Chapter 25
Next day, as the dusk light shone on three army trucks. Dhruv and others with 100 undercover agents walked out of the hospital.
Dhruv turned towards Uncle Ricky and asked, “Did you confirm how many people are there in the military camp.”
“We have conducted a survey this morning” Uncle Ricky spoke and took out the notepad from his shirt’s pocket. “There are 3 of them, 300 armed soldiers and around 4000 hostages. They basically took everyone from the nearby village.”
The Secretary added, “Including the families of the Camp Commander and other higher ups.”
Dhruv nodded and asked everyone, "How confident are you all feeling?” He turned to look at Alia. “You know that you will die if you are not careful. So, this is the time to backout.”
Alia responded back, “Just take care of yourself in the frontline.”
Dhruv smiled and walked towards Tara, “Be careful and support the agents as much as you can.”
“Did you get any results by merging your final white bead?” Tara asked curiously.
“It's somewhat manageable but excessive bullets will overwhelm my new skill, we are also going blind on enemy turf as we don't know the skill of the final Black Soul user.”
Tara nodded, “That's true, alright good luck. I am heading out first. Wait for my signal.” and walked towards the predetermined vehicle wearing her tightly fit army uniform with six other agents.
“What are you staring at?” Alia asked in a serious voice.
“Huh! Nothing.” Dhruv quickly shook his head and said. “You and Mrs. Meheta will stay back behind our soldiers.” He turned towards Mrs. Meheta and continued. “Under no circumstances you guys will come forward.”
After that everyone got inside the trucks and left for the captured Military camp. Leaving the Secretary behind to monitor from the satellite view.
Inside the truck Mrs. Meheta thought, ‘He is like his father, daring and protective. I haven't in my life though I will be going on a battlefield one year after getting my healing power.’
While Alia thought, ‘What a wimp. You are going to die anyway, so you don't care about yourself now and lecturing me, hump.’
…
The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a cold silver glow over the vast expanse of the military camp. The air was thick with tension as Dhruv, Uncle Ricky, Mrs. Meheta, Alia, and their small force crouched behind the tree line, staring at the fortified base. Missiles loomed ominously in the distance, and the faint glimmer of rifle muzzles hinted at the sheer firepower they faced. Inside the camp, families were held hostage, and the threat of annihilation loomed over them all.
Dhruv clenched his fists, his mind racing. Tara and her team had already gone in, working their way stealthily to secure the missile. His group, however, would be launching a full frontal assault, a risky plan but necessary to free the hostages and soldiers before it was too late.
Uncle Ricky scanned the area with his 'Tracking' skill, his vision able to pierce through walls, tents, and buildings around them. "They're spread thin on the perimeter," he murmured. "But there’s heavy firepower guarding the central command, where they’re keeping the families."
Dhruv nodded. "We need to create chaos, keep them distracted so Tara can do her part." He turned to Mrs. Meheta, the quiet but formidable healer. "Stay close, but don’t risk yourself. Heal when needed, but don’t get caught in the crossfire."
Mrs. Meheta gave a determined nod, her hands already glowing faintly with the warmth of her 'Healing' skill. Alia remained silent but sharp-eyed, her 'Truth Finder' skill already working, analyzing the lies and deceptions floating in the air. She would be invaluable in negotiations, but the battle ahead required more than words.
Suddenly, a crackle came through the earpiece. Tara’s voice, hushed but firm. "We’re inside. Beginning the deactivation process. You’ve got about five minutes to raise hell before they realize what’s going on. So, buy us some time."
Dhruv’s eyes hardened. "Alright. Let’s move."
The base erupted into chaos as Dhruv and his group charged in from the front. The night was shattered by the staccato of gunfire, soldiers opening up as Dhruv deflected bullets with his newly created Grey Soul shield. His ‘Soul Absorb’ skill flared to life, and as he pushed deeper into the base, the souls of fallen enemies swirled around him, strengthening his resolve, feeding his power. He disarmed the soldiers who surrendered and killed those who defied, there was no time to explain to them what's going on.
Uncle Ricky was a blur, his knowledge of the battlefield giving him a near-omnipotent view of where every soldier, every trap, every obstacle lay. He moved with deadly efficiency, calling out positions and avoiding danger with uncanny precision. Mrs. Meheta followed behind, her touch reviving fallen comrades or knitting wounds back together as gunfire zipped past them.
A burst of movement caught Dhruv’s eye. Rajiv, stepped out of the command building, a cruel smile curling on his lips as he hefted a black javelin, his ‘Soul Decay’ skill ready for use.
