**Chapter 10 – A Message in the Dark**
**System World – 11:57 PM**
The air in the Citadel was dense.
Thousands of data threads flickered across the sky like electric constellations, each line representing real-time behavioral maps from Nexus users around the world. Below them, clone teams executed over 20,000 concurrent simulations per cycle. The Core's pulse had stabilized, and BrainLine Omega's enterprise shell was now operational in test zones.
And yet, Arjun stood frozen.
The alert still blinked.
> \[Unidentified Access Point Pinged – High-Level Spoof Signature]
> Source Origin: Unknown
> Digital Identifier Match: **Vikrant Sharma**
He hadn't interacted with Vikrant since the confrontation with Mohan. That had felt random—incidental. This wasn't.
This was **intentional**.
---
**Mumbai – 8:06 AM**
Arjun sat on a café rooftop, watching morning life bleed into the cityscape. His burner phone pinged.
> **From: Unknown**
> Subject: Echoes of Old Ambitions
> "You've come far, Arjun. Far enough to make enemies. Let's not pretend anymore."
> "I saw your signal. You saw mine. It's time we talk. Privately."
> "One message. One meet. Then I disappear again."
> **Time: 9 PM. Location: Gateway of India, Upper Promenade.**
Arjun stared at the screen.
He didn't respond.
He simply shut the phone off.
Then he opened his notebook.
And began writing protocols for **escape, evasion, and defense**.
---
**System World – Command Deck, 12:44 PM**
Arjun stood before the clone team.
> "Run full-scale surveillance scan on Gateway sector. Simulate urban surveillance cams, cell tower interference patterns, emergency reroute protocols."
Nav01 confirmed parameters. Reh01 integrated passive drone sweeps into the city sim. Kar01 designed fallback vehicles, routes, and disguise logistics.
He didn't trust Vikrant.
But he needed to **know** what Vikrant knew.
---
**Real World – 8:57 PM, Gateway of India**
The wind from the sea made the night feel colder than it was.
Arjun wore a simple black jacket and dark jeans. A cap covered his face partially. He blended with the crowd, stepped lightly up the stairs toward the upper promenade.
Vikrant stood with his back to him, hands resting on the rail, watching the ocean.
"You showed up," he said, without turning.
"I'm not afraid of ghosts," Arjun replied.
Vikrant chuckled softly.
"I watched your signal weeks ago. I could've traced you completely, but I didn't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not your enemy. Not yet."
Arjun said nothing.
Vikrant turned to face him. His expression was unreadable—neither cold nor warm. Just analytical.
"I don't know how you built what you built," Vikrant said. "But you and I... we think in the same direction. We just took different roads."
"You sold out," Arjun replied.
"I survived. There's a difference."
The silence stretched. Vikrant reached into his coat and tossed a sealed envelope on the bench between them.
"No bugs. No tech. Just words. I figured you'd appreciate that."
"What is it?"
"A proposal. And a warning. Read it. Then decide if you want a cold war... or a quiet alliance."
Without another word, Vikrant turned and walked down the promenade. His silhouette disappeared into the mist.
Arjun waited a full minute before picking up the envelope.
He didn't open it yet.
Instead, he walked to the edge of the platform and looked out at the sea.
The world was watching.
And from this moment on, every move would echo.
**End of Chapter 10**