And something beneath the Kalapashana Samadhi Tomb Temple had begun…
to stir.
A scream tore through the darkness.
A boyjolted upright in bed, his chest heaving, sweat soaking through his shirt.
His breath came in broken gasps.
His heart thundered like a war drum.
His eyes were wide — still trapped inside the nightmare.
The world was burning.
The temple lay in ruins, split open like a shattered skull.
From the abyss beneath it, endless shadows poured out.
Demons climbed over collapsed buildings.
Vetalas stalked empty streets.
Pishachas fed on the fallen.
The sky was red.
The sea boiled.
Humanity was screaming.
And above it all — the broken gate of Hell, fully open.
Then he saw it.
The final seal… shattered.
And something ancient, colossal, and furious…
stepping through.
"AHH—!"
Shiva woke with a violent jerk.
Silence.
Darkness.
A ceiling fan rotating lazily above him.
Morning light leaked through the half-open window.
His bedroom.
His home.
His reality.
It was just… a dream.
Yet the fear clung to him, heavy and cold.
"Shiva! Wake up! You'll be late for college!" his mother's voice rang from the kitchen.
He exhaled shakily, running a hand through his messy hair.
"Coming, maa…"
His voice still trembled.
Shiva was just an ordinary teenager.
No divine weapons.
No hidden powers.
No heroic destiny.
Just a boy trying to survive college life.
He dragged himself out of bed, splashed water on his face, and stared into the mirror.
Tired eyes.
Unruly hair.
A slim frame.
Nothing special.
And yet…
That dream felt too real.
After shiva was in college
The college campus buzzed with noise and life.
Students crowded the corridors.
Laughter echoed across the buildings.
Bikes roared past the gates.
Shiva walked quietly among them — invisible, as usual.
In class, he sat near the back, scribbling notes.
Not lazy.
Not brilliant.
Just… average.
And that was his curse.
"Shiva," the professor said, adjusting his glasses.
"You have potential to be a topper. I expect full marks from you. Don't waste it."
Whispers rippled through the classroom.
Pressure settled on Shiva's shoulders.
He forced a small nod.
"Yes, sir…"
Inside, doubt twisted his gut.
The bell rang.
And the real nightmare began.
"Ey hero!"
A rough hand slammed into his shoulder.
Shiva stumbled forward.
Chandramani.
Behind him stood Santhosh and Santosh Shivam — the twin bullies. Same grin. Same cruelty. Same empty eyes.
"Where do you think running away from me?" Chandramani sneered. "Dreaming of becoming a topper huh?"
Laughter erupted around them.
Shiva clenched his fists.
He stayed silent.
He always did.
They shoved him.
Mocked him.
Pulled his bag.
Scattered his books.
And then…
He saw her.
Riya angel, Short, small face, but long hair, in simple chudidhar
Standing at the end of the corridor.
His heart skipped.
His crush.
Her eyes met his for just a second — filled with worry, fear, and something softer.
Concern.
But she looked away instantly.
Just like he always did.
Both trapped inside their own silence.
Both terrified of rejection.
Shiva lowered his gaze, shame burning his cheeks.
He picked up his fallen books.
And walked away.
After college, the streets bustled with evening noise.
Shiva stopped near a small tea shop.
His stomach growled.
He checked his pocket.
Only a little money.
Enough for snacks.
Then he noticed the old beggar woman begging for money sitting near the roadside — thin, trembling, eyes hollow with hunger.
"Money, please..."
Without thinking, Shiva walked over.
He placed the money in her palm.
She blinked in surprise.
"God bless you, kanna…"
Shiva smiled gently.
And walked away.
Hunger was temporary.
Regret lasted longer.
His Only Escape
Home.
His room.
His world.
He opened his Dell G15 laptop, the soft hum of the fans comforting him.
3D software loaded.
Timelines appeared.
Models rotated.
This was where he breathed.
Project file:
BIOHUNT – CHAPTER 1 : PROLOGUE
Frame by frame, he animated aliens, spaceships and humans.
Flickering shadows.
Gunfire.
Explosions.
Chaos.
A world where humans fought back.
Where monsters could be killed.
Where fear could be conquered.
When he rendered his first proper shot, his lips curved into a rare smile.
For a moment…
He felt powerful.
Later that night…
He launched DOOM (2016).
As heavy metal roared and demons flooded the screen, Shiva's eyes burned with focus.
He loved it.
Not the violence.
But the control.
