He knelt near the fresh ash below the lotus carving. His fingers brushed something cold—a copper bangle, still warm to the touch. Recently dropped.

That’s when he heard it.

The scrape of a boot against stone.

He turned, drawing his revolver instinctively—but too late. A black cloth bag was yanked over his head, and a blow slammed into his ribs. Another strike cracked into his jaw. He stumbled, disoriented, barely managing to tuck the bangle into his pocket before collapsing to the ground.

They dragged him deeper into the temple.

Voices. Male. Two, maybe three.

“He shouldn’t have come here.”

“We should just kill him now.”

“No—boss said to make it look like an accident.”

They tied his hands behind his back, propping him against a moss-covered pillar. One of them chuckled. “Brave detective. You should’ve stayed in your lane.”

Jagendra’s voice was calm, even through the blood on his lip.

“You should’ve brought more men.”

They didn’t see the shard of broken stone he’d palmed from the floor.

Jagendra twisted his wrists, working the sharp edge against the rope. It tore through the fibers slowly—agonizingly—but he didn’t stop. As one of the men stepped forward to deliver another blow, Jagendra surged up, hands free.

The first man took a brutal elbow to the throat—he dropped, gagging.

The second swung a crowbar—Jagendra ducked, drove his shoulder into the man’s gut, then slammed his skull into the pillar with a sickening crunch.

The third tried to run.

Jagendra’s boot caught him mid-step, sending him sprawling. He straddled the man, pressing the revolver to his temple.

“Who sent you?” he growled.

“I—I don’t know the name. Just a voice. Over burner phones. Said if we stopped you… we’d be blessed. We’re just... followers.”

Jagendra’s eyes narrowed.

Followers. Ritual. Sacrifice.

This wasn’t just a killer. This was a cult.

He stood, breath heavy, the temple echoing with silence once more.

And from the shadows behind the altar, unseen, the killer watched him.

Not with fear.

With fascination.

Jagendra had passed the first test.