Future

The Day of the Selection Tournament

Vaibhav woke up to the dim glow of the television flickering across his room. His body was still heavy with sleep, but something about the broadcast caught his attention. As he sat up and rubbed his eyes, the voice of the news anchor sent a chill down his spine.

"A horrifying massacre took place last night, leaving 56 people dead. Authorities believe the professional killer, Ghost, is responsible. Among the victims was a young woman—identified as Bhumi, the cousin of Ghost."

Vaibhav's breath hitched. His gaze darted to the corner of the screen where the date was displayed.

Two years later.

Panic surged through him. How is this possible? This... this hasn't happened yet!

Before he could process the shock, two men appeared out of nowhere, standing in his home like phantoms.

"Who—who are you?!" Vaibhav stammered, his pulse racing.

One of them stepped forward, his face shadowed under a hood. "The news you saw... it's your future. And it's all because of Vikram."

Vaibhav stiffened.

"After the false accusations during the Selection Tournament, Vikram vanished. The Shield fell apart in his absence. Over time, he became someone else—something else. Ruthless. Unforgiving. Now, he's killing his old allies, and Riyaz is helping him."

The second man spoke, his voice grave. "You have the ability to travel through time. If you don't bring him back to the tournament, everything will fall apart. Bhumi will die. And so will countless others."

The room spun. "But how—"

His words were cut off. The moment he tried to question them, darkness swallowed him.

---

The Morning of the Tournament – Present Time

Vaibhav's eyes flew open. His breathing was uneven, his body drenched in sweat. He wasn't in that dark future anymore. He was back in his own bed.

The memories of what had just happened—if they even had happened—were still fresh.

Was it a vision? A nightmare?

No. He couldn't ignore it. If there was even a chance that what he saw was real, he had to stop it.

He rushed to get dressed, his mind already racing with questions. Where is Vikram?

The only person who might have an answer was Annu.

---

College Campus

Annu frowned at Vaibhav's frantic expression. "You're looking for Wick?"

"Yes. It's important."

She sighed. "When he's upset, he disappears. He doesn't show it, but when he's really hurting… he becomes unreachable."

Vaibhav clenched his fists. That means he's hiding from everyone.

"But if you really want to find him," Annu continued, scribbling a few addresses on a paper, "these are places he might be. But honestly, you should talk to Nick or Deep first. He understands Wick better than anyone."

Vaibhav gave a firm nod. "Thanks, Annu. But I need to try on my own first."

---

One Hour Later

Disappointed and exhausted, Vaibhav returned to the college after checking all the locations. He had found nothing.

But then—

His heart skipped a beat.

There he was.

Wick sat alone on a bench, staring at nothing in particular, lost in thought.

Vaibhav didn't waste a second. He strode up to him.

"Wick, you need to come back."

Wick barely glanced at him before giving a small, knowing smile. "I see you've been running around looking for me."

"You have no idea what's at stake," Vaibhav pressed, his voice urgent. "You have to compete in the tournament. The Shield needs you. Your friends need you."

Wick exhaled slowly, eyes drifting toward the college building. "This place... I've spent the best days of my life here. I never wanted to let my friends down. But tell me, Vaibhav—what if they don't need me anymore?"

"That's not true," Vaibhav argued. "They do need you."

Wick's expression hardened. "No. They needed the old me. The one before everything fell apart."

Vaibhav grabbed his wrist. "Then prove them wrong! Come back and—"

Wick's gaze turned sharp, and his entire presence darkened. In one swift motion, he yanked his hand free and grabbed Vaibhav by the throat, lifting him slightly.

Vaibhav struggled against his grip, eyes wide with shock.

"Stay out of this," Wick warned in a low, dangerous tone.

Vaibhav, despite the fear creeping in, forced a smirk. "You're a coward."

A second later, Wick's fist collided with Vaibhav's face.

Darkness swallowed him again.

---

A Different Time – Four Years in the Past

Vaibhav gasped, jolting awake. He was no longer on the college bench.

He was somewhere else entirely.

His surroundings were different. His phone—an old model he hadn't used in years—sat beside him.

Confusion gripped him as he checked the date.

Four years ago.

He had time-traveled again.

Realization struck him like lightning.

This time, he wasn't in the future. He was in the past.

His mission hadn't changed. He needed to find Wick—but not the one he knew.

This time, he had to find Vikram.

Will be be successful in his mission?

To be continued...