The night air outside Aryan's apartment was still heavy with fog, yet inside, a strange new warmth had settled between the four of them. For the first time in two years, the silence in that small, broken room wasn't filled with despair — it carried purpose.
Raj leaned back in the creaky chair, grinning from ear to ear as if he had just come up with the world's best idea."So," he began, his voice loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood, "why don't we form a team?"
Aryan blinked. "A team?"
Raj stood, dramatically slamming his hand on the table. "Yeah! A team! Think about it — you, me, Alice, and Sora. We'll hunt down this mystery, find out what really happened to your family, and maybe have some fun along the way." His grin widened. "And of course, I'll be the captain."
Alice sighed, adjusting his glasses. "You? Captain? Please. You'd get us killed before breakfast."
"Hey!" Raj shot back, pointing at him. "You always act like you're smarter than everyone, but without me, you'd still be stuck in your lab reading data charts."
"That's because at least I read, unlike someone who thinks punching things counts as research."
Aryan couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape. It was the first real sound of laughter that had come from him in a long time. The tension in his chest loosened just a little.
Raj turned toward Aryan, eyes bright with excitement. "Come on, man! You've been living in this dark cave for too long. It's time to move, to do something. Let's make it official — Team Aryan! We'll find the truth behind the explosion and your family's death together."
Aryan looked down at the floor. The word family still stung.He slowly lifted his gaze. Raj's confidence, Alice's calm, Sora's unreadable eyes — all of them were waiting for him to say something.
He hesitated, then nodded once. "Yeah… Let's find the truth. No matter what it takes."
Raj punched the air in victory. "That's the spirit!"
Alice smiled faintly. "It would also be useful to travel together. I can analyze data on the Nine Core and perhaps understand its properties more effectively if we're on-site."
Aryan turned to Sora, who stood by the window, her white hair glowing faintly in the moonlight."What about you?" he asked. "Will you join us?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were fixed on the street outside, watching the faint glow of city lights through the fog.Finally, she said softly, "I'll join you. But on one condition."
Aryan frowned. "What condition?"
Sora turned, her silver eyes calm and sharp. "I'll tell you when the time comes. Not now."
Raj groaned. "Oh come on, why is everyone in this group so mysterious? Can't we just have normal conversations for once?"
Sora ignored him completely.
Alice, however, was scribbling something quickly into his portable terminal. "Condition or not," he said, "we'll need to move soon. Staying here any longer will only put us at risk. The Council's surveillance systems might still have eyes in this district."
Raj raised an eyebrow. "Where do we go, then?"
Alice's eyes gleamed behind his glasses. "An abandoned laboratory. It used to belong to the Council of Nations before it was destroyed. If we can reach it, we might be able to access the chip's data properly. I don't have the equipment here to decode it, and if I try remotely, they'll detect it instantly."
Sora crossed her arms. "And you think this lab still has power after all these years?"
"If my calculations are right," Alice replied, "its core generators are still semi-functional. Enough to access archived data at least."
Aryan leaned forward. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," Alice said. "Before sunrise."
Raj cracked his knuckles. "Perfect. I've been dying to go on an adventure anyway. This is it — our first mission!"
Alice gave him a flat look. "You make it sound like we're on some kind of game."
Raj grinned. "What, you don't like games?"
"Not when the losing condition is death."
That shut him up — but only for a second. "Okay, fair. But still, this is going to be epic!"
Sora shook her head slightly, whispering under her breath, "Children…"
The conversation shifted as they began to plan their route. Alice unrolled a faded digital map across the desk, the screen flickering from damage. Red lines traced old transport tunnels and forgotten routes.
"This is the location," Alice said, pointing to a region far from the main city. "Sector-19, Zone Delta. No public access, no patrols — officially, it doesn't exist anymore."
Raj whistled. "Creepy. I like it."
"Of course you do," Alice muttered.
Aryan studied the map closely. "That's far. We'll need supplies, transport…"
"I can handle that," Raj interrupted, flexing his arm proudly. "I've got connections. And muscles."
