As Adi and Shivay approached Om, their eyes fell on the old man standing among the commandos.
The moment Shivay recognized him, his expression changed completely.
"Captain Shadow?!"
Adi turned toward him in surprise.
"You know him?"
"Not very well," Shivay replied. "I've only seen him once."
His eyes remained fixed on the old man.
"But everyone in certain circles has heard the stories."
He took a deep breath before continuing.
"Most people think the Indian military consists only of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. What they don't know is that there are several secret divisions operating behind the scenes, serving the country in ways nobody can imagine."
"The Numbers."
"The Black Commandos."
"And one of the most mysterious among them..."
"The Shadow Regiment."
"Or as some call them—the Shadow Commandos."
Shivay's voice grew serious.
"Almost nobody knows anything about them."
"Ten years ago, during a training camp, I saw Captain Shadow for the first time. After that, I became obsessed with learning who he really was."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So I broke military regulations and sneaked into a top-secret archive to find information about the Shadow Regiment."
Several people stared at him.
"You did what?"
"I didn't find much," Shivay admitted.
"But what I did find was enough to convince me that these people are unlike anything the public knows."
For a brief moment, Shivay and Captain Shadow exchanged a look.
The old man didn't stop him.
That silent approval was all Shivay needed.
He continued.
"You've all heard stories about organizations like the Men in Black or agencies that handle things governments don't publicly acknowledge."
"Well, the Shadow Regiment does something similar for India."
"They handle the unbelievable."
"The impossible."
"The things ordinary people dismiss as myths."
"They work in silence."
"They leave no traces."
"They move through the world..."
"...like shadows."
Adi frowned.
"What exactly do you mean by 'unbelievable'?"
Shivay looked toward him.
Then he glanced at the silent Om standing nearby.
Finally, he answered.
"I mean the things humanity has always created theories about but never managed to prove."
"Aliens."
"Hollow Earth."
"Lost cities."
"Ancient creatures."
"Beings that exist all around us but remain invisible to normal human eyes."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Just because people can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
Then he pointed directly at Adi.
"For example, my clueless friend..."
"You."
Adi blinked.
"What about me?"
"You're one of those mysteries."
"An extraordinary experiment."
"Something most people would never believe exists."
Silence fell.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
The last twenty-four hours had already shattered everything they thought they knew about reality.
Monsters.
Ancient powers.
Hidden worlds.
And now this.
Another secret.
Another layer of mystery.
Nobody knew what was happening anymore.
Seeing their stunned expressions, Shivay continued.
"And standing before you is the man responsible for handling those mysteries."
"The leader of the Shadow Regiment."
"Captain Shadow."
"A highly trained officer."
"A man backed by some of the greatest scientific minds in the country."
"The weapons carried by his commandos are years ahead of anything the public knows exists."
"Some even say their technology is among the most advanced on Earth."
"And according to rumors..."
"...Captain Shadow has a deep interest in India's forgotten history."
Shivay crossed his arms.
"Nobody alive knows the real name of a single Shadow Regiment member."
His eyes narrowed mischievously.
"But by pure luck..."
"I happen to know the name of their leader."
As soon as he said that, Shivay looked at Captain Shadow with a smug expression.
To everyone's surprise, the old man simply smiled.
But before Shivay could speak again—
Om spoke first.
His voice was calm.
Cold.
"Captain Shadow."
"Real name: Rajveer Shekhawat."
"Codename: The King."
The entire garden fell silent.
Everyone stared at Om.
Even Captain Shadow looked surprised.
Shivay blinked several times.
"Om..."
"How... do you know that?"
Before Om could answer, Captain Shadow chuckled.
"So it's true."
"Dhumketu's grandson can read minds too."
"Just like him."
Every pair of eyes immediately shifted toward Om.
But Om didn't react.
He continued staring at the newcomer.
Trying to decide something.
Whether this man was a friend...
Or an enemy.
Meanwhile, Captain Shadow turned toward Shivay.
"Hello, Number Zero."
His gaze shifted to Maya.
"And Number 003."
A genuine smile appeared on his face.
"It's good to see the Numbers alive."
"After that incident, I thought all of you had disappeared."
His expression softened.
"But it's reassuring to know that this country's true protectors are still out there."
