(INSIDE ROOM NO. 7)
The room was almost completely dark, except for a few dim red lights pulsing from the corners—just like the entrance of the club where Vishnu and Vishi had taken down those 10–15 men. The air smelled of sweat, metal, and dried blood. A large bed sat in the center, sheets twisted and soaked in dark stains.
Someone sat on it, motionless.
Ishi Naran.
Her body was naked, her skin bruised and marked, her back slightly hunched as if her bones were carrying too much weight. She wasn't even looking at the bed… she was looking at the door—had been looking at it long before Vishi entered. Like someone waiting for the final blow.
Her eyes didn't widen when she saw him. They only flickered. A small, tired surprise.
Vishi opened his mouth but no words came out.
Ishi spoke first, her voice scraping out of her throat.
"Did you kill everyone outside?"
The question hit him harder than any punch.Not "How did you get here?"Not "Are you okay?"Not "Save me."
Just that.
"Yes," he replied quietly. "But how… how did you know I killed someone?"
She slowly wrapped the blanket around her body—not out of shame, but as if trying to protect whatever was left of herself. She stood up with a calmness that did not belong in that room.
"For a long time…" she whispered, trying to pull a memory from a fog, "maybe two years… I realized you were stronger than kids your age. But I knew it wasn't genes."
She stepped closer, pausing under the faint red glow. Her eyes traced his face, especially his eyes.
"Your eyes… they look like someone who has just killed a bunch of men."
Vishi felt his stomach tighten.His mother had never talked like this.There was no warmth, no softness, no confusion.
Just acceptance.
He wondered if what happened to her… had broken something inside.
Ishi moved slowly until she stood right in front of him. She raised her hand and touched his cheek—her fingers cold, trembling slightly.
"I know you're not normal, my child."
The sentence sliced through him.But before he could speak, she continued, voice cracking despite her calm expression:
"I know I'm an incompetent mother… but I know my child. You weren't born smart or a genius, I know that. Maybe this house, this life… shaped you."
Vishi's throat felt tight.He whispered, "Then why didn't you leave Vurkel when you knew I'd be fine?"
Her eyes fell to the floor.
"I was scared…"A long pause. She swallowed hard."I was too scared to believe you could be different. Too scared to leave this life behind… as if it never existed. I couldn't suppress it."
She breathed in sharply—a tiny, broken sound.
"I'm a coward. Someone who never had the courage to change."
Vishi watched her carefully, analyzing every word, building a new picture of her—a picture far more fragile than he ever imagined.
Ishi reached slowly for the gun in his hand. She held it gently, almost respectfully, staring at it like it was an old friend.
"Did you come alone?" she asked.
"No," Vishi replied. "I came with the guy who taught me some martial arts."
Ishi's fingers tightened on the gun.For a moment, her hand shook.
Then, with a suddenness that snapped the air in the room, she lifted the gun to her temple.
"Mom—what are you doing?" Vishi's voice cracked, the first real panic he had ever shown.
She smiled—small, broken, but sincere.
"Vishi… my son…" Her voice trembled now. "I know I wasn't a good mother. But I don't want to hold you back anymore. Your father and I… we were cowards. I hope you won't become like us."
A tear slid down her cheek.
"I'm killing myself so you can forget this life and start a new one. I wasn't able to do anything… but you will. You're my greatest legacy. My only contribution to this world."
Her smile widened into something peaceful.Accepting.
A single breath.A tiny nod.
The gunshot tore through the room.
At that exact moment, Vishnu burst through the doorway, ready to warn Vishi about Hordon's men who were moving downstairs.
He froze.
"What the fuck happened here!?" he shouted.
Vishi didn't turn completely.He only tilted his head slightly, eyes reflecting the red glow of the room.
"Let's go upstairs."
His eyes were wet… but not a single tear fell.