4:00 PM - DSA Headquarters, Delhi
The encrypted message burned in Riya's mind. She stood before the holographic map of India, the symbol of the silver serpent and key glowing ominously over multiple cities.
"They're not hiding," Arav said from behind her, his voice tight. "They're announcing themselves."
Ankit worked at a console, his fingers flying. "The message originated from a dead server in Chennai. It routed through twelve different countries. Whoever they are, they're better at this than Verma was."
Riya finally turned from the map. "Verma was a blunt instrument—a capitalist who wanted to own dreams. This... this feels different. Older."
She pulled up her father's old case files on the main display. Dozens of reports from his early career, all marked with low-priority clearance. Buried in a footnote from fifteen years ago was a single line: "Subject reported seeing 'silver snake' symbol during alleged dream intrusion."
"Their reach goes back decades," Riya whispered.
Arav zoomed in on the map. "Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata. Major tech hubs. If they've been active this long, they're not just experimenting. They're implementing."
Their new console chimed with a priority alert—a live news broadcast from Mumbai.
5:30 PM - Breaking News
The screen showed Mumbai's famous Marine Drive, but something was wrong. Dozens of people stood frozen on the promenade, their eyes open but unseeing. Some had tears streaming down motionless faces. Others smiled at nothing. They were conscious, but trapped—not in dreams, but in some waking trance.
"...authorities are baffled," the reporter was saying, keeping a safe distance. "Witnesses say it happened simultaneously—one moment they were walking, the next... this."
Arav's blood ran cold. "It's a demonstration. They're showing us what they can do."
A second encrypted message appeared on Riya's private comm.
"A small sample of our capabilities. The Kaleidoscope turns. Will you look into its patterns, Officer Sharma?"
7:00 PM - Emergency Response
The DSA team arrived in Mumbai via high-speed transport, finding a city on the edge of panic. The "Frozen," as news channels had dubbed them, had been carefully moved to a temporary medical facility. Doctors were useless—the victims' brains showed normal activity, but their consciousness was elsewhere.
Arav approached one of the Frozen—a young woman caught mid-laugh, her hand raised as if greeting someone only she could see.
"I know her," he said quietly. "Lina Mehta. She was one of Verma's junior programmers. She helped me debug the Dreamcatcher's early protocols."
Riya's eyes narrowed. "They're not random victims. They're sending a specific message."
She ordered the medical team to set up a dream-link. "I'm going in."
"Absolutely not," Arav said, grabbing her arm. "We don't know what this is. It could be a trap."
"It's always a trap," Riya said, already connecting the neural sensors. "But it's the only way to get answers."
8:15 PM - The Waking Dream
The world dissolved into color and noise. Riya found herself standing in a perfect replica of the Marine Drive promenade, but empty except for the Frozen, who now moved freely here, their faces peaceful.
Lina Mehta turned to her, smiling. "Officer Sharma. We've been waiting for you."
"This is impressive," Riya said, keeping her voice calm. "Mass dream projection while the body remains awake. Verma never achieved this."
"Verma was a child playing with toys," Lina said. "We are artists."
The dreamscape shifted, and suddenly they stood in Riya's childhood home. Her father's favorite chair sat by the window, a newspaper folded beside it.
"We know what you seek," Lina said. "Your father's work was... foundational to our own."
Riya's composure cracked. "Where is he? His consciousness—is he still alive in there somewhere?"
Lina's smile was pitying. "Some doors, once opened, cannot be closed. Some patterns, once seen, cannot be unseen."
The dream began to destabilize—Arav was pulling her out. As the world faded, Lina spoke one last time: "Tell Arav we loved his design. The Dreamcatcher will be perfect for our needs."
9:00 PM - Back in Mumbai
Riya woke gasping, Arav's concerned face hovering above her.
"They know about the Dreamcatcher," she said, sitting up too fast. "They called it 'perfect for their needs.'"
Arav's face went pale. "That's not possible. The original designs were destroyed when Verma's lab collapsed."
"Were they?" Riya asked quietly. "Or did someone make sure to preserve them?"
Their eyes met, the same terrifying thought passing between them. The attack hadn't just been a demonstration of power. It had been a recruitment pitch.
As they left the medical tent, one of the Frozen—an old man who'd been staring at the ocean—suddenly spoke: "The key turns in the lock. The serpent watches."
Then he collapsed, the life fading from his eyes as medical teams rushed to him. The message had been delivered, and the messenger was no longer needed.
The war hadn't just begun—they'd already lost the first battle.