At forest
The bus was completely empty. The seats were spotless, the blankets folded neatly, the heater still gently warming the air. The lights were on... but in that peaceful space, there was no one.
Except for Rudra.
He stood just outside the bus gate, staring silently into the hollow interior. He took one step forward—then stopped.
His breath caught.
A watch.
A smart watch… Ayaan's smart watch. Lying on the floor.
"Ayaan…?" Rudra whispered, a deep chill running down his spine as his thoughts spiraled.
He had just arrived—hoping, believing that Ayaan would be safe inside. But fate had betrayed him.
Ayaan was gone. Kidnapped.
Rudra slowly sank to the floor. He gripped his head in both hands. His heart pounded with guilt.
"I should've come sooner..." he muttered to himself, voice thick with regret. "Why did I take so long?"
Suddenly, his wristwatch buzzed. It was a call from Oliver.
Rudra picked up. "Hello?"
Oliver's voice was strained, panicked. "Rudra?! Are you there yet? Is Ayaan with you?!"
Rudra nodded, though his voice was quiet. "Yeah… I'm here."
"Ayaan's not picking up any of our calls! Is he there? Is everything okay?!"
Rudra hesitated. The truth was heavy on his tongue.
Then, he finally forced the words out. "He's not here…"
"…What?" Oliver's voice dropped. Tension filled the silence.
"We've lost him," Rudra said slowly. "The Brahmarakshas… he's taken Ayaan."
"Shit!!" Oliver's voice exploded in panic.
"Call Nyra immediately. Gather the team—we have to find him, and fast. We don't have much time."
"Got it, boss!" Rudra ended the call and quickly dialed Nyra.
Oliver hung up and looked over at Luna.
She stood frozen—tears spilling silently from her eyes, while her fists clenched tightly and her teeth ground together in helpless rage.
"I told that idiot not to come with us!" she snapped, anger cracking through her voice like lightning.
Oliver didn't say anything—he just looked at her.
"If anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself…" she said again, still angry—but her eyes were filled with pain.
"I'm sorry, Oliver…" she murmured, her voice breaking.
"I left him there… knowing full well he couldn't protect himself. I should have stayed with him."
"I'm sorry!!" she cried out again, chest trembling with guilt.
Oliver gently placed a hand on her shoulder. His voice was calm but urgent. "Now's not the time to blame ourselves. We need to find him. Whatever it takes."
Luna nodded fiercely. "I will find him. No matter what. Don't worry."
"Good," Oliver said. "Then let's move. Time's running out."
And with that—they ran.
The forest was still cloaked in darkness. There were about four hours left until sunrise. The night air was heavy, cold, and strangely silent. Not a single sound of animals… not even a birdcall.
It was as if no other living soul existed in that forest. Except for them.
The search had begun. They didn't know where Ayaan was—or even if he was still alive. But they weren't going to stop.
At cave
Inside the cave, the Brahmarakshas had just returned. His face was locked in shock, eyes fixed on the figure before him.
"This is impossible…" he muttered under his breath.
He had expected Ayaan to be dead by morning. That his body would be cold, lifeless—completely consumed.
But…
Ayaan's body was whole again. His arms and legs had returned. Even his hollowed-out torso had somehow healed. He sat there against the same stone wall, smiling... softly… as if nothing had happened.
Ayaan had spent the entire night trapped inside the cave.
The Brahmarakshas walked slowly toward him, crouched down, and examined his body carefully.
"Ayaan," he whispered into his ear.
"Tell me the truth—how did you do this?" he asked, wrapping an arm around him.
Ayaan's eyes turned toward him. But he didn't speak.
He just smiled and cried.
The Brahmarakshas stared into his eyes, leaned in closer. "Come on, son. Don't be afraid. Just tell me."
Still nothing.
No words.
Just that same, eerie, broken smile on Ayaan's face.
The Brahmarakshas' patience finally snapped.
With one violent strike, he plunged his clawed hand into Ayaan's chest—ripping out his heart. Blood splattered across the cave floor as the heart throbbed faintly in his grip.
He took a bite—smiling at Ayaan as if sharing a meal.
Ayaan's body convulsed. He trembled uncontrollably.
But… He didn't die.
The Brahmarakshas devoured the entire heart and muttered with disbelief, "How are you still alive?"
Still no answer.
Not even a whisper.
Frustrated, the Brahmarakshas turned toward the cave wall, then grabbed Ayaan's body and hurled him violently across the space.
Ayaan's back slammed into the stone wall with a sickening thud, then collapsed onto the ground.
The Brahmarakshas ran at him—lunged—and sank his sharp fangs into Ayaan's throat.
Blood poured like a fountain…
And Ayaan?
He was laughing.
Even with his throat torn open, he laughed.
The Brahmarakshas chewed the flesh gleefully and roared with delight.
"HA! HA! HA! If you can't die, then this is good news for me!" he shouted.
"That means I can eat you every single day… and feed this hunger that never ends!"
Ayaan shook violently, tears of pain and laughter spilling from his half-dead face.
The Brahmarakshas simply smiled in return.
Then, without a word, he bit off both of Ayaan's legs—gripped them in his monstrous hands, and casually walked out of the cave.
Ayaan was left behind once again.
Alone.
Torn apart.
Still smiling.
Next day
The next day had arrived.
Ayaan was still lying in that very same pit of agony.
His arms and legs were gone. His kidneys, liver, and even his heart were missing. One of his eyes had vanished. One ear too. He was nothing more than a mutilated shell—yet he was still breathing. Laughing. Smiling. Crying. All at once.
Beside him sat the Brahmarakshas, calmly chewing on his limbs, smiling as if he were savoring a delicacy.
Ayaan's mind was still trapped inside the false dream crafted by the monster.
In that illusion, Super Ayaan was sitting peacefully with his children, watching TV. Priyanshi was in the kitchen, washing dishes. The cheerful tune of "Shinchan" echoed from the television.
While watching, his daughter Anjali suddenly turned toward him.
"Papa! Papa!" she called out.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Ayaan replied, still smiling.
"If it's okay with you… can my friend come over for dinner today?"
"Of course! Why would that be a problem?"
"Well… she's already on the way. That's why I asked!"
"No issue at all. Let her come—we'll all play something fun together."
"Thank you, Papa!" Anjali giggled and hugged him tight.
Ding... dong...
The doorbell rang.
"Oh! That must be her!" Anjali exclaimed and rushed toward the door.
Suddenly, back in the real world, the Brahmarakshas froze. He had heard something. He slowly placed his food down and stood up.
At the same moment, in the illusion, the door to Super Ayaan's house opened slightly. A shadow appeared at the entrance.
The Brahmarakshas turned, his monstrous frame twisting toward the direction of the sound.
Super Ayaan narrowed his eyes, staring at the silhouette. "What's that on her head? Are those... cat ears?"
In the real world, the Brahmarakshas remained completely silent, his attention fixed on the cave's entrance.
And then…
Ayaan, still lying broken against the stone floor, lifted his head slightly. He was still smiling.
Someone stepped into the cave's dim light from the shadows outside.
She wore combat sneakers, gloves tight on her fists. Her hair was a vivid orange, wild and untamed. From her head, two feline ears stood upright. A long tiger-striped tail swayed behind her, and matching stripes marked her cheeks like a fierce warrior.
Her voice trembled softly with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Ayaan. I came too late…"
Luna had arrived.