"Dhruv!" Alia shouted. "Look up!"
Rajiv’s javelin flew, a streak of deadly energy cutting through the night. Dhruv barely dodged, the weapon skimming past him and embedding itself into the ground with a thunderous explosion. The blast spread debris and Black smoke into the air, but Dhruv’s shield held firm.
“A shield?” Rajiv murmured in confusion. “Who are you?” As he said he threw one more javelin.
But this time Dhruv didn't move and deactivated his ‘Grey Soul Shield’. Looking at him Rajiv narrowed his eyes in disbelief but soon widened as his javelin got absorbed by Dhruv almost in an instant.
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‘Aww! I can't take it head on, it directly attacks the soul of others.’ Dhruv thought and looked up.
Anbu transmitted Rajiv instantly in disbelief, “He is a dual practitioner! Kill him quickly, we can't let him get close to us.”
Rajiv laughed, another javelin materializing in his hand. "You seem to be affected by my ‘Soul Decay’ skill. You can’t dodge forever. Look around you. How many will die to fuel your survival?"
Dhruv felt the weight of Rajiv’s words. Every time he threw a javelin, black smoke came out of it and soldiers were dropping everywhere it went, he felt the heaviness of their lives, their emotions. But he had no choice. He had to push forward. "Everyone, use long range weapons. I’ll make sure he won’t throw another one."
With a roar, Dhruv surged forward, his energy flaring. He would close the distance, force Rajiv into close combat where the javelins would be useless.
But then, the ground trembled.
A monstrous figure appeared from the shadows—Anbu. He moved like a predator, his eyes gleaming with a dark power. Behind him trailed civilians, their faces blank and lifeless. His ‘Soul Puppet’ skill had taken control of them, bending their will to his. Anbu’s smirk was cold as he approached, his army of puppets advancing like mindless drones.
"Distracted, Bastard?" Anbu's voice was like oil, slick and dangerous. "You can’t save everyone. These puppets—your precious civilians—will die at your hands if you’re not careful. I have taken control of them."
Dhruv hesitated for the first time. These weren’t soldiers. These were innocent people, controlled, manipulated. Could he bring himself to fight them?
But Alia smiled when she heard what Anbu said. She extended her hand in the air, it started glowing red then she pointed it towards Anbu.
Anbu was attracted to the red light and his eyes opened wide as he shouted, “How in the hell, there is a Red Soul user here.” He tried to dodge the red light frantically but it followed him like it's locked on him. And he got hit.
There was a moment of silence spread throughout the battlefield with this change.
…
Meanwhile, deep within the base, Tara and her undercover team had infiltrated the missile control room. She passed the codes to an agent as his fingers flew over the keyboard, deactivating the launch sequences one by one. But after the fourth deactivation alarms had begun blaring, and guards were closing in fast.
"Tara, we have company!" one of the agents hissed, peeking out from behind a console.
Tara cursed under her breath. She had the ‘Treasure Grab’ skill, but even that wouldn’t help her if she was overrun by a wave of soldiers. She grabbed a gleaming keycard hanging on a nearby wall, a small victory to buy them time. "Just a few more seconds…" she muttered.
The door burst open, and gunfire sprayed the room. Tara dove behind cover, cursing as bullets bounced off the consoles. Her mind raced. The deactivation was almost complete, but if they lost this room, all would be lost.
"Hold them off!" she barked. The agents returned fire, but they were pinned down. Tara needed a solution—and fast.
…
Back at the front, Dhruv faced a grim choice. Rajiv hurled another javelin, and Anbu’s puppet army advanced. His team was scattered, struggling to push through the chaos. Uncle Ricky fought valiantly, but even with his ‘Tracking’ skill, he couldn’t be everywhere at once. Mrs. Meheta worked desperately to heal the fallen, but even she was being overwhelmed.
He shouted at Tara, “What useless skill you have, it hasn't done anything after this much time.”
Anbu also chimed in feeling relaxed, “I don't know how you entered this small world but this will be your end.”
Alia's hand again lit up after that statement.
“Idiots.” Rajiv shouted in transmission. “They have infiltrated the missile control room and successfully deactivated some of the missiles. Where is Mia?”
Anbu heard Rajiv while taking another hit from Alia. But this time a major change occurred. He lost his control over half of the puppets. As they became conscious, some of them were affected by the black smoke from Rajiv and fell down.
Alia ran up beside Dhruv, breathless. “He was lying about controlling the puppets."
