6:00 AM - Planning the Impossible
The first light of dawn found them surrounded by holographic blueprints of Verma Corporation's headquarters. The tower rose like a silver needle in Mumbai's business district, reportedly impregnable.
"Every entry point requires biometric authentication," Riya pointed out, highlighting security checkpoints in red. "Retina, palm, and voice patterns."
Arav zoomed in on the ventilation system. "What about here? The maintenance shafts?"
"Pressure-sensitive and laser-gridded." Riya brought up the security specs. "Verma designed this place after the Pentagon."
Arav leaned back, frustrated. "Then how do we get in?"
Riya smiled for the first time that morning—a sharp, determined smile. "We don't break in. We walk in."
She pulled up an employee schedule. "Verma hosts a corporate charity gala tonight. Hundreds of guests. Perfect cover."
7:30 PM - The Lion's Den
The Verma Corporation atrium took Arav's breath away. Glass and chrome stretched fifty stories high, with holographic art installations floating between levels. Men in tailored suits and women in diamond jewellery sipped champagne, unaware of the two predators in their midst.
Riya looked stunning in a deep blue sari, her CIB badge replaced by diamond earrings. Arav fidgeted in a rented tuxedo that felt like someone else's skin.
"Remember," Riya whispered, taking his arm. "You're my plus-one from the Neuro-Tech Review Board. Let me do the talking."
They moved through the crowd like ghosts, Riya's confidence masking Arav's nerves. Then Arav froze, his grip tightening on Riya's arm.
"Problem?" she asked.
"He's here," Arav whispered. "The architect."
Across the room, talking to a group of investors, stood a man Arav knew only from wanted bulletins—Kiran Mehta, the legendary dream hacker who'd disappeared three years ago. The man other thieves called the Ghost.
8:15 PM - The Elevator
They slipped away from the main crowd, heading for the restricted elevators. Riya used a stolen access card from a drunken executive they'd "assisted" earlier.
"Level 47," she said, swiping the card. "R&D Division."
The elevator doors closed, and Arav finally breathed. "That was Kiran Mehta. They said he was dead."
"Apparently not," Riya said, checking her concealed weapon. "Verma's been collecting dream talents. Which means we're not just after files—we're rescuing prisoners."
The elevator doors opened to reveal a corridor that looked more like a luxury hotel than a research facility. Plush carpets, soft lighting, and numbered doors instead of lab entrances.
Room 4717 had a nameplate: Kiran Mehta.
Riya knocked gently. "Housekeeping."
The door opened to reveal Kiran, looking much older than his photos. His eyes widened when he saw Arav. "You? The new thief Verma's been raving about? What are you doing here?"
"We're getting you out," Arav said. "All of you."
Kiran's laugh was bitter. "There's no 'out' from this place. Verma has neural locks on all of us. Try to leave, and he triggers a cerebral hemorrhage."
Riya showed her CIB badge. "We can protect you."
"Your father said the same thing," Kiran said softly, looking at Riya. "And look what happened to him."
8:45 PM - The Truth About Project Chimera
Kiran led them to his "living quarters"—a beautifully decorated prison with a state-of-the-art dream rig in the center.
"Chimera isn't just about influencing dreams," Kiran explained, pulling up files. "It's about rewriting them. Verma wants to edit memories on a mass scale."
Arav stared at the schematics. "He can make people forget things? Remember things that never happened?"
"Worse," Kiran said. "He can make them loyal to him. Willing to die for him. He's creating the perfect army—one that doesn't know it's being controlled."
Riya's comm buzzed—a warning from Ankit. Security breach detected. They know you're here.
"Time's up," she said. "We need to move."
But the door slid open before they could react. Mr. Verma stood there, smiling, surrounded by armed guards.
"Arav, Riya," he said pleasantly. "How kind of you to join us. And Kiran—I'm disappointed. After all I've done for you."
Verma's eyes settled on Riya. "You look so much like your father. He stood right where you're standing, you know. Made the same choice."
Riya's hand moved toward her weapon, but the guards were faster. Neural restraints snapped around their wrists.
"Don't worry," Verma said as they were led away. "You'll be reunited with your father soon enough. In the dreamscape, where all my subjects eventually meet."
As they were taken to the elevator, Arav caught a glimpse of the building's main security monitor. It showed the charity gala still in full swing, guests laughing and dancing, completely unaware of the prison operating above their heads.
They hadn't just walked into the lion's den. They'd walked into a spider's web.