The next day's sunlight was gentler, as if nature itself wished to sprinkle a few shades of hope on Kaal. After being discharged from the hospital, every breath he took carried a blend of emotions—faint excitement laced with heavy worry and uncertainty. As he returned to the mansion, his steps felt heavy, each one bearing the burden of the battles raging within him.
His mother held his hand, her eyes filled with compassion and worry—but also with an unfamiliar yet silent trust. Yet, to Kaal, the grand gates of the mansion, which once stood as a symbol of his identity and strength, now appeared like looming shadows—empty, desolate, and strangely intimidating.
He walked straight toward his old room. Standing by the familiar window, he gazed at the world outside. The sky had changed its hue—the last rays of the sun were sinking at the horizon. The breeze stirred the branches of trees, and in the distance, the faint tunes of a festival played, like a tender reminder of life's sweetness. But within Kaal's heart, a void had taken root, muffling every bit of joy around.
**"Who am I?"**
The question echoed within him, like a shadow that refused to let go.
He buried his face in his palms. His voice emerged from within—soft, broken—like the cry of a shattered soul.
**"Am I truly just trash? Does my life have any meaning? Can I really live in a world where my existence holds no value?"**
Layers of memories unraveled in his mind—those days when he was a top technician, when millions watched his inventions with awe. His name adorned patents, missions, and dreams. In that world, he had identity, respect, and purpose. But now, he was nothing more than a void—buried under the weight of family debt.
**"Am I just a boy drowning in loans?"**
His breathing grew heavier with the thought.
Outside the window, Diwali's celebration had lit up the world. The crackling of fireworks echoed, the scent of sweets drifted through the air, and children's laughter rang joyously. But inside the mansion, darkness loomed in Kaal's heart like a snuffed lamp. The colors of life had dimmed.
Once again, his mind conjured the face of **Keerti**—the girl he had silently loved for years. The one he considered his own, yet could never reveal his truth to.
**"Keerti rejected me…"**
His heart shattered all over again. The words trembled so faintly that only pain itself could hear them.
**"She didn't choose me because I was 'weak'. Money, status, family... these were what mattered to her. I wasn't what she wanted."**
He remembered asking her once, *"Keerti, will you ever truly understand me?"*
Her reply was nothing more than a cold, bitter laugh.
Just then, there was a gentle knock at the door. Kaal turned to look.
**"Krishna…"**
There he stood—his old friend, the one who, for reasons unknown, always showed up when Kaal needed someone most. His eyes shimmered with honesty and hope. He needed no words to understand Kaal's pain.
"What are you thinking, Kaal?" Krishna asked softly.
Sobbing, Kaal whispered, "I've lost everything. Keerti turned away from me. My mother is crushed under debt. This mansion, this life... it's hollow. I've lost myself."
Krishna stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You are much more than what the world sees. You are the son of Dheeraj and Vishakha Mehta. Your father, a great gold miner, spent his life in dust and danger. Your mother, one of the bravest and most brilliant archaeologists on this Earth. And you… you're the boy who once turned dreams into reality."
Kaal's eyes welled with tears.
"Does any of that even matter now? Does anyone even see it anymore?"
His voice choked with grief.
"They do, Kaal," Krishna said firmly. "Your skills, your strength, your passion—they're all still alive within you. You just need to believe in yourself."
Kaal looked up at the starry sky outside.
"Maybe it's time I stepped out of my old shadow. Time I created my own identity and fought my own battle."
Krishna smiled, as if ready for a new beginning too.
"And I'm with you, Kaal. Together, we'll cut through the darkness that blocks our path."
The night had spread its darkness across the land, but within that darkness now sparkled a new light—a glimmer of hope awakening in Kaal's heart.
---
In the days that followed, Kaal immersed himself in deep thought. He retrieved his old books and documents, locked away for years in the mansion's vaults. Patents, notes, and designs—testaments to his once-unmatched brilliance.
He lost himself in a world of science and technology once again, letting it rebuild him. His mother saw it too—her son coming back to life, with a fire in his soul that had never truly gone out.
He made a silent vow to himself—
**"I will win this battle. Not just for myself, but for our entire society. Those who try to bring us down—those who divide us by caste—I will bring them to dust."**
Kaal realized he was no longer alone. He had a friend like Krishna, who understood the fire burning within him. And perhaps, now he had awakened a power inside him—one that wasn't just for himself, but for a far greater fight.
---
Over the next week, Kaal began building a plan in the old room of the mansion. He studied his father's ancient discoveries and listened to his mother's lectures. Slowly, he came to understand that he possessed the knowledge and skill that could help rebuild this shattered world.
But the greatest question still lingered—**how?**
How would he make his place in this broken society? How would he prove himself, when everyone around still saw him as lesser?
He took a deep breath and calmed his mind. He decided to travel to the **Mutation Zone**—a place where powerful beasts roamed, and from them, valuable **Mutation Fluid** could be extracted and studied.
Perhaps, this was the path that would awaken his true power—and give him the chance to prove that he wasn't just a boy, but a warrior.
---
That night, while the entire mansion slept, Kaal stood by his window. His eyes sparkled with a new energy, his mind lit with purpose. He knew the days ahead would not be easy.
But now, there was a fire inside him—the fire of justice, of vengeance, and of reclaiming his identity.
And with that flame, Kaal whispered to himself—
**"I am Kaal. I will write my own destiny. And whoever stands in my way, I will erase them from history."**
---
**To be continued…**