Midnight. The Secret Chamber of the Ahmed Palace.
When Mansi Delal entered the room, his expression was carved from granite. Yet, despite his steely resolve, his eyes betrayed him, darting restlessly across the ancient antiques lining the walls.
"The Ahmed family possesses such antiques? Each of these must be worth over 90,000 Baowa!"
Suddenly, his gaze arrested on a specific object.
It was a crystal shaped like an Inverted Pyramid. Sealed within its glass depths was the statue of a woman of unparalleled beauty.
Though her face was obscured, the very posture of her dance invoked a tidal wave of carnal desire in the beholder's mind.
Goddess Lushita—the ancient deity of Bhola, known to the learned as the 'Longing Goddess.' She had last been seen seven hundred years ago.
Mansi did the mental arithmetic instantly. "Just this single crystal would fetch 500,000 Baowa. Thousands of fanatics would go mad to possess it. So, what does Azgaar want from me? Surely something that money cannot buy..."
Click.
The sound of the door opening.
Azgaar Ahmed stepped inside. He locked the door behind him and sank comfortably onto the main seat.
Gesturing casually toward the priceless crystal, he offered a warm, disarming smile. "You like that? Keep it. It's yours."
Mansi was thunderstruck. "An object worth half a million... given away like a trinket?"
Azgaar motioned for him to sit. Mansi carefully tucked the crystal into the pocket of his robe and took his seat.
Fixing him with a deep, penetrating gaze, Azgaar asked, "Have you made your decision?"
"Yes. I will try with all my power."
Azgaar nodded. He placed a leather suitcase on the table, unlatched it, and slid it toward Mansi.
Upon seeing the object inside, the breath caught in Mansi's throat.
It was a grotesque, humanoid effigy. Wrapped in blood-soaked red cloth, it was pierced by countless needles. A long, black needle ran diagonally through its head, from one side to the other.
The needle reflected no light; instead, it seemed to swallow the surrounding illumination, creating a small void of silence and darkness.
"A Grade 4 Sealed Artifact?" Mansi whispered, his voice trembling.
Azgaar smiled. "Its name is the 'Blood Needle Sealed Artifact.' It is a cursed creation of the Blood Path. It does not damage the enemy's bone or flesh; it strikes directly at their life force. This will be the greatest weapon of your life."
Mansi scratched his beard, his brow furrowed in concern. "Who needs to be killed with such a terrifying weapon?"
Azgaar looked at him with eyes that seemed to see the future.
"If... if you want me to cure your wife and give you the taste of fatherhood... then you must do exactly as I say. Even if it means killing."
Mansi exhaled a long, heavy sigh. "Yes, I will do it. But I will kill them quickly, so they do not suffer much."
Azgaar burst into laughter. "Mansi, you truly live up to your name. So very 'Human' of you."
Then, his voice dropped to a whisper. "You don't have to kill anyone."
"Then?" Mansi was confused.
Azgaar crossed his legs, leaning back with the ease of a king.
"There are some people... whom I wish to send to hell. But simply killing them offers no amusement."
"Do you have a personal feud with someone?"
Azgaar smirked. "Not a feud. I simply dislike their ugly faces... though it is true, I do enjoy seeing that exquisite expression of terror on their faces before they die."
Mansi realized something. "You mean... you want to kill them when they are completely unprepared?"
"You are truly intelligent, Mansi," Azgaar said. "This plan of mine will take exactly 16 years to come to fruition. And your wife's recovery? That will take 15 years and 3 months."
Mansi was stunned. "How can he calculate time so perfectly? Where does this confidence come from?"
But as Azgaar outlined the plan, Mansi's blood ran cold.
"You must use this artifact to trade with Rasel Cheng. You will join forces with Sukumar Talukdar to form an 'Anti-Azgaar Alliance.' You will use my son, Ruhan, as bait.
Use Faisal—Taslima's son—to plant the seeds of greed in their hearts. Use that maid, 'Nuri,' to get close to Rasel. Ensure she becomes his secret concubine. Sell this crystal to fund buying Rasel's loyalty.
You will attempt to kill me five times. When Habib Biswas finds that Sealed Legacy, recruit him into the fold. Wait five years for Faisal to grow up... After 14 years, kill Nuri and place this artifact into her daughter's hands... and then..."
Mansi listened, shivering internally. This was not a plan; this was a sixteen-year-long grandmaster chess move.
"This is the power of a 'Wisdom Path' Masterer of the Ahmed Family! No wonder the other families fear them so much..."
Finally, Azgaar offered a demonic smile.
"Just don't go dying on your wife..."
Mansi understood the deep implication.
