The island had become terrifyingly silent.
Only the sound of burning flames echoed across the ritual ground as crimson fire spread through the blood-marked patterns carved into the earth. Thick smoke rose into the dark sky while the strange ritual symbols glowed beneath the flames like living veins.
At the center of the ritual—
Lioran, Sharin, and Aishwarya remained tied to the wooden poles.
The heat from the fire burned against their skin while the ropes dug painfully into their wrists. Yet despite the danger surrounding them, none of their attention remained on the flames anymore.
Because they were staring at Bheem's friends.
Kamali.
Daabur.
Booma.
Kaali.
All of them stood calmly within the circles of fire.
None of them were afraid.
None of them were trying to escape.
And strangely enough—
They were smiling.
Lioran stared at them for several moments before finally understanding the truth.
"…I get it now."
Aishwarya and Sharin looked toward him immediately.
Lioran's eyes remained fixed on Bheem's companions as he spoke quietly.
"They're doing this because they want to."
Sharin frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Lioran clenched his fists tightly against the ropes.
"These people have been together since childhood. Their bond is far deeper than we thought." His voice grew heavier. "They genuinely want to help Bheem… even if it costs them their lives."
Aishwarya's expression slowly changed from anger to sadness.
"…No…"
She looked at Kamali standing inside the flames.
"She's smiling…"
Sharin lowered his gaze.
"I can't even imagine how much pain they've gone through to reach this point."
"Yeah," Lioran said quietly. "And they're willing to suffer even more."
The fire reflected within his eyes.
"Because their bond is stronger than pain itself."
Suddenly, Lioran pulled violently against the ropes binding his arms.
The wooden pole shook slightly.
"I can't let this happen."
His voice carried determination strong enough to cut through the heat itself.
Sharin looked shocked.
"Lioran—"
"I don't know if I'm truly like Vaelion or not," Lioran interrupted, gritting his teeth. "But I made a promise to my mother."
Golden Prāṇa slowly began leaking from his body.
"I promised her that I would always protect weak people."
He forced his wrists harder against the ropes.
The rough material tore into his skin immediately.
Blood began running down both of his arms.
"Stop!" Aishwarya shouted. "You're hurting yourself!"
"It doesn't matter."
Lioran continued struggling.
"This pain is nothing compared to what they've suffered."
The ropes refused to break.
Still—
He didn't stop.
"And I'll save them…"
His voice trembled slightly from effort.
"…No matter what."
Then suddenly—
Something unexpected happened.
A thick cloud of smoke exploded across the ritual ground.
"WHAT?!"
Bheem looked around sharply.
The smoke spread unnaturally fast, swallowing the fire itself.
Within seconds, visibility completely disappeared.
Kamali stepped backward cautiously.
"I can't see anything!"
Daabur immediately moved into a defensive stance.
"Stay alert!"
Even the ritual flames began dying beneath the overwhelming smoke.
Lioran narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness.
Then—
A shadow suddenly appeared behind them.
"Don't panic."
Lioran froze.
"…Kaali?"
Kaali quickly crouched beside the poles while holding a strange black knife covered in glowing markings.
"What are you doing?" Sharin whispered in confusion.
"Saving you idiots," Kaali muttered.
The knife sliced through the ropes instantly.
The moment the restraints broke, Lioran felt Prāṇa flow freely through his body again.
"You three are free now," Kaali said quickly. "If you want to survive, follow me."
Without waiting for a response, he disappeared into the smoke.
Lioran exchanged stunned looks with Sharin and Aishwarya.
They didn't understand what was happening—
But they had no choice.
The three immediately chased after him.
A few moments later, the smoke finally began clearing from the ritual ground.
Bheem slowly looked toward the wooden poles.
And froze.
The poles were empty.
His eyes widened instantly.
"…What?"
Dark Prāṇa erupted violently from his body.
"WHO DID THIS?!"
The pressure from his aura shook the surrounding trees.
Kamali looked around nervously.
"Wait…"
Her expression suddenly changed.
"Where's Kaali?"
Everyone froze.
Bheem's heartbeat stopped for a moment.
"…No."
He looked around again.
But Kaali was truly gone.
Along with Lioran and the others.
Bheem slowly clenched his fists so tightly that blood dripped from his palms.
His breathing became heavier.
"…Why, Kaali?"
There was anger in his voice.
But beneath that anger—
Was heartbreak.
Several kilometers away from the ritual ground, Kaali finally stopped running.
The group had reached a quiet area deep within the forest where moonlight barely reached through the trees.
Everyone was breathing heavily.
Lioran leaned against a tree while recovering from both his injuries and the ritual.
Kaali looked around carefully before speaking.
"They won't find us immediately. We have a little time."
But before he could continue—
Lioran suddenly stepped forward and grabbed his collar.
"Tell me something."
Kaali looked directly into his eyes.
"Why?"
