# CHAPTER 10:- A NEW WEAPON
Kavya Chandan stood in the center of the armory, surrounded by a breathtaking array of weapons.
Weapons of every kind surrounded her—laser swords, plasma rifles, sleek handguns—each pulsing with deadly promise.
It was like stepping into a war museum… except everything here was very real, and very ready to kill.
Rox's eyes lit up as he darted forward like a kid in a candy store.
"Ooh! Is this new?" he asked excitedly, grabbing a long, black rifle off the wall. The weapon was smooth, futuristic—its sleek body etched with glowing purple veins that pulsed faintly when he brushed the trigger.
Kavya eyes were fixed on the racks. Quiet, focused, almost reverent.
She moved deeper into the room, slowly passing each row of weapons. Her fingers hovered near the hilts and handles—but didn't touch. Not yet.
She wasn't after flash—she was listening for a call.
Kavya walked slowly through the armory, her eyes scanning each weapon meticulously.
Her fingers brushed lightly over the hilt of a sword, the coolness of the metal grounding her in the moment. Every weapon here was an art piece, each one designed for purpose, power, and precision. Yet none of them felt right. Not yet.
Suddenly, her gaze shifted.
In the far corner of the room, just out of the way, a table caught her eye. Something about it seemed different—something that drew her in.
She moved toward it, the clattering and excited noises of Rox echoing faintly behind her. He was jumping from one weapon to another, his laughter filling the room, his eyes gleaming like a child in a toy store.
"Look at this, Kavya! This is insane! Oh, wait, this one—" His voice faded as he bounced around in excitement, clearly lost in his own world.
Kavya, however, was focused.
She reached the table, and there it was—a staff. Sleek, sturdy, and radiating a quiet power that hummed beneath her fingertips. Its surface shimmered with a metallic sheen, and its design was simple yet striking.
Kavya picked it up gently, feeling the weight of it. It was perfect—balanced, powerful, and it fit.
She turned towards Hexa, raising the staff with a calm, confident smile.
"Hey, I'm taking this."
Hexa turned toward Kavya with a soft smile, but the moment her eyes landed on the staff—her expression froze.
Kavya held the weapon with both hands, her face glowing with joy, her posture brimming with confidence. The red-and-blue staff seemed to suit her perfectly, almost like it had been made for her.
Hexa hesitated, her voice faltering.
"Ahh… that's—"
She stopped herself.
"That's my grandfather's last invention… the only thing I have left of him."
The thought echoed in her mind like a whisper from the past.
Her gaze lingered on Kavya, who stood there completely absorbed in the moment, admiring the staff with awe.
Hexa's expression softened. A quiet smile returned to her lips.
"It's fine. If she keeps it, I'll remember Grandpa every time I see her..."
She chuckled softly to herself.
Rox, noticing her sudden change in mood, tilted his head.
"Hey… you okay? What's with all the smiling out of nowhere?"
Hexa snapped out of it and quickly adjusted her face into a more serious expression.
"Nothing," she said, waving it off. She turned to Kavya.
"You can keep it. Here—press the button on the top."
Kavya clicked it.
With a soft mechanical hum, the staff shrank down—its long frame compressing smoothly until it reached just above her waist. It was now easier to carry, light and compact.
"See?" Hexa said, placing her hands on her hips with pride.
"You can expand or shrink it anytime. Keep it with you—it suits you more than any other weapon in any world, I can tell just by looking at you."
Kavya beamed with pride. She carefully tucked the shortened staff into the belt at her waist, her expression full of gratitude.
It wasn't just a weapon now.
It meant something.
Hexa moved toward Rox, arms crossed, a smirk forming on her face.
"Hey, monkey," she said teasingly, "go pick something for yourself too. Something you actually like."
Rox's eyes lit up like a child in a candy shop—literally.
His pupils seemed to sparkle with stars as he jumped a little on the spot.
"Really? You're the best!"
He sprinted across the room to the rifle section, his boots skidding slightly on the polished floor. His hands hovered briefly over the rows of laser rifles, but he already knew what he wanted.
