Siren's debt

Virtue Before Crime

[Previously on Siren's Debt...]

Alex's journey from a broken prince to the 'Heir of Driva' was nothing short of a nightmare. After a frantic 5-kilometer run and a struggle to find 17 moon-shells in the wet sand of the beach, Driva led him to a mysterious safe house. Every favor Driva owed him was a debt. While Alex fell asleep, exhausted, Driva's shadows were weaving something beyond Alex's imagination... Now Continue...

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The silence of the night enveloped the old stone house like a blanket. My breathing was heavy, but there was no silence within my mind. As I fell into the layers of deep sleep, Driva's voice, which had been speaking to me until now, suddenly changed. She was no longer the mechanical guide, but sounded like a hunter setting her trap.

She muttered to herself, her voice echoing deep within my subconscious: "Sleep, little prince... unwind, for tomorrow will tire your soul. Just 14 more months... and then this body's true purpose will begin. You will fulfill my centuries-old wait, my thirst buried deep within this blue planet. You think you're saving your mother and sister? Perhaps... but in reality, you're laying the foundation for an empire the likes of which humans have never imagined. You're just a pawn, Alex, and allowing a pawn to harbor the illusion of becoming a king is my greatest victory."

Her terrifying words failed to penetrate the layers of my sleep, but the waves of the dark, deep waters of my dreams continued to pull me towards them.

The first rays of dawn filtered through the old wooden window shutters and fell upon my face. Before I could even awaken, a loud, deafening alarm sounded within my mind. It wasn't the sound of an ordinary clock; it felt like a hammer hitting my skull.

"Good morning, sleepy head! The sun is high above your head, and time is slipping away like sand," Driva's voice had returned to its usual, sarcastic tone.

I woke up in a hurry. There was still a slight stiffness in my body, but the bed was so comfortable that I didn't feel like getting up. "Damn it! What's making noise so early in the morning? You won't even let me sleep."

"Do you remember what day it is today? The 'Big Red Cherry Diamond.' The Antique Museum of Indore awaits you. But to conquer that impenetrable fortress, you need energy in your body and concentration in your mind. And right now, the fire in your stomach is burning your concentration."

As soon as she mentioned food, my stomach rebelled. I started to feel a pang of hunger. "Yes, I remember. But wars can't be won on an empty stomach. Where's breakfast? You said this is a safe house, there must be something in the fridge?"

Driva took a deep, dramatic breath. "Alex, I told you—I'm not your maid. You have to earn your own living. Get out of the house. There's an old blind woman standing at the street corner; you have to help her cross safely. And after that, you have to clean up all the garbage that's littering the streets in this area with your own hands. Cleanliness and service, that's your 'pass' for food today."

My mouth fell open. "What? Are you kidding? Until yesterday, I was the heir to Indore's most prominent family, and today you're making me clean the streets? Am I preparing to become a thief or a volunteer for an NGO?"

"You will become what I want you to be. This small act of charity will improve your system synchronization. Go, or I'll send you on a mission on an empty stomach, and then, if your invisible power fails midway, you'll have to count the jail bread," she said in a calm but deadly tone.

I had no choice. I stepped out in frustration. The fresh morning air brushed my face. At the corner of the street, an old woman was indeed standing helplessly with a white cane. The noise of the vehicles was scaring her. I went over and gently took her hand. "Aunty, don't be afraid. Hold my hand; I'll help you cross."

After crossing the street, the sparkle and prayer in those old eyes melted my hardened heart for a moment. They caressed my head with trembling hands and said, "Long live my son, may God grant you all you desire."

I felt a strange uneasiness inside. On one hand, I was performing "virtuous deeds" in the eyes of the world, and on the other, my goal was theft and bloodshed. Would these prayers help me, or would my sin outweigh them? Anyway, after that, I spent the next hour cleaning up the garbage from that entire street. People were looking at me strangely—a boy in tattered but expensive clothes was sweeping the street.

"I've cleaned everything. Now, please have mercy!" I said, wiping away the sweat.

"Haha! Hard work pays off, Alex. But there's one last thing left. Look, there's a small lake in front. Go there and take a dip in that cold water 12 times. It will cleanse your body's biomagnetic field so you can better withstand the system's power."

My anger was at its peak, but hunger was even greater. I ran and jumped into the cold lake. When I emerged after taking 12 dips, my body was trembling, but I felt a strange agility. It felt as if every cell in my body had awakened.

"Now go back to your house," Driva ordered.

As I entered the house, a silver platter of hot potato parathas, fresh butter, and a large brass glass of lassi lay on the table. The steaming aroma intoxicated my senses. I pounced on it without even washing my hands.

"This... how did this magically get here?" I asked with my mouth full.

"Don't ask questions, just understand that Driva doesn't keep her loyal dogs hungry. Now, if you're full, listen to the important thing. Go to the Ulcer City Metro Station and from there take the metro to Indore Ancient Museum Road. Your real test will begin now," Driva instructed.

The metro was crowded. I stood in a corner, muttering, "Driva, the museum security will have laser grids and thermal sensors. Will your invisible power be able to fool them?"

"Lasers are beams of light, and I can bend light. But remember, if you don't control your breathing, the thermal sensors will pick up your body heat. You'll have to remain as cold and silent as a corpse."

I was waving my hands in the air, arguing with Driva, when I realized that the entire metro was looking at me as if I were a patient who had escaped from a mental asylum. Driva's voice was only in my head, and outside, I was just mumbling to myself. A little girl pulled her mother's collar and said, "Mom, look, this uncle is talking to ghosts!" I immediately lowered my head.

As soon as the metro stopped at Museum Road station, I hurried out. The huge domed building of the museum stood before me.

"Wait, Alex. You have to charge your 'Voidable Invisibility' to 100% before you start the mission. Look over there, that toy vendor. He has an illegal pistol in his right jacket pocket. You have to go and inform the Metro Police about this," Driva suddenly added a new twist.

"What? The police? Driva, are we here to steal or to become police informants? What if the police start questioning me?"

Driva's voice now became menacing. "Alex, I said don't argue. Getting that vendor arrested will provide moral fuel for your power. The system needs balance. To do something bad, you must do something just. Go!"

I reluctantly walked to the police booth and told a constable about the vendor. When the police apprehended him and he actually had a pistol, the constable was shocked. As the criminal was led away, he turned and looked at me. There was such hatred in his eyes, as if he were looking right through my soul.

"Happy now? Is my charge complete?" I asked irritably.

[System update: Invisibility charge - 100%. Dark mode activated.]

"Now go and buy a ticket to the museum and enter like a normal tourist. Remember, the CCTV cameras at the ticket counter will record your real image for the last time. After that, you will become a shadow to this world."

I stood in front of the museum's massive entrance. High walls, armed guards, and advanced security systems awaited me. The 'Big Red Cherry Diamond' glowed in the darkness somewhere within, and I had only 14 months to unravel the great secret that had robbed me of my sleep.

Will Alex be able to penetrate that impenetrable security ring? Will Driva's powers succumb to the museum's advanced lasers and sensors? And the biggest mystery of all—what will happen in 14 months to what Driva calls her 'real goal'? Is Alex merely a vehicle for some destructive plan?

Stay tuned to find out all this... with 'Siren's Debt'!