Rohan, dressed in his tactical uniform, looked every bit the confident leader. His quick thinking and calm demeanor naturally drew others to him. Rahul, on the other hand, was silent, his armored suit gleaming under the harsh lights. It was a marvel of engineering, yet it felt more like a cage—a reminder of his failures rather than a source of strength.

"Team Alpha, to craft three! Team Omega, to craft seven!" the commander's voice echoed across the zone.

Rohan nudged Rahul. "We’re in Team Omega. Let’s move."

As they boarded the hovercraft, Rahul’s unease grew. The mission brief was simple but dangerous: a Class B gate had opened near the outskirts of Kolkata, spewing dozens of Mrityudoots. These were Beast-form creatures, known for their brute strength and pack mentality. Teams were tasked with eliminating the creatures and sealing the gate.

"First major mission, huh?" a Sentinel beside Rahul said. She was a tall girl with electric blue hair and a confident grin. "Don’t worry. Stick close, and you’ll be fine."

Rahul nodded but said nothing. He wasn’t worried about the mission. He was worried about what he might discover about himself.

---

The Battlefield

The streets of Kolkata were unrecognizable. Smoke billowed into the sky, mingling with the acrid smell of destruction. Buildings lay in ruins, their walls clawed and scorched. The ground trembled under the weight of the Mrityudoots—hulking beasts with sinewy bodies and glowing red eyes. Their guttural growls echoed like a symphony of chaos.

"Omega Team, split into two groups!" Rohan barked. His voice was firm, commanding respect despite his age. "Group One, secure the civilians. Group Two, engage the creatures."

Rahul joined Group Two, his suit humming as it powered up. The AI’s voice—calm and precise—spoke in his ear:

"Enemy proximity: 200 meters. Estimated threat level: Medium. Deploying recommended strategy."

The first clash was brutal. Sentinels charged into the fray, their powers lighting up the battlefield. One Sentinel conjured a wall of flames to block an advancing beast, while another used telekinesis to hurl debris like missiles. Rahul hesitated, watching the chaos unfold.

"Move, Rahul!" someone shouted.

Snapping out of his trance, he charged forward, his suit’s servos whirring. A Beast-form Mrityudoot lunged at him, its claws aimed for his throat. Rahul dodged clumsily, activating the suit’s blade—a weapon forged from the bones of fallen creatures. He slashed at the beast, landing a shallow cut.

The creature roared, its blood spraying crimson across the rubble. It retaliated, swiping Rahul with enough force to send him crashing into a wall. Pain shot through his body as the suit’s AI warned of impact damage.

"You’re sloppy," the blue-haired Sentinel from earlier said, her voice laced with irritation. She dispatched the creature with a single strike of her electrified whip. "Stay focused, or you’ll get yourself killed."

Rahul clenched his fists. He wasn’t just fighting the creatures—he was fighting the weight of his own inadequacy.

---

A Glimpse of Power

As the battle raged on, the ground began to shake violently. From the depths of the gate emerged a larger creature—a Class B alpha. Its Beast-form was grotesque, a fusion of sinewy muscles and jagged spikes. Its roar silenced the battlefield, commanding the lesser creatures to rally.

"Focus on the alpha!" Rohan shouted, leading the charge.

Rahul watched as his brother and the others fought valiantly. They worked as a unit, their powers complementing each other in a seamless dance. Rahul wanted to join them, to prove he could stand alongside them.

"AI," he said, his voice trembling. "Activate full power mode."

"Warning: Full power mode may result in structural damage to the suit."

"Do it!"

The suit roared to life, its energy cores glowing bright. Rahul dashed forward with newfound speed, his blade slicing through the lesser creatures with ease. He reached the alpha, leaping high and striking with all his might. The blade pierced its hide, eliciting a deafening roar.

For a moment, Rahul felt a spark of hope—a glimpse of the hero he wanted to be. But the alpha wasn’t done. It lashed out, its claws tearing through his suit’s defenses. Rahul hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him.

As darkness crept into the edges of his vision, he heard Rohan’s voice calling his name.

"Rahul! Get up!"

But Rahul couldn’t move. The weight of his failures and the crushing reality of his limitations bore down on him.

And then, just as the alpha prepared to strike again, a burst of energy lit up the battlefield.

It wasn’t his energy.

It was Rohan’s.

---