"This one!" he exclaimed, grabbing a long, black rifle lined with faint purple veins that pulsed softly with energy. It was the same one he had spotted earlier.
"I'm taking this. This baby's a Mark-5 Pulse Repeater—old, but hits harder than anything new."
Hexa chuckled and waved a hand without even turning around.
"Yeah, yeah, take whatever you want. Just don't blow a hole in my ceiling again."
As Rox admired the rifle in his hands, Hexa walked back toward Kavya, brushing past a rack of glowing silver blades. Her tone shifted slightly—less teasing, more thoughtful.
"Come on, I'll show you what else that staff of yours can do."
As the three continued discussing their chosen weapons, a soft beep echoed from Hexa's wrist.
She glanced down at her watch. A flashing icon blinked on the screen.
"Someone's at the front door," she muttered.
Rox stepped up behind her just as a transparent holographic display projected outward from the watch, hovering above her wrist. The image flickered into focus—it was a live feed from the outside security camera.
A tall figure stood calmly in front of the building, hands in his pockets.
Rox pursed his lips "Ohhh…" Rox leaned closer. "It's Loca."
Kavya moved beside him, eyes narrowing slightly with concern as she stared at the hovering display.
"Is he okay? We… kind of left him behind, didn't we?"
Rox chuckled, his smile wide and confident.
"Of course he's fine. It's Loca."
Hexa's eyes didn't leave the display. Her voice was quiet, but firm.
"Let him in."
A soft hiss echoed in the distance as the front door slid open.
Loca walked calmly through the dimly lit corridor, each step echoing softly against the sleek black tiles. The ambient blue lighting traced along the edges of the walls, casting long shadows as he moved forward—silent, composed, and unreadable.
Inside the weapon room, the mood was casual—Rox was still admiring his rifle, Hexa explaining the staff's mechanics to Kavya.
Then— Whoosh.
The door slid open.
Loca stepped inside.
His presence alone shifted the air. The room fell quiet.
His eyes scanned the room for a second, then landed directly on Hexa.
"Where is Kavya?" he asked, his voice calm—but sharp enough to slice through the silence.
Kavya stood beside Hexa, arms lightly crossed, eyebrows raised as she watched Loca enter. Her expression was cautious—half curious, half guarded.
Loca's eyes swept across the room and landed on Rox. He gave a warm, familiar smile.
"Hey, kid. You alright? Took care of Kavya, didn't you?"
Rox puffed out his chest with a confident grin.
"Of course! She's safe—top to bottom."
As Loca stepped further into the room, a seat emerged smoothly from the wall—hovering slightly in the air, summoned by Hexa's system. He sat down with a casual air.
"Oh, Hexa," he added, glancing at her, "my bad. Didn't even greet you. How've you been?"
"All good," Hexa replied with a polite smile.
Loca leaned forward now, resting his elbows on his knees. The casualness vanished from his tone.
"Now listen—things just got serious."
He pressed two fingers to his lips, exhaled sharply, then turned his eyes toward Kavya.
"Those drones earlier—they were government-issued. And now something worse has happened."
His voice lowered. "A bounty's been placed on your head. Twenty million Ron."
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
Rox's jaw dropped.
"Wha—?! Twenty million Ron?!"
Hexa's eyes widened too, visibly stunned.
Kavya, still catching up with how their system worked, looked confused.
Loca gave a solemn nod, eyes half-lidded. "Yeah. It's… huge. You and Hexa are shocked now—but believe me, this is the second-highest bounty ever recorded in our history. The first…? We don't even know who it was. It's been buried in mystery for half a century."
He turned to face her directly now, voice steady but firm.
"Kavya… you need to hide. Somewhere no one can find you."
He paused—then added gravely:
"From this moment on, even people close to you might turn against you. That bounty is enough to build half this city. You understand what that means now?"
Kavya's eyes widened. Her mouth parted slightly in disbelief.
The weight of her situation had finally hit.