The night over Kolkata shimmered with restless silence — neon lights flickering on rain-wet roads, and the faint hum of city life fading into the dark.
Kaizen sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone when it buzzed again.
Incoming call — Senvidia HQ, Tokyo.
He hesitated. Lyra looked up from her tablet. "You're not picking up?"
Kaizen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I already know what they'll say."
He tapped the screen anyway.
"Kaizen-sama," the voice from Japan crackled through. "We've got a situation. Without you and Lyra, the entire production schedule is collapsing. The board needs you back — immediately."
Kaizen's jaw tightened. "I told them I'd be gone for two weeks."
"They can't wait. There are legal complications, lost data, investors on edge. You must return."
He ended the call without another word.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Lyra spoke softly. "You don't want to go back, do you?"
Kaizen exhaled deeply. "No. Not yet. Something's off here, Lyra. I can feel it. But…"
He glanced at her — the same calm determination mirrored in her eyes.
"Without us, Senvidia could burn down in days."
Lyra smiled faintly. "Then let's save the empire — one more time."
Kaizen smirked, but his voice dropped low.
"Yeah. One more time."
They packed quickly — sketchbooks, hard drives, Kaizen's camera, Lyra's tablet.
Manajit was waiting downstairs, half-asleep beside his car, yawning.
"Airport run at midnight. You two sure know how to make life exciting," he joked.
Kaizen laughed. "I pay in adventures, not salaries."
Manajit grinned. "That's why I'm still alive, boss."
Lyra snorted. "Barely."
They laughed together as the rain started again — a soft drizzle coating the streets in silver.
Manajit tried starting the car. Once. Twice. Nothing.
"Battery's dead," he muttered. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Kaizen tilted his head. "Guess fate wants us to walk."
Lyra chuckled. "Or test our cardio before the flight."
So they started walking — three silhouettes against the glowing streetlights, luggage wheels rattling over uneven pavement.
The city was quiet, too quiet.
Halfway to the main road, Kaizen stopped suddenly.
He felt it — the stillness, heavy, unnatural.
Lyra frowned. "What's wrong?"
Kaizen's eyes scanned the rooftops. "Nothing… maybe."
But inside, his instincts screamed otherwise.
Manajit laughed nervously. "Don't tell me you're seeing ghosts again."
Kaizen smiled faintly, but his hand brushed his coat pocket — where he always kept a sketch pencil, not a weapon.
And then—
CRACK.
The sound shattered the air.
A gunshot.
Manajit's body jerked.
For a second, Kaizen didn't process what happened.
Then — blood.
Manajit collapsed in front of them, eyes open, unmoving, a small dark hole between his eyebrows.
Lyra screamed, stumbling backward.
Kaizen froze, staring at his friend's body on the wet road — the rain mixing with red.
Somewhere in the distance, footsteps echoed.
A figure disappeared into the alley shadows.
Kaizen's heartbeat thundered in his ears. He couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
He dropped to his knees beside Manajit, shaking, whispering his name.
But there was no response.
Only silence.
The city stood still.
And the world Kaizen knew — cracked open.