A black van sped through the empty roads of Mumbai, cutting through the darkness like a predator on the prowl. Its headlights barely illuminated the crumbling structures of an abandoned industrial zone, where rusted factories stood like forgotten skeletons of a bygone era. The night was thick with silence, broken only by the occasional howl of the wind through shattered windows.


    The vehicle rolled to a stop outside a dilapidated factory, its rusted gates groaning as they swayed in the breeze. The air smelled of damp metal and decay, a place long forsaken by the city.


    With a metallic clang, the van''s back doors swung open. Three masked men stepped out, their bodies tense from the earlier scuffle. Between them, they dragged a teenager—his limbs slack, head drooping. He was barely conscious, his body heavy in their grasp, but the bruises on their faces and the way they winced as they moved made it clear: he had not gone down easily.


    From the shadows, two figures emerged. One walked with the confidence of a ruler surveying his kingdom. His posture was relaxed, his movements deliberate, but his eyes—sharp and calculating—missed nothing. His name was Vaibhav, and he was not a man accustomed to failure.


    Beside him stood Tanish, his right-hand man, a lean figure with an air of quiet menace. His eyes flickered over the unconscious boy, assessing him like a hunter examining a fresh kill.


    The tallest of the masked men shoved the boy forward. "This is the tenth one you requested."


    Vaibhav tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. He took a step closer, peering at the boy as though studying a specimen under a microscope. Even under the dim light, he could see the raw tension in the teenager’s muscles, even in unconsciousness.


    "Interesting," he murmured. He turned slightly. "Tanish, take him inside."


    "Yes, sir." Without hesitation, Tanish stepped forward and grabbed the boy’s arm, his grip firm as he dragged him toward the factory’s entrance.


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    Vaibhav''s gaze shifted back to the three masked men. His sharp eyes trailed over the bruises on their faces, the way they clutched their ribs and shoulders. He arched an eyebrow, his voice laced with amusement.


    "And you three… why are you injured?"


    The tallest of the kidnappers exhaled sharply, his jaw tight with frustration. He glared at the unconscious boy before answering. "Because of this damn kid! Even after inhaling that chloroform you gave us, he was still standing. Fought like a wild animal. Took all three of us down before the dose finally kicked in."


    Vaibhav’s lips curled into the faintest of smirks. Even after inhaling white-leaf chloroform, he managed to fight? Hmph… that’s rare.


    He didn’t say it aloud, but a quiet satisfaction settled in his mind. This one... he was going to be interesting.


    He waved a dismissive hand. "Tanish, pay them for their work."


    "Understood, sir," Tanish said without looking back.


    At his signal, the three kidnappers straightened, their earlier frustration momentarily forgotten at the mention of payment. With greedy anticipation, they stepped past the threshold, following Tanish deeper into the factory.


    The doors groaned as they swung shut behind them.


    For a few seconds, there was silence. Then—


    A bloodcurdling scream tore through the stillness of the night.


    It was raw. Sudden. And then… nothing.


    Vaibhav didn’t flinch. His other guards outside didn’t react either. The wind howled through the abandoned district, carrying the fading echoes of what had just transpired.


    A few moments later, Tanish reappeared, stepping out of the doorway and into the pale moonlight. He was wiping his hands with a cloth—dark stains of fresh blood smeared across the fabric. His expression was blank, unbothered.


    "It’s done, sir," he said simply. "No loose ends."


    Vaibhav exhaled softly, as if pleased. "Good. No one must ever find this place."


    His gaze drifted back to the unconscious boy, now being carried deeper into the factory by his men.


    Vishal Gaikwad.


    They had done their research. A boy with no connections, no powerful relatives. An orphan. A boy who had grown up keeping his head down but excelling in everything he did.


    And yet, tonight had proven something unexpected.


    Even under the influence of one of the strongest tranquilizers known, he had fought with an almost inhuman tenacity. His attackers had outnumbered him three to one, yet he had still managed to bring them to their knees before succumbing to the drug.


    Most of the others they had taken were ordinary. Weak.


    But this one…


    Vaibhav smirked.


    This one had potential.


    As the factory doors groaned shut, locking the night out once more, a quiet chuckle escaped his lips.


    "Let’s begin."


    Outside, the wind roared through the empty district, carrying the whispers of the unseen horrors that had unfolded behind those rusted walls.