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Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: The Battle in the Sky

The storm kicked off in an eerie silence.

Up in Earth's upper orbit, satellites flickered to life and then synchronized. One by one, the constellation of AstraDyne's "Celestial Net" powered up. Project Narak had hit its final stage: total neural infiltration.

The satellites weren't just sending out code anymore;

they were broadcasting emotions.

A synthetic resonance—a vibration that sparked anxiety, restlessness, and a kind of obedience based on suggestion.

This frequency invaded dreams, changed breathing patterns, and dulled empathy.

And now, it was live.

---

Anika gaped at her monitor, her heart racing.

"The sky's on fire with code," she murmured. "Narak's tapping into the upper electromagnetic band.

They're not just transmitting data—they're reshaping how we see the world." She glanced at Shiva. "We can't stop it from down here."

Shiva stepped onto the rooftop of the ashram, the city sprawling out before him like a creature suffocating on its own circuitry.

"Then I'll rise," he declared.

He raised the trishul, which ignited with blue flames.

The damru rang out.

The wind howled.

The clouds parted.

The ground shook.

And Shiva ascended into the sky.

---

All around the globe, people looked up in disbelief.

A man surrounded by a whirlwind of storm and fire.

A blue flame that dared to rival the stars.

Air traffic came to a halt.

Scientists scrambled in confusion.

Military radars went haywire.

Raut watched the live feed, his fists clenched tight. "Send in drone intercepts!" he barked.

"Activate pulse weaponry! Engage celestial scramblers!"

"No effect, sir.

He's... bending the frequencies."

The sky grew darker, and thunder rumbled ominously. Then a voice resonated across the world—not heard, but felt.

"I am not data."

---

One of Narak's core satellites began to fail. Circuits fried, and the signal distorted. Inside the command bunker, chaos erupted. "Satellite 17 is offline! Satellite 4 is in override! Sir, the AI is rejecting our commands!" Raut shouted in frustration. "How is this happening?!"

---

"He's interfacing with the mainframe.

Not through technology—through his very presence.

Sir, he's... he's un-coding us."

In the sky, Shiva floated gracefully in a lotus position, his third eye glowing fiercely.

The trishul pointed defiantly toward the heavens.

Suddenly, lightning struck the signal grid, shattering the frequency.

All around the globe, people stirred from their dreams. Screens went dark, and the digital noise came to a halt.

For the first time in decades, a profound silence enveloped the ionosphere.

Anika witnessed it unfold in real time. "Satellite feeds are down," she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.

"The net is collapsing."

Rudra Swami gazed upward, tears welling in his eyes.

"He didn't bring war. He brought tranquility."

---

As dawn broke, Shiva descended, the sun's rays caressing his shoulders like a blessing. He stepped back onto the rooftop, where birds soared overhead.

He handed the trishul to Anika. "The battle isn't over," he cautioned.

"But the sky is clear," she responded.

"For now."

Meanwhile, in the bunker, Raut stared at the remnants of his aspirations.

"Is it over?" one technician inquired.

Raut turned to the backup server, a shadowy presence that felt ominous.

"No,"

he replied.

"Now we set the earth ablaze."

Yet above, the stars twinkled in a fresh rhythm—one not dictated by code, but resonating with the essence of the soul.

he battle in the sky had concluded, and the war for the ground was just beginning.

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