The Next Day
Kaal lay peacefully in his bed, wrapped snugly in his blanket.
The world was quiet—too quiet.
Then, faintly… a sound reached him.
He stirred. Blinked once. Then again.
As the sound grew louder, he opened his eyes fully.
"Happy Birthday, Kaal!!"
The room burst into voices—his mother, his father, his friends all shouting with love and joy.
Kaal blinked again in disbelief. "it's my birthday…?"
He sat up, staring at the glowing decorations, the warmth of candles, and the smiles of those he loved most.
His heart swelled.
It was one of those moments he would never forget.
Kaal's eyes widened. "Oh! It's my birthday… How could I forget that?" he gasped. Lava and Neel wrapped him in a warm embrace.
"Oh, Kaal, you're now eight years old!" Lava said joyfully.
Kaal's breath caught in his throat.
"Oh… Okay okay… Now leave me?" he mumbled, blushing under their attention.
Just then, Kaal's friends came towards him, calling his name and wishing him again.
Kaal, happily said, "Thank you all."
Kaal's smile faded in an instant—like sunlight swallowed by a sudden storm.
Something burned behind his eyes.
Without saying a word, he stepped towards Vihaan, each footfall heavier than the last.
"I was waiting for you at the cave," Kaal said, his voice sharp with hurt and frustration.
"For a full hour! Where the hell did you go?"
Vihaan's eyes widened, startled by the intensity in Kaal's voice. He raised his hands in a half-apology, trying to calm the storm brewing in his friend's heart.
"I'm sorry… Kaal," he said softly, guilt trembling in his voice.
"My father needed my help. I didn't have a choice."
The fire in his eyes dimmed. "If that's the case… fine."
After a moment,
A girl stepped forward from the crowd, her steps hesitant yet determined.
As she approached Kaal, her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. Her eyes sparkled nervously, and her voice came out in a soft, trembling whisper.
"H-hey… Kaal, happy birthday."
Kaal turned to her and smiled warmly, "Oh… Myra… thanks," he said gently.
Just seeing Kaal smile made Myra blush even harder, her face nearly the colour of a rose in full bloom. She quickly looked down, trying to hide her embarrassment. Vihaan, noticing her flustered expression, couldn't resist. He pointed at her and teased loudly,
"What happened to you, sis? Your face looks like a tomato!"
Myra's expression darkened.
Without a second thought, she stepped forward and smacked Vihaan on the shoulder.
"Ow--!" Vihaan staggered back.
Kaal rushed over to check on Vihaan.
"Leave him, Kaal! He not dead," Myra snapped, folding her arms. Despite her sharp words, there was warmth in her eyes.
Then she turned proudly to Kaal.
"Do you know, Kaal? Now you and I are the same age. We're both eight!"
Vihaan rubbing his arm in dramatically and muttered,
"Yeah… but next month you'll be nine, remember?"
Before he could finish, wham.
This time, Myra didn't hold back.
Landed another punch—this time harder.
"Ow!" Vihaan yelped, stumbling back as everyone burst into laughter.
Kaal laughed along, unable to stop himself. Around him, his friends laughed freely, their voice echoing through the warm, sunlit afternoon.
It was one of those rare moments—
pure, innocent, untouched by worry—
the kind that quietly carved itself into childhood memories, never to fade.
Nearby, the parents watched with gentle smiles.
"Congratulations, Neelesh and Lavani," someone said warmly.
"Kaal's eight already," Neel smiled. "Children grow so fast. Maybe it's time I teach him a few fighting moves," he added with a chuckle.
Lava lightly smacked his shoulder. "He's still a child, Neel…"
"Haha…" Neel laughed.
Vihaan's father, Kavish, spoke next, his smile thoughtful,
"By the way, Neelesh… did you hear? Tomorrow, a businessman from the Kingdom of Evergrove—the Green Eye Clan—is arriving."
Neel looked up, surprised. "Really?"
"Yes," Kavish nodded. "He needs a few people for his business. He came personally—and offered good payment."
Neel's smile faded slightly.
"Oh… so you're going?"
"Yes," Kavish smiled gently. "Tomorrow. All of us."
Neel was stunned.
"Why didn't you come with us?" a men named Darsh asked, standing beside Kavish.
Darsh's question lingered in the air.
Neel hesitated.
For a brief moment, his eyes lost focus—as if something old and unwanted had surfaced in his mind. A past he had buried deep, one he never wished to return to.
He lowered his gaze, the smile on his face fading just slightly
"I… I'm sorry," he said softly. "But we're happy here."
He turned back to Kavish.
"What do you mean—Vihaan and Myra are coming too?"
Kavish steeped closer, his voice low.
"Yes… even I couldn't tell them yet. But for their better future… I had to do it."
A heavy silence followed.
Then Kavish drew in a breath and said, "Neel… did you know? Soon, the Devatas choose a human for the Devs stone. They believe it keep balance in the World of Living."
Neel breath caught in his throat.
