Aarav felt the weight of the old man's question settle in his chest. What do you plan to do with the truth?
His mind spun. He had spent years searching for hidden pieces of history, chasing clues no one cared about. But now, standing in this underground chamber, surrounded by men and women who had guarded the truth for decades, he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.
Meera glanced at him, her eyes mirroring his uncertainty.
"We need time," she said finally. "To understand everything. To know what's at stake."
The old man studied them both. Then, with a tired sigh, he walked toward the long wooden table in the center of the room. He picked up a stack of files, yellowed with age, and handed them to Aarav.
"These documents hold the truth you're looking for. Bose's letters, secret war plans, even the final orders he gave before he disappeared."
Aarav swallowed hard. He ran his fingers over the fragile pages, knowing that they carried the weight of a history that had been stolen from an entire nation.
"But if you think knowing the truth is dangerous…" the old man continued, his voice grave, "then spreading it is deadly."
A shiver ran down Aarav's spine.
Meera straightened. "If this information is so powerful, why haven't you exposed it?"
The old man's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You think we haven't tried?"
He gestured toward the shadows, where the rest of his group stood.
"We were journalists, historians, intelligence officers. We tried to bring the truth to the world. And each time, we were silenced. Some of us were declared traitors. Others… simply vanished."
Aarav's grip tightened around the files.
"How have you survived this long?" he asked.
The old man's expression turned grim. "By staying in the shadows. By making sure the truth never dies, even if we do."
For the first time, Aarav truly understood.
These people weren't just hiding history. They were protecting it.
Meera exhaled. "Then why give it to us?"
The old man's gaze hardened.
"Because we are running out of time."
Aarav felt his chest tighten.
"The Silent Watchers are more powerful than ever," the old man said. "They control governments, institutions, even the media. And now that you've found us, they will come for you."
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
Then, the old man stepped closer, looking Aarav in the eye.
"You have a choice. Walk away, forget everything, and live a normal life. Or take this burden, fight for the truth, and risk everything."
Aarav's pulse pounded in his ears.
Was he really ready for this?
Meera's fingers brushed his wrist, grounding him. "Aarav… we can't unsee this."
He nodded slowly.
No, they couldn't.
The truth was in his hands now. And no matter how dangerous it was…
He wasn't going to let it die.