Lioran's voice hardened.
"Why betray your own friends to save us?"
For several seconds, Kaali remained silent.
Then he slowly removed Lioran's hand from his collar and turned away.
Moonlight fell across his scarred face.
"…Because I want to save them."
Sharin frowned.
"Save them? From what?"
Kaali's voice became heavier.
"…From despair."
Aishwarya looked confused.
"Despair?"
Kaali nodded slowly.
"When someone loses everything… despair begins consuming them."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"It twists your heart."
"It clouds your judgment."
"And eventually…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"…it makes you choose the wrong path."
Lioran understood immediately.
"You're talking about Bheem."
Kaali shook his head.
"I'm talking about all of us."
The forest became silent.
"Our Master never wanted this."
Lioran narrowed his eyes.
"Your Master…"
He stepped closer.
"There's something I want to know."
Kaali remained silent.
"Who was your Master?"
"And who killed him and Bheem's sister?"
The atmosphere immediately grew heavy.
Kaali lowered his head for several moments before finally speaking.
"I'll tell you everything."
He slowly sat beside a tree.
"But before you understand Bheem…"
"…you need to understand me first."
He looked toward the sky.
And began telling his story.
Years Ago…
"At birth, my parents abandoned me because of my skin disease."
Kaali touched the bumps and scars covering his face.
"They thought I looked ugly."
His voice sounded strangely calm.
"As a child, I lived in an orphanage."
The memory unfolded clearly.
Young Kaali sat alone in a dark corner while other children played together happily.
Whenever he approached them—
They moved away immediately.
"Don't touch me!"
"You look disgusting!"
"Monster!"
Even the caretakers treated him differently.
They gave him food from a distance.
Rarely spoke kindly to him.
"No one wanted me near them."
One rainy night, five-year-old Kaali quietly left the orphanage.
No one stopped him.
No one searched for him.
"It was as if my existence never mattered."
The next memory was even harsher.
Young Kaali searched through garbage bins for food.
Some days he found leftovers.
Most days—
Nothing.
One afternoon, he stood outside a bakery while staring hungrily at fresh bread.
The smell alone made his stomach ache.
The shopkeeper turned away for one second.
Kaali immediately grabbed a loaf and ran.
"HEY!"
The shopkeeper shouted furiously.
"THIEF!"
Kaali ran through crowded streets as fast as possible.
Eventually, he reached a small alley covered with old newspapers.
That tiny corner—
Was his home.
Panting heavily, he sat down and tore the bread in half.
But before eating—
He noticed a small puppy staring at him weakly.
The puppy was starving.
Kaali blinked.
Then smiled faintly.
"…You're hungry too?"
Without hesitation, he handed half the bread to the puppy.
"Eat."
The puppy immediately began eating happily.
And from that day onward—
The puppy stayed beside him.
"Even animals treated me better than humans," Kaali said quietly.
Aishwarya lowered her gaze sadly.
"But surviving on the streets was never easy."
The memory shifted again.
Kaali was running desperately through another street while holding stolen food.
Behind him, an angry man chased after him.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Kaali kept running.
But suddenly—
BANG!
A bullet pierced through his leg.
"AAAAAHHH!"
Young Kaali collapsed onto the road while blood spread beneath him.
The stolen food rolled away.
The man caught up and began kicking him violently.
Suddenly that puppy came there.
It attacked that man.
It bit his hand.
"AAAAHHH"
That man threw that puppy.
Then he shot it.
A bullet pierced the puppy's stomach.
It collapsed.
Blood spread over it.
It died.
"Noooo" Kaali shout.
Tears came out from his eyes.
"You filthy rat!"
Another kick struck his stomach.
Kaali coughed blood.
"You think you can steal from me?!"
The man kept kicking him again and again.
"You disgusting freak!"
"Ugly bastard!"
"People like you shouldn't exist!"
Kaali's vision blurred.
But the man still wasn't done.
He raised his foot toward Kaali's face.
"Maybe I should crush that disgusting face completely."
Kaali slowly closed his eyes.
He truly believed he was going to die.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the street.
The man screamed as blood burst from his hand.
Kaali weakly opened his eyes.
A man wearing sunglasses sat calmly on a motorcycle nearby.
He pointed a gun directly at the attacker.
"Leave the boy."
His voice was ice cold.
"Or the next bullet goes through your skull."
Terrified, the attacker immediately ran away.
The biker slowly approached Kaali.
Young Kaali's vision had already begun fading.
"…Why…"
He struggled to speak.
"…save me…"
The man crouched beside him.
And for the first time in Kaali's life—
Someone touched him without disgust.
"Because nobody deserves to die like this."
Darkness swallowed Kaali soon afterward.
Then Kaali looked toward Lioran in the present.
"The man who saved me…"
His eyes darkened slightly.
"…was not a random person."
"He was a gang leader."
TO BE CONTINUED…