...

  "Human... yes, absolutely!"

  Those eyes, marked by the diagonal scar over the right eyelid, pierced through Raghav with a predatory gaze. It didn't feel like a question was being asked...It felt like a hunt in progress.

  "Allow me to recalculate my inquiry. What kind of 'human' falls unexpectedly from the sky and still breathes?"

  "What kind of 'human' possesses a mystical butterfly capable of hurling a power-level fighter through the air?"

  Those eyes were so sharp they could expertly decipher a passing thought—and eyes as well. And Sangharsh? He was a virtuoso at reading eyes.

  This time, the expression on Raghav's face shifted.

  The butterfly...

  He had completely forgotten that blue-golden radiance. He immediately checked his surroundings, but it was nowhere to be found.

  "Counter-question, where is that butterfly?"

  Raghav asked upon finding the creature gone, and it took mere seconds for those sharp eyes to turn lethal.

  Without touching him, Sangharsh's hands jerked toward the window. Suddenly, Raghav was flung from the bed like a tethered bird, crashing violently against the reinforced glass before collapsing onto the floor.

  "Ghaaa—Aagh!"

  The impact was so staggering that even the reinforced glass shattered, scattering shards everywhere. He hadn't seen such a swift assault coming. Gasping for air, he lay on the floor for a few moments, his body seemingly unable to process the sudden violence.

  He had no inkling how this man had thrown him without physical contact. Slowly lifting his head, he saw black boots approaching... stopping right in front of his face.

  "I've been far too lenient with you, haven't I? Now, you will tell me exactly what I ask."

  The voice was so frigid that the ice itself might have shivered. However, Raghav did not tremble, his entire mind was elsewhere.

  『That book... it had something similar written in Sanskrit. So... this world is magical?!』

  At that moment, a lightbulb flickered in Raghav's mind. Control without touch... only one concept fit.

  "Telekinesis!!!"

  Sangharsh's eyes widened at the word. Yes, he possessed telekinetic powers, but unlike others, his were colorless—invisible. For this boy to deduce it so accurately...

  He was remarkably sharp.

  For Sangharsh, this was an opportunity... and a threat too.

  "Yes! How did you know?"

  Clutching his arm, Raghav slowly rose. His left arm was throbbing with an agonizing pain from the impact. It was a mercy the glass shards hadn't embedded themselves in his skin, or the agony would have doubled.

  *Cough!!

  "Read it in a book... just a guess."

  "What book?!"

  Sangharsh stood directly in front of him, glaring into Raghav's chocolate eyes, which met his own without a trace of fear. Raghav was easily seven to eight inches shorter than him.

  "A rectangular book..."

  Raghav said, glancing at the shattered glass, as the man's eyes grew bloodthirsty at the answer.

  "So, you won't understand the easy way!"

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Sangharsh raised his hands, and with that gesture, Raghav was hoisted into the air. His feet no longer touched the ground; he felt a surge of apprehension. But Sangharsh did not relent.

  When he lifted Raghav as high as the ceiling, there wasn't a shred of mercy in his eyes.

  "I ask one last time! Which book?"

  Raghav saw it all... he, too, knew how to read eyes. But the scales were heavily tipped in Sangharsh's favor.

  『Screw it! Whatever happens... I'll bear it later. I'm not telling him anything.』

  With a dry swallow, Raghav whispered,

  "A-A red book... Aaa—Aagh!"

  Before Raghav could finish, Sangharsh's patience snapped. He slammed him onto the floor with such force that Raghav saw stars.

  Cracks spider-webbed across the tiles.

  For a moment, Raghav felt as if his spine would shatter. His body bounced upon impact, skidding away from the window. This time, he was gravely injured....

  He couldn't even manage to rise.

  "Aagh—Ugh!!!..."

  "...agh.. Mā!!!"

  He tried to push himself up, but his hands were trembling so violently that he collapsed onto his back again. His breathing was erratic.

