Vhim's POV
I couldn't breathe.
The moment I stepped into that cave, something inside me cracked.
Ten of them.
Ten small bodies. Cold. Still. Twisted in pain.
I knew every face. Every name. Their laughter still echoed in my ears. The way they used to chase butterflies near the stream. The way they smiled even when they had nothing.
Gone.
Just… gone.
Why?
My legs trembled. My fingers wouldn't stop shaking. I stepped closer, and the smell hit me hard—like something alive was rotting in my chest. My stomach turned. I wanted to scream, but my voice was lost.
I fell to my knees.
Tears came before I could stop them. My heart felt like it was being crushed, beat by beat.
Why? Why them?
They were good kids. Better than most. They didn't deserve this. No one deserves this.
I felt so powerless. So small.
I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.
A part of me remembered something—shadows, screams, someone reaching out—but the images were too faint. Too blurry. Like a dream I couldn't wake from.
.
.
.
My tears had barely dried when something inside me snapped.
A heat surged through my head—then my eyes. Burning. Blinding. And then… stillness.
Everything around me faded. The cave, the corpses, even Arjun—gone. Replaced by something else.
Flames.
I saw flames swallowing towers, castles, temples. The sky itself cracked open, and from it descended beasts of myth—dragons with wings like thunderclouds, phoenixes trailing fire with every flap.
A city—the Kingdom?—was falling. Screams, explosions, sword clashes. I had seen this before. In the temple. A vision that made no sense.
But now… it changed.
From fire and chaos, I was pulled into darkness.
A cold, stone room. Silent. A place that felt far removed from war—but no less intense.
There, in the center, stood a man.
He was shirtless, his body sculpted like a statue—every muscle controlled, every motion precise. His eyes were closed. Yet he moved with perfection. Graceful. Lethal. His sword danced like it had a will of its own.
He wasn't just fighting—he was creating something.
A pattern. A rhythm. A language written in steel.
"Deva's Sword Techniques," he whispered.
I heard it clearly. That name etched itself into my mind. I didn't know how or why, but it felt familiar—like something buried deep within me was answering to it.
Slash. Thrust. Spin. Flow.
Each movement carved a memory onto my soul. I wasn't watching anymore. I was… absorbing.
And then—his eyes opened.
He looked straight at me.
And smiled.
The vision shattered.
I was back in the cave, my breath ragged, body shaking.
But something was different.
The sorrow was still there, but beneath it… something else.
Power.
No—purpose.
.
Arjun's POV
I looked at Vhim. His eyes… they weren't the same.
Bright red. Deep. As if reflecting something far away—something not here. Not now.
'He's seeing something,' I thought. 'A memory maybe? A vision? Or… something I never wrote?'
That was the most disturbing part.
I never planned this part.
I turned toward the cave, the stench of death still thick in the air. Ten children. Gone. And I had no script for what comes next.
"Now I don't know what's coming next," I muttered to myself. "We need to hunt down the demon. But next? If only I had created more plans and chapters. Hah!"
I scoffed bitterly. The words tasted like failure.
All I had was fragments. Loose ideas. A setup. Not a strategy.
"We can just do one thing," I said aloud, though Vhim was still in his trance. "Prepare for the hunt."
That much was clear. Even if we had no tools, no clues, no power… we could at least prepare.
Still, I couldn't shake the unease crawling up my spine.
'A demon with no known origin… that's always the worst type. The most powerful. The most unpredictable.'
And the most terrifying thought?
'I don't know how much time we have left. It might attack tonight. Or… it might already be watching.'
That single thought echoed louder than the rest.
I felt helpless. Disappointed. And more than anything—furious at myself.
'Even now… my past loser self is making life harder for us. I want to become powerful. I need to. But I can't. This body is weak. Fragile. I can't even run without almost collapsing. And yet… I'm supposed to lead us?'
A full hour passed before Vhim stirred.
He blinked slowly, his red pupils fading back to normal. For one second, there was something in his eyes—seriousness. Focus. Like a sword newly sharpened.
Then it vanished.
"Arjun, I'm hungry!" he grinned. "Let's eat fruits from Manglu's garden!"
That carefree tone. That innocent grin.
Only Vhim could go from death to food so fast.
Manglu. A senior. One of our few trusted friends. His family owned the biggest garden in the village—rich with fruits, herbs, and vegetables. He always shared with us when we asked, no questions.
But I didn't respond.
My mind was elsewhere.
'Who is the demon possessing?'
I looked back at the cave.
'Who is it?'
I clenched my fists.
'How will we know?'
.
.
By the time we reached Manglu's house, the sun was already high. The trees swayed gently, casting dancing shadows across the garden. And there he was—Manglu. Lying under a tree, one arm across his chest, eyes closed, as if the world didn't weigh a gram.
We walked over and nudged him gently.
"Oi, Manglu," Vhim called, laughing. "Wake up, lazy!"
But something was wrong.
The moment I stood near him, a chill ran down my back.
A cold sweat formed on my skin.
Was it fear?
No… not quite. It was deeper than fear. Something primal. Something like instinct screaming at me. But I couldn't catch it clearly—like a name on the tip of the tongue, just out of reach.
Then… I felt it.
A gaze.
Heavy. Like a hand pressing on my shoulders.
I looked down.
Manglu was staring at me.
Same expression as always—unmoving, unreadable, cold.
But this time, it wasn't familiar. It was distant. Hollow. As if something ancient was wearing his face like a mask.
Vhim, of course, didn't notice anything.
He grinned and plopped down beside Manglu. "We're hungry, Manglu. Let's eat some sweet fruits!"
Manglu gave a slow smile in return.
But it didn't reach his eyes.
It never reached his eyes.
And for the first time in a while… I noticed it.
That smile felt wrong.
Fake.
Too smooth.
Like a predator mimicking a friend.
Suddenly, a thought stabbed into my mind like a knife:
'What happened in the orphanage?'
My eyes widened.
I had almost forgotten.
'Does grandpa know?'
The scent of rotting blood flashed through my memory. The ten bodies. The cave. The guardian who should've been there.
Something wasn't adding up.
Something was wrong.
Very, very wrong.
And Manglu… he was right here. Smiling. Offering fruits.
My body stayed still. But my thoughts were already drawing lines between dots I hadn't wanted to connect.