The morning sun filtered through the blinds as Dev, Rehaan, Kiaan, and Tara gathered in a small, inconspicuous tattoo removal clinic on the edge of the city. The mood was tense; the weight of last night's revelations still hung heavy in the air.
Dev was the first to break the silence, voice steady but laced with urgency. "That tattoo on Kiaan's wrist… it's not just ink. It's Reyaan's name. We need to get it removed — immediately."
Tara's eyes widened in disbelief. She had been in the dark until now, and the shock made her fingers tremble slightly. "Reyaan actually tattooed his name on him? Why would he do that? It's like a brand."
Kiaan said nothing at first, but his jaw tightened as he stared at his wrist, the stark letters etched in deep, dark ink refusing to fade under his skin.
At the tattoo removal shop, the atmosphere turned sour quickly. The shopkeeper, a grizzled man with a thick beard and skeptical eyes, examined the mark carefully, his brow furrowing. "I'm telling you, this isn't normal ink," he muttered, almost under his breath.
Dev leaned in, frustration creeping into his voice. "What do you mean? Can't you just remove it with lasers or something?"
The man shook his head slowly. "No. This ink… it's rare, expensive, not even meant for tattoos. It's some kind of advanced pigment, maybe military-grade or biochemical. They use it for... special purposes. Removing it is different. You'd have to peel the skin off completely in that area."
Tara's eyes darted between Kiaan and the man, her voice low but shaken. "You're saying it's impossible to remove? Even with the best technology?"
The man shrugged uneasily. "More like dangerous. Hell, I've heard stories—some people won't even touch tattoos like that. Too risky. Some say it's cursed, or maybe just marked by someone powerful. The name on it? That doesn't help."
Rehaan's jaw clenched. "So we're stuck with it. A permanent reminder."
Kiaan's gaze darkened, his hand unconsciously covering the tattoo. "It's not just a mark. It's a message... a warning."
The room fell silent, the reality sinking in like a stone. Tara finally broke the quiet, her voice soft but determined. "Then we'll deal with it. No matter what, we won't let it control him."
Dev nodded, but his eyes were hard, calculating. "We have to be smarter now—Reyaan's reach is deeper than we thought. That tattoo... it's only the beginning."
Kiaan looked up, voice steady but with an edge of steel. "Then let them come. I'm ready."