seventeen

In Atlanta Memorial Hospital steady beeping of the heart monitor echoed in the quiet hospital room. Adi lay on the hospital bed, his arm wrapped in bandages, the IV drip connected to his hand. His head throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to the weight in his chest—Trevor had escaped.

The TV mounted on the wall played the morning news.

"Breaking News: Authorities have raided a secret underground lab in Atlanta, where illegal human experiments were allegedly conducted. The government has denied any involvement, stating that no official clearance was ever given for such research. However, the mastermind behind these experiments, Dr. Trevor Smith, managed to flee before authorities arrived. A nationwide manhunt is now underway."

Adi let out a slow breath. He was still out there.

The door creaked open.

Anne and Peter stepped in, relieved smiles on their faces.

'You look like shit, man' Peter said with a smirk, dropping a bag of snacks on the bedside table.

Anne shot him a look. 'Ignore him. How are you feeling?'

Adi chuckled weakly. 'Jusr like someone who got shot and almost killed by a psychopath scientist.'

Peter pulled up a chair. 'Pure cinema right? But at least we made it out. And now we got a story for the YouTube'

'Can you be serious?' said Anne coldly

Adi glanced at the TV again. 

Trevor was still free.

Knock-knock

A nurse walked in and said 'Mr. Sharma, someone asked me to give you this letter'

She handed the letter to Adi. He carefully unfolded it, mindful not to strain his injured arm.

The handwriting was sharp, almost carved into the paper with force. His pulse quickened as he read:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't celebrate too soon, my boy.

You may have destroyed my Maut formula, but this is far from over.

I told you—I will not stop until I perfect it. No matter how many lives it takes.

This letter isn't a warning. It's a promise.

Stay out of my way, Aditya… or next time, the bullet won't miss.

And maybe—just maybe—it'll find one of your cute little friends instead.

— Trevor Smith

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adi's grip tightened on the paper, his jaw clenching as a cold rage settled in his chest.

'What the hell…' Peter muttered, staring at the letter in disbelief.

Anne shook her head. 'What does this even mean? We destroyed that liquid. It's over.'

Adi exhaled slowly, his eyes dark with realization. 'No… it's not.'

Peter and Anne turned to him, sensing the shift in his tone.

'He's going to India,' Adi said, his voice eerily calm.

Peter blinked. 'What?'

'The caves in India…' Adi continued, his mind racing. 'There's still more of that liquid buried there. And Trevor knows it.'

A heavy silence fell over them. Anne swallowed hard. 'If he finds it… if he perfects Maut—'

Adi crumpled the letter in his fist, his expression unreadable.

'Then I'll be waiting for him.'

The hospital room felt colder. The hum of the news broadcast in the background faded into silence.

Anne and Peter exchanged a glance.

Adi's eyes burned with something dangerous.

This wasn't over.

Not yet.