"Tomorrow, we hunt."
END OF EPISODE 11
On the wall, Ayush carved:
"No more running. Tomorrow, we burn their world down."