Chirp… chirp…
The soft call of sparrows echoed across the sky.
The sun had just begun to rise, a faint shimmer of gold spilling through drifting clouds.
A gentle morning breeze carried the sound of birds through the cool air, weaving it into the quiet rhythm of a waking city.
Their song slipped through a small hospital window.
Inside, a single beam of light fell across the pale face of an eight-year-old boy — Rihaan.
His lashes fluttered as he woke, blinking against the sunlight. His tiny hand clung to the frail fingers of the woman lying beside him — his mother.
He turned toward her, lips trembling.
"M… Mom… good morning," he whispered, voice thin and shaky.
She didn't answer at first.
Only the steady beep… beep… beep of the heart monitor filled the silence.
Then, slowly, her tired eyes opened. She turned her head toward him — weary, but warm.
Removing the oxygen mask for a moment, she smiled faintly.
"Rihaan… my little rascal," she whispered between shallow breaths. "Why that sad face?"
Just hearing her voice made tears blur Rihaan's eyes. One drop slipped free, heavy with the words he couldn't say — Please don't leave me.
"Mom… when will you come home? No one plays with me anymore…" His voice trembled as the tears spilled faster.
Her lips moved, but only a breath escaped — no strength left to speak.
"Everyone runs away from me," he said, sniffing. "They think I'm a monster…"
As he spoke, something shifted in the air.
The ticking clock slowed. The curtains swayed with a ghostly rhythm. Even the sunlight dimmed, as if afraid of what it would illuminate.
His mother clenched the bedsheet weakly. "Ugh… m-my body…" she mumbled.
"Mom…" Rihaan's voice cracked. "Why did I get this power? Everyone's scared of my fire…"
He gripped the sheet tighter, his tears darkening the fabric beneath his fists.
"Am I really a monster, Mom? I just wanted to play… I just wanted friends…"
Hearing that, his mother's own tears escaped. With trembling arms, she reached out and pulled him close.
Her voice broke as she whispered, "Rihaan… people fear you because you are powerful."
Rihaan froze, lifting his head slowly. "P… powerful?" he repeated. "Mom… I'm powerful?"
She smiled — faint, fragile, yet full of pride.
"Yes, my child. You are the most powerful one in this world. And one day, you will become even stronger."
For the first time in days, Rihaan smiled.
His missing tooth peeked through his tears as he giggled, "I'm powerful! Yay! Mother said I'm the most powerful!"
He laughed, jumping slightly beside her bed. "I'm even stronger than Papa!"
His laughter filled the room like sunlight after rain.
But then — the light began to change.
The walls dissolved into a pale white mist. The hospital, the bed, even the heart monitor faded away.
"Mom…?" Rihaan whispered. "Mom! Where are you?"
Her voice came from everywhere — and nowhere.
"Rihaan… my child… my time has come."
Panic flooded his voice. "No! Mom, please don't go!"
"Rihaan," her voice echoed softly through the glowing haze, "use your power to protect the weak. Trust your strength. When the right time comes, it will guide you."
"Mom!" he cried, his voice breaking apart. "Please don't leave me!"
The sound of her voice grew distant.
"Never be afraid, my son. Never think of yourself as less than anyone. Remember… you are the powerful one."
A soft crimson light shimmered in the mist — the same direction her voice had come from.
It drifted toward him, gentle and warm.
Rihaan trembled, frozen. His heart raced.
But this time… he didn't step back.
The red light entered his chest —
—and the world turned black.
_______
Present Day — Gurugram
Cough… cough…
Rihaan gasped, his chest rising violently. The world snapped back into chaos — smoke, flames, screams.
Each breath clawed its way out of his throat, a battle between life and death.
And from his lips came one word—
"Mom…"
He turned his head. The doctor knelt beside him — bruised, trembling, eyes wide in disbelief.
Rihaan motioned for him to come closer. The doctor leaned in, hesitant.
"Take… cough… everyone," Rihaan whispered, each word burning. "Go as far as you can…"
The doctor's eyes filled with tears. "B-but… how can we leave you here, sir?"
"Hey…" Rihaan coughed, wiping blood from his mouth. "Do as I say. I haven't lost yet."
He gritted his teeth, pushing himself upright.
Every muscle screamed in pain, but his voice carried a quiet strength.
"I… am the powerful one here."
The doctor's lips trembled into a shaky smile. "Okay," he said softly. "Just… don't die, alright?"
Rihaan smirked faintly, blood dripping from his chin.
"Kid," he muttered under his breath, tone darkening. "You said you'd kill me like a mosquito, right? Then so be it."
He spat blood onto the ground.
Thoo.
Across the field, people watching the live feed screamed in disbelief.
For a moment, hope flickered. Faces lifted. Hearts steadied.
But Rihaan knew — the real fight was just beginning.
He stepped forward.
Each movement stirred the flames around him.
The cracked ground glowed red beneath his feet.
The air thickened — hot, shimmering, alive.
Whispers trembled from his lips, over and over:
"I am the powerful one…"
Then — laughter split the silence.
Harsh, mocking, cruel.
Pffft… ha… hahahah!
Tita stood across the battlefield, grin wide, blood dripping from his temple.
He covered his mouth as if amused by a child's tantrum.
"Kid," Tita sneered. "Look at yourself. Blood everywhere. Barely standing. You think you're powerful?"
His grin widened.
"Pathetic. Arrogant children like you… are a curse upon this world."
Rihaan stopped walking.
The air went still.
Then—
Swish. BOOM!
The sound exploded through the field.
No one saw the movement.
One moment Tita stood gloating — the next, he was slammed into the ground, earth cracking like glass beneath him.
Dust and fire spiraled outward.
Rihaan stood tall, blood dripping from his chin, eyes burning brighter than ever.
His voice was low, steady — deadly calm.
"My mother said I'm the most powerful," he whispered.
"Let's prove her right."
Behind him, the flames roared higher — taking form.
A lion.
A beast of fire, mane burning blue, its eyes blazing with fury.
The red flames shifted — turned azure, purer and hotter, burning through the very air.
The ground warped.
The crowd screamed.
Heat waves rippled through the ruins like invisible blades.
Tita staggered to his feet, disbelief twisting his face.
"Impossible…" he growled. "No human should have that kind of power!"
Rihaan walked forward through the inferno, each step echoing like thunder.
His eyes glowed like twin stars.
His voice was calm, almost peaceful.
"Monster. Human. Hero…" he said softly. "Call me whatever you want."
The flames surged, swallowing the world in blinding blue light.
"But my mother…"
He paused — a faint smile cutting through the smoke.
"…she called me powerful."
And then —
the blue flame devoured everything.
In that brilliance, the world finally saw the monster…
who was never one.