  Before he could find respite from the pain, a new sensation began to stir within him... as if something new was being pried open inside his body.

  More accurately, it was being forced open.

  Opening his pain-filled eyes, he saw Sangharsh staring at him with those lethal eyes, his fist clenched and pulled toward his own chest.

  Raghav felt as if every fiber of his being was being dragged in that direction—as if his very nerves wanted to burst through his skin.

  "Stop it! Aaaaagh!!!!"

  But when would Sangharsh ever stop? He wouldn't cease until he had his answer, and despite his harrowing torment, Raghav would not open his mouth.

  Raghav's eyes filled with tears as his breath hitched, feeling as though someone had seized his lungs in a crushing grip.

  "Wait! Aaah!!!!"

  In the midst of their mutual stubbornness, a blue light suddenly flickered near Sangharsh. His eyes widened.

  A blue light...

  Which had been wrenched from Raghav and pulled toward Sangharsh.

  A blue light...

  So faint, as if it had been buried deep within.

  It didn't take Sangharsh long to realize what this was.

  Sangharsh released his grip, and Raghav fell flat on his stomach. He was breathing so heavily, it was as if he had just run a marathon. His entire body was convulsing; those few moments had taught him a brutal lesson.

  The man in the brown trench coat approached again, standing over Raghav's head as it rested on the floor. Sangharsh used his boot to flip him over, and Raghav offered no resistance, rolling over like a sack of grain.

  He lay on his back, sweat-soaked hair plastered to his forehead, his tear-filled eyes looking up at Sangharsh.

  Pearls of tears rolled down his cheeks, his body still racked with tremors.

  Sangharsh crouched down beside him, his hands resting easily on his thighs. This time, his eyes weren't lethal; they were gleaming with the spark of a new scheme.

  "Well, well, well! Look at what we have here... A Fighter Core !"

  ?°?°?°?°?

  Snowballs...

  Very tiny snowballs...

  So small they were barely larger than a rabbit. These spheres rolled forward, thudding softly against the walls of the Kaalminar. Then, the circular shapes unfurled, standing up like small dolls made of snow.

  Their 50+ jagged teeth were enough to terrify anyone. Digging their long claws in, they began to scale the second tower—the very tower where entry was forbidden without the Manager's consent.

  But these orbs were countless... and they required no one's permission.

  On the bridge connecting the first and second towers, the AHSF soldiers had their rifles trained on the climbers. Behind them, Anirudh monitored the scene.

  "Fire!"

  At Anirudh's command, the sound of gunfire shattered the silent, snowy atmosphere. Soon, the roar of machinery drowned out the world.

  One by one, the low-level icy monsters, looking like ghouls, began to plummet. The marksmanship was impeccable...the monsters fell straight from the heights of Indrasan.

  Pranali stood a short distance from the soldiers, observing the situation. her eyes were void of emotion, as if she were accustomed to such sights.

  Just then, Ketaki came running toward her, phone in hand.

  "Ma'am! Ma'am! The Chief Minister is on the line."

  Pranali took the phone without delay, her eyes still fixed on the falling monsters as they dissolved back into the snow.

  "Yes, Sir! ...."

  "Ji(Yes), Sir!"

  "No, Sir!"

  "Ok, Sir!"

  "Thanks, Sir!"

  Ketaki had no idea what was discussed in that string of "Sirs," but the relief on Pranali's face suggested things were under control.

  "The Chief Minister said he requested aid from the Central Government. A squad of commandos has been dispatched. They'll be here in four to five hours."

  Hearing this, Ketaki also felt a sense of relief. Suddenly, Pranali's phone chimed with a notification. It was a message from Sangharsh:

  ? I've found something interesting. Specifically for you.

  Pranali read it and put the phone away. She didn't reply.

  There was no need.

  Her eyes remained on the tower, where the monsters continued their relentless climb despite the soldiers' efforts.

  She knew...

  She knew the story was just beginning. The true hardships were yet to come.

  To be continued...