Kael floated once more through a cold, pitch-black void. "Crap..." he muttered under his breath. "Am I dead now?"
A distorted, echoing voice rattled through the darkness. "No!"
Kael snapped his eyes open. Two pairs of glowing red eyes burned through the shadows, staring straight down at him.
Kael let out a bitter scoff. "Are you the gods of death?"
"It's been a long time, host," the distorted voice crackled. "And no, I am no god."
Kael tilted his head as realization struck him. "The... Broken Soul?"
The entity let out a low sigh. "Yes..."
Kael's brow furrowed in anger. "Did you bring me here? Did you kill me?!"
Before Kael could raise his hands, multiple shadowy arms burst from the void. One massive hand slapped Kael sharply across the face.
SNAP!
Kael tumbled onto the floor of his mind, rubbing his stinging cheek.
"See? You're alive," the Broken Soul smirked.
Kael sat up, thoroughly confused. "Where are we?"
"In your subconscious—where the souls inside you reside," the entity replied, its red eyes narrowing. "Though I must say, controlling five other souls besides me is absurd. You are holding five ancient souls that are far beyond mortal comprehension."
Kael stepped back. "I didn't ask for—"
"Listen to me, Kael," the Broken Soul interrupted, its red eyes flashing dangerously. "Do not overuse my power. If you push it too far, real death will claim you."
Kael froze. "Was that power-draining domain... yours?"
"The domain itself wasn't mine," the entity sighed, turning away. "But the ability to siphon everyone's power? That belongs to me."
A blinding white light erupted from far behind the entity.
"You won't remember this conversation," the Broken Soul whispered, its shadow dissolving into the brilliance.
Kael sprinted toward the light, calling out, but the blinding glow swallowed his vision entirely.
The white light vanished, replaced by the stark ceiling of a hospital room.
Kael opened his eyes, groggy and disoriented. Sara, Sarina, Rexon, and Renjiro were standing around his bed. He tried to sit up, but a sharp tug in his arm stopped him. A thin tube was taped to his vein, continuously pumping fresh blood into his body.
Kael held his aching forehead. "How long was I out?"
"Two hours," Sara answered softly.
Kael swung his legs toward the edge of the bed, but Renjiro gently pressed his hands against Kael's shoulders, keeping him down. "Stay down, Kael. Ashu and Vrinda... they've been moved to the mortuary."
Kael swallowed hard, the cold reality hitting him like a physical blow. He slowly lay back down on the pillow. "I just... want to sleep."
Sara opened her mouth to offer comforting words, but Rexon quietly shook his head, pointing toward the hollow, heartbroken expression on Kael's face. Understanding his need for space, Sara quietly led the others out of the room.
Left alone, tears silently spilled from Kael's eyes, soaking into his pillow.
"Today was supposed to be his proposal..." Kael whispered, his voice cracking into a silent sob. "Why, destiny? Why do you always choose me to suffer? Is my pain just entertainment to you?!"
His gaze drifted to the nightstand beside his bed. Resting next to a pitcher of water was a full bottle labeled Sleeping Pills.
A dark, desperate thought crept into his mind: If I end it all right now... destiny won't be able to hurt anyone else through me.
His hand trembled as he reached for the bottle, his fingers clutching the cold glass. But just as he brought it close, the faces of Renjiro, Sara, and Sarina flashed through his mind. He couldn't abandon them. He couldn't cause them more pain.
Kael let out a shaky breath, set the pill bottle safely back on the table, and poured himself a glass of water instead. Drinking it down, he closed his eyes and drifted into a quiet rest.
High above in the divine realm, Anstra watched Kael through a pool of shimmering light. She let out a long, sorrowful sigh. "Kael... please don't blame your mother for the way your story was written."
In an adjacent chamber, the white-haired Goddess with golden eyes stared down at her sleeping son. Tears welled in her eyes, trickling down her soft cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, my son..." she wept softly, a fragile, broken smile gracing her lips. "I am powerless to rewrite what has passed..."
She wiped her tears, her golden gaze hardening with a quiet, absolute resolve. "But I will make you happy again... even if it costs me my life."
Anstra sensed her sister's determination from afar, whispering softly to herself, "I hope you find a way through this darkness, Sister."
Thirty minutes passed, and the blood bag finally ran dry.
Kael snapped his eyes open and sat up immediately. "I need to see them."
A nurse entering the room jumped in surprise. "Sir! You shouldn't be moving yet!"
"I have to go," Kael said firmly, tearing the medical tape from his skin.
The nurse gestured quickly toward the hallway. "Your friend Rexon is waiting for you outside in the car! Hurry!"
Without caring about his lingering weakness or the slight trickle of blood on his hand, Kael bolted out of the room. He sprinted down the long hospital corridors, taking the stairs three at a time, driven by a single desire: to say one final goodbye.
He burst through the main glass doors of the hospital. Rexon was waiting in a dark sedan, gesturing from the driver's seat.
Kael slid into the front passenger seat, pulling the door shut. He wiped his tear-stained face with his jacket sleeve, staring straight ahead with empty eyes as Rexon hit the gas.
Within minutes, the car pulled up outside the Shrivastava family residence. White flowers and weeping relatives filled the front entrance.
Kael stepped out of the vehicle and walked inside like a ghost.
When he saw Ashu's motionless form lying beneath white sheets in the living room, Kael's composure shattered completely. He dropped to his knees beside his friend, pulling the sheet back and clutching Ashu's cold shoulders.
"Ashu... please..." Kael wept bitterly, his voice breaking through the quiet room. "Please get up... don't do this..."
The surrounding family members stared in utter shock. They knew Kael was the wealthy, powerful owner of the Redgrave Group, yet here he was, weeping on the floor like a heartbroken brother for his employee.
Ashu's grieving parents stepped forward, tears streaming down their own faces as they gently wrapped their arms around Kael's shoulders to support him.
"Sir... please," Ashu's father whispered through his tears, gently patting Kael's back. "Please take care of yourself... Ashu knew how much you cared."