The convoy consisted of three olive-green Shaktiman trucks and Abhimanyu’s lead Gypsy. They were moving toward the 'Kishanganga High-Altitude Research Zone,' a place so remote that even the birds seemed to vanish from the sky. The road was a treacherous ribbon of black ice and loose shale, hugging the side of a mountain that seemed to want to shrug the vehicles off into the abyss.

Vedika sat in the back of the second truck, sandwiched between crates of specialized digging equipment and two silent, armed guards. Every jolt of the vehicle sent a sharp, biting pain through her bandaged arm, but she didn't wince. She kept her eyes fixed on the back of the lead Gypsy. She could see the silhouette of Abhimanyu’s head—motionless, focused, and utterly cold.