Siren's debt

Of Shells and Sacrifices

[Previously on Siren's Debt...]

After proving his invisibility skills at the Indore police station, Alex faced his first major challenge—stealing the "Big Red Cherry Diamond" from a museum. But before the theft, he needed to satisfy his hunger. Driva made it clear that he wasn't a magic lamp. He gave Alex a "side task"—a 5-kilometer run before reaching the museum. Injured and hungry, Alex was now on the streets, waiting for his fate... Now Continue..

...

The sound of my shoes echoed through the deserted streets of Indore in the silence of the night. This city, which I had always considered my fiefdom, was now looking at me like a stranger. My body was responding, the head wound was throbbing intermittently, and the pain in my stomach was biting like a poisonous snake. The ticking of each second of the timer Driva had set on the screen pounded in my ears like a hammer.

"3 kilometers... that's enough, Driva... no more!" I bent over, hands on my knees. Sweat ran into my eyes, burning. My lungs felt like they were about to burst, and my throat felt like a thorn.

"Isn't that enough? I'm not an athlete, I'm just a wounded human!"

Driva's cold, mechanical, yet piercing voice echoed in my mind, like a stone falling into water. "There are no shortcuts to success, Prince. Your ancestors shed their blood to earn this royal legacy you talk about. If you can't complete 5 kilometers today, then you're not even worthy of breaching that diamond's security. Run... or forget your dream of an energy drink and wait for your death with this hunger."

Her words hurt my ego. I gritted my teeth. I was angry, but helplessness was greater. I took a long, deep breath and started running again. The last 2 kilometers felt like centuries. The streets of Indore seemed like a maze in the dark. When I finally reached a turn that overlooked the high walls of the museum, my system beeped softly.

[Side Task Complete!]

[Reward: 1 Crimson Energy Bar and 10 minutes of Invisibility activated.]

Suddenly, without a second thought, a dark blue bottle and a bar with a silver wrapper landed in my hand. I tore open the wrapper without thinking and devoured it. It wasn't just a protein bar; as it went down my throat, I felt a warm wave run through my body. The headache faded, and the tiredness in my legs evaporated like smoke. As soon as I drank the bottle, it felt like liquid electricity was coursing through my veins.

"Now... it's time to test this new power of mine!" I touched the black mark on my wrist. "10 minutes... that's all I have to fill my stomach."

I thought of 'Invisibility', and suddenly my body became one with the wind. I walked through the back door of a nearby luxurious five-star hotel, toward the kitchen. There, on the counter, sat a large packet of hot food—probably an order for a VIP guest. I snatched it. The chef passed right by me, but he felt nothing but a gust of wind. I escaped at the speed of the wind.

I sat on the beach near the museum, where the waves gently crashed against the sand, and ate. The smell of biryani and that magical energy drink... At that moment, I felt as if the universe was giving me a second chance. It was 9 p.m. There was silence all around, only the distant barking of dogs could be heard.

After finishing my meal, I said to Driva, "Driva, I'm full. What should I do for the night? If I sleep here under the open sky, the mosquitoes and poisonous insects will finish me off by tomorrow morning. I have no money, no place to stay. My old house is miles away, and Vikram's goons will be waiting for me there."

There was a mysterious seriousness in Driva's voice, which frightened me. "The problem has been noted, Alex. You need a safe shelter where you can plan your next mission. But remember... in Driva's empire, even breathing freely is not possible. Every relief comes at a price."

The screen flashed blood red again.

[New Task: Collect 17 rare Moon Shells from the seashore.]

[Condition: Only shells that have just washed ashore with the waves.]

[Reward: Key and location to a secret Safe House.]

"What? Right now? Driva, it's 10 o'clock at night, and it's so dark I can't even see my fingers! How am I supposed to find a shell in the sand?" I almost screamed.

Driva said softly, "Tap the mark on your wrist five times."

I did so. Suddenly, a bright, milky beam of light emerged from the black tattoo on my wrist. It wasn't like an ordinary flashlight; it could see through the sand. "Amazing... it's working like an X-ray!"

