THE VIRKSHIKA KINGDOM…..
A dimly lit corridor stretched through the high-security wing of Central Prison.
Thick stone walls swallowed all warmth.
Only the clink of boots echoed through the cold silence as two guards patrolled slowly, their voices hushed.
"The new prisoner caused a scene yesterday," one guard murmured.
"Which one?" the other replied, glancing over his shoulder. "We get too many lunatics in this place."
"That one — the Mad Scientist," the first said, leaning in. "The one they say has no face. Nobody's ever seen it."
The second guard let out a nervous chuckle, trying to mask unease.
"And still, our hero dragged him in like it was nothing. Can you believe that? A damn miracle. But he always pulls it off, doesn't he?"
"Hmm." The first guard's voice lifted slightly, as if clinging to pride. "Still hard to believe he's a Shonitbakshi. Experimented on himself. What a sick mind… twisted bastard."
"Yeah…" the second muttered. "Earned the name ' The Mad Scientist' for a reason. And that deadly poison of his—whatever it was— it's a damn miracle the hero survived after falling into that."
"Yes, that's true... No average person could survive even a minute in that," the first guard said, his voice lowering. "Even the hero will need at least twenty days to fully recover."
A beat passed. Their footsteps slowed.
"I pray the gods are still on his side," the second whispered.
Silence fell over the corridor.
Torches flickered — shadows dancing faintly across the stone — as heavy footsteps echoed from the far end.
Something was approaching.
Both guards turned.
He passed them without a word — the hero.
But something was off.
He stumbled, just slightly, a half-empty wine bottle swinging loosely in his hand.
His eyes were sunken. His usual grace… absent. And yet, that unmistakable aura still clung to him like a shadow.
He didn't speak. Just kept walking — down the corridor, toward the most dangerous hall in the entire prison. The place where only the truly damned were chained.
The first guard leaned toward his partner, frowning.
"That's not like him. He never drinks. Not like this.
Could it be… a side effect of the poison?"
"I don't know," the other muttered. "But what's he doing here? He should be resting. It's only been three days…"
A few steps later, the great hero stood before the cell.
Inside, the Mad Scientist sat cross-legged in the center. His arms were cuffed, yet his posture was calm — too calm. Head tilted slightly, that eerie grin carved across his face like he was expecting this moment.
The prisoner smirked.
"So… even gods bleed, huh?"
The hero said nothing — just stared, hollow-eyed.
The prisoner tilted his head.
"Oh, I see…"
His gaze lingered on the bottle.
"And what's with that? Doesn't quite match the legend… or maybe the news just skipped that part."
A soft chuckle followed. "They always leave out the interesting details, don't they?"
—————
Meanwhile, in the control room…
A guard squinted at a grainy camera feed and gestured to his partner. "Hey, look — Sir Alex is talking to that mad scientist."
"Where?!" the second guard asked, scrambling to the monitor. His eyes widened. "Unmute it. Turn up the volume—now!"
"Hold on… there. Got it," the first replied, flipping a switch. Static gave way to a faint hum — then voices.
—————
The prisoner's voice came through, clear and taunting.
"Still nothing?" he said, the smirk lingering.
"I know why you're here. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist talking to me."
He looked up at the ceiling, voice almost playful.
"Is it because I'm a genius?"
Without lowering his head, his eyes dropped to meet Alex's.
"Or is it… because of the shadow that wandered over me?"
Alex took his time, then answered flatly, "You already know the answer."
The prisoner's tone shifted. Softer now. "So… you want to know what really happened. Why one of the most evil, most terrifying man in history—killed himself."
Suddenly, the smile vanished. His voice snapped like a whip.
"But that's not gonna happen."
Alex remained still, expression unreadable. That reaction — or lack of it — was expected. He knew the prisoner wouldn't talk that easily.
The prisoner, unfazed by Alex's silence, spoke softly.
"You know… many of my comrades are here now. You've been efficient lately, haven't you? Since the suicide, you've been locking them down one by one."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting.
"But this is as far as you go. Because tonight… I'm going to free them all."