Alice groaned. "Connections, maybe. Muscles, definitely. Brains? Still questionable."
"Keep talking, nerd, and I'll show you how questionable my fist is."
"Enough." Aryan's voice cut through their bickering. The tone was calm, but the strength behind it made both of them pause. "If we're going to do this, we do it seriously. No more jokes when it comes to the Council. They killed my family. If they find us snooping around, they'll kill us too."
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Raj's grin faded, replaced by something steadier. "You're right. I'll keep it serious."He smirked faintly. "But just so you know, I'm still the captain."
Alice rolled his eyes. "We'll see about that."
"And we need to careful with people who use soul resonance power."
Sora's expression sharpened. "Soul Resonance? You didn't mention that before."
Aryan looked between them, confused. "What is Soul Resonance?"
Alice say "Aryan you didn't know about it ?"
Alice spoke before Raj could reply. "It's a rare phenomenon — when a person's soul harmonizes with an external force or memory. The result is… power. Abilities beyond human limits. and this happening when that nine core or comet or star whatever it is come to our world from that day people soul starting to awakens "
Raj rubbed the back of his neck. "I was gonna tell you all as a surprise… but of course, this guy ruins everything."
Alice smirked slightly. "It wasn't that hard to figure out."
"So much for dramatic entrances," Raj sighed. Then, with a proud grin, he added, "Anyway, my Soul Resonance grants me super strength. I mean, real strength. I can probably lift a car right now. Or throw Alice through a wall."
"Tempting," Alice muttered, unimpressed. "But please don't test that theory indoors."
Raj flexed, laughing. "Jealous already, huh?"
Sora watched silently, her expression unreadable. "So that's your gift," she murmured. "Interesting."
Aryan crossed his arms. "If Soul Resonance exists… does everyone have it?"
"Not everyone," Alice said quietly. "Only those whose soul get merged with body but it not happen to everyone because our soul and body are two different entity and body is weak and soul is strong so body can access it all power but if your body can withstand then soul can be merged this started happening 100 years ago "
The mention of the Nine Core made the air heavier again. Even Raj stopped smiling.
Aryan's hand curled into a fist. "Then maybe my family—"
"Maybe," Alice interrupted softly. "That's what we'll find out."
Hours passed as they finalized plans. By the time the clock hit midnight, the room had gone quiet again. Raj was sprawled on the floor, muttering in his sleep; Alice was still typing away, eyes half-closed; Sora leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Aryan.
He sat by the window, looking at the faint stars above the ruined skyline.
"You really think we can do this?" he asked quietly.
Sora's voice came softly from behind him. "If you give up now, you'll never know."
He turned slightly, meeting her eyes. "Why are you helping me, Sora?"
She paused for a moment, then said, "Because it's my duty."
"What duty?"
She looked away. "You'll understand someday."
Aryan wanted to ask more, but something in her tone told him not to push.Instead, he gave a small nod. "Then tomorrow… we start."
As the group began to leave one by one, Raj stretched and yawned. "Alright, I'm out. Gotta get some rest if I'm gonna lead this team into glory tomorrow."
Alice shot him a dry look. "Try not to oversleep, Captain."
"Ha-ha, very funny." Raj waved as he headed out, his laughter echoing faintly down the street.
Alice packed up his terminal and glanced at Aryan. "We meet at the east gate. Four a.m. Don't be late."
"Got it," Aryan said.
Sora lingered by the door. "I'll be there too," she said. Then, with a faint smirk, added, "But try not to kill yourself before that."
Aryan gave her a deadpan look. "Shut up. I know what I'm doing."
"Do you?" she asked quietly — then left before he could reply.
The door closed, leaving Aryan alone once more.
He turned back toward the table. The photograph of his family still sat there, faintly glowing under the dim light. He picked it up, his thumb brushing over his brother's face.
"I'm going to find the truth," he whispered. "No matter what it takes."
Outside, the first drops of rain began to fall — soft, distant, and cold.
But inside Aryan's heart, a new fire had begun to burn.