"The last twenty-four hours have been unimaginably painful for that boy."
Kakbhushundi's voice echoed through the royal court of Cloud Realm as he spoke to Queen Nirjadevi.
"In a single day, he was forced to leave his childhood behind and make decisions no child should ever have to make. He lost his father. He lost his grandfather. He nearly died himself. He fought three powerful demons. For the first time in his life, he took someone's life."
His eyes narrowed.
"But none of those are his deepest wounds."
"His heart has been broken."
"Despite possessing such incredible powers, he couldn't save the people he loved most. He couldn't protect his own family. He couldn't save the humans who meant everything to him."
Kakbhushundi paused for a moment before continuing.
"Tell me, Your Majesty... what do you think is going through that boy's mind right now?"
"And you're forgetting something important."
"His face has been revealed to the entire world."
"Today, both he and his family stand under the gaze of every nation on Earth."
"You know as well as I do that they are no longer safe."
"And you also know that a broken person is often the most dangerous."
"I believe your enemies will try to take advantage of this moment. They will try to poison his thoughts and shake his resolve."
"His mind isn't stable right now."
"That child is angry..."
"He is grieving..."
"More than anything, he needs protection."
"You should go to him personally. Take your most trusted allies with you. Guide him. Protect him... and protect his family."
Queen Nirjadevi listened quietly.
She herself was grieving the loss of Dhumketu and Vipul, but she couldn't allow sorrow to distract her from her duty.
Without hesitation, she ordered Ambu, Serpent Messenger, and Dragon King to prepare for departure.
Then, folding her hands respectfully toward Kakbhushundi, she said,
"Divine One, if you join us in this task, many obstacles may become easier to overcome."
"I humbly request that you come with us."
Kakbhushundi fell silent.
For several moments, he simply thought.
Then he slowly nodded.
The moment he agreed, a determined fire appeared in Nirjadevi's eyes.
She stepped out onto the palace balcony.
The others followed behind her.
Outside the palace, people from every race and clan had gathered. Evening had begun to settle across the sky, and countless citizens waited below for their Queen.
Nirjadevi looked at them all.
Then she raised her staff high into the air.
"My friends!"
Her voice spread throughout the entire realm.
"Our teacher, the great Dhumketu, is no longer with us."
A wave of sorrow passed through the crowd.
"He has fallen in battle."
"But before leaving us, he gave us the greatest gift we could have ever hoped for."
"The child from the ancient prophecy has finally been found."
Murmurs spread through the gathering.
"And I know you'll be happy to hear this..."
"He is a true warrior."
"He was the one who destroyed the demons."
The crowd's eyes widened.
"But what brings me even greater joy is that he is the grandson of Master Dhumketu himself."
"He carries the blood of our teacher."
"And like him, he is brave."
"He is fearless."
Her voice softened.
"I know this is a painful time for all of us."
"Today, we have lost someone who was the heart of Cloud Realm."
"Yes... Dhumketu was our beating heart."
"He was our strength."
"Perhaps it is because of him that we stand where we do today."
"He fulfilled his duty with absolute devotion."
Her grip tightened around the staff.
"Now it is our turn."
"It is our duty to protect his grandson with the same devotion."
"So strengthen your hearts, my friends."
"This is not the time to drown in grief."
"This is the time to honor Master Dhumketu by living the values he taught us."
"This is the time to uphold our duty and our righteousness."
As her speech ended, every person present placed their right hand over their heart and bowed with renewed determination.
The atmosphere transformed.
The sorrow remained...
But now it was mixed with purpose.
Nirjadevi looked at her companions and declared,
"Then let us go."
"We have work to do."
Meanwhile, back on Earth...
Om and his family continued staring at the massive aircraft hovering above their home.
The anger on Om's face was impossible to miss.
He had no idea whether the people inside were friends or enemies.
But one thing was certain.
Now that the entire world knew who he was, both he and his family were in danger.
Without taking his eyes off the aircraft, Om said,
"Uncle, everyone stay behind me."
"If anything happens, take everyone and leave immediately."
Vijay stared at him in shock.
"Om, what are you saying?"
"Who are these people?"
His voice trembled.
"Listen to me, son... I'm not leaving you behind."
Before anyone could say anything else, the aircraft slowly descended into Om's garden.
A moment later, its doors opened.
Dozens of commandos dressed in black tactical gear stormed out.
Each one carried advanced weapons.
Within seconds they surrounded Om and his family from every direction.
Their rifles were raised.
Their fingers rested on the triggers.
The sight alone was enough to make the family panic.
They had already endured more pain than anyone should face in a lifetime.
And yet their troubles seemed far from over.
Om, however, remained standing still.
His eyes never left the aircraft.
His anger only grew.
After all the commandos had deployed, another figure finally stepped out.
He wore a long black coat lined with holsters and weapons.
The man was bald, with a thick white beard covering most of his face.
Dark sunglasses hid his eyes.
He looked to be around fifty or fifty-five years old.
A female commando accompanied him as he calmly walked toward Om.
Om glanced around.
None of the commandos' faces were visible.
Every one of them wore black helmets that concealed their identities.
The old man stopped in front of Om and his family.
Then he removed his sunglasses and casually handed them to the woman standing beside him.
Her face was hidden beneath a helmet as well.
The man looked at Om.
Then his eyes shifted toward Dhumketu's body.
For a moment, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"So it's true."
"Dhumketu is gone."
He sighed.
"I warned the old man..."
"But he never listened."
Then he looked back at Om.
"Don't be afraid, kid."
"We're not here to harm you."
Om glanced at the heavily armed soldiers surrounding them.
His expression didn't change.
"Doesn't really look that way."
The old man completely ignored the remark.
Instead, he suddenly turned toward the trees near the entrance gate and shouted,
"HEY!"
"You two boys hiding over there!"
"Come out!"
"I'm not here to fight!"
The entire family stared at him in confusion.
They had no idea who he was talking to.
But the very next second...
Movement came from the trees.
Two figures emerged from the shadows.
Adi.
And Number Zero—Shivay.
Both of them carried sniper rifles as they stepped out and approached Om.
Om's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected to see either of them there.
But someone else was even more shocked.
Maya.
The moment she saw Shivay, a thought slipped through her mind.
"What's Number Zero doing here?"
Unfortunately for her...
Om heard it.
He immediately turned toward Maya with surprise in his eyes.
Realizing what had happened, Maya quickly looked away.
Before Om could question her, Adi and Shivay reached the group.
The instant Shivay saw the old man, his eyes widened.
For the first time since arriving, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
"Captain Shadow?!"