Then he looked at Shivay again.
"Number Zero."
"It's a pleasure."
"Yes, my team has advanced weapons."
"But we don't have Numbers."
"We don't have warriors who don't need weapons."
"And we certainly don't have a leader like Number Zero."
He paused.
"A kid."
Shivay rolled his eyes.
Captain Shadow laughed quietly.
"But we can discuss that later."
His expression immediately became serious.
"We have important things to do."
"And very little time."
The moment he finished speaking, Om stepped forward.
"Why are you here?"
Straight to the point.
No hesitation.
Captain Shadow nodded.
"I heard about what happened to your grandfather and your father."
A trace of sadness appeared in his eyes.
"They were good men."
Then his tone hardened.
"But this isn't the time to cry, Om."
"Because if you waste time now..."
"You'll spend the rest of your life regretting it."
He pointed toward Om.
"The entire world is watching."
"The people who defeated three powerful demons have become the center of global attention."
Then he looked at Om's family.
At Shivay.
At Adi.
"All of you are targets now."
"Governments around the world know you exist."
"So do people far more dangerous than governments."
His gaze sharpened.
"I'm not saying only evil is looking for you."
"Good people are searching for you as well."
"But right now..."
"You're in no condition to tell the difference."
His voice left no room for argument.
"You need to disappear."
"You need protection."
"You need time."
"Come with us."
The garden became silent.
Then Captain Shadow added calmly,
"And no..."
"This isn't a request."
"It isn't a threat either."
"Whether you want to or not..."
"You're coming with us."
The two locked eyes.
Neither looked away.
The tension in the air became almost suffocating.
Then—
A voice echoed from behind Captain Shadow.
A familiar voice.
A powerful one.
"After all these years..."
"...why now, Rajveer?"
The moment he heard his real name, Captain Shadow sighed.
Almost as if he'd expected this interruption.
He turned around.
And there they stood.
Queen Nirjadevi.
Ambu.
Dragon King.
Serpent Messenger.
And the others.
Captain Shadow shook his head.
"Of course."
"You were the only thing missing."
Then he folded his arms.
"I don't have time for this."
"We can discuss everything later."
"Right now, Om and his family are coming with me."
His eyes narrowed.
"So don't stand in my way, Your Majesty."
Nirjadevi's expression didn't change.
"No."
"Om isn't going anywhere with you."
A dangerous silence followed.
"He will come to Cloud Realm."
Then her gaze sharpened.
"And so will you."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Captain Shadow stared at her.
Nirjadevi took another step forward.
"And that is an order."
"I'm not asking."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Perhaps you've forgotten."
"But you're still under my authority."
The moment those words landed—
Captain Shadow's face darkened.
For a second, it looked as if he might explode with anger.
"You dare—"
Then he noticed the warning look in Nirjadevi's eyes.
His sentence died halfway.
Several seconds passed.
Finally...
He raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine."
"You win this round."
Nirjadevi smiled faintly.
Without another word, she walked past him and stopped in front of Om.
Her voice became gentle.
"Om..."
"I know this is a difficult time."
"Believe me."
"It's just as difficult for me."
"For all of us."
Her eyes drifted toward Dhumketu's body.
"We were all connected to Dhumketu."
"And to Vipul."
She swallowed.
"I'm not trying to take away your right to grieve as a grandson."
"But we must go to Cloud Realm."
"There are countless people there who wish to pay their respects."
"To them, Dhumketu wasn't just a hero."
"He was an ideal."
"A legend."
"A guide."
She folded her hands before him.
"So I ask you..."
"Please don't take that final goodbye away from them."
"Come to Cloud Realm."
"Bring your family."
"Let us perform Dhumketu's final rites with the honor he deserves."
"Let everyone whose life he touched say farewell."
Om fell silent.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze toward his grandfather's body.
The world around him faded.
For several moments, he simply stood there.
Thinking.
Remembering.
Hurting.
Finally, he looked back at Nirjadevi.
A decision seemed to form in his eyes.
He opened his mouth to speak—
BOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion ripped through the garden.
The ground shook violently.
Shockwaves blasted through the air.
Everyone froze.
Om's family screamed in terror.
Dust and debris erupted into the sky.
And in an instant...
Every eye turned toward the source of the explosion.