Fifteen years ago...
The ashram was burning.
Towering flames devoured the wooden buildings that had once been filled with laughter, training, and cherished memories. Thick black smoke rose into the night sky, turning the moonlight into a dim crimson glow.
The crackling of fire echoed across the mountains.
And standing before the inferno—
Were Bheem's friends.
Kaali, Booma, Kamali, and Daabur had rushed back the moment they noticed the smoke rising from the valley. But when they arrived, all they could do was watch helplessly as their home burned before their eyes.
The heat was unbearable.
Even from a distance, it felt as though their skin was being scorched.
Kaali stared at the burning entrance, panic written across his face.
"Master..."
His fists trembled.
"Chutki..."
Without thinking, he turned toward Booma.
"Booma! Create a tornado and blow away the flames!"
Booma's expression darkened.
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?!" Kaali asked.
"If I create a tornado this powerful," Booma explained, staring at the collapsing structure, "it will only make things worse. The pressure will destroy the entire building."
Kaali froze.
His mind raced desperately for another solution.
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.
"Kamali!"
The girl immediately looked toward him.
"You've been practicing a technique which can extinguish fire, right?"
Hope filled Kaali's voice.
"You can extinguish the flames, can't you?"
The moment he asked—
Tears rolled down Kamali's cheeks.
Kaali's heart sank.
Kamali lowered her head.
"I'm sorry..."
Her voice trembled.
"I still haven't mastered it."
Fresh tears streamed from her eyes.
"I tried so hard..."
Kaali immediately shook his head.
"No."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't apologize."
His voice softened.
"We'll find another way."
But deep inside—
He knew they were running out of time.
The group spent the next several minutes desperately searching for solutions.
They discussed entering through the back.
They considered digging through walls.
They thought about using Prāṇa techniques to create pathways.
But every possibility ended the same way.
Failure.
The flames were simply too powerful.
The fire continued spreading throughout the entire ashram.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Still, they could do nothing.
Eventually...
The horrible truth settled upon them.
They were helpless.
Kamali fell to her knees.
"If I had mastered my technique..."
She covered her face.
"I could have saved them."
Booma knelt beside her.
"Kamali, stop."
His voice was gentle despite his own pain.
"It isn't your fault."
"We're still students."
He clenched his fists.
"We simply weren't strong enough."
Kaali looked toward the burning building.
The fire reflected in his eyes.
He wanted to believe.
He desperately wanted to believe.
"Master is fine."
His voice sounded uncertain.
"This fire can't kill him."
No one answered.
Because nobody truly believed it anymore.
The silence became unbearable.
Then suddenly—
Daabur pointed toward the entrance.
"Look!"
Everyone turned.
Movement.
Someone was coming out.
A figure slowly emerged from the sea of flames.
For one brief moment—
Hope exploded inside their hearts.
"It's Master!"
"No!"
"It's Bheem!"
The group ran forward.
Relief washed over them.
Bheem was alive.
He had survived.
But as they got closer—
Their relief shattered.
Because Bheem wasn't walking alone.
In his arms—
He carried two bodies.
The first was Chutki.
The second was their Master.
A thin layer of water surrounded them, protecting their bodies from the flames.
Bheem had used every bit of his strength to shield them.
But he hadn't protected himself.
His entire body was covered in burns.
His clothes were partially destroyed.
Blisters covered his skin.
Yet he seemed completely unaware of the pain.
His face was pale.
Empty.
Emotionless.
Like a person whose soul had already left his body.
The group stopped moving.
Their hearts pounded violently.
"No..."
Kaali whispered.
"Please..."
Bheem carefully lowered both bodies onto the ground.
The moment everyone saw them clearly—
Their world collapsed.
There were large holes in both of their chests.
Their clothes were soaked with blood.
Neither of them was breathing.
Neither of them moved.
Kamali broke down instantly.
Daabur collapsed to his knees.
Booma covered his face.
The entire group began crying.
Kaali remained frozen.
His mind refused to accept what he was seeing.
His hands shook violently.
Tears streamed down his face.
No.
This wasn't real.
This couldn't be real.
Then rage exploded inside him.
He rushed toward Bheem and grabbed his collar.
"Bheem!"
His voice cracked.
"What happened?!"
Bheem remained silent.
Kaali tightened his grip.
"Answer me!"
His tears continued falling.
"There was only a fire!"
He pointed toward the bodies.
"Then how did they get wounds like this?!"
Still—
Bheem said nothing.
His silence only made everything worse.
"BHEEM!"
Finally...
Bheem slowly raised his head.
And Kaali froze.
The sight before him was horrifying.
Bheem had cried so much that tears no longer came from his eyes.
Instead—
Thin trails of blood ran down from his eyes.
Everyone fell silent.
Bheem slowly reached behind his shirt.
Then he pulled out a sword.
A blood-covered sword.
Without saying a word—
He handed it to Kaali.
Kaali stared at the weapon.