Strong words — but not strong enough to shake him.
Alex, the greatest hero of the age.
The man who had saved humanity from monsters like the Mad Scientist… and the one who took his own life.
The prisoner grinned. Calmness — he expected nothing less from Alex. But that grin twisted into a low chuckle, like he was savoring a realization that hadn't landed yet.
"I'm well aware these cells are infused with densified Ojas energy," he said. "Cracking them open from the inside? with raw power? Impossible. But they can be unlocked… with the physical keys. The ones hanging in the jailer's room."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "And a four-digit code," he replied dryly.
"I'm aware," the prisoner said, voice turning cold. "Smart locks built into every door, And I also know…"
He paused, eyes hardening.
"…the jailer would rather die than give up that code."
Alex continued, voice even flatter.
"And those cuffs on your wrists? Same material as the walls.
Lead, infused with densified Ojas. Makes them just as impossible to break."
"I also know," the prisoner added, voice low, "if anyone tries channeling their Prana or Tejas while cuffed — the cuffs hit back.
Neural shock. That's why no one even tries it
Alex stared at him, sunken-eyed.
"My advice? Worry about yourself first… then your companions."
The scientist smirked.
"You think you dragged me in. But let's not pretend anymore."
His eyes gleamed. "You didn't capture me. I let you bring me here."
Alex's brows furrowed.
"When you dropped into that poison," the prisoner said, rising slowly to his feet, "I saw an opportunity…"
A step forward.
"These cuffs? They were fake from the beginning."
With a soft metallic clink, the cuffs slipped from his wrists and hit the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the scientist launched a brutal kick — the heavy cell door shot off its hinges like a missile, slamming into the wall of the opposite cell with a deafening crash.
Alex stumbled back, barely dodging the flying gate. He stepped left, catching himself against the wall.
—————
Meanwhile, in the control room, a guard's eyes snapped to the monitors, heart racing. Without hesitation, he slammed the emergency button.
Instantly, every exit in the prison building locked down with a heavy clang. Red emergency lights bathed the corridors in an ominous glow. A blaring siren shattered the silence.
"Attention! All units—head to Basement 3. Cell security breach detected!" the guard's voice rang out over the intercom, sharp and urgent. "Sir Alex is already on site."
The sleeping knights jolted awake, armor clanking as they hurried to their stations. Weapons were drawn in a flurry of practiced efficiency.
The intercom crackled again. "I repeat: Cell security breach. All available units report to Basement 3 immediately. Move fast and stay alert."
Tension rippled through the control room as officers scrambled to coordinate the lockdown, ...every second tightening the noose around what waited below.
—————
Simultaneously, in basement 3—
He's already unlocked the cell, Alex realized, heart pounding. He might've opened the gate using magnetic power… but how did he get the code?
He entered it just now — I sensed the Ojas withdrawal. No wonder no one noticed anything strange before.
He looked up — toward the right side of the hall.
The scientist stood there.
Still. Silent.
Staring straight at him.
The scientist confidently raised his hands — the bed from his cell lifted into the air behind him.
With a flick of his fingers, he hurled it toward Alex.
In a split second, Alex activated his Khavyakhtah. A circular hologram shimmered to life in his palm, light pulsing like a heartbeat.
His sword slid out from it in one smooth motion.
With a single, precise swing — and the flying bed split cleanly in half.
Alex pointed his sword at the scientist.
"You should've run when you had the chance. I may be weakened… but I'm still far from being defeated by you."
The scientist calmly raised both halves of the bed into the air — and smiled.
"Oh, I'm well aware of that. Do you really think I'd face you unprepared?"
He extended his hand, iron pieces orbiting slowly.
"You see… I have magnetic power. But I never wasted time on basic push or pull."
His eyes gleamed. "I trained in oscillating magnetic fields — focused on heat buildup. And now?"
The iron around him shimmered faintly as it began to morph.
"Anything that responds to magnetism — I can bend it to my will."
The bolts from the broken bed floated free, twisting mid-air with mechanical precision, reshaping into keys.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" he said, grinning. "I am a scientist, after all."
