I was born under a blood moon, they say — a sign, according to the elders. My father believed it meant I’d either save our people or destroy them. Right now, crouched in the ruins of the old gurdwara with smoke rising beyond the hills, I’m not sure which path I’m on.

The rebellion needs a leader. They look to me — not because I asked, but because I didn’t look away when they executed the children in Sector Nine. My talwar is still stained with the blood of their captain.

My second-in-command, Arjan, steps forward. 'We can’t hold the city without you, Gur. They’re calling you the Stormbringer. The people are ready to rise — but only if you lead them.'

I clench my jaw. Leading means more than fighting. It means making choices that will cost lives — maybe mine, maybe theirs. And then there’s Meera… last I heard, she’s being held in the central compound.

Do I ignite the revolution tonight? Or do I vanish into the mountains and let fate take its course?