The fireball was coming.
Lava and Kaal stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the sky as death approached—not in a flash, but slowly. Like fate dragging its feet just long enough to be seen. Just long enough to be feared. The sky glowed in orange-red fury, bathing the hills in the colour of endings. Lava's gaze reflected the burning sky—filled with light, fear, and the fierce instinct to protect.
But Kaal's eyes were different.
They didn't tremble.
They darkened.
It wasn't fear that bloomed behind them. Nor sorrow. It was something else—something deeper. Colder. A shadow coiling in the depths of a boy's soul. Not quite hatred, not quite rage, but the kind of silence that knew too much. He didn't look like a child anymore, but a void that remembered nothing and wanted everything.
And then—just before the fire could reach them—a sudden force slammed into their backs.
A push.
Kaal blinked, the strange shadow fading from his eyes. His lips parted as he whispered a single name.
"Myra..."
The fireball struck the earth.
But by then, she was already running.
Myra had seen them—seen Kaal—and she didn't hesitate. No thoughts. No doubts. Through the smoke, wind, and falling debris, she sprinted toward the blaze. She didn't scream. She didn't stop.
She only moved.
She reached them just in time, hurling herself over both Lava and Kaal, shielding them as the fireball roared into the ground. The shock hit hard. They rolled, the impact throwing them aside, but not far enough.
It wasn't over.
Blazing shards scattered through the air like knives, hunting them down. Without hesitation, Lava moved again, covering both her son and Myra with her body. She held them close, tighter than she ever had, her arms trembling—but she didn't flinch.
And as she did... something within her stirred.
Not rage. Not fear.
A memory.
Neel.
Her heart clenched—and as it did, a strange red light pulsed from her chest. It spread across her skin and bloomed outward, a shield of glowing warmth wrapping around the three of them. The air hummed softly, a song of love in the midst of destruction.
The flying shards struck the barrier and shattered harmlessly around them.
They survived.
But not untouched.
A sharp line of heat had sliced across Lava's shoulder. Her skin blistered where the shard had grazed through the barrier. She flinched but didn't make a sound.
Kaal noticed.
He immediately pulled away from her chest, eyes darting to the wound. Panic struck his face like lightning.
"Mom—your arm! Are you okay?"
His voice cracked on the last word. Then, quieter, his gaze dropped slightly.
"And… the baby?"
Lava pressed her palm against her stomach. Her voice stayed steady, even with pain stitched through it.
"We're okay," she said gently. "Don't worry, love. I've got us."
There was no time for questions. Not about Myra's sudden appearance, or how she'd found them. No time to reflect on the miracle of still being alive.
"We need to move," Lava said, already scanning the terrain.
Kaal nodded fast. "The cave—it's not far. That's our way out. We have to go. Now."
They ran.
Lava shielded them with the fading glow of red light. Ash rained from the sky, soft and silent. Behind them, the hills cracked and roared, breaking apart like they were giving up on holding the world together.
As they ran, Kaal glanced toward Myra, his voice breathless.
"What happened? Where's Vihaan? Your parents?"
Myra's face faltered, her voice catching in her throat.
"Before it all started, I was outside. I saw the sky change… I ran home. But when I got there—" her voice shook, "the house was empty. Mom, Dad, Vihaan… they weren't there. I searched everywhere. I couldn't find them."
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve but didn't stop running.
Kaal didn't respond at first. His eyes just fixed on the cave ahead—dark, jagged, and yawning open like a waiting mouth between scorched stone and firelit sky.
"They might be there," he said at last, quieter now. "On the other side."
Myra didn't answer.
But she looked at him. Then at Lava. And in that glance, she saw it—the grief they all carried, the silence wrapped around Neel's name.
And in that silence, her question died on her lips.
She understood.
Then they saw it.
The cave.
That mysterious cave. Just ahead—close enough to taste hope, yet far enough that death still loomed behind them like a shadow.
Lava kept moving, her arms shielding the children in that soft glow of protective energy. Her back—already burned, already bleeding—the heat crawling up her spine like a beast trying to consume her.
The ground cracked beneath her feet. Blood trickled. Flesh hissed. But she showed nothing. Not pain. Not fear. Only the resolve of a mother who had one duty left in this world.
And she would see it through.
Each step forced dust from the ground, another breath from her lungs, but her mind held on—not to agony, not to despair—but to a memory.
Neel.
The man who smiled through the fire. Who stood while the world crumbled. And now… it was her turn.
