As soon as Michael heard it, he lost it—burst out laughing. Eyes shut, ribs aching, hand clutching his stomach as he heard something the best joke of the year. It hurt him, but the absurdity was worth every second.
And Vashir? He just stood there. Watching Michael. Like some smug cat watching a mouse dance into the trap.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
ACCEPT / DECLINE
Michael managed to choke out words between the laughs, but didn't tap either option.
"So tell me—how the fuck do you expect me to work under you?"
Vashir, the sky fox who knows everything ahead of the time didn't blink. Didn't twitch. Too calm. Too damn smug.
"Not under me," he corrected, smooth as poison. "For me. Big difference. Think of it as… a favor. For an outcast like you."
And Vashir added,"I know what you're thinking, how can I betray Victor? The man's been my guardian ever since my mother was murdered. Closest thing to family. You owe him everything".
And Vashir also continues,
"Sure. But here's the thing no one admits: loyalty is a leash. And the minute it stops paying off, you cut it loose. That's survival. That's the game".
And for Michael—Victor wasn't the problem. His problem stood right in front of him. Vashir. A sly fox who didn't just fight battles—he made someone fight for himself. A man who slipped thoughts in someone's head so clean, by the time you didn't know if they were yours or his.
So Michael stopped laughing. Straightened up. Tossed my answer like a blade.
"I'm not interested."
And the window automatically get declined.Well that's good.
And Michael with no hesitation, no drama. Just that. And he turned, walking away.
Because the longer you stand in front of someone like him, the more strings he ties to your limbs. And Michael no one's puppet. Atleast not for today that's what he thought.
Then Vashir said it—four words that burned Michael's chest open like a forge:
"What if I help you find your mother's murderers?"
For a second, Michael's chest burned hot. Rage hit him like a hammer. Michael raged and to himself,"Who the hell did he think he was, bargaining with me using my mother's death?"
If you were in Michael's place, you'd probably go straight for his throat without hesitation.
But this man—he never said or did anything without a reason. He always had something hidden behind that smug smile. So instead of lashing out,
Michael forced the words through clenched teeth.
"What do you know?"
Vashir's lips curved.
"Not really. I don't know who they are… but I do know where they are."
For a second, Michael froze. His pulse hammered like a drum in my chest.
"Where?" He asked.
Vashir raised a finger, casually, like he was pointing out a bird in the sky—except it was toward the cosmos.
Michael almost laughed in his face. And Michael thought to himself,"The cosmos? What the hell did that have to do with my mother's death? Was he mocking me, or was this another one of his twisted games? But then again… this was Vashir. The man didn't need lies—he played people with truths sharpened to knives."
"So?" he pressed, his smile carved on like it had been painted there. "Any changes in your decision?"
Michael ground his teeth. "What do you want me to do?"
He even spread his hands, waiting for applause like a schoolboy answering the teacher.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
ACCEPT / DECLINE
Michael stared at him. "…You're out of your fucking mind. You think an outcast like me can just stroll into their playground and sign up?"
He didn't flinch. Instead, he reached into the air itself—like reality was just his pocket—and pulled out a card. Sleek. Glowing. Tech humming like it came from another dimension.
And yeah. Michael hit "ACCEPT."
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
MAIN MISSION UNLOCKED
Enter COSMOS. Hunt the interstellars. Find the murderers.
REWARDS: Unlimited BEUs. Revenge.
So why the fuck not?
He flicked the card to Michael,
"Here. Your ID."
It buzzed in Michael's hardened palm. Glowing codes danced across it like veins.
"…Tell me," Michael muttered, "every chakra user capable of pulling tricks like this?"
He straightened, pride dripping from every syllable.
"No. That—" he said, eyes sharp enough to cut, "—is my specialty. I create what doesn't exist."
And just like that, the bastard vanished. No smoke, no sound. Just gone.
But it didn't bother him. As for him it wasn't first time.
Vashir gave that ID card to Michael.Then he vanished, like he always did.
"That bastard never sticks around—just drops trouble in my lap and disappears like smoke. Fine by me. Less baggage to carry". Michael with determination he waited for the sunrise.
Morning came, sun burning hot over the new headquarters of COSMOS. A glass-and-steel temple to order, banners fluttering with their ridiculous insignia. Built over the ashes of the old HQ—the one wiped out by a meteor.
That's how the world seeing it. But the actual truth you all know it.
Crowds flooded in, wide-eyed sheep clutching dreams like scraps of bread. Power. Status. Purpose. Pathetic.
And Michael? He wasn't there for dreams. He was there for one thing. Revenge.
At the gates, guards stood like machines, rifles heavy, faces blank. ID cards required for entry. No card, no future. Outcasts like Michael? They didn't even count as human.
But I wasn't here for their validation.
The line crawled forward. Cards flashed. One by one, people passed through. And then Michael's turn. Standing there with Vashir's fake miracle in his hand.
The guard took It. Scanned. A hologram flared. His face froze.
"What the—"
Another guard leaned in. Saw it. Froze too.
Then one shouted loud enough to shake the walls:
"The missing Vellory has returned!"
The air split. Murmurs spread like fire in dry grass.
The runaway son of the Vellory patriarch…
Impossible—he came back?
SYSTEM WARNING:
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Michael stomach sank and angered , "Goddamn it, Vashir. Out of all the tricks—you chose this?"
Ajay Meer strode out of the headquarters, the crowd parting like the sea. His gaze swept over the hologram, then at Michael. Cold. Measuring. Calculated.
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Sweat burned Michael's palms," Was my revenge about to end before it began?"
Ajay raised his hand. Soldiers closed in, weapons humming. The circle tightening.
"Just a little investigation, kid," he said, voice smooth.
The windows still flickered in front of Michael's vision.
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Many eyes watching you
Michael smirked. Annoyed. Excited. Ready.
"Sure," he said.
Because at this point? There was no turning back for Michael.