The sun stood directly overhead.
Even the air above the highway felt hot, as if the road itself was breathing. As far as the eye could see, there were no vehicles, no people—only a deserted stretch of asphalt and a lone boy walking across it.
Rohan tightened the bag on his shoulder and kept moving forward.
The distance from Bastar to Jagdalpur wasn't much—around eight or nine kilometers—but at this moment, when the world felt completely unfamiliar, the distance felt far greater.
This was the first time…
For the first time, Hebi, Titan, Berserker, and Reaper—none of them were with him.
For the first time, Rohan was completely alone.
Suddenly, the sound of a car approached from behind.
A black BMW slowed down and stopped beside him.
A man sat in the driver's seat, while a well-dressed man leaned forward from the back seat and looked out.
"Stop the car," the man said to the driver.
The vehicle came to a halt.
"Hey, kid," the man said with a slight smile,
"where are you headed in this heat, on such an empty highway? You won't find many vehicles here. If you want, I can drop you in the city."
Rohan paused for a moment.
His mind immediately went to work.
Trust… or distance?
This world wasn't like Hell, where everything ran on rules and training. Here, every face was unknown.
Rohan thought to himself—
Staying quiet is the safest option.
Before he could respond, the man opened the car door himself and pulled Rohan inside.
"Don't be shy," the man said with a laugh.
Rohan spoke softly, "Thank you, sir."
"Oh, it's nothing," the man said, then turned to the driver.
"Let's go, Ramesh."
The car began moving.
The contrast between the cool air-conditioning inside the BMW and the scorching heat outside made Rohan feel even more exhausted.
"So what were you doing out there?"
"Where are you headed next?"
"What do you do?"
"Where exactly do you need to go in Jagdalpur?"
One question after another.
Rohan grew confused.
Then he made a decision.
Pretend to sleep.
Within seconds, he closed his eyes.
"Hey, kid…"
The man gently shook him, but Rohan remained completely still.
"Looks like the heat and exhaustion knocked the poor boy out,"
the man said.
"I thought I'd get some company, but it's fine."
Then he said to the driver,
"Ramesh, let him sleep in the car while I attend my meeting."
"Yes, sir."
A short while later, the BMW reached Jagdalpur.
They entered Avinash International Hotel.
"We've arrived—"
Just then, Rohan murmured in his sleep,
"Water… water…"
The man immediately picked up a bottle.
"Wake up, kid… have some water."
Rohan opened his eyes, as if he were barely conscious.
"Where… where am I?"
Ramesh replied,
"Sir, you fell asleep. That's why my boss didn't disturb you."
Rohan felt embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, sir… I was rude."
"Oh, don't worry about it," the man said with a smile.
Rohan drank some water, then suddenly asked,
"Sir, what time is it?"
"It's 2:30."
The color drained from Rohan's face.
"Oh no… I'm late!"
He immediately opened the car door.
"Thank you so much, sir."
"Hey, wait—"
But Rohan had already gone far ahead.
The man laughed and said,
"Such a quick kid."
(Yes—because he wasn't a normal human.)
A little ahead of the hotel, Rohan suddenly stopped.
A handicapped man stood before him.
Both his legs were amputated, supported by crutches.
He held medical reports and a CT scan in his hands.
(Rohan had just stepped out of a luxury hotel—
that's why the man assumed he must be wealthy.)
"Sir…"
"These are my daughter's reports. She's only five years old… there's a hole in her heart.
I need five lakh rupees… I have nothing."
"Five years old…"
The words echoed in Rohan's ears.
A face appeared before his eyes—
his sister.
When she was also five years old.
Rohan spoke softly,
"I don't have money…
but is there any other way I can help?"
"Like… a fight?
Where people place bets?"
The man's eyes widened slightly.
Flashback
Berserker's voice—
"I sometimes go to underground fights.
For warm-ups.
Money, blood… everything flows there."
Present
The beggar looked at Rohan and said,
"You'll fight?"
Then he paused.
"But… you don't even have money to place a bet."
Rohan said,
"Is there really nothing we can do?"
The beggar replied,
"Sir, do you really think this is easy?
I know you want to help me… but why take such a big risk for me?"
(To the beggar, Rohan was just a child—
because Rohan was only twenty years old.)
Rohan then said,
"Because I want to help.
And I need money myself.
Is there any way?"
The beggar hesitated, then said,
"There is one way… but—"
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