They reached the cave entrance just as a massive boulder above began to crack. Dust fell like a silent warning. Lava's eyes snapped upward.
A moment later, the stone began to fall. She didn't hesitate. She pushed Kaal and Myra with everything she had.
They tumbled inside, barely crossing the threshold as the stone slammed behind them like the end of the world.
For a second, everything stopped.
Kaal blinked.
His breath caught.
He didn't understand—not right away. Until he turned.
And saw nothing but stone behind him.
"Myra?" he whispered. "Where's...?"
Then he dropped to his knees, his eye pressed against a narrow crack in the rocks.
"Mom?" he called out, louder now. "Mom, can you hear me?! Are you okay?!"
Through the small gap, he saw her—sitting just beyond the sealed entrance. Her body slumped. Her shoulder trembling. Blood smeared down her back.
But her face—
Her face was smiling.
"I'm okay, Kaal," she said softly. "Mama's alright…"
She wasn't.
He could see it. But she lied beautifully. To make him feel safe. To make him strong.
Kaal staggered back, chest heaving. "We have to get Mom in… we have to—" He tried to stand.
Twice.
Myra shouted his name, tried to grab his hand, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. Stone met skin. Then bone. Blood smeared across the cave wall. His fists cracked. Knuckles torn open.
But he didn't stop.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't cry.
"Just hold on!" Kaal screamed, breath ragged. "I'll get you out, Mom—I swear I will!"
Outside the cave, Lava sat behind the crack in the stone. Her lips curled into a faint smile as her hand drifted down and rested over her stomach. The light within her stirred, still protected. Still safe.
But not for long.
She knew that. The light that hadn't even had the chance to glow was fading with her soon. Yet when she thought of Kaal—of her son—that thought brought her peace. That was enough.
Inside the cave, Myra clung to Kaal's shoulders, trying to keep him from tearing his hands apart. His fists were raw, blood trailing down his arms, smearing the stone, mixing with dust and memory and desperation. Still, he pushed against the rock.
Because this time, he wouldn't let someone go.
Not like his father.
—
"Stop…"
The voice slipped through the narrow gap in the stone—soft, but steady.
Kaal froze.
"Please… stop, my son."
His fists trembled, knuckles already cracked. Blood dripped between his fingers and onto the stone beneath him. His chest felt hollow, like something vital had been scooped out and left behind. Still, he kept trying to breach the wall with brute force, his breaths breaking apart.
"I can't…" he whispered. "I can't protect anyone. Not Dad. Now you. I'm just…"
His voice cracked.
"A useless kid."
The words burned as they left his mouth, bitter like poison.
From the other side of the stone, Lava smiled—not because the pain didn't hurt, not because she wasn't afraid. But because her son… was alive.
"Kaal," she said gently, "you already saved me."
He shook his head violently. "No. I didn't save anyone. I'm only standing here because you're the one bleeding!"
Lava's breath hitched. But she didn't let it show.
She lifted her eyes—and saw it.
Above the hills, another fireball was forming. Larger. Brighter. Screaming through the ash-laced sky as it tore toward the earth.
And its path was clear.
Straight toward the cave.
Straight toward the stone.
Straight toward them.
Lava's heart stopped. If kaal stayed where he was—if he remained behind that stone wall, shouting helplessly…
He would be swallowed whole.
Before her mind could scream in protest, her body moved. She pushed herself forward, pressing her face close to the crack—despite the pain ripping through her back.
"Kaal," Lava whispered urgently, her voice cracking with effort. "Listen to me."
He didn't answer. Just stared at the crack in the rock—the only thing separating them. The only thing trapping her outside.
"Look at me," she said again, softer now.
Her voice came through the narrow gap—steady despite everything. "You have to leave me behind."
The words froze him.
"No…" Kaal's voice broke. "No, don't say that. Not again. I won't—I can't—"
"Kaal," she said, more firmly this time, even though her breath trembled. "You have to."
His knees hit the ground. His eyes widened, locking onto the sliver of light where her face was still visible—still smiling.
Lava turned her gaze to Myra, who stood frozen behind him, tears pouring silently down her cheeks.
"Myra," she said gently, "take him. And run."
Myra stepped forward, shaking her head. "Auntie—I can't. I can't leave you—"
"Please," Lava whispered, her voice nearly breaking. "If you care for him... take him away from here."
Myra reached for Kaal's arm. "Kaal," she pleaded. "We have to go."
