First Year - Vikram Kashyap
Finding Vikram wasn't easy. When Vaibhav asked about him, the response was unexpected.
"Why are you asking about that loser?" a boy named Vijay scoffed.
Vaibhav stiffened. Loser?
It was hard to believe, but in his first year, Vikram wasn't the feared and respected fighter he would later become.
Then, the sound of cheers erupted nearby. A crowd had gathered. A fight was happening.
Vaibhav pushed through the students and saw him-Vikram, barely holding his own against an opponent.
His lip was busted, his arms bruised, and yet-
He refused to stay down.
With a sudden burst of energy, Vikram executed a move no one expected and knocked his opponent out cold.
The crowd fell silent. Then, a few murmurs.
"Maybe he's not as weak as we thought..."
Vaibhav watched in awe. Even back then, Vikram had the same fire. The same unwillingness to surrender.
This wasn't just about strength. It was about heart.
And that was why Vikram had to be saved.
---
Present Time - Tournament Begins
Shristi found him alone, in the courtyard, sitting on a bench.
"You shouldn't be by yourself," she said gently.
Wick didn't look at her. "Alone is what I've always been best at."
"You weren't always," she murmured. "You had people. You still do."
He scoffed, his voice a brittle whisper. "I had a few people I trusted. And I lost them... one by one."
Shristi stepped closer. "Khushi set you up, didn't you? Don't tell me you didn't know."
Wick's jaw tightened. "Of course I knew. I just chose silence over chaos."
"Then why push everyone away?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly. "Why push me away?"
He finally turned to her, eyes guarded. "Because the more you care, the easier it is to break. I'd rather be alone than risk dragging anyone else down with me."
She didn't flinch. "Then let me be the one who doesn't leave. Because no matter what, I believed in you. Dipanshu wasn't even there. Deep was out. Annu stayed. I stayed."
Wick's expression flickered-just for a second.
And that second was enough.
Vaibhav's eyes fluttered open. He was back.
This time, he wasn't alone. A massive crowd surrounded him in the indoor stadium.
And there, standing tall, ready to fight-was Wick.
Somehow, he had done it.
Vikram was back in the tournament.
But one thing was still unresolved.
His conflict with Nick.
---
The night air was thick with tension as Dev, Dipanshu, Deep, and Wick sat together, reflecting on the events of the day.
"That was one hell of a situation," Dev admitted, shaking his head. "But you handled it like always-just amazing."
Dipanshu leaned forward, his voice firm. "Wick, don't you dare even think about leaving us because of Nick. Always remember, no matter what happens, even if the world turns upside down, I'll stand by you."
Deep nodded in agreement. "Same goes for me. We've been through too much together."
A small, almost tired smile crossed Wick's face. Loyalty had always been the backbone of The Shield, but the weight of everything still pressed heavily on his shoulders.
Dev suddenly straightened up, eyes flickering with excitement. "By the way, I have some news."
Deep groaned. "Don't-"
Wick tilted his head. "What is it?"
Dev hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Vivaan is back."
The room went silent. Wick's expression remained unreadable as he processed the information.
"That's good," he finally said, voice steady. "But you know as well as I do, he's not part of The Shield anymore. He left months ago-without a word, without a reason."
Karna huffed, crossing his arms. "Come on, man! We're still friends. He could still join us for the tournament."
Wick's gaze shifted to Deep, whose face was clouded with hesitation. "You look tense," Wick observed. "And you were about to say something before Dev interrupted. What is it?"
Deep sighed, looking at him carefully before finally blurting it out. "Vivaan... he's in a relationship with Shristi."
For a fleeting second, there was a pause-just long enough for a heartbeat to pass.
Wick barely reacted. His voice remained level, almost detached. "It doesn't change anything. I was over him the moment he left The Shield."
But inside, something unsettled him.
---
Later that night was heavy with unresolved emotions as Wick made his way toward the girls' hostel. His steps were firm, yet his mind was restless. He wanted to check on Bhumi, to see if she had calmed down after everything that had happened.
Wick made his way toward the girls' hostel. , but as he neared the area, his steps slowed. His gaze landed on Shristi, standing close to a figure he immediately recognized-Vivaan.
Wick exhaled sharply through his nose and turned away. It didn't matter. At least, that's what he told himself.
Ignoring the scene, he continued forward and reached the hostel premises, where Bhumi was standing near the entrance. The moment she saw him, her expression hardened, and her anger flared to life.
"Security!" Bhumi shouted, her voice sharp enough to startle the guards nearby.
A uniformed man rushed toward them, his face filled with concern. "Madam, what happened?" he asked.
Bhumi crossed her arms and shot Wick a glare. "Take him away. He's disturbing me."
The guard hesitated, glancing at Wick, then back at Bhumi. He gulped nervously before speaking, his voice laced with apprehension. "Madam, I have two children. Why do you want them to sleep hungry tonight?" His meaning was clear-if he dared to lay a hand on Wick, he would lose his job.
Wick sighed and placed a reassuring hand on the guard's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You're just doing your job. You can leave now."
Relieved, the guard nodded and walked away, leaving Wick and Bhumi alone.
Wick turned back to her, his expression softening. "How long will you stay angry at me? Just try to see things from my perspective. If something like that happened to you-"
Bhumi cut him off, her eyes burning with unshed tears. "Then think, Wick! What would you have done if it were me in your place?"
Wick's jaw clenched. His hands balled into fists as a cold fury surged through him. "Then the person responsible would be dead by now."
Bhumi let out a shaky breath before her tears finally spilled over. Her fists weakly pounded against his chest. "You-You always do this! Every time!" Her voice broke, filled with frustration and pain.
Wick exhaled, wrapping his hands around hers. "Okay, okay, stop-ouch! That actually hurts," he muttered with a forced chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. But deep down, he knew the wounds between them weren't so easily healed.
---
A few hours later...
Nick sat alone, drowning in his own grief. He had a few bottles of wine beside him-something he had brought in an attempt to numb the stress, though he hadn't taken a single sip. His mind was a storm, torn between anger and sorrow, between regret and betrayal.
He sighed, staring at the bottle in his hand before hurling it across the room. Just as the glass was about to shatter against the wall, a hand caught it mid-air.
Nick's head snapped up, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Are you really here, or am I already drunk without drinking?"
Wick stood there, holding the bottle effortlessly, his expression unreadable. "Uhh, ouch. Do I need to knock now before entering?"
Nick blinked, still stunned. "That's not what I meant... I just-I didn't expect you here. Not after everything."
Wick stepped closer, setting the bottle down. His voice was calm but firm. "Every time you go too far, I'll be there to pull you back. Every day. Every second. Until you don't need me anymore. Because if I let you go now, you might never find your way out of this misery."
Nick swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to yell, to push Wick away like he had done so many times before. But instead, his voice came out small. "Why? After everything, why?"
Wick looked at him, and for the first time that night, his expression held nothing but raw honesty. "Because right now, you're all I've got."
The weight of those words crashed over Nick like a tidal wave. His vision blurred, and before he could stop himself, he stepped forward, pulling Wick into a tight embrace. Wick didn't hesitate, returning the gesture with equal intensity.
For the first time in a long while, Nick let his grief be shared, knowing that despite everything, Wick was still there. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
To be continued...