Chapter Title: The Girl in the Shadows
Om stepped closer and looked carefully.
Behind the bushes, a girl lay unconscious on the ground.
She was lying face down, which is why her face wasn't visible.
Om quickly scanned the surroundings again, his eyes moving sharply in every direction. He was checking if someone else was nearby… or if the girl had somehow reached here alone. At the same time, he was trying to figure out if there was anything around that could've caused her condition.
But there was nothing.
Just her.
Om dropped to his knees beside her and gently placed two fingers on her neck, checking her pulse.
"How did you even get here…?" he muttered under his breath.
Then after a second—
"At least… you're alive."
There was relief in his voice.
Carefully, he turned her over.
And now—
He could finally see her face.
There was blood… a lot of it… dried and fresh, both, around her head. Her clothes were torn in multiple places. She was beautiful, no doubt… but her body told a completely different story.
She wasn't ordinary.
Her physique was like someone trained in the army—strong, built, disciplined.
And the wounds…
They were brutal.
Om's eyes instinctively began analyzing everything.
Every injury.
Every detail.
He could tell her body had been pushed to its limit. The wounds weren't random—they were clean, sharp, made by some kind of weapon. There were more than twenty of them… all serious enough to kill a normal person.
But she was still alive.
Barely.
Om placed his hand on her neck again.
She had a high fever.
Her breathing was slowing down.
That's when it hit him—
If he wasted even a little more time…
She wouldn't survive.
Without thinking twice, Om lifted her carefully in his arms and rushed inside his clinic. He laid her down on the checkup bed and immediately got to work.
First—the head injury.
Then the rest.
His medicines worked fast… unnaturally fast.
The moment he applied the herbal paste he had prepared, the wounds began healing almost instantly. Within moments, it was as if those injuries had never existed.
Her breathing stabilized.
But she still didn't regain consciousness.
Om's eyes shifted to her clothes.
Army trousers.
Black T-shirt.
Torn. Wet. Damaged.
His suspicion grew stronger.
Then something caught his attention—
A ribbon-like strip hanging out of her pocket.
Om gently pulled it.
An ID card slipped out along with it.
He held it carefully and read—
"Commander Maya Singh… Grade A Special Soldier."
Om's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… you really are a special soldier."
He looked at her again.
"But what happened to you… and how did you end up here?"
No response.
She was still unconscious.
But something felt wrong.
Om's gaze sharpened again—this time deeper.
He could sense it.
Her external wounds were gone…
But inside—
Her body was burning.
Her internal temperature was dangerously unstable.
Without wasting time, Om prepared a strong herbal decoction and carefully made her drink it. Then he waited… hoping her body would stabilize.
Minutes passed.
Nothing changed.
Almost half an hour later—
Her condition worsened.
Her body started trembling.
Her temperature spiked again… but at the same time, her body felt cold to the touch.
It didn't make sense.
Om frowned, tension building in his mind.
"What the hell… why isn't it stabilizing…?"
He ran through every possibility.
"If this continues… I won't be able to save her."
For the first time in a while—
He felt stuck.
"My medicines aren't working… nothing's working."
Then—
One thought.
One option.
The last one.
"There's only one way left…"
He looked at her, conflicted.
"I need to transfer internal heat… directly."
His jaw tightened.
"But… without her permission… I shouldn't…"
A pause.
"But if I don't… she'll die."
Silence filled the room.
A decision had to be made.
And fast.
After a few seconds—
Om made up his mind.
Whatever happens… happens.
He stepped closer to her.
"I'm sorry, soldier… but I have to do this to save you."
He closed his eyes.
Using his inner senses, he carefully removed her damaged clothes without physically fumbling—his movements controlled, precise.
He placed his hand on her back again.
Still the same.
Her temperature hadn't improved.
Om took a deep breath.
Then slowly—
He slipped under the blanket beside her.
His mind was still resisting what he was about to do.
Every instinct told him to stop.
But reality was clear—
He had no other choice.
Om didn't want to do this.
Not like this.
Not without her permission.
But he also knew the truth—if he didn't act now, she wouldn't survive.
That thought alone was enough to push him forward.
Taking a deep breath, Om stepped under the blanket and slowly began removing his shirt, his eyes fixed on the unconscious girl, filled with worry.
"I'm sorry… soldier. But I don't have any other way to save you."
He murmured, almost like a confession.
Within seconds, his shirt was off.
His mind still resisted… every instinct telling him to stop.
But her life came first.
No matter what.
Just as he moved his hand toward his pants—
He froze.
A sudden realization hit him.
His eyes widened.
"Wait…"
And the next moment, he quickly stepped out from under the blanket, a relieved smile spreading across his face.
"Right… I don't have to do this physically. I can transfer heat using my inner energy."
He let out a small breath of relief.
"Good thing I remembered in time… who knows what would've happened today."
Without wasting another second, Om pulled the blanket aside, placed both his hands gently on her stomach, and closed his eyes.
"Please… just work. God, I'm leaving this to you now."
He whispered under his breath.
As he lightly pressed his hands—
A golden glow burst out from his palms.
The energy flowed into her body.
Almost instantly, the girl let out a soft… trembling sound.
Her breathing shifted.
Her lips parted slightly as faint, uneven sounds escaped her—like her body reacting to the sudden warmth rushing through her.
If anyone had been outside, they might've misunderstood the situation completely.
But inside—
It was pure survival.
Om kept his focus steady, his gaze locked on her face.
Her cheeks slowly turned red… as if warmth was finally returning to her body.
Seconds passed.
Then—
Relief.
Om could feel it.
Her temperature… was stabilizing.
A small smile appeared on his face as he slowly pulled his hands away.
"It worked…"
He exhaled, stepping back.
Deciding to let her rest, Om turned toward the door.
But before he could reach it—
A faint groan stopped him.
He turned around.
The girl… was awake.
She was sitting up on the bed, holding her head, clearly in pain. She hadn't noticed him yet.
Slowly, she tried to get up—
But her body gave in.
Her legs trembled.
And just as she was about to fall—
Om rushed forward and caught her by the shoulders, steadying her.
The moment she felt someone touch her—
Her instincts kicked in.
Even in that weak state, she reacted instantly.
She twisted her body, grabbed Om's arm, and tried to throw him off balance.
But Om had already seen it coming.
He caught her wrist mid-move.
For a brief second—
Their eyes met.
Her voice came out weak, almost breaking—
"W-who… are you…?"
And before he could answer—
Her eyes rolled back.
She collapsed again.
Om held her firmly, pulling her into his arms before she could fall.
The position they ended up in…
Looked almost like something out of a romantic movie—him holding her close, protecting her from falling.
"Easy… you're not in a condition to talk right now. Just rest."
He said softly, even though she was already unconscious.
Then suddenly—
He realized how it looked.
"Man… this is so awkward."
He muttered to himself.
"Good thing no one's here… otherwise, what would they even think?"
He shook his head slightly.
"Why do I always end up in situations like this…"
Carefully, he adjusted his grip.
"Let's just get you back on the bed."
He turned toward the door—
And froze.
His eyes widened.
Completely stunned.
It was like he had just seen a ghost.
Standing at the door—
Was Anshika.
Her eyes wide.
Locked onto him.
And the scene in front of her.
Om couldn't even blink.
His throat went dry.
"A… Anshika… you… here… at this time…?"
He stammered, his voice barely coming out.
Because right now—
There was no explaining this.