Dhruv nodded grimly. He looked at the civilians, then back at Rajiv and Anbu. His 'Soul Absorb' skill pulsed in his chest, begging to be used. But at what cost?
"You deal with the puppet master with the help of soldiers." Dhruv ordered. "I’ll take that guy."
Alia’s eyes widened. "Are you sure? He is—"
"Do it!"
Alia nodded, sprinting back towards the soldiers. She knew she couldn’t take on Anbu directly, but if she could find the right lie in his words, she might be able to exploit it. She just needed to get close enough.
Dhruv, on the other hand, focused on Rajiv. He summoned every bit of energy he had, charging forward as Rajiv raised another javelin.
But this time, Dhruv was faster. Before Rajiv could throw, Dhruv’s fist connected with his chest, sending him sprawling. The javelin fizzled out, and Rajiv gasped for breath, eyes wide with shock.
Dhruv growled. "Your time is up." His hand shot out, and the air crackled with energy. His 'Soul Absorb' skill activated, but Rajiv quickly pushed a button to launch the two remaining missiles for a preset location.
“We failed.” Tara transmitted. “Two missiles have been launched.”
Dhruv turned his head a little to look at the missile and pierced his through Rajiv's chest. Disappointment flashed across his face. “He left using this split chance.” He muttered as he asked Uncle Ricky to look for him.
…
Alia reached Anbu just as he raised his hand to command his puppets. "Wait!" she shouted.
Anbu paused, his eyes narrowing. "What is it, girl?"
"You’re lying," Alia said, her voice firm. "You don’t want to win. You’re just stalling for time."
Anbu’s eyes flashed with anger. "What do you mean by that?"
"I know you can’t control all of them," she said, pointing to the civilians.
Anbu hesitated, and in that moment, Dhruv appeared behind him, his hands glowing with power.
"Game over," Dhruv whispered, and before Anbu could react, his soul was absorbed, leaving the puppets to crumble to the ground, free of his control.
---
The battle was over. The Secretary’s dejected voice crackled through the earpiece. "Missiles landed on the residential area. My estimate is around 1.5 million people are dead."
Dhruv collapsed to his knees, exhaustion washing over him. Almost all the hostages are safe. Four missiles were deactivated. They had won—but at what cost? The souls he had absorbed weighed heavily on him, a constant reminder of the lives lost in this brutal conflict. Plus the lives lost by the last two missiles. ‘I should have planned myself and perfected it even more than it was. So, many lives got lost because of my negligence.’ He looked at his bloodied palm, questioning his every decision.
The footsteps of Tara entered his ear as he watched her shining eyes which seemed to be gazing towards Anbu's corpse. She moved ahead and took out the Soul Box from his mind. He thought while looking at Tara, ‘She doesn't change whatever the situation is.’ and asked, “How much time do we have left?”
She looked at the almost closed boundary hole and responded. “At any moment. By the way there are around a hundred thousand souls inside. Do you want it?”
'We can't do anything about the last missiles then.' He raised his hand, Tara threw the Soul Box to him as he used his remaining black beads to release the souls. From the sky it looked like fireworks. As the souls moved towards the Soul Domain of their own.
“Can't I go with you.” Alia asked in a sad voice while sitting next to Dhruv.
“Haah! It's still exhausting to release souls all at once.” He vented and leaned on Alia's thigh. “We have already talked about it. Don't make things difficult for me.”
He left his body and came out in his Purple Soul form. Following him Tara also came out of her body in her White Snake form and sat on Dhruv's soldier. Thud!
Dhruv said while looking at Tara’s body lying on the ground. “I know it's not your body but you used it for a long while at least respect that.” Then he turned to Uncle Ricky, “Take care of the things here.” Then looked at Alia, “See you later. If fate decides.” And slowly flew in the air watching the battlefield while reciting—
In a realm where comfort fades,
I ventured far, to paths unmade,
With dreams tightly strung,
And words left unsung,
Yet each step felt like a masquerade.
Schemes crafted with fervor, so bright,
Wove illusions that danced in the night,
But shadows intrude,
As hope feels subdued,
In the chaos where wrongs take their flight.
Through battles unplanned, I would fight,
Spilling blood, sweat in desperate plight,
Yet echoes of pain,
In loss just the same,
Leave me shrouded in sorrow’s cold light.
Yet here, in the silence, I stand,
With the weight of my heart in my hand,
Though I don’t know their name,
Still, I carry the shame,
And the ache of connections unplanned.
But maybe it’s more than the skin,
A reflection, the battles within,
For in seeking to save,
I’ve dug my own grave,
In the struggle, perhaps I’ll begin.