One humid evening, Arjun’s squad raided a crumbling schoolhouse that served as an enemy comms hub. After a brief firefight, the enemy fled, leaving behind a single, cracked laptop still running on battery backup.

Page two: A medical report. A blood group analysis of twenty soldiers—ten from the Northern Serpents, ten from Arjun’s own unit. The PDF overlaid their blood samples on a stark white background. Type A+, O-, B+, AB. But the color was identical. A vivid, shocking, universal red.

He ripped the laptop from its wires, clutched it to his chest, and ran not toward his squad, but toward the river. He held the screen up. On the opposite bank, a young enemy soldier raised his rifle.