Only V

Chapter 6 - Dawn Quest

"Let me talk it through," Ishank's voice was firm yet tinged with concern as he turned to Pratyush, seeking a private moment amidst the chaos.

Pratyush in a comforting tone, his voice tinged with gratitude and sincerity, "I would naturally refuse to anyone but you. I'll stand this one aside; it's your area of expertise, I won't interfere unless you want to play good cop-bad cop.", He added a playful wink, a momentary break in the tension.

But beneath the surface, Pratyush's eyes revealed a complex blend of emotions – empathy, regret, and a deep desire for reconciliation. "You know that I have always admired you. The things in our past... Let's not let them define us. What's done is done, and we cannot undo it. Our relationship never went back to normal after the incident. I want you to think of me as someone you can trust."

Ishank managed a smile, acknowledging the olive branch. "We are in troubled waters indeed. But let's focus on the task at hand. It's morning already, and we have a job to finish."

As they descended to Dauji's room, the atmosphere grew heavier. The dark room had a green tint to it, something you see in a hospital's unattended and empty morgue. Their were a couple of windows, all shut and covered as if to separate the outside world and the room. There was a portrait in the corner, an odd portrait. A lady biting the toes of a jackal; Her hands are all twisted up and she is covered in red, barely alive from the jackal's attack. It added to the room's eerie vibe. The centre was occupied by the bed over which a bright light had been casted from the two lamps standing beside it.

"Is this supposed to be a joke? Where is Akash?", Ishank shouts

"He's absent", Ishan's tone reflected bewilderness.

A sudden commotion drew their attention as Akash rushed into the room, panic etched on his face. "He vanished! I don't understand how..."Ishank while moving towards Akash, "Are you serious? Did he say something to you?"

Akash replies in a quavering voice, "He opened his eyes, still lying on the bed and asked me to come closer. I went in and he whispered in my ear - "Go fetch the boys, I have something important to tell", this was when I rushed up without a second thought"

Anirudh's arrival added to the urgency, "The main gate is open, but there was a note on the door..."

Pratyush took the note, his hands shaking slightly as he read the ominous message, "BEWARE, THEY ARE CLOSE."

"We need to fortify.", Pratyush exclaims

"Bu-but Dauji?", Ishan says

"It's not over, we will go look for Dauji once we ensure our safety. If I get this correct, we still have about 10-12 hours till sunset. Hear me out clearly, I think the zombies are the bigger danger right now, we do not have anywhere else to go.", Pratyush says

Ishan bursts out in anger, "You cannot leave him alone. He helped us in the time of need and you're going to abandon him in a dire situation. You can't do it, can you?"

"listen to me-"

"I think he is right", Akash says

"We have no other choice. Pratyush, they are not wrong. We need to split up into two groups. First one goes on a search operation and second one stays back, trying to get the defences working, setting up traps, finding a way out in case of emergency and you know what else.", Ishank says

Pratyush looks back outside, towards the campus, "This is bad"

(sighs)

"But we have to do what we have to do"