Ch.93: Infiltration
________________________________________________________________________________
New Delhi, Bharat, August 25, 1946
The summer sun cast a warm glow over New Delhi, but beneath the steady hum of progress, a new wave of transformation was sweeping across the nation. The policies discussed in the Cabinet meeting were gradually being implemented, sending ripples of change through every stratum of society.
In schools across Bharat, children began participating in physical education classes. Local communities, hesitant at first, now buzzed with excitement after numerous government campaigns using local plays and advertisements. The first batch of community sports centers had opened in pilot districts. Wrestling pits in Haryana saw renewed vigor, while small football fields in Bengal hosted enthusiastic matches. In tribal areas, young archers practiced their craft, hopeful for a brighter future.
Healthcare centers were springing up in rural villages, staffed with newly trained workers equipped to handle basic medical needs. Families who had once relied on distant hospitals now found care within reach. District hospitals were upgrading their facilities, while plans for regional specialized centers steadily advanced. The integration of Ayurveda and modern medicine had taken its first steps, with research institutes established in several major cities.
Public enthusiasm grew, bolstered by the Sarvaseva Sangh's participation—an organization remarkably similar to adventurers' guilds in fantasy stories, but tailored to Bharat's needs. Schools conducted health check-ups and yoga classes, while village-wide competitions brought people together. Bharat's people were starting to believe in the vision of a stronger, healthier nation. Aryan watched this progress closely, quietly proud but always vigilant, knowing that great changes required even greater resilience.
----------------------------------------------------------
The Mirror Dimension
Far from the optimism and progress of the mortal realm, the Asuri Chhaya brooded in the eerie stillness of the Mirror Dimension. Her twisted reflection moved with her as she paced the endless expanse of silvery glass. The shards of her failure to infiltrate this dimension so far pricked her pride like jagged edges. She had felt the strength of the powerful mortals within—their energies resonated with an intensity that warned her against reckless action.
But she knew time was not on her side. The Asura King's expectations were clear, and the price of failure was unimaginable. Chhaya's experience in Patal Lok and the Asura King's army had forged her into a cunning and patient infiltrator. She had outwitted Devas and shattered defenses across multiverses, but this dimension posed a challenge unlike any she had faced before.
As she contemplated her options, her gaze fell upon the countless reflections she could peer into—windows into the mortal world. Through one, she observed a young government officer, a minor yet diligent player in Bharat's administrative system. He had a routine that left him unnoticed by the powerful figures Chhaya sought to infiltrate. He was perfect.
Her lips curled Into a sinister smile as the plan took shape. She would use her mirror-based powers to ensnare him, trapping his soul in the Mirror Dimension while assuming his place in the mortal realm. It would require meticulous precision to avoid detection. The slightest leak of her energy might alert the keen senses of Aryan Yadav or his allies.
Still, Chhaya felt no fear. She had spent eons honing her skills—deceiving, infiltrating, and vanishing before her enemies could react. She had trapped gods and devoured the souls of warriors. This mortal, she thought, would be no challenge at all.
"Soon," she murmured to herself, her voice echoing against the mirrored surfaces. "Soon, I will step into their world, and they will never see me coming."
She began to observe the chosen individual more closely, memorizing his movements, speech, and habits. Each detail became a thread in the web she was weaving. As days turned into nights in the Mirror Dimension, Chhaya refined her strategy, ensuring there would be no room for error.
In the mortal world, the foundations of progress were being laid, but in the reflections of their successes, an invisible predator waited, biding her time to strike.
----------------------------------------------------------
Mumbai, Maharashtra, Bharat, August 26, 1946
It was late evening when Raghav Joshi, a mid-level government officer, walked back to his apartment. His day had been uneventful, filled with paperwork and routine meetings. The streetlights cast dim halos on the pavement, and the faint hum of traffic was the only sound as he turned a corner.
In that quiet moment, a faint ripple appeared in the glass storefront he passed. Before Raghav could react, a dark shadow emerged from the reflection. It moved swiftly, wrapping around him like smoke.
"Wha—" His startled gasp was cut short as he was yanked into the Mirror Dimension, his form vanishing in a split second.
Chhaya stepped into the mortal realm, now in Raghav's body. She adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, mimicked his gait, and glanced at her reflection in a nearby car window. "Perfect," she muttered under her breath, her tone calm and focused.
----------------------------------------------------------
KAVACH Headquarters
Deep within the secure arcane servers of KAVACH, the supercomputer Trinetra detected a small fluctuation in the etheric energy grid. The anomaly was logged—a brief blip suggesting a disruption in dimensional stability.
A technician monitoring the systems frowned and called over a colleague.
"Another one of these spikes," he said, pointing to the screen.
His colleague glanced over and shrugged. "Probably just another soul crossing over. These happen all the time. The afterlife flow's been chaotic lately."
"Yeah, but it's a little higher than usual," the technician insisted.
"Flag it for later. If it's serious, Ms. Athena or the higher ups will catch it during his next systems review."
The anomaly although was archived, but dismissed as routine.
----------------------------------------------------------
Raghav's Apartment, Mumbai, Bharat, August 27, 1946
Chhaya, now fully integrated into Raghav's life, spent the evening reviewing his work files. His role wasn't high-profile, but he had access to sensitive reports on Bharat's administrative and defense projects.
The next day, she arrived at the ministry as Raghav, greeting colleagues with the same polite nods and restrained smiles he was known for. No one noticed anything unusual.
At his desk, she reviewed a classified file on Bharat's magi-tech aspirations, especially the runes being taught to government officials. The runes followed Devnagari as a base, but their unique design made them difficult to understand. She noticed officials weren't being trained to understand the runes, only to memorize and use them for specific purposes.
Although she tried to decipher the runes, she was unable to due to their composition and the strict authority required to access more of them. Frustrated but undeterred, she shifted her focus to collecting information about magi-tech weapons, their vulnerabilities, and potential counters.
----------------------------------------------------------
Mirror Dimension
Inside the Mirror Dimension, Raghav Joshi pounded against the glassy walls of his prison. He shouted, but the sound echoed back to him, distorted and hollow.
"What's happening?!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "Let me out!"
Through the shimmering surface, he saw Chhaya's reflection—his own face, but with an unnatural stillness in the eyes.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice trembling.
Chhaya's voice echoed faintly, calm and cold. "Your replacement."
Raghav felt his stomach twist. "You won't get away with this. Someone will notice."
She smirked. "Hah… No one will. I've done this countless times. You'll fade into oblivion, and I'll do what I need to do."
________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading 🙏 🙏.
Please support this novel through the power stones and let me know your thoughts in the comments.