If he betrayed get caught, the alliance leaders would kill him. If he failed, Azgaar would kill him. Even if he ran away, his wife and unborn child were hostages in Azgaar's hands. Wherever he turned, death walked beside him.
Mansi smiled a tragic, sorrowful smile. "In the end... I have to die. Because you don't like my 'ugly face' either."
Azgaar roared with laughter.
"Your intuition is excellent, Mansi. Very well, there is another option for you."
Azgaar's eyes glowed with an ominous purple hue.
"If, after 16 years, exactly on the day of Ruhan's birthday... you can sacrifice yourself..."
He paused.
"Then I, Azgaar Ahmed, will take responsibility for your family. I promise you, I will give your wife and child the best life this world has to offer. I do not break my word."
✦✦✦
Seven months ago, from present time.
Mansi pulled his wife into his chest. Years of suppressed pain, silent waiting, and unspoken prayers finally collapsed.
His eyes misted over—not with despair this time, but with joy. The wait was over. His wife was pregnant!
He gently moved his hand over her stomach, as if trying to touch an invisible heartbeat. His voice trembled.
"Our child... our child is coming."
A strange silence filled the room. In that silence was a blend of dreams, fear, and hope.
For a long time, neither could speak. They just held onto each other, fearing that if they let go, this moment would dissolve back into a dream.
Finally, they lay side by side, intertwined. Even with their eyes closed, it felt as though this night was the softest, most fragile moment of their entire lives.
✦✦✦
Yesterday Morning.
Mansi pressed his ear against his wife's belly.
Thump-thump!
The sound of a kick from within. Mansi's heart danced with delight. The doctor said the delivery would happen tomorrow at 8 PM.
Suddenly, Mansi remembered. "Tomorrow... isn't tomorrow the 7th day of the Bloodmoon? Ruhan's 16th birthday?"
He kissed his wife's forehead.
"Take care of yourself, my love. I will return as soon as my work is finished."
His wife stopped smiling. A shadow of a premonition crossed her face.
"Promise me one thing."
"What?"
"After our daughter is born... you will be the first one to hold her."
Mansi paused at the door. Wiping a tear from his eye, he said,
"I promise... I will."
✦✦✦
Current Time. The Secret Research Room of the Biswas Palace.
Mansi's body lay on the floor—no, only his upper body remained.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Mansi whispered,
"Fatima... in the end, I couldn't keep my promise..."
One by one, memories flashed before his dying eyes.
Blood and tears flowed together down his face. In this state, he looked exactly like that cursed 'Blood Needle Effigy'—broken, pierced, and discarded.
The others were silent. Everyone understood Mansi's pain. After waiting for years, he died mere hours before seeing his child's face.
"Fate plays cruel games with men," Sukumar Talukdar sighed.
"Even more terrifying... Azgaar Ahmed saw this moment clearly sixteen years ago," Habib Biswas murmured, his face pale.
Monir Chaprashe had been silent until now. He finally gave a command to his Rank 3 Dark Spirit.
"Release our friend from pain quickly. With less pain..."
The 'Silent Hunter' cat suddenly expanded like a bubble. Growing five times its size, it took the form of a massive shadow lion.
It lowered its head toward Mansi's corpse, then sank its fangs into his abdomen.
Crunch... Crunch...
The sound of bones snapping.
Tear... Tear...
The wet sound of flesh ripping.
Grrrrrrr...
A scream should have torn from Mansi's throat, but instead, he smiled. He remembered those words spoken so many years ago.
"You knew this too... Ha ha! You really are worthy of your name... (Cough)... Azgaar Ahmed!"
Seeing the disemboweled Mansi laughing, everyone froze.
"You are truly the greatest 'Wisdom Path' Masterer of this era! I... I concede defeat to you..."
Hearing this, pity for Mansi grew in the hearts of the others.
"Azgaar Ahmed... he played with us like puppets for sixteen years, and we didn't even sense it!"
"The thought makes my skin crawl. Me? Was I also his experiment? Just to kill us all? Horrifying! A true nightmare!"
Fear and hatred solidified in their hearts.
Mansi drew his final, ragged breath. "He just... didn't like our ugly faces... (Cough)"
At these dying words, a wave of revulsion swept through the room. Their hatred for the monster named Azgaar reached its peak.
Suddenly, Monir Chaprashe's ears perked up. He screamed,
"RUN!!! EVERYONE RUN!!!"
But before his words could finish, Mansi smiled one last time and whispered a single word—
"Boom..."
BOOOOM!!!
A self-destructive, cataclysmic, suicidal explosion shook the foundations of the earth. A living hell was born beneath the ground.