Chapter 8: Black Circuit’s Warning

The four teens gathered in Arman’s room that evening, the tension from the chase still fresh. Zara’s escape had shaken them all—proof that Black Circuit wasn’t just faceless hackers but had people on the ground.

Arman powered up his desktop, the glow of the monitor casting pale light across their worried faces. Suddenly, the screen flickered. A video window opened on its own, hijacking the system.

A distorted voice filled the room, accompanied by a hooded figure whose face was blurred.

“Stop interfering,” the voice commanded. “You are children playing with fire. If you continue, the city will burn—and you will burn with it.”

The figure leaned closer to the camera. “This is your only warning. Walk away.”

The video cut to static, then vanished.

Riya’s hands trembled. “They know we’re watching them. They know we’re trying to stop them.”

Kian’s jaw tightened. “They’re trying to scare us off. That means we’re close to something.”

Zara crossed her arms, her voice steady but her eyes betraying unease. “Or it means they’re ready to make good on their threats.”

Arman stared at the blank screen, his mind racing. “We can’t back down. If they’re targeting the power grid, we have to stop them. No one else even knows this is happening.”

The room fell silent, each of them weighing the risk.

Then Arman’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the message—and froze.

It was from his father. Just three words:
“Shop destroyed. Come.”

Arman’s stomach dropped. His father’s small electronics shop—the place where he had learned to solder wires and build circuits—was their livelihood.

He looked at the others, his voice hollow. “They’ve sabotaged my father’s shop.”