The once-peaceful night had shed its skin, revealing a horrifying reality. Kangari village was being swallowed by a spreading inferno. On the front lines, Kashi, Vijay, and a fellow soldier, Kumar, unleashed a desperate barrage of gunfire from different vantage points, trying to pierce the hide of the mutated monstrosity.
"Virendra! Stay with me, son. Don't you worry, we're going to get you out of here," Husain Ali Khan whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he cradled Virendra's head in his lap. He looked up sharply. "Jassi! Grab his legs. Gently now, help me get him onto my back."
"Yes, sir," Jaspreet choked out. "Ooye, Vire... keep the faith. You're going to be fine, just trust in the Almighty!"
Virendra's trembling hand reached out, clutching Jaspreet's sleeve. "Let it... let it be, sir," he wheezed, a weak, blood-stained smile touching his lips. "It was an honor... serving my first mission with you all. But it seems... I've failed on my very first outing, haven't I? Haha..."
"Shut up! Not another word," Husain barked, his eyes stinging. "We aren't letting you go."
"Sir... just hearing you scold me one last time... it feels good," Virendra exhaled, his voice fading to a whisper. "Sir, just promise me one thing. After I'm gone... don't let my mother cry. Please, fulfill this last wish."
"Jassi, why are you standing there? Pick him up!" Husain yelled, his voice cracking. "Don't listen to his nonsense. Lift him! Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jaspreet stood frozen, his face a mask of grief. "Sir... Virendra... he's gone."
Husain's gaze fell back to the young soldier. The life had left Virendra's eyes, though the gentle smile remained. Husain lowered his head, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Beside him, Jaspreet broke. A guttural, agonizing wail escaped him. "Why? Why did you take him, Oh God? Why my friend?"
Steeling himself, Husain gently laid Virendra's head on the dirt. "No... we cannot cry. If we break now, we can't take our revenge." He wiped his eyes aggressively. "Help me move him."
With heavy hearts, they carried Virendra's body to the army truck, laying him alongside the other fallen comrades. Husain didn't look back; he reached into the truck and hoisted a bazooka onto his shoulder.
On the other side of the village, the battle was failing.
"Dammit! It's doing nothing!" Kashi shouted, ducking behind a crumbling wall as he emptied his magazine. Vijay signaled to Kashi and Kumar, gesturing for them to regroup. They scrambled through the debris, dodging the monster's blind, sweeping strikes.
"Bullets aren't even denting it," Vijay panted.
"We're lucky the damn thing has no eyes," Kumar added, leaning against a charred pillar. "Otherwise, we'd be carcasses by now."
The monster let out a bone-chilling shriek, slamming its massive fists into the earth. The ground cratered with every strike. In a fit of mindless rage, it began tearing at its own hair, its movements becoming more erratic and violent.
"It's losing its mind," Kashi noted, his voice trembling. "And we're out of ammo."
Suddenly, the beast charged, smashing through the village houses like they were made of paper. The three soldiers bolted toward the treeline where the rest of the unit was stationed. But the monster was faster. It slammed a massive fist down just inches behind Kumar. The shockwave sent Kumar flying, crashing into the dirt several meters away.
"Kumar! No!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the monster's head. Kashi and Vijay were thrown to the ground by the blast.
"What was that?" Vijay groaned, shaking the ringing from his ears.
Husain stood behind them, the bazooka smoking in his hands. "Vijay, get to the Captain!" Kashi urged. "I'll get Kumar. We aren't losing anyone else tonight!"
"Sir, how is Virendra?" Kashi asked as he reached Husain. "Is he okay?"
Jaspreet merely placed a hand on Kashi's shoulder and shook his head slowly. The silence was more devastating than any scream.
Suddenly, the monster began to shudder. A grotesque transformation took hold. Its limbs lengthened, its skin turning a sickly blue. Its face elongated into something resembling a deep-sea fish—rows of jagged fangs protruded from a jaw that shouldn't exist. Blood seeped from its hollow eye sockets.
The creature roared—a sound that was now more predatory than mindless. It began to sniff the air, tracking Vijay as he tried to drag Kumar to safety.
"Vijay, move!" Kashi screamed.
The monster lunged. Before Vijay could pull him away, the beast's jaws snapped shut over Kumar. The sound of crunching bone echoed through the clearing. Vijay stood frozen, drenched in sweat and horror, watching his comrade disappear into the maw of the beast.
The mutant dropped to all fours, sniffing the ground like a hound. Its hearing had sharpened; it could hear Vijay's heart hammering in his chest. As the beast lunged toward Vijay, Kashi and Jaspreet sprang into action. They grabbed heavy iron rods from the debris.
"Sir! Aim for the face now!" they signaled.
Husain pulled the trigger. Another rocket slammed into the creature's snout. As it recoiled in pain, Kashi and Jaspreet dived low, swinging their iron rods at its legs to trip it. The monster crashed face-first into the dirt. Without hesitation, Kashi drove his rod deep into the creature's ear canal.
The monster thrashed, its fists hollowing out the earth in a final, desperate tantrum. As the soldiers dragged Vijay toward the safety of the treeline, the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of rotors filled the air.
Six transport helicopters descended from the smoke-filled sky. A voice boomed over a megaphone: "Clear the area! We are commencing heavy fire!"
The four survivors leaned against each other, breathing heavily, a grim smile of relief touching their faces. The Special Forces had arrived.
Somewhere else...
The air around Kunal shimmered with swirling crimson flames. The wooden doll lay shattered at his feet, its purpose served. When Kunal looked up at the sky, his eyes glowed with a brilliant, piercing gold.
High above, a shadow—a soul as black as the void—floated in the clouds, its eyes reflecting the same golden fire. Below, the Tantriks remained lost in their rhythmic chanting, led by the Aacharya.
Kunal's voice was steady, infused with a power that wasn't entirely human.
"Shall we go, Mohna?"
.
.
.
.
UPCOMING: The Crimson Night of Kangari....