WebNovels

Chapter 17 - Scars beneath the skin

"The final moments of the 2011 ICC World Cup semifinal are underway! What do you think—will India triumph over Pakistan, or is the entire nation about to face a wave of bitter disappointment?"

The TV shuts off.

Same old nonsense—India or Pakistan. Honestly, I couldn't care less.

It was the peak of summer. The sun blazed so harshly it could wear anyone down, yet the kids from the neighborhood were still heading out to play cricket. I watched them from my bedroom window—three boys, knocking on doors, gathering more players.

One of them caught sight of me—but deliberately turned his eyes away. As if he hated me. I didn't think much of it and walked back into my room.

The room was unbearably hot. The ceiling fan barely worked, so I turned on the cooler and collapsed onto my bed.

"Ahhh... now that's what I needed." The cool air felt like life itself was pouring back into my body. "This breeze is heaven…"

To be honest, I never got along with my so-called friends. They always had something to mock about the way I played.

"You're holding the bat wrong."

"Don't even know how to catch a ball?"

"Why do you run like that? You look like a girl."

Ugh...

I genuinely hated those guys.

Today, Mom and Dad had gone to see the doctor—because Mom was pregnant. Dad had even taken a few days off work. I was happy too. Soon, I'd have a little brother or sister—someone I could play with all day at home.

Ding... Dong...

The doorbell rang. Must be Mom and Dad, I thought.

I was half-asleep and didn't really want to get up—but excitement overpowered my drowsiness. I jumped out of bed and rushed straight to the gate.

"Papa!"

"Mummy!"

I opened the gate and saw them both standing outside.

Mom's belly was visibly swollen, and Dad had one hand gently placed on it—probably to support her while walking. The moment I saw them, my eyes lit up. I hugged them both tightly.

Soon after, the three of us sat down on the living room sofa.

"Papa, Papa! You know what? That girl who lives across from us—she secretly brings a boy into her house!"

"I saw it yesterday from the window. She looked around like she was making sure no one was watching—and then let him inside!"

Both of them burst out laughing.

"Beta," Mom said with a smile, "spying on others like that isn't a good habit."

"Maybe he was just there to study," Dad added. "That's probably why she let him in."

"But Papa, he was wearing a helmet! He looked like some kind of astronaut!"

"Helmet?" Mom's expression changed. She glanced at Dad.

"Beta," Dad said, suddenly serious. "What else did you see? Tell us. Quickly."

"What's wrong, Mummy? What's wrong, Papa? Why do you both look so scared?"

Ding... Dong...

The doorbell rang again.

The sound made both of them freeze. It was like their blood had turned cold.

"Who could it be... at this hour?" I asked, looking at them.

Dad held Mom protectively, wrapping both arms around her like he was shielding her from something. Her face had gone pale with fear. Her eyes, wide with panic, remained fixed on the gate. Dad's face was no different—stern, tight-lipped, his eyes trained on the same spot.

I was confused. What's going on with them?

Ding... Dong...

The bell rang a third time.

And once again, they reacted exactly the same—frozen, tense, silent.

Without thinking much, I slowly walked toward the gate. I placed my hand on the latch and turned around.

"Papa, Mummy… I'm opening the door, okay?"

They didn't say a word.

I slowly opened the gate.

Creeeeeeak...

Standing before me was a man clad entirely in white, his face obscured by a strange helmet. 

"Wait... That's the same guy! The one I saw going into that girl's house!"

Suddenly—

He pulled out a syringe from his pocket and, without saying a word, jammed it into my shoulder.

SMACK!

He was lightning fast. I didn't even get a moment to react. One second he was standing there, the next—I felt the sting of the needle. Almost instantly, my eyelids grew heavy. My vision began to blur.

It felt just like those lazy summer afternoons when I stood in front of the cooler and my body begged for sleep.

'What's happening...?'

Darkness began to swallow everything. My vision faded. Everything around me slowly dissolved into shadows and silence.________________________________________

My eyes slowly fluttered open. My head felt heavy, and my vision was blurred. I rubbed my eyes and glanced around.