The idea that monsters could be faced.
That terror could be challenged.
That Hell could be pushed back.
Yet he didn't know…
That Hell was already watching him.
That the seal beneath Kalapashana was weakening.
And that the boy who dreamed of apocalypse…
Was about to become its final answer.
The next day...
The college corridors buzzed louder than usual.
Whispers turned into chatter.
Chatter into excitement.
Something big was coming.
During the first period, the department head stepped inside the classroom, his presence instantly silencing the noise.
"Students," he announced, adjusting his glasses,
"As part of the Pongal celebrations, our college has organized a celebration tour."
A brief pause.
"To Sathankulam."
For a heartbeat…
Silence.
Then—
Chaos.
Cheers erupted.
Benches scraped loudly.
Students jumped to their feet.
Laughter and shouting filled the room.
Some dreamed of beaches.
Some of freedom.
Some of escape.
And some…
Had very different reasons.
"YAHOOOO!!!"
Chandramani shouts loudly, elbowing Santhosh and Santosh Shivam.
The twins burst into laughter.
"Village girls, traditional look, bro… pure temptation ever," Santhosh grinned.
Shiva felt his stomach twist.
He turned his face away in disgust.
Yet, despite all the excitement around him…
Shiva felt only unease.
Sathankulam.
The name echoed strangely inside him.
That dream.
That temple.
That broken seal.
A chill crawled along his spine.
He clenched his jaw.
Just imagination.
Still…
"I'm not coming," he muttered.
"WHAT?!"
Benedict, shiva loyal friend, thin, height, white Skin and messy black hair, nearly jumped out of his seat.
"You're joking, right?" he stared at Shiva.
"Bro, this is literally a free trip!"
Shiva shook his head.
"I don't feel like going."
Before Ben could argue, another calm voice joined.
"Come on, Shiva."
Aljasheem, muslim friend, also thin, very height, casual dress but hair messy.
Soft-spoken. Thoughtful. Kind.
"You're always inside your room. Inside your head. You need this."
Shiva hesitated.
They were the only two friends he had.
The only ones who stayed.
"You can't always hide," Aljasheem added gently.
Ben leaned in with a grin.
"And macha, I'm not letting you escape this time 😤"
Shiva sighed.
"…I'll think about it."
Later that day…
During the lunch break…
Shiva was walking past the corridor when he overheard a familiar voice.
"I'm definitely coming, guys!!! ."
His heart skipped.
He turned.
Riya Angel.
Sunlight spilled through the window behind her, outlining her silhouette.
Her laughter felt warm.
Alive.
Something inside Shiva tightened.
"She's coming too," her friend teased.
Riya rolled her eyes. "Of course. I love village places."
Shiva stood frozen.
His pulse thundered in his ears.
She was going To Sathankulam.
Later That night in his room…
He couldn't sleep.
Her face replayed in his mind.
Her smile.
Her voice.
And beneath it all…
A silent truth he had buried for years.
He loved her.
He stared at the ceiling.
If not now…
Then when?
He had always been afraid.
Of rejection.
Of embarrassment.
Of losing even the illusion of closeness.
But if he didn't try now…
He might never forgive himself.
"I'll go," he whispered into the darkness.
Not for adventure.
Not for fun.
But for her.
Two days remained before the tour.
Instead of preparing for the college bus…
Shiva walked toward the RTO office.
He applied for a two-wheeler driving license.
Processing time:
Two days.
Tour date:
Two days.
Perfect.
That evening…
Ben and Aljasheem dragged him to meet Lakshman.
Quiet. Introverted. Sharp-eyed. Mature beyond his years.
"Tour? No," Lakshman replied instantly.
"No interest."
They tried again.
"No."
Again.
"No."
Again.
A long sigh.
"…You guys won't stop, will you?"
They shook their heads.
After a moment of silence, Lakshman finally said:
"Fine."
He glanced at Shiva.
"But I walk my own path."
Shiva nodded.
"That's okay."
After college, to home
That night, Shiva sat across from his mother at dinner.
"Maa… college tour. I'm going to Sathankulam."
She looked up.
"Bus?"
"No… bike."
Her eyes narrowed instantly.
"I'll go alone."
She sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Why you always want to be alone, shiva? Learn to talk. Learn to live. The world won't slow down for you."
Her voice softened.
"Your communication is weak… but your heart is kind. Don't waste that, or else you'll be hard in your future."
Shiva stayed silent.
"I'll be careful, maa."