But Kaal tore his arm free.
"No!" he screamed, voice shaking. "I'm not leaving her! I'm not leaving Mom! And I'm not leaving my brother or sister—who hasn't even taken a breath in the world yet!"
Lava's lips trembled. She inhaled, slow and shallow. Then, smiled.
A soft, unbearably gentle smile.
"Kaal," she whispered. "My son… I am happy."
He froze.
"Happy," she repeated. "Because you are safe."
His chest caved as a breath left him like it had been stolen.
"I lived long enough to see you grow kind," she continued, her voice filled with a love too deep to be spoken outright. "Strong. And brave in the way that matters."
Her hand pressed to her stomach, weak but deliberate. "That is enough for me."
Then she leaned closer to the crack. Her voice was fading now, softer than wind. "Kaal," she whispered, "remember this."
"I always loved you… my son."
He stared, fingers trembling. His lips parted as her smile glowed faintly in the red-orange light—her eyes soft with peace.
And slowly… she began to fade.
The light swallowed her. Her silhouette blurred, dissolving into fire and warmth.
Her smile was the last thing to disappear.
"Kaal—!" Myra screamed, wrapping her arms around him and dragging him back—just as the fireball struck.
The explosion shattered the stone.
Fragments sliced inward like jagged blades. One chunk slammed into the ground beside them. Another tore clean through.
They were thrown hard against the cave floor. Dust. Pain. Silence.
Then—
Kaal's sobs broke the quiet.
He curled into himself, shaking uncontrollably. His fingers clawed at the earth, soaked with tears as he screamed into it, over and over.
"I'm useless… I'm useless… Useless— Aahaaa..."
His voice cracked, choked by grief. "Didn't save them. First Father. Now Mother…"
"I didn't save them!" he wept, his chest convulsing as if the words themselves were knives, carving deeper every time they left his lips.
Then—he remembered Myra.
Panic sliced through the grief. He forced himself up.
"Myra!" he called, crawling toward her. "Myra, are you okay?!"
She looked at him, face pale but smiling weakly. "I'm… fine," she whispered.
Relief surged through him like air into drowning lungs. He reached for her, lifting her carefully—
Then she screamed.
A sharp, broken sound that echoed through the cave.
Kaal froze.
His gaze dropped.
And his world shattered again.
Where her foot should've been—there was nothing.
Blood soaked the stone. The limb was gone.
Kaal's breath stopped.
"Why…?" his mind screamed, clawing for reason. "Why?! Why did it happen to us… Why this world… Why did it turn so cruel…?"
"Why… why… why…?"
Myra's hand pressed weakly over the wound, her fingers trembling as warmth seeped through her palm. Her voice was barely more than a breath.
"It's okay… I'm fine…"
She tried to smile through the pain, soft and brave—but before she said anything as, Kaal cut her off.
His eyes were burning. His mother's final words still echoed, raw and unforgiving, inside his skull.
He gently lowered Myra to the ground and, without speaking, tore off his upper cloth. He wrapped it tightly around her leg, firm and desperate, trying to stop the bleeding. The fabric darkened fast, soaking red, but he didn't stop. His fingers trembled as he tied the knot.
"Don't speak," he said quietly, his jaw clenched. "Last time… she told me to leave her behind."
He tightened the cloth once more, breathing hard.
"This time… I'm not leaving anyone. Not if there's even a chance, I can save you."
Then he picked her up again, gently shifting her weight onto his back. She felt too light. Too fragile. He slipped off his broken boots, raw feet meeting the sharp stone of the cave floor.
And he ran.
Fast. Barefoot. Bleeding.
Because this time, he'd save Myra.
No matter what.
The cave twisted and narrowed, stone scraping his skin. But he didn't stop. He didn't look back.
Then—the end came fast, like a wall rushing toward him.
And just before he hit it…
The ground vanished.
Kaal stumbled forward, and for a heartbeat, there was nothing beneath him. No floor. No sound.
Just the feeling of falling.
Then a faint glow shimmered far ahead.
Light.
Kaal ran toward it, his chest pounding, lungs clawing for air. Every step felt slower than the last. The air turned thin. Bitter cold scraped down his throat like frostbite.
Still—he ran.
Until finally…
He stepped into a world of nothing.
No walls. No trees. No voices.
Only white. Endless. Quiet.
A glowing void that stretched forever.
Silent. Empty.
And Kaal stood in it—holding the girl he refused to let die.
To be continue…