Chapter 2: The Night of Blood

  Adhira stood frozen by the river, his breath shallow, his body trembling. The once crystal-clear waters that connected his village to the sacred temple had turned a deep, unnatural red. The moon’s reflection shimmered on the surface, distorted by the thick, sluggish flow. A metallic scent filled the air—a scent he had only smelled once before, on a hunting trip with his father.

  Blood.

  His stomach twisted as he stepped closer. His hands trembled as he reached out, and then—he saw it. A severed hand, fingers stiff and lifeless, barely visible beneath the water's surface. His breath hitched.

  “No… this can’t be…”

  His eyes darted toward the north, where a thick column of black smoke curled into the sky. His village.

  A sudden realization struck him like a thunderbolt.

  Something terrible has happened.

  Without wasting a second, he sprinted. The storm was building, winds howling through the trees. The once gentle rain had turned into a violent downpour, soaking his clothes, blurring his vision. The trees swayed wildly, their branches clawing at the sky like desperate hands reaching for salvation.

  The journey back to the village usually took three hours on foot. But tonight, time felt warped. His legs burned, his lungs ached, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

  Thunder roared overhead. A blinding flash of lightning split the sky, illuminating the village’s massive wooden gate. But beyond it—there was nothing. Just an eerie, consuming darkness. The kind that shouldn’t exist. The kind that whispered of death.

  Another lightning strike.

  For a fraction of a second, the entire village was bathed in light. And in that brief moment, Adhira saw it.

  Bodies.

  Scattered like broken dolls. Some burned, some were torn apart. Some with missing limbs, some without faces. The streets that once echoed with laughter and life were now drenched in blood. The smell of charred flesh, iron, and something foul filled his nose, making him gag.

  His vision blurred with tears. His knees nearly buckled, but he forced himself to move. He had to find them.

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  His house was just ahead. He stumbled forward, his heart pounding, his mind refusing to accept the carnage around him. And then—he saw him.

  Yama. His father.

  Lying in front of their home, his body broken, blood pooling beneath him.

  “Papa!!” Adhira’s voice cracked as he rushed to his father’s side, his hands shaking violently. He dropped to his knees, pulling Yama’s limp form onto his lap.

  Yama’s eyes fluttered open, barely holding onto consciousness. His breath was shallow, his chest struggling to rise and fall.

  “A… Adhira…” Yama’s voice was weak, barely a whisper. “You’re alive… that’s… good…”

  “Don’t talk, Papa! I-I’ll fix this!” Tears streamed down Adhira’s face as he fumbled for the medicinal herbs in his satchel. His hands were unsteady as he crushed them, trying to make a healing paste. He pressed the mixture against Yama’s wounds, but deep down, he knew. This wouldn’t be enough.

  “This won’t work… Papa, what happened?! Who did this? Where is Tama? Where is everyone?”

  Yama’s grip tightened around Adhira’s wrist. His bloodied fingers dug into his son’s skin. His eyes, dull yet desperate, locked onto Adhira’s.

  Yama weakly reached for the silver locket around his neck and placed it in Adhira’s hand.

  “When the time is right… you will understand…” Yama’s voice was barely audible.

  Adhira’s mind raced, confusion clouding his thoughts. “What are you talking about, Papa? I don’t understand—”

  His words caught in his throat when he saw it.

  Just beside Yama… a severed hand lay on the ground.

  And on one of its fingers—Tama’s ring.

  A cold dread crawled up Adhira’s spine.

  “ *T-Tama* …?” His voice trembled as realization hit him like a crashing wave.

  His brother.

  Dead.

  He couldn’t breathe. His stomach churned, his body frozen in shock. But before he could process anything—

  A blinding flash.

  Lightning tore through the sky, striking the village center. Yama’s grip on Adhira’s wrist tightened painfully.

  “RUN, ADHIRA! RUN!”

  The command shattered his paralysis. His instincts screamed at him to stay, to fight, but his father’s desperate eyes left no room for argument.

  Adhira staggered to his feet, his vision swimming with tears. He turned and ran, his legs moving on their own. The weight of grief threatened to crush him, but fear drove him forward.

  His only escape—the river.

  He ran toward the shore, barely able to see through the storm. A lone boat rocked against the currents, its rope tethering it to a wooden post. He jumped in, untying it with trembling hands before pushing off.

  As the boat drifted, he looked back one last time.

  Lightning flashed, illuminating the destruction. His home… his village… everything he had ever known… gone.

  He turned away, forcing himself to focus on the path ahead. The Garuda Temple.

  The journey took thirty minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. His clothes clung to his skin, drenched from the storm. His fingers curled around the locket Yama had given him, holding onto it like a lifeline.

  The temple’s towering stone structure finally came into view, its massive Garuda statue standing silent against the raging night.

  But as Adhira stepped onto the shore, his blood ran cold.

  *Mayank* …

  *torn apart.*

  His body lay in separate pieces, his ribs grotesquely exposed. His once-wise eyes, filled with knowledge, were now empty. His back, where the sacred Garuda symbol had been marked since birth—

  Had a gaping hole.

  Adhira felt his knees weaken. His mind reeled. The temple was supposed to be a place of safety. A sacred ground.

  Then… how?

  His breaths came in ragged gasps. He forced himself forward, stepping over Mayank’s lifeless form and entering the temple. His shaking hands pushed the heavy wooden doors shut behind him, locking them.

  His mind raced.

  “When I checked earlier… there was no one here…” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Then where was Savi?

  He turned, scanning the dark temple halls.

  “Savi…?” he called out, his voice echoing.

  Silence.

  Then—

  A cold touch on his shoulder.

  He stopped breathing.

  ---

  End of Chapter 2