The house I had always known—my home—was now unrecognizable. The once-colorful walls had faded into a lifeless grey. Dust and crumbling cement blanketed the floor. The sofa and bed were torn apart, their fabric hanging like skin peeled from bone—as if they had been abandoned for decades.

"What… what is happening?" There was a chill in my spine. My breath grew shallow. My heart pounded in confusion and fear.

And then—

The same helmeted man stepped into view—but this time, he wasn't alone.

Others followed him. They looked like him—same white uniforms, same unreadable helmets.

He knelt down before me, placing a gloved hand gently on my head.

"Are you okay, child?" he asked softly.

'Who is he...? What is this place...? What happened to my home...?'

"M-Mom… Dad… where are they?" I stammered, my voice trembling.

He silently pointed behind me.

I turned—

And the sight I saw will haunt me forever.

My eyes widened. Tears streamed down my face. "What… what is this…?"

My legs trembled. My fingers turned ice cold. My breath caught in my throat.

Inside a massive glass containment tank stood two grotesque figures.

Two people...?

No... Not people. Not anymore.

One of them—

Papa… 

His face looked like a half-melted sculpture. As if someone tried molding a human from hot wax… and then left it to disfigure. His arms were unnaturally long and twisted, and his fingers slithered like snakes. Skin hung off his body like clumps of wet mud. Slimy. Decaying.

And the other... 

Mom.

My throat went dry. 

She looked like a swollen lump of rotten flesh. Her skin resembled decomposed meat, pulsing and torn. A grotesque limb jutted out from her swollen abdomen, and her mouth... was filled with an impossible number of sharp teeth—like the jaws of a crocodile.

I tried to scream. But no sound came out.

"Who are they?! They can't be my parents!" The pain in my chest was unbearable. My heart shattered into silence.

And yet, they were looking straight at me. Restless. Desperate. Their voices rumbled like feral beasts. "Beta… Betaaa…" they cried.

"Help us... they're going to kill us!" They begged. Pleaded.

My mind had gone completely blank. All I could feel was terror.

Just then, the helmeted man placed his hand gently on my shoulder. "Child," he said again.

His hands were covered in gloves—but even through that barrier, I could feel something... human. Something... warm.

"Do you know anything about them?" he asked.

I hesitated.

They… they look like my mom and dad… but if that's true… then where are my real parents?

For a moment, everything went silent—except for the cries from the tank behind me. They were still screaming. Still begging.

The others carefully lifted the glass tank and placed it onto the back of a massive transport truck.

"I think I understand what's going on," the helmeted man finally said.

'Understand...? Understand what?'

He reached out, took my hand, and led me away. But why…?

I didn't even know who I was. Now that I thought about it… They had never called me by name.

Not once.

The helmeted team brought me to a strange place—like something pulled from a sci-fi movie.

Steel walls surrounded me. Bright, sterile lights flickered overhead. Machines beeped softly as they moved on their own.

I had never seen anything like it. And somewhere deep inside me... I knew— my old life was gone forever.

The room I was in... it was made entirely of steel. In front of me stood a tall glass wall. On the other side were two people dressed in white suits. Standing beside them—hands calmly folded—was the same helmeted man, quietly observing me.

But why was I alone in this room? And what were they doing over there?

I sat silently on the cold floor. A packet of chips had been placed in front of me, but I had no desire to eat. Not even a little.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the speaker above.

"Hello, kid. Can you hear us?"

"Yes... I can hear you," I responded softly.

"Good. Glad to know the comms are working. We're going to ask you a few questions. Please answer honestly."

"Okay... if I know the answers, I'll tell you."

"First question—what's your name?"

"My name... uh…" I hesitated, my mind completely blank.

"I... I don't know."

"Alright. Then tell us—what were you doing at that place?"

"What place?" I asked.

"The location where we found you."

"That was... my home."

"...Okay. But you're oddly calm. You don't seem confused, not even shocked. After everything you witnessed—don't you have any questions? Anything at all?"

I stayed quiet for a few seconds.

He was right.

"…I don't know," I finally whispered.

"Do you know who those two people were?"