With a flick of his wrist, every cell in the corridor clicked open.
Alex didn't wait. In a heartbeat, he unleashed a slicing energy wave.
The scientist reacted instantly, hurling every scrap of iron into a makeshift shield. The wave slammed into it, splitting the shield cleanly in two.
Still, the force hurled the scientist backward. Alex closed the distance in a blur and drove a kick, crackling with energy, straight into his chest.
The scientist was sent skidding down the corridor — crashing hard into the right-side wall.
He gasped, coughing up blood.
The kick had landed deep.
Alex narrowed his eyes and raised his sword again.
"Even if you can create keys, you still can't open the cells — each one has a unique code. And as you already know… you can't defeat me alone."
The scientist's eyes flickered with a cold gleam. Still seated, he pressed against the wall for support, adjusting his posture. Slowly, he raised a trembling hand toward the ceiling — where the security cameras rotated in silence.
All around him, fragments of iron — bed frame, loose pipe, floor bolts — began to shiver, resonating with a low hum.
A pulse of invisible energy rippled outward. The iron fragments vibrated faster, their frequencies syncing into a silent, deadly rhythm beyond human hearing.
The cameras stuttered. Their lenses shimmered like heat haze. The feed glitched… then went dark.
The scientist smirked.
"I'm a genius born once in centuries. Did you really think I wouldn't plan for that?"
Suddenly — clang! — all the cell doors burst open at once.
For a heartbeat, there was silence.
Then—thud.
Dozens of prisoners stepped out at the exact same moment.
First step forward. In perfect rhythm.
Alex's grip tightened on his sword.
He was surrounded.
Ambushed on all sides.
The scientist rose slowly.
"You see, Ojas doesn't understand numbers — it only responds to frequency. To densify Ojas in the walls and make them physically unbreakable, the frequency must be kept low… somewhere between 100 to 600 Hz."
Around him, shards of iron began to hover.
"That principle powers the smart locks, too. Nine specific frequencies, each mapped to a number from one to nine. It's just intellect — nothing extraordinary."
The hovering iron fragments twitched sharply, then spiraled into motion. Bolts and scraps folded together with mechanical precision, reshaping into keys — cold, smooth, and exact.
With swift movements, the scientist guided them toward the prisoners.
One by one, the cuffs clicked open with crisp metallic sounds, unlocking every restraint.
"But here's the fascinating part…" His eyes glinted. As he spoke, he raised his head, looking up at his open hand.
"Once the code is set, the four selected frequency points enter equilibrium. Their individual frequencies shift — becoming the average of those four."
Alex's brows furrowed as the realization hit him.
"Exactly." A slight, smug tilt of his head. "Just like that."
As his hand lowered, the hovering iron fragments instantly reshaped into fine, sharp shards.
"People with magnetic power — even in this inert Ojas — can scan all nine points and know which four resonate alike."
He extended his arm, the floating shards vibrated higher, humming like an engine about to ignite.
"After that, it's just permutations — 24 possible combinations. That's all it takes."
He smiled darkly.
"To unlock everything… all I needed was a few seconds outside that cell."
Around Alex, the prisoners stepped into formation.
The iron hovered — sharp, humming, ready to strike.
He said nothing — but his sword rose with him.
It gleamed, charged with energy.
The fight was about to begin.
The nearby knights on night duty reached the hallway, weapons drawn and eyes sharp.
"Everyone on the ground!" one of them barked, leveling his rifle.
But before anyone could react, a prisoner behind Alex dropped to one knee.
Placing both hands on the floor, he whispered, "Ice Wall."
A jagged wave of frost burst from the ground — thick, cold, and immediate.
The entry gate vanished behind a solid wall of ice, cleanly cutting the knights off from the prisoners inside.
Gunfire erupted instantly.
Bullets slammed into the frozen barrier, sending fractures spidering across its surface.
Chunks hissed, melted, and shattered — but the prisoner stayed locked in place, hands glowing faintly, breath slow.
