Raj's sharp gaze softened. He inhaled, and the oppressive atmosphere seemed to shatter like fragile glass. The sudden relief in the air made even the security forces hidden within the compound gasp quietly, though they dared not step closer.
Om could no longer hold himself back. He broke into a run, his heart pounding. Each step crunched against the snow until he crashed into Raj's chest, grabbing him tightly.
"Brother…" Om's voice cracked, heavy with emotion. His arms tightened, trembling. Tears streamed down his face, staining Raj's shoulder.
Raj's body stiffened for an instant at the unexpected embrace. Then slowly, ever so slightly, his hand came up, resting against Om's back. His lips curved faintly—not quite a smile, but the shadow of one.
Behind them, Sara and Narad watched in stunned silence. Sara pressed her lips together, her chest tightening at the sight. Narad's usually unreadable face shifted faintly, eyes narrowing with thought.
First time… Narad realized. That boy—Om—has never once called him 'Brother' before.
The snow fell heavier, as if the heavens themselves wished to veil the moment in silence.
Raj glanced past Om, his gaze falling on Dawon. The lion had lowered his head but remained wary, eyes glimmering with primal caution.
"Is this beast yours?" Raj's deep voice broke the quiet. "I can feel the same aura coming from it as I do from you."
Om loosened his grip, slowly stepping back. He wiped his tears away with his forearm, forcing his breathing steady before answering.
"Yes… Dawon is my partner."
Raj tilted his head, considering. His tone turned casual, yet carried a weight of recognition.
"So its name is Dawon. Strong. Very strong."
The giant lion straightened slightly at Raj's words, as if it too understood the acknowledgment hidden in his voice.
Before Om could respond, Narad's voice cut sharply through the stillness.
"Why an entry like that, Raj?" His tone was controlled but edged with steel.
Raj turned to face him, his hood shadowing his eyes, yet his presence still loomed like a mountain.
"It was a warning," he said flatly. "For the one who betrayed us."
The words froze the courtyard. Sara's brows furrowed, Narad's jaw tensed.
"You… found the identity of that person?" Narad pressed, suspicion laced in every word.
Raj's reply came without hesitation.
"Yes, I know. But I won't kill him. Not yet. He will serve as witness to the strength our nation now wields… and as a warning to the League."
Om blinked, caught between the heavy words. He looked from Raj to Narad, confusion etched across his face.
"What is this about?"
Raj's gaze softened just slightly as it returned to Om.
"Don't worry about it. You've changed, Om." His lips curled into a faint smirk. "Wanna spar with me?"
For the first time in weeks, a different fire lit in Om's eyes. His lips parted, curving into a smile—not warm, not soft, but devilish.
Raj felt a shiver crawl down his spine at the sight.
Finally… he's back to his old self.
Om nodded once. "I'll accept."
But Narad immediately stepped forward, interrupting.
"Bhanu isn't here. Without him, we can't access the arena facilities." His voice was calm, but also concerned.
Raj chuckled darkly, his hand lifting. "Don't worry. Just follow me."
The ground trembled. A crack split the frozen snow before them. The earth moaned, and from it rose a massive gate forged of pale, twisted bones. Its surface crawled with faint crimson runes that pulsed like veins. Air warped around it, distorting reality, while the ground shook as if rejecting its very existence.
The security personnel of the facility, sensing the anomaly, rushed forward in urgency. Weapons drawn, their boots thundered against the steel floors as they emerged outside.
One officer called out, voice shaking but resolute.
"Sorry, Boss—we are late!"
Narad's eyes snapped toward them, rage flashing.
"Late!? You all—" He cut himself off, his voice dropping into a low growl. "I will deal with you after the trials. For now, return to your posts!"
The soldiers stiffened, saluted sharply, and retreated in haste.
The courtyard fell into silence once more. Snow spiraled down in thicker sheets, the bone gate towering like a wound torn in reality. Its cold breath spilled outward, chilling deeper than winter's bite.
Raj turned back, meeting Om's gaze.
"Shall we?"
Om said nothing. His devilish smile remained.
Sara swallowed, her instincts screaming at the sheer power radiating from the gate. Narad, though hardened by countless years of knowledge and authority, felt the stirrings of unease coil in his chest.
Together, Raj, Om, Dawon, Sara, and Narad stepped toward the bone gate.
.
.
.
.
The world beyond the bone gate was unlike anything Om had ever seen.
The moment they crossed the threshold, Dawon froze, his massive paws trembling against the scorched ground. His golden mane bristled as if each strand carried the weight of terror. The lion's breath came in short, shallow growls, a deep, primal sound that echoed across the infernal landscape. His instincts, sharper than any human sense, screamed of danger so absolute it felt like certain death.
Om placed a hand on Dawon's trembling shoulder. His own eyes burned from the crimson glow, but his voice remained calm.
"Don't be afraid. We are strong now."
The lion turned its gaze toward him—gold meeting dark determination. The beast's shivering slowed, though the fear in its eyes did not vanish. Still, with Om's words, it stepped forward.
Behind them, Narad and Sara emerged, their faces instantly paling at the sight before them. Crimson fire spilled endlessly from rivers of molten lava, the flames licking obsidian cliffs that rose like fangs piercing the sky. Each eruption sent geysers of burning rock into the air, raining sparks that scorched the ground. The air itself tasted of iron and ash, burning the lungs with every breath.
"This… is madness," Sara whispered, her eyes wide. "It's like walking into hell."
Narad said nothing, but his hand clenched tight. Even he—who had seen secrets buried across ages—felt a fear coil deep within his chest. His rational mind screamed that this place was not meant for mortals.
And yet Raj stood still, unmoved. His hood hung low, concealing his eyes, but the weight of his aura pressed outward like a rising tide. His fists clenched once, the sound of knuckles cracking cutting through the roar of lava.
Then he snapped.
A single motion—barely more than a gesture—and the infernal world bent.
The lava rivers around him hissed violently before retreating, carving furrows in the ground as if fleeing his presence. Crimson flames guttered and vanished in an instant, leaving only trails of smoke curling toward the sky. The jagged obsidian cliffs crumbled into ash, collapsing into nothingness.
And in their place, within a hundred-meter radius, stretched an unnatural emptiness. A flat, barren plain of blackened stone, smooth as if carved by divine hands. No fire touched it, no lava dared to spill across its surface. It was an arena carved from hell itself, born from Raj's will alone.
The others stared in silence. Sara's lips parted, unable to form words. Narad's eyes narrowed, the flicker of unease in them replaced by sharp calculation.
Om, however, only watched quietly. The corners of his lips tugged upward, that faint devilish smile returning.
So this is the battlefield he prepared for me.
Dawon growled low, his fear not gone, but now tempered by something else—anticipation.
In the distance, the crimson inferno raged on, untouched. But here, in the cleared circle of silence, two forces stood ready to clash.