I bent down on the wet, cool sand of the beach. The task wasn't as easy as it seemed. The waves came again and again, washing away the top layer of sand. An hour passed... my back and knees were starting to ache. It was 11 o'clock at night, and I only had 12 shells.

Driva's warning came: "Hurry up, Alex! If it's midnight, the task will be automatically cancelled. Then you'll have to spend the rest of the night in this freezing cold, on the wet sand, surrounded by mosquitoes. The choice is yours."

That warning instilled fear in me. I crawled on my knees, my eyes frantically chasing the milky light. My sole focus was on those shells. Finally, under a pile of stones, I found the last five shells.

At exactly 11:50, I clutched the 17th shell in my fist.

"It's done! Look, here are your 17 shells!" I gasped, my entire body covered in sand and salt.

Driva's voice held a cold smile, "Very well, little prince! Now... throw them all back into the waves of the ocean."

I was stunned. I felt my ears ring. "What? Are you in your senses? I've painstakingly picked these, one by one, and now you're telling me to throw them away? Then why all this drama?"

Driva's laugh was a little bitter and heavy now. "I'm teaching you a lesson in 'hard work' and 'sacrifice,' Alex. You're a descendant of a king; luxury and comfort are poison in your veins. But to fight your uncle Vikram, you'll have to be as strong as a 'fakir.' You don't value what comes easily. And this conch... it was your first 'gift' to the ocean. Now... do as I'm told!"

The anger within me was ready to erupt like a volcano, but I knew that arguing with Driva was inviting my own death. With a heavy heart, I released the 17 conches one by one into the ocean waves. As the last conch shell fell into the water with a soft sound, a golden glow suddenly filled the air.

An old, heavy brass key and a digital map appeared in my palm.

"Follow the map. Your new location is just 500 meters from here. This is a place where no police in the world, or any of Vikram's goons, will be able to find you."

I followed the map. It was a very old and narrow street in Indore, where the walls bore witness to history. There stood a small stone house, its windows closed. From the outside, it looked completely desolate and ordinary, but as I turned the key with trembling hands and opened the door... my soul felt a sense of peace.

The small house was clean and incredibly comfortable inside. A small bed, an old wooden table in the corner, and the air smelled like someone was standing nearby. It felt as if this house had been waiting for me for years.

I collapsed onto the bed and took a deep, sigh of relief. Until yesterday, I was dying in the dust, my mother and sister taken from me, and today... today, I had a mysterious power, a voice guiding me, and a safe haven.

"Thank you, Driva..." I muttered with my eyes closed.

Driva's voice echoed for the last time, her voice sounding a little softer now, "Rest today, Prince. Tomorrow morning you will challenge the walls of the Indore Museum, from which no one has ever escaped. And remember... the key you used to open the door is also the wall between your freedom and your slavery."

I fell into a deep sleep, knowing that each step I took was taking me closer to the 'system' that was perhaps preparing me not to save me, but for a much greater purpose.

Will Alex be able to steal that 'Red Cherry Diamond'? Will the invisible power granted by Driva be able to deceive the museum's advanced lasers and sensors? And what did Driva ask the sea for in exchange for those shells?

The answers to all these questions and Alex's quest for revenge will continue... in the next chapter of 'Siren's Debt'!

Author's note

Hey everyone!

The grind is getting real for Alex. From being a prince who had everything to a fugitive who has to run 5km just for a meal and a safe house life has taken a 180-degree turn.

Did you notice Driva making him throw those shells back? It wasn’t just a lesson in hard work; in the world of Siren's Debt, nothing is ever truly free. Every gift to the ocean is a contract signed in invisible ink.

The next chapter is going to be a high-stakes heist! Can Alex really pull off a diamond robbery when he's still figuring out his own powers?

If you’re enjoying the journey of the 'Undeclared King of Indore', don't forget to add this to your library and drop some Power Stones! Your support keeps Driva and me motivated!

Stay synced!