His palms stayed pressed to the floor, his eyes shut in focus.
The wall regenerated with every break. Holding. Rebuilding.
Inside the sealed hall, the scientist turned to Alex.
"As You said I could've escaped anytime," he said, voice calm despite the chaos. "But I knew you'd show up — even before your body healed halfway.
And this… this is the only chance I'll ever get to eliminate you."
He stepped forward slowly, gaze sharp.
"Since the only man who could withstand you took his own life… I came to a conclusion.
As long as you live, we'll never be free.
As long as you live..... we cannot exist."
Alex said nothing.
No more doubts.
No more questions..
Only clarity.
"We'll see about that," he said coldly, sword rising.
Then — chaos.
The battle erupted.
The wall finally cracked beyond holding.
It shattered.
More knights stormed into the hall, weapons drawn.
They charged — and the prisoners met them head-on.
Steel met steel.
Spells burst. Magic tore through stone
Dozens fell. Dozens more kept coming.
The hallway became a war zone.
Blood soaked the ground.
And Alex fought like a force of nature — wounded but unwavering — carved through them like a storm.
The clash dragged on through the night.
Bodies piled. Magic scorched the walls. The air stank of iron and ash.
And then — deep underground — something cracked.
The energy reservoir.
Its containment failed.
A thunderous blast ripped through the lower levels.
A fireball roared through the structure, devouring stone, metal, and flesh alike.
Then came the second wave — a chain reaction of smaller explosions tearing deeper into the prison's core.
Flames. Smoke. Collapse.
Reinforcements had only just arrived when the blast struck.
Inside the flaming structure — collapsing piece by piece — the surviving knights fought their way out, stumbling through smoke and falling stone.
Their armor was scorched.
Their faces, smeared with ash and blood.
They were rushed to the treatment ward — some barely breathing, others barely standing.
Outside, the reinforcements seized fire extinguishers, emergency canisters, and elemental seals — working relentlessly to contain the blaze and stabilize the scene.
By sunrise, only smoke remained.
And rubble.
And stillness.
Once the fire was under control, reinforcements began the rescue mission — searching through ash and rubble with whatever tools they could find.
They dug for survivors.
Hoping.
Praying.
But all they uncovered were ruins, scattered bodies…
And a torso — the one that ended all doubt.
The man who had stood between the world and its destruction for so many years…
Was gone.
Officials. Friends. Commanders.
None could believe it.
A massive blast? Enough to kill him?
But then again… he had already been weakened — reduced to perhaps a quarter of his full strength.
The official report arrived hours later — delivered by trembling hands, read aloud in a silent room.
And the truth was even darker than expected.
The Hero hadn't died in the explosion.
He had already fallen — long before the detonation.
Killed during the battle in Basement 3.
The explosion had merely buried what remained.
The fight had continued afterward — between the remaining prisoners and the knight reinforcements.
Six prisoners from basement 3 were confirmed dead, their bodies pulled from the ruins.
But the rest… vanished.
Including the Mad Scientist.
He had escaped.
And with him, the nightmare was far from over.
The news swept through the continents like a black tide.
And the world stopped.
It reached the three empires.
The last free kingdoms.
The border towns and old battlegrounds.
It reached everyone.
Though several days had passed since the incident, the world was still rejoicing — still celebrating the fall of the most evil man in history.
But that joy twisted into sorrow the moment the news broke.
The Hero is dead.
The Shield of Humanity has fallen.
Confirmed by DNA.
Killed in the destruction of Central Prison.
His body unrecognizable — only a torso left behind.
Head missing.
Across cities and villages, people who had prayed for his recovery... were crushed by the weight of sudden loss.
Hope turned to silence.
The world went still.
Markets closed. Temples rang with mourning bells.
Flags lowered.
Leaders bowed their heads.
Even the wind seemed to quiet.
A state funeral was declared.
A golden memorial ordered at the prison ruins — to honor his sacrifice…
And warn the world of what rose in his absence.
That night left a scar on history.
A wound across memory.
That night would be remembered forever as —
The Cursed Night.