Chapter 4: Grief and the Road Ahead
Riya, her body drenched in blood, her legs broken, her face pale, crawled slowly toward Aamir. Her trembling fingers reached for him, her voice barely a whisper, filled with pain.
"Save me, Aamir..."
Chaos reigned around him. The battlefield was painted crimson, corpses of humans and beasts strewn across the ground. The metallic scent of blood thickened the air. The sky itself seemed to weep, bathed in a deep red hue, as if mourning the destruction below.
Aamir stood frozen, his mind unable to process the sheer horror surrounding him. His mother, Rajasvi—the only family he had left since his father's passing—had been taken by the beasts. His heart pounded as he searched desperately for her. Then, amid the lurking creatures, he glimpsed a shadowy figure.
Before he could react, the ground beneath him trembled violently. Cracks spread across the land like veins, the very earth splitting open. A deafening roar echoed through the realm, signaling impending destruction.
And then—darkness.
—------
Aamir jolted awake with a scream.
His breath came in ragged gasps, his heart hammering against his chest. Sweat clung to his skin, his mind still trapped in the vivid nightmare. His hands trembled as he gripped the bedsheet beneath him.
"Aamir," a gentle voice called.
He turned sharply, his wild gaze meeting the warm, worried eyes of his mother. Rajasvi sat beside him, her face full of concern. Without a second thought, she pulled him into a tight embrace.