The Rakshasa moved toward me with a slow, agonizing deliberation. With every heavy footfall, the ground beneath me trembled.
The streets of Sector-19 were deathly silent now; everyone else had already fled into the shadows. It was just me… and the monster.
My breathing hitched. My legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot as if my body had already accepted its fate. This was my final moment.
The Rakshasa stopped directly in front of me. Its crimson eyes locked onto mine, burning with a predatory hunger. It raised a massive, clawed hand. One more second, and my head would be rolling across the pavement.
Suddenly, the black screen in the air flared with an intense, dark light.
SYSTEM INITIALIZING…
The Rakshasa's strike froze mid-air. It was as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. New words began to scroll across the interface:
Searching for Divine Blessing… Searching… Searching…
The screen flickered violently, static dancing across the digital void. Then, a name appeared—a name that perhaps no one else in this new world had ever received.
Blessed By: KALI
In that instant, the air turned ice-cold. It felt as though the darkness surrounding us had suddenly become sentient. The Rakshasa actually recoiled, taking a step back. For the first time, I saw it: fear.
More words flooded the screen:
Divine Blessing Available. Do you accept the blessing?
I was paralyzed by confusion and terror. But then, the memories of my life flashed before my eyes like a drowning man's last thoughts. The slums. The hunger. The beatings. The mocking laughter of the gangs. And the "heroes" who never bothered to look down at us.
A jagged thought pierced through my fear: If power is being offered… why would I refuse it?
Just as I was about to answer, a voice drifted from behind me. It was soft, yet it carried the weight of a thousand storms.
"Do you truly crave power… Ruhel Ray?"
I turned slowly, and what I saw made my heart stop.
Standing amidst the swirling shadows was a figure of pure myth. Long, midnight-black hair cascaded down. Multiple arms emerged from the gloom. Her eyes glowed like dying stars. Her presence was so heavy, it felt as though the very oxygen had fled the room.
Goddess Kali.
"I… I'm hallucinating," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.
Kali's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile. "This is reality." Her voice was deep, echoing as if the abyss itself were speaking. "Many beg for power. Many long to be heroes."
Her gaze didn't just look at me; it looked through me, dissecting my soul. "But you… do you want to be a hero?"
I went silent for a few seconds. Then, slowly, I shook my head. "The heroes never came for me."
Kali's smile widened. "Good."
The system window pulsed again, casting a violet glow over the ruins.
Divine Blessing: KALI Status: Awaiting Acceptance
Kali extended a hand toward me. "The power can be yours. But remember… this power was not forged to save the world."
The darkness intensified, swallowing the flickering streetlights. The Rakshasa was now kneeling on the ground, its body quivering, unable to withstand her sheer presence.
Kali spoke one last time. "This is the power of Destruction. Will you accept it, Ruhel Ray?"
In that heartbeat, I reviewed my entire existence. I looked at the system screen, my finger trembling as it moved through the air.
I uttered a single word.
"Accept."
At that moment… the darkness exploded.