CHAPTER 38, AWAKENING IN A BROKEN LIFE
Darkness slowly loosened its grip on him.
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At first—
there was nothing but sound.
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A faint, repetitive rhythm—
Beep… Beep… Beep…
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Then came the weight.
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Not emotional.
Not mental.
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Physical.
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Krrish felt it before he understood it.
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His body—
heavy.
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Unresponsive.
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Weak.
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A sharp contrast to everything he had ever known.
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His fingers twitched slightly.
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His breathing grew uneven for a moment—
as if his body itself was unfamiliar with control.
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And then—
slowly—
his eyes opened.
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A white ceiling greeted him.
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Plain.
Cracked slightly at the corners.
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Unremarkable.
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For a few seconds—
he simply stared at it.
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Silent.
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Still.
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Then—
his mind caught up.
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"…A hospital."
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The realization came quietly.
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He tried to move his head—
and immediately felt resistance.
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Not from anything external—
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But from his own body.
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Weakness.
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Real.
Absolute.
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He lifted his hand slightly—
or at least tried to.
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It trembled.
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Heavy.
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"…So this is what it feels like…"
he thought,
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"…to truly be human."
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There was no power.
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No energy flowing through him.
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No hidden strength waiting to be called upon.
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Only limits.
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Only fragility.
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Only reality.
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For a brief moment—
he said nothing.
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Then—
his eyes narrowed slightly.
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"I need to see his memories…"
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His voice was low.
Weak.
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But his intent—
unchanged.
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"I already know how he died…"
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His gaze darkened faintly.
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"After being pushed to the brink by his own parents…"
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"…he was finished by the one person he loved."
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"A blade through the heart…"
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"…from his wife's first love."
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The thought lingered.
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Cold.
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Unforgiving.
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"But that's not enough…"
he continued in his mind.
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"I need to know everything."
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"What happened in his life…"
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"What broke him…"
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"And why…"
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The moment that thought solidified—
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something shifted within him.
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Memories began to surface.
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Not gently.
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Not slowly.
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But like a flood breaking through a dam.
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And Krrish—
now within Leo—
experienced them all.
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A small child.
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Quiet.
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Too quiet.
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Eyes filled not with curiosity—
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but hesitation.
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Fear.
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He saw the house.
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Large—
but cold.
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Empty—
despite being full of people.
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Then—
his father.
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Jain Thomson.
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A man with a strong presence—
but no warmth.
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A man whose expectations were absolute—
and whose disappointment was constant.
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"You're useless."
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"You'll never amount to anything."
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"You're a disgrace."
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The words repeated—
again—
and again—
and again.
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Not shouted.
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But worse—
spoken as if they were facts.
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Unchangeable truths.
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Then—
his mother.
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Liya Thomson.
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Once gentle.
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Once someone who could have stood beside him.
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But over time—
she faded.
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Her silence became her answer.
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Her inaction became her betrayal.
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She didn't defend him.
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She didn't oppose him either.
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She simply…
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stopped.
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Then came—
the stepbrother.
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Shane Thomson.
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A smile that hid everything.
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A voice that sounded harmless.
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But actions—
carefully calculated.
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Time after time—
he set traps.
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Framed Leo.
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Twisted situations.
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And every single time—
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Leo took the blame.
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Because he never spoke.
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Never defended himself.
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Never fought back.
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Then—
his sisters.
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Jia Thomson.
Luna Thomson.
Aarti Shri.
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None of them truly his.
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All daughters of a different mother.
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To them—
Leo was nothing more than an inconvenience.
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A shadow in their perfect lives.
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They never trusted him.
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Never listened to him.
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They saw only what was shown.
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Never what was hidden.
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And then—
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the deepest wound.
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Claire Thomson.
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His wife.
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The one person—
who should have been his strength.
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His partner.
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His refuge.
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But she wasn't.
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She never was.
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Her heart belonged elsewhere.
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To someone else.
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Her first love.
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The man she never let go of.
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Leo was just—
a name.
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A responsibility.
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A convenience.
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And worst of all—
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she never hid it completely.
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"I don't love you…"
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"I never will…"
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Those words echoed through his mind.
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Again.
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And again.
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And still—
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Leo stayed.
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Why?
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Because he was afraid.
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Because he was weak.
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Because he had no one else.
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Because he believed—
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that enduring pain was better than facing emptiness.
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The memories slowed.
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Then stopped.
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Silence returned.
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Krrish's eyes opened again.
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But now—
they were different.
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Not confused.
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Not overwhelmed.
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Clear.
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Cold.
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Focused.
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"…Leo Thomson."
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He spoke the name quietly.
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As if acknowledging the life he now carried.
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For a few seconds—
he simply stared ahead.
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Then—
slowly—
a smile formed on his lips.
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But it wasn't warm.
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It wasn't kind.
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It wasn't forgiving.
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It was calm.
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Controlled.
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Dangerous.
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"So this is your world…"
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His voice was still weak—
but every word carried weight.
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"What they did to you…"
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His eyes darkened slightly.
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"…wasn't just cruelty."
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"It was destruction."
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He exhaled softly.
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Then—
he laughed.
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Quietly.
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But there was no humor in it.
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"Good."
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Because now—
he understood everything.
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He slowly clenched his trembling hand.
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Still weak.
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Still human.
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But his will—
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unbreakable.
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"Now…"
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"Just watch."
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His gaze shifted slightly—
as if looking beyond the physical world.
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As if speaking to something unseen.
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"To all of you…"
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His voice dropped.
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"I will show you…"
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"…what it truly means to face the consequences of your actions."
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A pause.
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"And you…"
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He looked upward slightly—
toward nothing visible—
but something he could still feel.
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"Granth…"
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"I'll give you a show…"
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"…unlike anything you've ever witnessed."
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The room fell silent again.
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Only the sound of the monitor remained—
Beep… Beep…
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But everything had changed.
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Because Leo Thomson—
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was gone.
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And in his place—
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stood Krrish.
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A man with no power.
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No support.
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No advantage.
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Yet—
more dangerous than ever before.
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Because this time—
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he wouldn't fight with strength.
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He would fight with truth, patience, and strategy.
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And that kind of battle—
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was far more terrifying.
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The real game—
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had just begun. 🔥