Echoes of the Fallen Gods: The Astra System

The weight of 420,000 credits pressed heavily on Agastya's mind.

Both he and Vibhav were ready to accept, but their two guildmates, Rishi and Zara, weren't as eager. Zara crossed her arms, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Based on the reward alone, this mission carries high risk of death," she warned, shaking her head. "People don't just put up that kind of bounty unless the person is extremely dangerous."

Rishi nodded in agreement. "It smells like trouble. A scientist? With a 420,000 credit bounty? Either this guy is a war criminal, or you're walking into something much bigger than you realize."

But Vibhav was determined. "We can handle it. We don't need a full squad for this. Just Agastya and me." He clapped a hand on his cousin's shoulder. "Moreover, wasn't this kind of job we are all waiting for? A high risk job with a big payout?"

Agastya hesitated. Zara and Rishi had a point—something felt off. But Vibhav was his cousin, his brother whom he grew up with. After his father went missing when he was only 8, Vibhav's mother was the one who took him in. After her death due to a rare genetic disease, they only had each other. They had survived together, fought together, and chased the same dream for years.

He was excited about a big payout on one hand. It was his idea to chase after such missions but at the same time, he couldn't help but become nervous.

The masked client watched their conversation in silence before finally stepping forward. His voice was quiet but filled with restrained fury.

"Fine, I'll go to extra lengths since you are hesitant," he said. "450,000 earth credits. That's my final offer. If you are not keen on taking it, I will go to another guild."

As soon as he raised the reward, Vibhav's expression brightened up even more and he went on shaking his hands. "Then we'll do it."

Agastya exhaled, nodding. "We'll bring him in."

The client reached into his cloak and handed them a data pad. A blinking red dot on a holographic map revealed the target's last known location—a hidden mountain town far from the city.

"Then let's go," the masked man said, his voice laced with quiet satisfaction. "After dropping you off at the town, I will leave you to do the task."

And just like that, the deal was sealed.

The journey to the mountains was uneventful at first. Agastya and Vibhav rode on hoverbikes, following the signal on the data pad. Their client rode ahead in a separate vehicle, silent for most of the trip.

As they climbed higher into the mountain range, mist curled around the narrow roads, thick and eerie. The air grew unnaturally cold, and a strange stillness settled over the landscape.

Agastya couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

When they finally reached the town, his unease solidified into a tight knot in his stomach.

The place was dead silent.

Buildings stood tall, but their windows were shattered. Some doors hung open, creaking with the wind. There were no lights, no movement—nothing but a graveyard of abandoned structures.

Vibhav slowed his hoverbike, frowning. "Where is everyone?"

Agastya scanned the surroundings. The mist made it difficult to see beyond a few meters, but something about this place felt wrong. Not just abandoned—but emptied.

The client dismounted his vehicle and walked forward without hesitation. He stepped into the town square and turned to face them.

Agastya's hand instinctively moved toward the dagger strapped to his thigh.

Something wasn't right.

The moment Vibhav stepped off his hoverbike, the air around them shifted. The faint sounds of movement echoed through the buildings—soft footsteps, the sound of armor shifting, the whisper of weapons being unsheathed.

Agastya's eyes widened.

They weren't alone.

Figures emerged from the mist, stepping out from the shadows of ruined buildings.

More than ten warriors.

He caught the glint of metal, the sight of energy rifles, and the unmistakable presence of killers.

Vibhav tensed, his hands curling into fists. "This isn't right."

The masked client let out a quiet chuckle, reaching up to pull off his disguise.

As the mask fell away, Agastya's breath hitched.

He recognized that face.

Nova Guild's well-known bounty hunter who made it to the news a lot of times—Vaelin.

This wasn't a bounty mission.

This wasn't revenge.

This was a trap.

Realization dawned upon Agastya. He drew out the dagger and powered it with solar energy as they were completely surrounded.

Vaelin looked at Vibhav and smirked. "You bunch of greedy fellas are really dumb, ain't ya?"

Vibhav's face twisted into an unreadable expression as the Nova Guild mercenaries surrounded them. "What do you want?" He asked.

Vaelin shrugged. "What else? You. Remember Colt Draven?"

Vibhav went stiff for a second. His face hardened as he replied. "I didn't expect he is this vengeful."

"Vibhav," Agastya muttered, his voice low but laced with urgency. "What the hell did you do?"

His cousin let out a slow exhale, shoulders relaxing as if he had been expecting this moment all along. "It's… a long story."

