Mukul was the first to reach Priya's car. He yanked the door open and found her sitting rigid, eyes wide and glassy, clutching the charm as if it were her only anchor.
"Priya!" His voice was sharp, but beneath it was fear. "What happened?"
Her lips trembled before words could form. "He… he was here. Not in front of me—around me. Everywhere. I felt him." She held up her shattered phone with shaking fingers. "It wasn't me. It just… slipped away. Like someone pulled it."
Mukul crouched, gripping her shoulders. "Look at me. Did he hurt you?"
"No," she whispered, then swallowed hard. "But he wanted me to know I was nothing but prey. He's watching us, Mukul. Closer than we think."
The rest of the team caught up, the sound of their hurried steps filling the tense night. Raghav cursed under his breath at the sight of her pale face, while Kavya immediately began scanning the rooftops with narrowed eyes.
"He marked her," Ansh said quietly, his gaze on the charm glowing faintly in Priya's hand. "The Warden doesn't strike to kill at first. He breaks the mind before the body."
Priya flinched at his words, and Mukul shot him a sharp glare. "Enough. She's strong. He didn't break her." He squeezed her shoulders gently, lowering his voice. "Did you see him? Anything specific?"
She shook her head, tears threatening. "Only… only in the mirror. A reflection. Faceless. Like he wasn't there, but he was."
Mukul's jaw tightened. A faceless reflection—classic of the Warden's style. He wanted them to feel hunted, helpless.
Back at their safehouse, the air was thick with tension. Maps and notes sprawled across the table, lit by the harsh glow of a single lamp. Priya sat silently in a corner, wrapped in a blanket Kavya had thrown over her shoulders, while the others circled the table.
Raghav slammed his palm down. "We can't keep reacting like this. He'll tear us apart, one by one, just for sport."
"Which is why we don't wait anymore," Mukul said coldly. His eyes burned with determination. "We go after him."
Ansh frowned. "But where? He's too careful. He shows up only when he wants us to see him. If we charge blindly, we'll be playing right into his trap."
"Maybe," Mukul admitted, "but he slipped tonight. Priya survived. That means he wanted us to know he was there." His voice lowered, almost a growl. "He's taunting us. That arrogance can be used against him."
Raghav leaned forward. "So what? We bait him?"
Silence hung heavy until Mukul finally spoke. "Yes. We give him what he wants—fear, vulnerability. But on our terms." He glanced at Priya, whose eyes widened at once.
"No." Her voice cracked, but carried conviction. "Don't you dare use me like that."
Kavya moved to her side, protective. "She's been through enough. Find another way."
Mukul hesitated, the conflict clear in his eyes. He wasn't planning to throw Priya into danger again, but the reality was brutal: the Warden had already chosen her.
"He's not letting her go," Ansh said grimly. "The mark won't fade. She's part of this game whether we like it or not."
Priya's hands clenched into fists. She hated the truth in those words, but her fear slowly hardened into something sharper. "Then I'd rather fight than cower."
Mukul looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. But this time, you won't be alone."
Up in the shadows beyond the safehouse window, unseen by them all, the Warden stood on a rooftop ledge. He tilted his head, the faint glimmer of a smile hidden beneath the mask of nothingness.
They were planning. They thought they could control the board.
But he was already ten moves ahead.