The forest had gone silent.
Not the calm silence of nature—
But the suffocating silence of something unnatural.
Lioran, Sharin, and Aishwarya hung bound to thick wooden poles, their bodies weakened, their Prāṇa suppressed. Yet none of that mattered now.
Because what stood before them—
Defied everything they knew.
Bheem stood calmly.
But behind him—
A shadow crawled out of his body.
Slowly.
Twisting.
Stretching.
And then—
It took form.
A grotesque figure emerged halfway from Bheem's back.
Its face—
Was nothing but a skull.
No flesh.
No skin.
Empty eye sockets burned with a dark, hollow glow.
Its upper body leaned outward, while its lower half remained fused inside Bheem.
A creature born of nightmares.
A Narvan.
Aishwarya's voice trembled.
"How… is this possible?"
Her eyes refused to blink.
"A Narvan… inside a human?"
Lioran clenched his fists.
"…Is it some kind of parasite?"
His gaze sharpened.
"Is it controlling you, Bheem?"
The creature laughed.
A hollow, scraping sound.
"You fools."
All three froze.
It spoke.
"I am no parasite."
Its skeletal jaw moved unnaturally.
"This human…"
It tilted its head slightly.
"…is not my host. He is my friend."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unbelievable.
"…Friend?" Lioran whispered.
Bheem stepped forward slightly.
"Yes."
His voice was calm.
"This Narvan…"
He glanced back at the creature.
"…is my closest companion."
Lioran's heart skipped.
"…That's impossible."
Bheem's eyes darkened.
"We've been together… since childhood."
Sharin's voice broke through.
"Why…?"
His fists clenched against the ropes.
"Why would you stand with a Narvan against your own kind?"
Aishwarya added, her voice sharp—
"Why take revenge on the world that raised you?"
The Narvan spoke again.
"My name…"
Its hollow gaze turned toward them.
"…is Dukhchar."
A faint, chilling presence filled the air.
"And this human…"
It smiled.
"…is the only one who ever accepted me."
Bheem's expression softened—
For the first time.
Not with kindness—
But with something deeper.
Something broken.
"This world…"
He looked at Lioran.
"…never accepted me."
Lioran fell silent.
The weight in Bheem's voice—
It wasn't anger alone.
It was pain.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
"This world…"
Bheem continued slowly,
"…took everything from me."
His fists tightened.
"My family."
"My happiness."
"My reason to live."
His voice lowered.
"…Everything."
The forest seemed to listen.
"…Except him."
He glanced back at Dukhchar.
"He stayed."
A hollow wind passed through the trees.
"And now…"
Bheem's eyes hardened.
"…we will take everything back."
Lioran swallowed.
"…What happened to you?"
For a moment—
Bheem said nothing.
Then—
"…I'll tell you."
Twenty-Five Years Ago
A quiet garden bathed in sunlight.
Laughter echoed.
A young boy ran across the grass—
His little sister chasing behind him.
"Catch me if you can!"
"Wait for me, Bhaiya!"
Their laughter was pure.
Innocent.
Nearby, their parents watched—
Smiling.
Peaceful.
A family.
Complete.
Bheem's voice echoed softly over the memory—
"I, my sister, and my parents were living together peacefully."
Night fell.
The family sat together, sharing a meal.
Jokes.
Laughter.
Warmth.
"The happiest days of my life."
Then—
Morning came.
But something was wrong.
The boy and his sister stood frozen.
Their father lay on the ground.
Still.
Unmoving.
"…Father?"
No response.
"…Wake up…"
Silence.
Their small hands shook him.
But he didn't move.
"The doctor said that he died because of a heart attack."
Rain fell.
A grave was dug.
The children cried.
But their mother—
She stood still.
Expressionless.
Watching.
"…That was the day everything began to fall apart."
Days passed.
Then—
One evening—
The children returned home.
"Mom?"
No answer.
The house was empty.
On the table—
A letter.
The boy picked it up.
His hands trembled.
In the letter—
"I am going somewhere.
Don't try to find me.
I will never come back.
Goodbye."
The paper slipped from his fingers.
"…She left us."
Silence filled the house.
A broken silence.
"I was ten."
"My sister…"
His voice cracked slightly.
"…was six."
The memory shifted.
The siblings sat beside their father's grave.
Hungry.
Alone.
"Father…"
The boy whispered.
"…why did you leave us?"
His sister clung to him.
"I miss Papa and Mama…"
Her voice trembled.
"…please come back…"
But no one came.
Days turned into struggle.
Hunger.
Cold nights.
Endless searching.
"...But I couldn't see my sister hungry."
The boy lifted heavy sacks at a shop.
Sweat dripped from his face.
A shopkeeper handed him a few coins.
"Good work."
The boy nodded.
"…This is enough."
He ran.
Bought food.
A small packet.
"…At least she can eat."
Hope flickered in his eyes.
But when he reached the grave—
She wasn't there.
The food fell from his hand.
"Chutki?!"
Panic.
Fear.
He ran through the streets.
"Chutki!!"
Then—
A scream.
"AAAAAH!!"
His heart stopped.
"I'm coming!"
He ran toward the sound.
And saw—
A dog.
Wild.
Ferocious.
Charging toward his sister.
"Please help me!" she cried.
The dog leapt.
The boy stepped forward—
"No!"
He placed himself between them.
The dog's jaws sank into his arm.
"AAAAAH!!"
Pain exploded.
Blood spilled.
"Bhaiya!!"
But he didn't move.
"Don't… touch my sister…"
His voice shook—
But his eyes burned with determination.
Even as blood dripped—
He stood firm.
"I'll protect you…"
The dog lunged again—
A man nearby turned.
"Oh no—!"
But before he could reach—
Something happened.
A surge.
From the boy's hand—
Light erupted.
A golden sphere exploded outward.
BOOM!!
The dog was thrown back.
It whimpered—
Then fled.
Silence.
That man was surprised.
The boy collapsed.
His breathing weak.
Vision fading.
"Bhaiya!!"
His sister cried.
The man reached them.
He knelt.
Placed his hand on the wound.
A soft green glow appeared.
It was healing his wound..
"…Who…"
The boy whispered.
"…are you…"
The man smiled faintly.
"You can call me…"
"…Master."
Darkness consumed the boy.
"Bhaiya!!"
His sister cried.
"He's fine," the man said calmly.
"…He's just sleeping."
Then—
He looked at the sky.
A faint smile forming.
"…Interesting."
"Another talent…"
"…found in the streets."
TO BE CONTINUED…