Silence. I didn't respond.

"Are you listening?"

Still nothing. I stared at the floor.

"If you don't speak, we'll be forced to use other methods!" the voice shouted angrily.

But I didn't flinch. I didn't speak.

I couldn't.

"Are you deaf or just ignoring us?!"

Before the voice could shout again, the helmeted man raised his hand to stop them.

"Don't yell," he said. "Let me try."

He stepped toward me.

"Wait! That could be dangerous!" one of the suited men warned.

But he ignored them and walked into the room.

As he approached, panic erupted inside me like a storm. He's going to hurt me. He'll beat the answers out of me, I thought. Without thinking, I scrambled under the nearby bed.

"Stay away from me!" I screamed.

He knelt down beside the bed, extended his arm slowly toward me.

"Don't be afraid. You're safe now," he said gently, his voice calm… soothing.

I glanced at his outstretched hand. Then up at his helmet. Even with the visor hiding his face, I could make out a faint smile behind it.

Slowly… I reached out and took his hand. He pulled me out carefully and, without hesitation, embraced me tightly.

I could hear the rhythm of his heartbeat through his chest.

"I know what happened to you," he whispered.

"I know you don't want to talk about it. Not yet."

His words hit something deep within me. My eyes brimmed with tears, spilling uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"Don't be scared. Be strong. I'm here. Nothing will happen to you while I'm around."

Every word sank straight into my heart. I wrapped my arms around him—tight—and broke down completely. The others in the room were watching. But I didn't care. I couldn't stop. It felt like years of fear, pain, and confusion had finally burst free.

For the first time… I didn't feel alone.

Thank you… brother in the helmet.

________________________________________

It's been ten years since that day. Now, I live within the Trinity Foundation. I hunt demons—Asuras. 

My name is Rudra. It was the name given to me by the very man who saved my life. Because of him, I was reborn—not just with a new identity, but with a purpose. I won't let this world fall into darkness. Even if I have to lay down my life to protect it.

I'm not alone in this fight. There are two others who stand beside me—Luna and Oliver.

But lately… the Asuras are growing stronger. Too strong. That's why we need someone new on the team.

Really?

Weren't the three of us enough?

Our manager… tsk. I don't know why he always doubts our strength. Today, I, Luna, and Oliver were called into his cabin.

Oliver's a battlefield juggernaut—built like a tank and sharp as a blade. Compared to him, Luna and I still feel like juniors.

And Luna...

She's the strongest among us. Don't let her being a girl fool you. One kick from her, and even ten trained men would be out cold. Even the toughest guys don't stand a chance against her in close combat.

And me...? Well, I am who I am. I never liked talking about myself much.

As we entered the manager's cabin, fate had a surprise waiting. The fourth member—the one we'd heard so much about—was already there. The manager introduced us with a firm tone.

"Ayaan, these three will be your core team. The name of your unit… is Field Reapers."

Ayaan...?

So he's the guy?

To be honest... one glance at him, and I wasn't impressed. He looked like he could barely protect himself.

His face was pale—eyes red like he'd just finished crying. But... maybe I was wrong.

The manager suddenly turned to all of us. "You all need to report to the discussion room—immediately. I'll explain everything there."

Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he walked away, leaving Ayaan alone with us.

"But sir—" Oliver tried to call out, but the manager was already gone.

"What's with this urgency?" Oliver muttered. "Why is he acting so tense all of a sudden?"

"Let's go find out," Luna said simply as she started walking out. Oliver followed close behind.

I was about to go too... but then I glanced back.

Ayaan was still sitting there, silent—his eyes lost somewhere in thought. That look on his face... pure exhaustion, as if he was carrying the weight of a thousand regrets.

Seeing him like that, I stepped back toward him and held out my hand.

"Come on, buddy," I said with a soft smile. "You don't want to be the only one left behind, do you?"

He looked up, then slowly reached out and took my hand. "…Thank you," he murmured.

I chuckled. "Save the thanks for later. I'm more curious to see what mess we're walking into."

He nodded, and together, we headed off to the next chapter of whatever madness was waiting for us.

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