The world was a blur of red and black. Ayush felt like he was sinking underwater, every breath a war, every heartbeat a hammer against his ribs.
Through the haze, he saw Rahul's contorted face, the metal rod glinting above him. He remembered hearing gunshots, Leon shouting, Ethan cursing — and then, darkness.
When Ayush opened his eyes, he found himself on a dusty mattress in a dimly lit room. His wounds burned like fire; sweat soaked his hair and stung his eyes.
He tried to move but only managed a soft groan.
Across the room, Leon sat slumped on a stool, helmet off, hands shaking. His eyes flicked to Ayush the second he heard the groan.
Leon shot up, moving fast, almost dropping his rifle in surprise.
"You're awake," Leon breathed, voice heavy with relief and something deeper — fear.
Ayush swallowed, his throat dry as cracked stone. "Leon…" His voice came out as a whisper, almost lost in the buzz of the emergency lights above.
Leon stepped closer. "Easy, brother. You're safe. Rahul… he's gone. We put him down."
Ayush's eyelids fluttered as pain stabbed through him again. He tried to sit up, but his muscles rebelled. Instead, he raised one shaking finger and pointed weakly toward a corner of the room.
Leon turned to look. In the corner lay Ayush's blood-stained backpack, half open, its straps torn and dirty from the rooftop struggle.
Leon hesitated, glancing back at Ayush. Ayush nodded slowly, his breath ragged. "The bag… check… inside," he forced out.
Leon rushed over, yanking the bag toward him and digging inside. A combat knife, a water bottle, some medical gauze — and then, tucked into a hidden side pocket, a crumpled letter.
Leon's fingers froze as he pulled it out. The paper was rough, torn at the edges, and soaked in old blood.
Ayush turned his head slightly, his voice hoarse. "Open… read it."
Leon's eyes darted across the first few lines. His lips moved silently as he read:
If you're reading this, something went wrong.Trust no one — not even us.If I'm dead or silent, the mission is compromised.If Uncrowned changes tone… run.— D.L.
Leon's hands trembled so violently he nearly dropped the letter. His mouth fell open as he read it again and again, each line slamming into him like a fist.
Ayush's chest rose and fell in shallow, painful waves. "Drake… rooftop… construction building… after I…" His voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.
Leon squeezed his eyes shut, teeth grinding. Memories crashed down on him: the ops where Ayush (Joel) had helped them crack the 23-year-old Chinese defector case; the late-night strategy calls; Drake calling Ayush "the ghost with a conscience."
He realized then that Ayush had been carrying this burden alone all along.
Leon opened his eyes again, voice shaking. "You… you tried to warn us. All this time… You carried this alone."
Ayush nodded weakly, tears sliding across his dirty cheeks. "They'll… come for… all of us," he whispered. "Uncrowned King… they're not what we thought."
At that moment, the door slammed open. Ethan barged in, rifle ready, eyes wild.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Ethan barked, eyes darting between Leon and Ayush.
Leon slowly stood, letter in his hand, his entire body trembling. "Ethan… you need to see this."
Ethan didn't even look at the paper. He stormed forward, snatching at Ayush. "He's delirious! We stick to orders! We extract him NOW!"
Leon blocked him, stepping forward. "Ethan. Listen to me."
Ethan shoved Leon hard, spit flying from his lips. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Leon's hands shot out, grabbing Ethan's vest. Their faces were inches apart. "He saved us! He warned us! If you don't see it now, you're blind!"
Ethan snarled. "We have orders! We are soldiers! You think you know better than B.S.A.? You think you know better than Uncrowned?!"
Leon's voice dropped, his next words sharp and icy. "We owe our lives to him. Drake trusted him. I trust him."
Ethan's rage boiled over. He swung the butt of his rifle at Leon's head, but Leon ducked and tackled him to the ground.
They struggled, fists flying, boots scraping the floor. Blood smeared the concrete as Ethan managed to land a knee into Leon's ribs. Leon roared, driving his elbow into Ethan's face, breaking his nose with a sickening crack.
Ethan rolled away, gasping, blood pouring down his face. He crawled for his rifle.
Leon's eyes darted to Ayush — and in that moment, he saw not just a comrade, but the man who had once handed them life-saving intel that changed B.S.A. forever.
Leon lunged, grabbing his combat knife. He pounced on Ethan just as he grabbed the rifle, driving the blade down into Ethan's back, once, twice, a third time, until Ethan went limp, gurgling his final breath.
Silence crushed the room.
Leon staggered backward, staring at his blood-drenched hands. His chest heaved, breath ragged and broken.
Ayush tried to sit up, his eyes wet and wide. "Leon…"
Leon turned slowly, his voice a raw whisper. "He left me no choice…" His knees gave way, and he collapsed next to Ethan's corpse.
At that moment, the door burst open again. Kartik, Ananya, Suraj, Riya, and Sanaa stood frozen in the doorway. Kartik's eyes darted from Ethan's body to Leon's shaking form to Ayush, barely conscious on the mattress.
Ananya rushed forward, dropping beside Ayush. She cradled his head against her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're here… you're still here," she sobbed.
Kartik moved to Leon, gripping his shoulders to steady him. "You did what you had to," he said, voice low but firm. "We're with you."
Leon looked up, his eyes searching Kartik's face, then Ayush's, then the rest of the group. "We're not B.S.A. anymore," he croaked. "We're not their weapons."
Suraj stepped forward, wiping sweat from his brow, eyes locked on Ayush. "What now?"
Ayush finally pushed himself up with Ananya's help. His breath rattled in his chest, but his eyes burned with a fragile, blazing determination.
"We stand," Ayush said, his voice cracked but firm. "We fight. We finish this on our terms."
Leon crawled forward and pressed his forehead against Ayush's knee. "I'm with you, Commander Joel. Until the end."
Ayush managed a tired, pained smile, running a hand through Leon's blood-matted hair. "Thank you… brother."
Kartik stepped forward, gripping his knife tighter. "Together."
Suraj nodded, clapping Kartik's back. "Until the last breath."
Riya limped forward, Sanaa supporting her. They joined hands and nodded in unison, eyes shining with fear and resolve.
Ananya leaned closer to Ayush, her forehead pressed to his. "You lead us. We'll follow you anywhere."
Outside, the crimson moon hung low, bleeding across the night sky like a silent witness.
In that moment, amid blood and broken loyalties, a new family was born — one not bound by orders, but by choice.
Their final stand was no longer just survival.
It was rebellion.