The night was heavy.
Not with clouds.
Not with rain.
But with unspoken pain.
Arin lay awake on the thin mattress, staring at the cracked ceiling of their one-room house. The old ceiling fan made a slow, tired sound, as if even it had grown exhausted from life. Beside him, his mother, Maya Roy, slept restlessly, her breathing uneven, her forehead shining with sweat.
Every breath she took felt like a knife in Arin's chest.
The doctor's words echoed in his mind:
"She needs surgery within a month. Any delay could be fatal."
Fatal.
The word felt unreal. Too heavy. Too cruel.
Arin turned his face toward the wall, biting his lips. He refused to cry. He had cried enough in childhood — when his father died, when debt collectors knocked on their door, when electricity was cut, when food ran short.
Now, tears felt like a luxury he could no longer afford.
The Morning That Changed Everything
The next morning arrived with harsh sunlight and cruel normalcy.
Life did not stop for pain.
Arin rushed to college, carrying his worn-out bag and heavier thoughts. In the classroom, the professor spoke about ethics in journalism — truth, honesty, responsibility.
Arin smiled bitterly.
Truth.
What was the price of truth?
During the lunch break, his best friend, Ritwik, noticed his pale face.
"Bro, you look like a ghost. What's wrong?"
Arin hesitated. Then, in a low voice, he told him everything.
Ritwik stayed silent.
Finally, he said, "There is a company… Black River Solutions. They pay very well. Too well. But the work is... not clean."
Arin looked up sharply.
"What kind of work?"
"Data mining, surveillance, information trade… sometimes illegal stuff."
Arin swallowed.
"Can you get me in?"
Ritwik stared at him, shocked.
"Are you insane?"
"My mother is dying."
That ended the conversation.
The First Step into Darkness
Three days later, Arin stood outside a tall glass building, its windows reflecting the grey sky. The name BLACK RIVER SOLUTIONS shone in cold steel letters.
Inside, everything smelled of power — expensive perfume, polished marble, silent tension.
He was interviewed by a man with empty eyes and a perfect smile.
"Morals?" the man asked casually.
Arin paused.
"I don't have the luxury of morals," he replied.
The man smiled wider.
"You'll fit in well."
Training the Mind, Killing the Soul
The training was brutal.
Hacking systems.
Tracking digital footprints.
Breaking encrypted files.
Psychological manipulation.
Learning how to turn truth into weapons.
Arin discovered he was terrifyingly good.
Each success brought more money.
Each success took away a piece of his humanity.
At night, he washed his hands again and again, as if trying to erase invisible blood.
A Mother's Smile
Two weeks later, Maya's surgery was scheduled.
As she lay on the hospital bed, she held Arin's hand tightly.
"Where did you get so much money?" she asked softly.
Arin forced a smile.
"Tuition scholarship. Part-time job."
She looked at him for a long time, then nodded.
"I trust you."
Those three words shattered him.
The Silence After the Storm
The surgery was successful.
Maya survived.
That night, Arin sat alone by the river, staring at the dark water. The city lights trembled in broken reflections.
He had saved her.
But something inside him was dead.
For the first time, he understood —
some victories cost more than defeat.
He whispered into the night:
"I promise, Ma… this is the last time I walk this path."
But fate listened.
And it laughed.
'End of Chapter 2'