Minutes after the events of the previous chapter
The EFS headquarters is quiet, the residual tension from Operation Avalanche hanging in the air. While the medical team worked tirelessly to stabilize the severely injured Puneeth, Roy walks the perimeter of the base, the weight of the lie pressing down on him.
Roy feels an overwhelming mix of gratitude and burning guilt. Puneeth has willingly taken the target that belonged to Roy—the identity of Udhayagiri’s killer. Roy, the dedicated warrior, now has to live with the knowledge that the Blizzard is fanatically hunting an innocent, broken man because of an action he committed.
He finds himself staring at the medical bay window, unable to go in. He feels unworthy of the freedom Puneeth bought him. His warrior’s code demanded honesty and direct confrontation; Dheena’s strategic decision to leverage the lie felt like a betrayal of that code, yet Roy knew it was necessary to protect the ELITE Flower Storm.
ROY (muttering to himself): They want me. They want my blood for Udhayagiri’s ice. But Puneeth took the spear for me. I should be the one in that bed, but I’m walking free. How can I fight for truth when I live by a lie?
Later that evening, exhausted by his internal war, Roy sought out Divya.
Roy is in a royal blue T-shirt and a deep charcoal gray jeans just like in the pic given below.
(Note:- Please ignore the sunglasses and the wristwatch.)
Divya, on the other hand, is in a deep indigo crop top and black leggings just like in the pic given below.
(Note:- Please assume combat boots in place of high heels. And ignore the sunglasses.)
Divya understands the Blizzard’s psyche better than anyone; she has lived within their terrifying ideology.
Divya is mending her tactical uniform, the careful stitching a stark contrast to the violence of the day.
DIVYA (observing quietly, sensing his distress immediately): The lie is a wound, Roy. And it’s not on Puneeth’s body; it’s on your soul.
Roy sits opposite her, finally releasing the tension.
ROY: I have to tell Dheena to stop. I have to go to Vidiyaloor and tell them the truth. That fury they showed in the medical bay? It belongs to me.
Divya stops stitching and looks at him.
DIVYA (expression soft but firm): They don’t care about the truth, Roy. They care about spectacle. If you go to them, they won’t kill you quietly; they will make your death a horrifying public lesson. And they will have won, because they will have demoralized the Flower Storm.
Divya then moves closer, taking Roy’s calloused hands.
DIVYA: Puneeth made a choice. A sacrifice. You honor that sacrifice not by giving yourself up, but by becoming the unbreakable shield he needed you to be. You were spared so you could win the war.
Divya then leans in, their intimacy a powerful counter-force to the icy dogma of the Blizzard.
DIVYA: I am a former fanatic, Roy. I am immune to their lies, and I am loyal to you. The only truth you need to protect is us—this cause, this connection. Let Puneeth’s lie be a temporary defense; make sure his sacrifice ensures our permanent victory.
The weight didn’t lift from Roy’s shoulders, but Divya’s words—grounded in her dark experience and illuminated by their love—provided him with a focus. He wouldn’t confess, not yet. He would channel his guilt into an unstoppable, precise force, fighting for Puneeth’s future and Divya’s freedom.
Next morning
Dheena addresses his comrades who are assembled.
DHEENA (in a sharp tone): Loki is humiliated. He failed Operation Avalanche. His next move will be desperate, but predictable. He is fixated on Puneeth.
VIKRAM (nodding): We need to make it impossible for them to find Puneeth, and we need to draw their attention elsewhere.
Dheena turns to Roy, acknowledging his internal struggle with a steady gaze.
DHEENA (in an authoritative tone): Roy, your personal commitment to Puneeth requires a strategic outlet. We need to hit them where it hurts—their logistics and their morale.
Dheena then unveils the next mission, a direct counter-attack that would force Loki to look away from Puneeth and address immediate crises. The Elite Flower Storm is done reacting; it is time to attack.
Who is the woman in the image?
Actress Shalu Chourasiya. She’s the one who plays Divya who is Roy’s fiancée.
But I can’t believe Blizzard will leave Puneeth after hearing the truth, because their policy is also filled with taboos and they’re harsh!
Yes. No one can be wrong about this.
Actually it’s Roy who killed Udhayagiri. But Puneeth lies to the Blizzard that he killed Udhayagiri so that Roy can live.
But the truth is, it doesn’t matter who killed Udhayagiri. The Blizzard wants to avenge his death.
Yes, Blizzard does want to avenge Udhayagiri’s death. I didn’t refuse that!
And I also appreciate Puneeth’s loyalty!
Blizzard never leaves those who violate their rules, and The Flower Storm’s policy differs from the former’s policy. I must add that the Blizzard won’t leave their rivals too
(Heroes stick to their words, not villains.)