One of the mercenaries, a scar-faced man with a jagged rifle strapped to his back, smirked. "I'll make it short for you, then." He stepped forward, adjusting his gloves. "Your cousin here decided to screw over the wrong people. And I mean that literally."

Agastya's breath stilled.

The mercenary's grin widened. "Last time he was on the Moon, your friend here got cozy with the only daughter of Colt Draven, the founder of Draven Industries. Wooed her, bedded her, and when she woke up, she was missing a priceless family heirloom." He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Hell of a wake-up call, don't you think?"

Agastya turned to Vibhav, waiting for some kind of denial, some protest—something. But his cousin simply stared at the ground, his silence heavier than any confession.

The mercenary continued, enjoying the moment. "Daddy dearest didn't take it too well. He put out a one million credit bounty—alive. And guess who took the job?" He spread his arms wide. "That's right. Us."

Agastya felt the anger rising in his chest, but it wasn't directed at the mercenaries. It was at Vibhav.

"You—" Agastya started, but Vibhav cut him off.

"I didn't think they'd chase me this far," Vibhav admitted, running a hand through his hair. "It was just a drunken night mistake, three months ago. And I thought an artifact isn't much for a billionaire like him, but for her, it is worth hundreds of thousands of credits. So, I kinda stole it and sold it at a pawn shop. I used that money in gambling, hoping to make a fortune and change our lives. But, I kinda lost it all."

Agastya couldn't help but curse under his breath. "For fuck's sake! You were supposed to be smarter than this. And you even hid about gambling from me."

Vibhav let out a humorless laugh. "Guess I overestimated myself."

The mercenary leader, growing impatient, pulled out a pair of anti-mana cuffs. "Enough talking. We need him in one piece." He tossed the cuffs to one of his men. "Cuff him. Let's wrap this up."

"Wai…" Agastya was about to step up, but Vibhav gently pushed him sideways and put forth his hands. "Don't worry, bro. I'll return in one piece, very soon."

The moment the cuffs clicked around Vibhav's wrists, his energy core shut down instantly. He let out a sharp breath as his knees buckled slightly. The anti-mana cuffs weren't just restraints—they cut off all access to energy flow, reducing even the strongest warriors to helpless prey.

Agastya watched as Vibhav lifted his head, his expression suddenly calm. Almost too calm.

He turned to Agastya once again, and before Agastya could react, Vibhav grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace.

It lasted barely a second—but in that second, Agastya felt something cold and metallic slip into his coat pocket.

Then Vibhav stepped back, smiling like it was just another day. "Take care of yourself, cousin."

Agastya barely had time to process the moment before the mercenaries shoved Vibhav forward. He didn't resist. Didn't fight. He simply walked with them, accepting his fate.

But Agastya wasn't stupid. Something was wrong.

That hug—that wasn't just a hug.

His hand instinctively reached into his coat pocket and felt the unmistakable shape of a locket. "What the hell did you just give me, Vibhav?" He wondered.

It was then one of the guild mercenaries—Scarface—spoke aloud, as if remembering something, and his expression darkened.

"Wait a damn second," he muttered. "What do we do about him?" He nodded toward Agastya.

Vaelin scoffed. "We leave him. No bounty on his head."

But Scarface wasn't convinced. He eyed Agastya, then looked at Vibhav. "You two are close," he mused. "Blood ties. Can't risk him filing an abduction complaint against us."

He didn't even hesitate. He just pulled out his knife and lunged.

"Wai…" Vaelin wanted him to not take such extreme measures, but Scarface was faster. Agastya barely had time to register the movement before a white-hot pain tore through his stomach.

For a split second, the world blurred.

Then the pain slammed into him full force.

He staggered, his body refusing to move the way it should. His fingers pressed against the wound, warm blood seeping through his shirt. His vision swam, and for the first time in a long time, a chilling thought entered his mind—

"I might die here."

Vibhav's reaction was immediate. "NO!"

He lunged forward, but the anti-mana cuffs rendered him utterly powerless. A mercenary shoved a high-voltage taser into his side, and Vibhav's body convulsed violently before he collapsed onto the ground.

Agastya wanted to yell. Wanted to fight.

But his legs gave out beneath him, and the world tilted sideways.

The last thing he saw before everything faded was Vibhav's furious, desperate eyes staring back at him—filled with something Agastya hadn't seen in them before.

Guilt.