the king of shadows

They say, God always gives every human a second chance. But whether that chance becomes a blessing… or a curse — only time decides. That night, in the cold winds of Beijing, one name echoed—Aryan… The Most Wanted Mafia. A name before which even the kings of the underworld bowed down. It was said — “Without Aryan’s signal, not even a leaf in the underworld could move.” For him, taking a life was as easy… as shaking a hand. But that night— the same Aryan was running from death on the lonely, dark streets of Beijing. Behind him, shadows in black jackets, guns raised, showered him with bullets. Each gunshot tearing through the air… as if ringing the bells of death. Then a voice thundered— “Aryan… tonight your game is over!” Suddenly, one bullet ripped through his shoulder. Another pierced his chest. “Aaaahhh…!” he screamed. He staggered a few steps… and collapsed to his knees. Blood spread across the ground. The shadows circled him, laughing loudly— “Ha ha ha ha ha!” One pressed the gun to his temple and said, “Big man… tell us your last wish before you die.” Aryan just stared. His face calm… as if the fear of death had been buried long ago. And then… the trigger was pulled. The area echoed with gunfire. Slowly, the fog began to clear. In the cold air, cherry blossom petals fell like snow to the ground. Silence… only the rustle of the wind could be heard. Blood was scattered across the ground. Bodies lay all around—the black-jacketed shadows, who just moments ago wanted to put Aryan to eternal sleep, were now lifeless. In the middle… stood one man. Drenched in blood, deep wounds across his chest, breathing broken… but alive. It was Aryan. He staggered forward. Each breath slashed through his chest, blood dripped from his legs, but his resolve was unshaken. With trembling hands, he leaned on a wall and dragged himself toward the garden. In the center of the garden stood a massive cherry blossom tree. Falling petals lined his path, as if giving him one final, respectful farewell. Aryan reached it. He sat down, leaning his back against the trunk. His face revealed the pain. Blood poured, his breaths were shallow, yet his eyes stayed fixed on the sky… as if searching for something among the stars. There was that same cold gleam in his eyes. As if saying— “Give up? That word doesn’t exist in my dictionary.” Bloodstains marked his face, yet his sharp jawline, piercing eyes, and faint smile— a smile that could make any woman surrender her heartbeat—remained. With trembling hands, he pulled a photograph from his pocket. Stained with his blood, yet the girl’s smile in it shone clearly. A smile that held an entire universe. Aryan pressed the photo against his chest and whispered softly— “If only God gave me one more chance… I would hide you from this world, keep you safe upon my eyelids…” As he said this, darkness fell over his eyes. His breaths grew slower. --- At that very moment… a star fell from the sky. And with the light of that fallen star—far away, a young boy suddenly woke up in shock. Alive… and bewildered. So what awaits Aryan in this new journey? Will he be able to change his life? To know what happens next… read the coming chapters.