Kill The Beast

Awakening of Shadows

A while ago.

Deep within the heart of the thick Kushina Hills forest, there lay a hidden dome, concealed from the outside world. Inside its confining walls, a child had been imprisoned by a set of unyielding chains, a captive since the very day of his birth. Despite his frail and emaciated frame, he had never known the taste of sustenance, surviving against all odds. His cries, once a testament to his suffering, had gradually dwindled into silence over the course of four long years.

This forsaken child was none other than a young Aayaan Gautam, incarcerated within the dome by his very own father. He had grown accustomed to a world devoid of sound, where life had become a monotonous, unchanging routine. Yet, one ordinary day, an extraordinary event unfolded. The jubilant laughter of two young girls echoed through the woods, heralding their arrival, accompanied by a loyal canine companion. Unbeknownst to them, these children of mirth and innocence were Akanksha and Aayaan's stepsister, Meera.

Within the confines of his prison, Aayaan had long abandoned any hopes of release or rescue, resigning himself to this world within a dome. Then, a glimmer of light penetrated the darkness of his existence. A woman, draped in flowing white robes, stood beside his father, Kailash Gautam. Desperation etched across his face, Kailash uttered words of despair to the woman, Minerva. "You cannot tame this beast," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of years of suffering, "He took my wife from me and has brought me nothing but pain and agony. Do you truly believe there is any hope?"

Approaching the boy, Minerva extended her hand to gently caress his hair, her touch offering solace he had never known. In a tender and life-changing moment, she provided him a taste of rabbit blood, an elixir of survival. Then, in an astonishing turn of fate, she broke the chains that had bound him for so long, setting him free from the dome that had been his only world.

Present.

As Katrina observed Aayaan at the wheel, she couldn't help but notice a perplexed expression that he struggled to conceal. Despite his best efforts to keep his inner turmoil hidden, it was evident that something was amiss. They had spent the entire day together, and it was initially his intention to let her return to her life. However, as the day wore on, a growing concern for her safety began to take root. He couldn't merely send her on her way, not after that mysterious man had seen them together and seemed to have knowledge about Akanksha as well.

Her fingers gently brushed against his forehead as she inquired, "What's wrong? You look troubled. Is everything alright?" Attempting to dismiss her concern with a laugh, he responded, "No, it's nothing. I just need to make a call to someone. Let's head back to the hotel." Though he tried to ease her worry, the weight of the unknown pressed upon him, leaving him increasingly unsettled.

As they returned to their hotel, Aayaan guided Katrina to her room and then swiftly made his way to the hotel's lobby. With a sense of urgency, he dialed Minerva's number. She was at Bluebird Castle in Kushina Hill, a place deeply connected to Gautam's family, and she answered the call promptly.

"Ah, how is your French trip going on?" she inquired casually, her tone belying the gravity of Aayaan's situation.

Aayaan's voice was filled with urgency as he spoke, "I don't have time for that. Listen... Today, I met a man named Mephistopheles, and he has been following me since I arrived in Paris. He seems to know a lot about me, and I fear he knows about you as well."

Minerva's voice trembled slightly as she responded, "That name certainly rings a bell. Why are you in Paris? I thought you were in Bordeaux," she tried to contain her anxiety. The name Mephistopheles was certainly a grave danger, and she had not expected him to find Aayaan so soon, let alone without her. She told him with a sense of urgency, "Come back without wasting a moment there. That man has no limits. If he wants something from you, he will take it. He will definitely want you."