"Wait… What?" he whispered. "Is that even possible?"
"Anyway," Darsh interrupted, his eyes darting away, "we got the news yesterday."
Neel's voice dropped to a whisper. "Who told you that?"
Darsh shrugged.
"Oh, that businessman. He told us."
As Neel stood there, struggling to process the weight of what he'd just learned, the world around him seemed to shift ever so slightly—like something unseen had moved in the background.
On the other side…
Kaal sat surrounded by his friends, their laughter slowly fading as he began to speak his cave story. His voice was calm, steady—too serious for a child his age.
"I saw the cave," he began. "It was… full of darkness inside."
His friends leaned closer, the air growing still.
"At first, everything felt normal," Kaal continued. "Then suddenly, I heard a sound. It was like someone throwing stones."
Nearby, Myra listened in silence, nervously played with her sleeve without her noticing. She didn't know why her eyes kept drifting to Kaal's lips—but every time they did, her cheeks grew warm, as if her heart was quietly giving her away.
"Then I saw her," Kaal said quietly. "A girl inside the cave, playing with the stones."
Myra stiffened.
Her expression changed instantly—eyes narrowed, lips pressing into a thin line.
"A girl?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light, but the jealousy and anger seeped through.
"What did you say, Kaal? A girl?"
Kaal turned toward her, noticing the fire in her eyes.
"T-That's not what you think, Myra."
But Myra had already looked away, her face flushed.
Kaal reached over gently, "Myra, she didn't do anything wrong. She was just… doing something strange. Weird things."
"W-Weird?" Myra muttered, her voice trembling.
"Weird to you?"
Kaal gave a small, nervous smile.
"No, not to me."
Before she could say anything else, Kaal softly added, "Let me just finish the story."
Kaal paused for a moment, skipping over some parts of the story.
Then he continued, "Then I saw a snake," he said.
"It slithered out from behind the rocks. I pushed Ira back and tried to kill it, and I did… but not before it had already bitten me."
Myra's face went pale.
"Oh—no, Kaal!" Myra rushed to him, panic flooding her eyes. "A snake bit you? You're okay, right? Say something—please!"
Kaal reached out to her, voice gentle but strained.
"Calm down, Myra. Just see me. I'm fine."
"That girl, Ira. She knew healing magic?" Vihaan and other were equally shocked.
"Wait—" Vihaan frowned. "That girl… Ira. She knew healing magic?".
"So what?" Myra snapped, crossing her arms—too fast, too tight.
"If I'd been there, that snake wouldn't have touched you. I would've killed it on the spot."
She turned to Kaal, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't you remember? Last week, when that dog tried to bite you, I knocked it out with a single punch."
Kaal nodded slowly, half-impressed, half-scared. Vihaan, sitting nearby, couldn't help himself.
"Yeah… even I was shocked," Vihaan grinned.
"Sis, sometimes I genuinely wonder—are you really from our family? Or were you secretly adopted from a family of gorillas?"
The room fell silent.
Even the birds outside seemed to pause in fear.
Myra turned her head with mechanical calm, cracked her knuckles, and stood up—slowly. Vihaan's smile faded.
What happened next didn't need words.
The scream.
The thud.
Then—silence.
And in that silence, someone whispered,
"May God grant peace to Vihaan's soul."
Later that, the house came alive with laughter and light.
Kaal's birthday had turned into something more than just a celebration—it became a rare moment of togetherness, a pause from the chaos life had thrown their way.
They danced with their parents and parents danced like children with no care in the world, shared stories that made their bellies ache with laughter, and ate as if every bite carried a memory. Every laugh felt fuller, every hug a little tighter, as if their hearts knew how rare such moments truly were.
A soft glow lit their faces—but it was more than the lights or the cake.
It was peace.
It was love.
It was home.
And though no one said It aloud, everyone felt it—deep in their hearts.
Let this never end.
But time, as always, refused to wait.
And just like that, the moment slipped away—quietly, beautifully, and far too fast.
Eventually, everyone left. Kaal's house grew quiet again—only Kaal, Lava, and Neel remained. They sat on the porch together.
"Kaal," Lava said suddenly. "You ready?"
Kaal looked up. "Ready? Ready for what?"
Neel grinned. "The surprise."
Kaal blinked. "What surprise?!"
The two exchanged mischievous smiles. Lava and Neel shouted in unison, "One… two… three—"
"Congratulation, Kaal!" Lava beamed. "You're going to be a big brother!"
Neel chuckled, "Your mom's pregnant!"
Kaal's jaw dropped. "W-What?!"
"I told you not to tell him like that," Lava giggled.
Kaal jumped to his feet. "I'm going to have a sister?!"
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was overwhelmed.
"I'm happy… for both of you," Kaal said, hugging them tightly. Then
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted— from Neel and Lava.
At that very moment, another light appeared in the distant sky—far darker, far more menacing.
A new chapter was beginning.
A sign of the monster.
A call from the skies.
A warning from Agni Chakra.
To be continue...