39 Arjun gives her strength

Maya pulled herself together, taking deep breaths as Arjun's presence steadied her. Dr. Varman stood in the shadows, watching them, his face unreadable.

"You used us," Maya finally said, her voice hoarse but laced with anger. She stepped away from Arjun and faced the man who had orchestrated so much of her suffering. "You led me into that accident. You turned me into this."

Dr. Varman sighed, as if weary of his own actions. "It was never about you alone, Maya. It was about something greater—something beyond any one of us."

Maya clenched her fists. "You mean your sick obsession with power? With controlling the future?"

Dr. Varman's lips curled into a tired smile. "I lost my visions because I tried to change fate. But you—you and the others—became what I could not."

Arjun stepped forward, standing protectively beside Maya. "Then why lie? Why manipulate them? If this was all for some twisted sense of control, why lead us here?"

Dr. Varman's gaze flickered toward him, something unreadable in his expression. "Because you needed to find Dr. Kael."

The name sent a shiver down Maya's spine. Her uncle. The mastermind.

Aditya, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "Dr. Kael isn't just the one behind this. He's not just Maya's uncle." His voice was eerily calm. "He's the one who holds the key to ending it all."

Maya turned to him, suspicion creeping into her thoughts. "And you knew this all along?"

Aditya didn't flinch. "I knew pieces. Enough to keep you moving forward."

Arjun's fists clenched. "You lied."

Aditya met his glare, unbothered. "And you think you would've gotten this far without me?"

Maya felt a storm brewing inside her. Every truth they uncovered only led to more lies.

Maya's blood ran cold.

She stared at Dr. Kael, the man who had raised her, manipulated her, and now stood before her, offering her a place in his twisted vision of the future.

"We want you in our team," he repeated, his voice smooth, confident. "Together, we can control what's to come. No more uncertainties. No more helplessness."

Maya took a step back, shaking her head. "You think I want that? After everything you did to me? To all of us?"

Dr. Kael sighed, almost disappointed. "Maya, you're looking at this the wrong way. This isn't about pain or betrayal. This is about power. A gift that no one else in this world possesses. You've seen the destruction that fate brings. Why wouldn't you want to control it?"

Arjun clenched his fists, stepping protectively in front of Maya. "You ruined lives in the name of power. And you want her to help you?" His voice was laced with fury. "Maya isn't like you."

Dr. Varman, who had been watching silently, finally spoke. "But she is, Arjun." His gaze fixed on Maya, intense and unwavering. "She has the power. She's seen what's coming. And the real question is—will she let it happen?"

Maya felt the weight of their words settle on her. The nightmares, the visions, the truth about who she was—it had all led to this moment.

She thought of the drawing. The one that was never real. The one they had planted to make her chase a future that didn't exist.

Her fingers curled into fists. She met Dr. Kael's gaze, her voice steady.

"I won't be your puppet."

Dr. Kael tilted his head, a smirk playing at his lips. "Oh, but you already are, my dear. You've been playing this game since the day of your accident."

Maya felt her pulse quicken. Was he right? Had they been leading her this whole time?

Aditya, who had been silent, finally spoke. His voice was calm, but there was something unreadable in his expression.

"So what happens if she refuses?"

Dr. Kael chuckled. "Then she'll have to accept that the future is set in stone. And she can't stop what's coming."

Maya's breath caught.

She had always believed that the future couldn't be changed.

But what if that was the biggest lie of all?

Maya's breaths were ragged as she ran through the cold night air. The weight of everything she had just learned pressed down on her chest, suffocating her.

She needed to get away. From the lies. From the manipulation. From the idea that her entire life had been controlled like a chess piece in a grand, twisted game.

Her feet pounded against the pavement, her vision blurred with unshed tears. She didn't know where she was going—only that she had to run.

Arjun was right behind her. "Maya, stop!" he called, his voice desperate.

But she didn't. Not until her legs gave out beneath her.

She crashed onto the empty road, her hands scraping against the rough surface. And then, she broke.

Sobs wracked her body as everything came crashing down at once—the truth about Dr. Kael, the realization that she had been a pawn all along, the fear that maybe she was just like them.

That maybe, just maybe, she would lose herself to this power, too.

Arjun was there in an instant, falling to his knees beside her. His hands gripped her shoulders, firm yet gentle. "Maya," he whispered, his voice softer now, filled with concern.

She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked, brows furrowed.

"For everything," she choked out. "For pushing you away. For dragging you into this. For…not knowing who I even am anymore."

Arjun cupped her face, brushing away a tear with his thumb. His eyes, dark and intense, searched hers. "You don't have to apologize for any of that, Maya."

Her breath hitched as he pulled her into a tight embrace. His warmth surrounded her, steadying her in a way nothing else could.

"I'm here," he murmured. "No matter what happens next, I'm here."

Maya clutched onto him, grounding herself in the only certainty she had left.

She had no idea what the future held anymore.

But at that moment, with Arjun holding her, she wasn't afraid to face it.