Global Network – 08:00 PM
No warning.
No countdown.
No dramatic cyberattack.
The file was simply… released.
Agent Code: AK-17
Full Recruitment History.
Training Footage.
Mission Logs.
Cross-Border Deployment Records.
And at the center of it—
Akanksha.
Geneva
Her screen went still.
She didn't try to stop it.
Didn't try to override it.
Because this was Phase Eight.
Choice.
The world had to decide.
Southern Command
Preyajeet stood in front of a massive display wall.
Soldiers watching.
Officers silent.
Footage played—
A sixteen-year-old Akanksha undergoing interrogation resistance training.
Border crossing simulations.
Strategic infiltration planning.
She looked fearless.
Too fearless for someone that young.
A junior officer whispered,
"She was sent here as a spy…"
Preyajeet didn't look away from the screen.
"Yes."
Another officer asked carefully,
"Sir… does this change things?"
He answered without hesitation.
"No."
Global Reaction
News channels exploded.
"Was the Alliance compromised from the beginning?"
"Can a former enemy hold global oversight power?"
"Was her relationship strategic?"
Debates ignited worldwide.
Supporters argued:
"She prevented war."
"She exposed corruption."
"She saved infrastructure."
Critics shouted:
"She was trained to manipulate."
"How do we know she switched sides?"
"What if this is long-term strategy?"
Trust trembled again.
But this time—
The decision wasn't hidden.
It was public.
Geneva – Press Hall
Akanksha stepped onto the stage alone.
No security speech.
No political shield.
Just her.
Cameras flashing.
Questions flying.
"Were you sent to infiltrate our defense?"
"Yes."
Silence spread instantly.
"Did you initially operate under Pakistani command?"
"Yes."
Reporters froze.
"Then why should anyone trust you now?"
She didn't blink.
"Because I am not the same person they recruited."
A journalist pressed harder.
"Or is that exactly what you were trained to say?"
The room tightened.
She spoke slowly.
"I was recruited as a child. Trained to follow orders without emotion."
A pause.
"Then I experienced humanity."
Her voice didn't break.
"I saw the cost of war. I saw lives destroyed for political pride."
She looked directly into the cameras.
"And I made a choice."
Southern Command – Live Feed
Preyajeet watched every second.
Not as a soldier.
Not as a commander.
But as someone who knew her beyond files.
A reporter asked the final question:
"Did you fall in love as part of your mission?"
The room held its breath.
Akanksha answered clearly.
"No."
Another pause.
"I fell in love after I betrayed my mission."
Gasps.
"Because love is the only thing no intelligence agency can program."
Unknown Location – Elder Chamber
The strategist monitored global sentiment metrics.
"Public approval… stabilizing."
The elder's eyes remained focused.
"Wait."
Data shifted.
Social feeds changing tone.
Veterans speaking out in support.
Civilians recalling her leadership during the blackout.
Medical associations praising her crisis coordination.
Even former critics acknowledging transparency.
"She didn't deny anything," the strategist said softly.
"No," the elder replied.
"She stood inside the truth."
Southern Command
Preyajeet walked into a packed briefing hall.
Media had gathered.
He stepped forward without prepared notes.
"Yes," he said firmly.
"She was once assigned against us."
Cameras zoomed in.
"But loyalty is not birthplace."
He looked directly ahead.
"It is decision."
His voice grew stronger.
"She chose this nation when she had every reason not to."
Silence.
"I trust her."
That was it.
Not romantic.
Not dramatic.
Just conviction.
Global Council – Emergency Vote
A decision had to be made.
Remove Akanksha from Oversight.
Or reaffirm her authority.
Votes processed digitally.
The world watched.
Results appeared:
Majority – Reaffirmed.
Condition: Continued transparency and shared oversight.
The alliance did not collapse.
It evolved.
Geneva – Late Night
Akanksha stood alone in her office.
The weight finally settling.
Her communicator buzzed.
Preyajeet.
"It's over," he said softly.
"No," she corrected gently.
"It's decided."
A quiet pause.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes."
Another pause.
"Are you still with me?"
She smiled faintly.
"I never left."
Unknown Location
The strategist exhaled slowly.
"They chose her."
The elder nodded.
"Yes."
"Then what now?"
The elder turned toward a final encrypted terminal.
"Now," he said quietly,
"We stop testing them."
The strategist blinked.
"Stop?"
The elder's expression softened for the first time.
"They have proven something rare."
"What?"
"That loyalty built from choice is stronger than loyalty built from origin."
He shut down the monitoring system.
"Phase Nine is not destruction."
"Then what is it?"
The elder looked toward the horizon.
"Revelation."
Because the greatest secret wasn't about Akanksha.
It wasn't about Preyajeet.
It wasn't even about the alliance.
It was about who the elder truly was.
And why he began all of this.