Chapter 22

After the group of four had completed the Gate they went to the headquarters to exchange the stars that they got. They reached the HQ fairly quickly as they entered the building and made a beeline to the counter.

"Oh, did you complete the Gate?" The receptionist asked as she looked at them.

"Yes, we would like to exchange our stars." Sreya said as she placed her star on the counter.

Adhira and Michael also placed their own stars on the counter as well. The receptionist looked at Michael for a moment before she grabbed the stars and then worked on her computer. Soon the three of them got messages saying how they have gotten the money for completing the Gate.

"Thanks." Michael said with a smile.

"No problem. Ah, yes, also Mr. Michael, have you got the message?" The receptionist asked him.

"What message?" Michael asked confused as the girls were also confused by it.

"I believe it should have been send to you. Please take a look on your phone." The receptionist said to him.

Michael in response did take out his phone and checked his message. His eyes widened when he saw a message from India's central Player HQ on his phone. He opened it and read it as his eyes widened.

"I'm guessing you have got the message?" The receptionist said to him.

"Yeah. I have it." Michael said to her as he switched off his phone.

"Good. Please go to the requested location as soon as possible. I will inform the central HQ that you will be making your way there." The receptionist said to him.

"Okay." Michael said with a nod.

"Uh Michael, mind telling us what she means?" Lakshmi asked him confused.

"Yeah. Why don't we go to the cafe and talk." Michael said to them.

"Works for me." Sreya said as Adhira nodded to him.

"Sure." Lakshmi said with a nod.

The four of them then went to the cafe and they say in the corner as they gave their order.

"So, what was that all about?" Adhira asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"I have gotten a message from the central Player HQ." Michael said to them.

"Okay. What does it say?" Lakshmi asked him.

"It is telling me to go to the central Player HQ as soon as I can. As for why, the message is telling me that I have been chosen, but it doesn't tell me for what I have been chosen for." Michael said to them as he explained the message.

"That's... a surprise. Why would they not tell you the reason for calling you?" Sreya said a bit confused.

"Beats me. But since this was given to me by the central HQ, I guess I have to go since the central HQ is where most of our mission are gotten from." Michael said with a shrug.

"Can I come with you?" Lakshmi asked him after he said that.

"Lakshmi!" Sreya and Adhira said in unison when they heard that.

"What?" Lakshmi asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"He is the one who got that message and the central Player HQ is located in Delhi, do you how much distance between here and there are?" Adhira said to her sister.

"But we're Players, I'm sure we can get there by running." Lakshmi said to her sister.

"Yes well, it doesn't mean that you have follow him all the way to Delhi. Not to mention, we have to bring you back to our house. I have already told them that you are fine but they are still worried and want to see you with their own eyes." Sreya said to her sister seriously.

"But he's going to the HQ all alone. I'm his partner, I should go with him." Lakshmi said to her sister.

"You're his partner for completing the Gates. That doesn't mean you have to follow him around." Sreya said with narrowed eyes.

"What's the problem here? I want to go with Michael, you two can tell mom and dad that I am fine. Besides, he doesn't know why he has been called, of course I'll be worried for him." Lakshmi said to them seriously.

Sreya and Adhira shared a glance at her words. They turned their eyes to Michael who looking at his phone, doing anything to not look at the two sister as he drank his drink as their orders had come to their table a few moments ago.

He was sweating a bit as he looked away from the stares that he was getting from the two sister. Lakshmi meanwhile was confused at her sister's behaviour as she saw that he was getting uncomfortable. So she glared at her sister's in response which caused the two girls to stop staring at Michael.

'I don't know why Lakshmi's sister's are acting like this but thank you for stopping them Lakshmi.' Michael thought to himself with gratitude as he drank his juice.

"Anyways, you're going to go to Delhi right?" Sreya said to him.

"Yeah, I was called so I do have to go." Michael said to her with a shrug.

"Then I guess you need to go there fast, considering how long it will be, even if you are a Player the time it would take to get from here to there is a lot, not to mention the distance. If you want to get there before nightfall then I suggest you start quickly." Sreya said to him seriously.

"Right. That is a good idea." Michael said with a nod.

"And you aren't going after him Lakshmi and that's final. We are taking you back home to see mom and dad." Sreya said to her sister sternly.

Lakshmi tried to look at her sister defiantly, emphasis on tried as she wasn't able to do it as she looked down due to the stare that she got from her sister.

"Fine." Lakshmi said a bit downtrodden.

'Damn older sisters.' Lakshmi thought to herself as she drank her juice.

"Did you just think something bad about me?" Sreya asked her sister with narrowed eyes.

"Nope! I didn't think anything. I just thought this juice was very tasty!" Lakshmi immediately said as she drank her juice.

Sreya looked at her sister for a few more seconds before shrugging her shoulders and started to drink her own juice. Meanwhile Adhira looked at her elder sister with a sweatdrop as she ate her pastry.

'Sreya really is a psychic.' Adhira thought to herself as she ate her pastry.

'Sis is scary.' Lakshmi thought to herself.

'Lakshmi's sisters really are something else.' Michael thought to himself as he drank.

Sreya's eyebrows twitched a bit as she drank her juice.

'I feel like these three are thinking something bad about me.' Sreya thought to herself as she drank her juice.