Rain pounded harder now — the city’s veins alive with thunder, lights flickering like pulsebeats beneath the storm. The river swelled, black and restless, carrying whispers of everything it had swallowed: blood, secrets, guilt.

Vijay stood on a rooftop overlooking it all, coat torn, shoulder bleeding, the bracelet glinting faintly under the pale lightning. His eyes were cold. Focused.
Below, patrol sirens echoed through the maze of streets — D’Silva’s men sweeping through abandoned zones, searching.