The Streets Turn Dangerous Again
That afternoon, Vaibhav walked through the streets with his friends when a group of unfamiliar men suddenly surrounded them.
One of them lunged at Vaibhav, but before the attack could land, Tarun stepped forward and delivered a brutal punch to the attacker's face, sending him stumbling backward.
"If you ever try to attack my friend again, you'll regret your decision," Tarun warned coldly.
Before anyone could react, the crowd parted as a massive figure stepped forward. A towering man—easily 7'5 feet tall—stood before them.
Vaibhav's breath caught.
It was Toji.
Tarun went rigid with fear, his face paling.
Toji smirked. "So, you're really enjoying your time with The Shield, huh?"
Tanvi stepped forward defiantly. "Don't ever bother my friends."
Toji's smile disappeared, his voice dropping into a chilling tone. "If I ever see you with him again, I'll kill him." He turned to Tarun. "And you… I want you to join Black Fire."
Vaibhav was stunned. Tarun… was Toji's brother?!
Tanvi remained silent, tension thick in the air.
Tarun clenched his fists but didn't answer.
Toji, growing impatient, suddenly lunged toward him.
Before he could land a hit, Dipanshu appeared out of nowhere, blocking the attack.
Toji stared at him with mild interest. "So, The Shield really has good fighters."
Dipanshu smirked. "I'm the 2nd Division Captain of The Shield. And I'm not going to let you take Tarun. I don't care if he's your blood brother or not—he's my brother too."
Toji chuckled. "Don't worry. The Shield will break one day."
With that, Toji and his gang walked away, leaving a storm of emotions behind.
Vaibhav's Investigation and A Shocking Theory
Back at the college, Vaibhav spotted Shristi and Tanvi speaking near the courtyard.
He decided to get closer. If I want to understand my visions, I need to stay close to Shristi…
As he approached, he overheard their conversation.
Tanvi: "I can't participate in the tournament."
Shristi: "Why not? You're one of our best players."
Tanvi: "My brother won't allow me to. If I participate from your side, he'll torture me and Tarun."
Shristi's expression hardened. "Don't worry. You just have to trust that nothing will happen. I have a plan. Come to one of my friend's houses every night to practice. She isn't there right now, so we can manage."
Tanvi hesitated, but eventually, she nodded. "That… sounds good."
Vaibhav watched carefully, his mind racing. Something didn't add up.
Later, he sat down with Amit, someone he trusted, and shared his thoughts—not about his visions but about his growing suspicions.
"I don't know, Amit… something about all this feels off. The Shield is under attack from all sides. And Shristi…"
Amit folded his arms. "If Shristi is an imposter, then everything makes sense."
Vaibhav blinked. "What do you mean?"
Amit leaned forward. "Think about it. Ever since she arrived, Wick has changed. He used to be a monster in fights, but recently, he's been struggling—even against Roy and Priyanshu. What if all of this is a setup? What if Lalit or someone else is using her to weaken Wick?"
Vaibhav's blood ran cold. "Damn it… why didn't I think of that?"
His mind flashed back to his visions—the dystopian future where Wick became a ruthless killer. Was Shristi the key to everything?
Had someone placed her into Wick's life on purpose?
And if so… who was pulling the strings?
To be continued...