The cold breeze brushed against Kevin's face as he stared at Karishma, utterly confused. Her words echoed in his mind.
"Everything will end soon… and I must return to my world."
Kevin frowned. "What do you mean? What world? And what exactly will end?"
Karishma took a deep breath. "The world where you truly belong—God World! The time has come for you to awaken your powers and protect everyone."
Kevin clenched his fists. "Why should I protect anyone? What does any of this have to do with me?"
Karishma hesitated. She had expected resistance but wasn't sure how to convince him. Then, an idea struck her.
"Will you do it… for me?"
Kevin's breath hitched. "You? But you're already strong. Why would you need my protection?"
A bitter smile formed on Karishma's lips. **"If you don't become stronger, you'll never see me again. My real body is in God World. And if you truly love me… then you have no choice but to follow me there. We must protect our people, Kevin. We must fight against the greatest enemy—The Demon Clan."
Kevin's heart pounded. Demon Clan?
Everything was happening too fast. Until now, he had believed he was just another ordinary human. But now, Karishma was telling him otherwise.
"You mean… my life was never supposed to be here?"
Karishma nodded. "Yes. But more importantly, you need to understand something crucial. Once you enter God World, you must be careful. The power you hold—Divine Fire—must be used sparingly. If the Demon Clan senses your presence, they will stop at nothing to kill you."
Kevin processed her words. He knew he had some sort of strange power, but Divine Fire? He had no idea how dangerous it was. He clenched his jaw.
"Fine. I'll only use it when absolutely necessary."
But then, another thought struck him. His parents.
He frowned and scratched his head. "Wait… if I don't belong here, does that mean… my parents were also from God World?"
Karishma hesitated before sighing. "Kevin… they weren't your real parents. They adopted you when you were just a baby. We don't know where your real parents are… or if they are even alive."
Kevin's mind went blank. His vision blurred.
"No… that can't be true."
His heart clenched as his breath became ragged. For so long, he had lived with their memories, believing they were his flesh and blood. But now… he felt empty.
Karishma gently wiped the tears from his eyes. "I know this is too much to take in… but Kevin, we don't have much time. My soul can disappear at any moment. If you have any more questions, ask them now."
Kevin swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down. "How can I become stronger? What exactly is my power level right now?"
Karishma gave a small smile. "Power in God World is divided into ranks, just like how people in this world are divided into classes—low class, middle class, high class. In terms of strength, the lowest rank is 'Rathi,' and it has nine stages. The next rank is 'Maharathi,' which also has nine stages. And there are even higher ranks beyond that."
She paused before adding, "Right now, Kevin… you're only at the first stage of Rathi."
Kevin's face fell. "Seriously?! I'm that weak?"
Karishma chuckled, sensing his disappointment. "Don't be discouraged. I have faith in you. You'll climb these ranks faster than anyone else."
Kevin exhaled sharply before smirking. "Didn't I tell you? I'll do anything for you, Karishma."
She blushed slightly but before she could say anything, her soul flickered—it was fading.
Kevin's eyes widened. "Karishma!"
But she simply smiled and held out two rings.
Kevin's breath hitched. One of them… was the ring he had bought for her. The other belonged to Jack Carter.
He recognized it instantly. "This… but how?"
Karishma gently placed them in his hands. "You brought this ring for me, right? Then… you must come and put it on my finger yourself."
Kevin's fingers trembled as he accepted them.
Karishma smiled. "The other ring is a Storage Ring. You can store items in it, like a bag. Just pour your spiritual energy into it, and it will activate."
Kevin's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I saw Jack Carter use this before! So that's how it works."
Karishma's smile softened. "Take care of yourself, Kevin."
As she spoke, her soul began to fade.
Kevin's heart pounded as he reached out. "How do I get to God World?!"
Her voice echoed as her body dissolved into nothingness.
"Through the power of your soul…"
Kevin clenched his fists. He didn't fully understand what she meant, but one thing was clear—he had to get to God World.
As he shouted her name, the sky rumbled, and rain poured down, mixing with the tears streaming down his face. His vision blurred, darkness swallowed his mind, and he collapsed
Where am I?
He quickly sat up, scanning his surroundings. The familiar walls, the scent of home—it was his sister Isabella's house.
Kevin's brows furrowed. How did I get here?
The last thing he remembered was standing on the rooftop… then collapsing. His head throbbed as the events of the previous night rushed back—his battle with Jack Carter, the awakening of his Divine Fire, Karishma's farewell.
His chest tightened. Karishma… she's gone.
Just as he was lost in thought, the door creaked open.
A young woman entered, holding a glass of milk in one hand and a plate of bananas in the other. She had a beautiful yet stern expression on her face.
Kevin blinked in surprise. "Isabella…?"
His sister walked straight to the bed and placed the food beside him. Her face was filled with concern—but also anger.
"Eat."
Kevin, still groggy, silently picked up the glass and took a sip. But before he could take a bite of the banana, Isabella crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Where the hell were you last night?" she snapped. "Do you have any idea how worried Salena and I were? We searched for you the entire night! And your phone? It was switched off!"
Kevin gulped. "Uh… I can explain—"
But she didn't let him finish. "Explain? Oh, you mean how you let some girl break your heart and then disappeared without telling anyone? And now we have to suffer because of your heartbreak? Do you even know how miserable our night was?!"
Her voice cracked, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Kevin immediately reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, Isabella… I swear, I won't do this again. Brother-sister promise. Please, don't cry."
Isabella wiped her tears but didn't let him off easily. "I might forgive you, but what about Salena? She's waiting to beat you up!"
Kevin chuckled. "Well, if getting beaten up by my sisters is my fate, who am I to fight destiny?"
Isabella sighed, shaking her head. "Forget that. First, tell me—how did you end up on the road?"
Kevin frowned. "Wait… I was on the road?"
Isabella rolled her eyes. "Yes, dumbass! The newspaper delivery guy found you lying unconscious! Do you seriously not remember anything?"
Kevin clenched his fists. No, I remember everything.
Jack Carter's arrogance.
The burning flames of his Divine Fire.
Karishma's farewell.
And most importantly—his vow.
He swallowed hard, a fierce determination lighting up his eyes.
"Karishma, I will come to you. No matter what it takes, we will be together again. And those who stand in my way—whether demons or gods—I will destroy them."