His breathing became uneven.
The answer became clear instantly.
His fingers trembled.
"...This did it?"
Bheem said nothing.
That silence was answer enough.
Kaali grabbed the blade.
Its edge sliced into his palm immediately.
Blood dripped onto the ground.
But he didn't let go.
The pain felt insignificant compared to what they had lost.
Hours passed.
The fire eventually died.
The once-beautiful ashram had become ruins.
Nothing remained except ashes and broken memories.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Then—
Bheem suddenly stood.
Without warning, he walked toward the destroyed building.
His fists clenched.
His body trembled.
And then—
BOOM!
He punched a ruined wall with his bare hand.
The remaining stones shattered.
"How much?"
His voice echoed through the silent night.
Everyone looked at him.
Bheem punched the rubble again.
"Tell me..."
Another punch.
"How much more?"
Pieces of stone scattered across the ground.
"How much does this world intend to take from us?"
His voice shook with anger.
"First my father."
A punch.
"Then my mother."
Another punch.
"And now..."
His voice broke.
"...Master and Chutki."
Silence followed.
Nobody had an answer.
Because every one of them understood exactly how he felt.
One by one—
The things most precious to them had been taken away.
Kaali slowly walked toward him.
His own tears had stopped.
Only anger remained.
"Bheem."
Bheem didn't move.
Kaali's eyes hardened.
"Tell me who did it."
The air became heavy.
Everyone stared at Bheem.
He remained silent for several moments.
Then finally—
He turned around.
"I'll tell you."
His voice was cold.
And the memory returned.
Hours earlier...
Inside the burning house.
Bheem knelt beside Chutki's body.
He held her tightly.
Tears streamed down his face.
The world had lost all meaning.
Then—
A presence appeared behind him.
Someone silently entered the room.
A sword gleamed within the firelight.
The attacker swung the sword.
Blood splattered across the wall.
But not because the attack succeeded.
The assassin's eyes widened in shock.
Bheem had caught the sword with his bare hand.
The blade cut deeply into his palm.
Blood poured down his arm.
Yet Bheem didn't even react.
The assassin immediately jumped backward.
Bheem slowly stood.
His face was filled with despair.
His eyes burned with rage.
"You..."
His voice trembled.
"Were you the one who did this?"
The assassin laughed.
A cruel laugh.
"Yeah."
He shrugged.
"I was ordered to kill that old man."
He pointed toward Chutki's body.
"But that little girl got in the way."
A smile spread across his face.
"So I killed her too."
The next moment—
Bheem exploded.
He crossed the distance instantly.
His Prāṇa-enhanced fist smashed into the assassin's face.
CRACK!
Teeth flew through the air.
The assassin crashed backward.
Before he could recover—
Bheem grabbed his head and slammed it into a wall.
BOOM!
The wall cracked.
The assassin screamed.
But Bheem wasn't listening.
The man laughed through the pain.
"You know what's funny?"
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"I was aiming for your sister."
His grin widened.
"But that old geezer jumped in front of my sword."
Bheem's rage intensified.
He smashed the man's face against the wall again.
"And again."
"And again."
Still, the assassin continued speaking.
"After that..."
He laughed.
"I stabbed your sister's heart."
Bheem completely lost control.
He threw the man onto the floor and repeatedly smashed his face against the ground.
The assassin's face became unrecognizable.
Blood poured from his eyes.
His nose.
His mouth.
But he continued laughing.
"You know her final words?"
Bheem froze.
The assassin grinned.
"She was calling for her brother."
His smile widened.
"While her brother slept peacefully."
After hearing it, Bheem screamed in anger.
The scream that escaped Bheem's throat shook the entire building.
He threw the assassin across the room.
The wall shattered behind him.
The assassin could barely move now.
Yet Bheem still approached.
Sword in hand.
His eyes contained nothing except hatred.
He pointed the blade toward the dying assassin.
"Who sent you?"
The assassin smiled.
Blood spilled from his lips.
Then he answered.
"Pranansh."
The world stopped.
Bheem's eyes widened.
His grip tightened.
The assassin laughed one final time.
Bheem swung the sword.
A flash of steel crossed the room.
The assassin's head fell to the floor.
Silence followed.
Then Bheem returned to Chutki.
He wrapped his arms around her body.
And cried.
For hours.
Until tears converted into blood.
Back in the present, no one spoke.
Shock filled every face.
"So..."
Kaali finally whispered.
"This was all Pranansh's doing."
Bheem remained silent.
The hatred in his eyes answered for him.
"Pranansh! The organization their Master once belonged to.The organization he had abandoned because of its corruption. And now—" Kaali clenched his fists. "It had murdered him."
He looked toward the ruins.
"He said corruption was spreading inside Pranansh."
His voice trembled.
"But why?"
Bheem slowly looked toward the stars.
His answer came out cold and bitter.
"Because they viewed the Master as a threat."
TO BE CONTINUED…