She says.
"Ok Shiva, But Befo-...Wait..the place that you're going to is...Sathankulam…?"
Something in her tone changed.
Shiva says
"Yes."
A strange stillness filled the room.
"There's a place there, this was an cursed tomb ever in the world," she said quietly. "Kalapashana Samadhi Tomb."
"Never go near it."
"Not for curiosity. Not for courage. Not for fun."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"You don't know what sleeps there."
A chill crept through his bones.
"…Okay, maa."
She touched his forehead.
"Come back safe, ok? ."
That night…
As Shiva lay staring into the dark…
Two things echoed inside him.
Sathankulam.
Kalapashana Samadhi Tomb.
And beneath the soil…
Something ancient turned in its sleep.
That night, after his mother's warning…
Shiva lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
The fan rotated lazily above him.
But his thoughts refused to slow.
Sathankulam.
Kalapashana Samadhi Tomb.
And something else…
Something far more personal.
There was another reason why that village haunted his family.
A reason no one spoke about openly.
A reason his mother carried like a silent wound.
And Shiva…
Had learned to live with.
His father.
Long before Shiva was born…
Before this house.
Before this life.
Shiva family was once lived in sathankulam...
There was his big sister — Vinnarasi.
Strong. Brave. Kind.
The one who had once carried the entire family's hope.
On a quiet evening, years ago…
Vinnarasi had been walking home alone after playing with her friends, the sky dimming, the roads nearly empty.
Suddeny she sees that
That was a group of local gangsters crossed her path.
Drunk.
Violent.
Hungry for power.
They dragged a random girl into the open.
Eventually they're raped her,
No mercy.
No fear.
They burned her alive.
Her screams echoed through the streets.
A nightmare unfolding in front of human eyes.
Frozen in terror, Vinnarasi hid behind a wall.
Her heart pounded.
Her breath caught.
She accidentally steped on the water can that it made a sound
And then…
They saw her.
She ran.
But they were faster.
Hands grabbed her hair.
Pulled her down.
Laughter.
Filthy hands.
Cruel words.
Desperation ignited inside her.
She grabbed a fistful of sand from the roadside and flung it into one man's eyes.
His scream split the night.
She bit.
She kicked.
She clawed.
And somehow…
She escaped.
Barefoot.
Bleeding.
Sobbing.
She ran through the streets, her lungs burning, her heart collapsing inside her chest.
That was when she saw him.
Her father.
Walking home.
Drunk.
Staggering.
Lost in his own exhaustion.
She collapsed at his feet.
Her entire body shaking.
Her voice shattered.
"Appa… someone is trying to kill me…"
Something broke inside him.
The alcohol burned out of his blood instantly.
Rage.
Pure.
Animal.
Uncontrollable.
Without thinking, he grabbed a machete from a nearby coconut shop.
And walked back.
What happened next…
No one spoke about in detail.
But the result was clear.
Two gangsters died that night.
The police arrived.
Sirens.
Crowds.
Chaos.
Blood on the road.
And Shiva's father…
Was taken away in chains.
Vinnarasi survived.
But the family…
Never truly recovered.
Years passed.
Shiva was born.
Vinnarasi grew older.
Got married.
Moved away.
And their father…
Remained behind prison walls.
The Weight of Silence
"Maa…"
Shiva finally broke the silence.
His mother looked up.
And Shiva says "You still talk to Vinnarasi akka sometimes, right?"
Her eyes softened.
"Yes."
A pause.
"Do you?"
Shiva nodded slowly.
"Sometimes."
Messages.
Short calls.
Rare smiles.
Shared memories.
Unspoken pain.
His mother stared at the wall for a long moment.
"Your sister lost her childhood."
"She lost her father."
"She lost her peace."
Her voice trembled.
"And you…"
She looked at Shiva.
"You grew up without knowing what a father's hand feels like."
Shiva swallowed.
"I'm okay, maa."
But they both knew…
He wasn't.
Why Sathankulam Hurts
Sathankulam was not just a place.
It was a scar.
It was the land where his family broke.
The soil that swallowed his father.
The village that trapped a man between justice and crime.
And now…
He was going back.
Not as a child.
Not as a victim.
But as a boy standing on the edge of something unknown.
As Shiva lay down that night…
Sleep came slowly.
And when it did…
It carried echoes of screams.
Fire.
Blood.
And chains.
Some wounds never healed.
They simply waited…
For the right moment to reopen.