Kabir tasted old iron and rusted coins in his mouth. It was the taste of fear, stuck to his tongue. The rain in 'Neo-Kashi', a city bathed in neon lights, felt colder than usual tonight. Lying on the ground, Kabir felt like gravity had multiplied by ten. He was sinking into the mud.
"Your Karma-account is below zero, trash." The Enforcer stood over him and pressed his heavy boots against Kabir's ribs. The 'Karma-band' on the Enforcer's wrist glowed bright blue. It showed his high society status and good deeds. Kabir's wristband, on the other hand, was pitch black like coal.
A rib cracked loudly. Right then, a completely absurd thought hit Kabir's mind. 'Did I close my room's window before leaving for work this morning? If the rain gets in, my only dry mat will get wet.' Death stood right over his head, and he worried about a cheap mat.
The Enforcer grabbed Kabir's hair and pulled his face out of the mud. "Negative people like you pollute the energy of this city. You will be cleansed tonight." The Enforcer had no anger in his eyes. He only had a strange, quiet calm that scared Kabir to his core.
Kabir coughed and spit blood. "I... I didn't harm anyone," he gasped. His voice sounded hollow. This sadness went deep, making him feel completely cut off from the world. He felt like an isolated orphan in this crowded city, holding no real existence.
The Enforcer laughed. "You did nothing. That is your biggest crime, Kabir. You contributed zero to the system." He pulled a shock-baton from his waist. Its blue sparks crackled against the raindrops. Kabir's body went completely numb as he waited for the strike.
The shock hit him. But the pain did not strike where the baton landed. A strange burning started right in the middle of Kabir's chest. Suddenly, the scared part of his brain turned into pure confusion. It was not a surprise; it was a mind-numbing perplexity.
The world slowed down before Kabir's eyes. The raindrops seemed to float in the air. The cruel smile on the Enforcer's face froze like an old photograph. Then, a crack appeared on Kabir's blackened wristband.
The crack widened slowly. Instead of blue, a deep, blood-red light poured out. The Enforcer pulled his hand back fast, as if he touched burning coal. "What is this? Your band... this is impossible!" The Enforcer's voice finally smelled of fear.
A strange mechanical voice echoed in Kabir's ears. It was not human, but it carried an ancient vibration.
*[System Scanning... Karma-Account: -99,999... Limit Crossed...]*
*[Subject Status: Near Death... Preparing to cross over...]* *[Unlocking the Aghor System...]* *[Warning: This system goes against the rules of society. Do you accept it?]*
Kabir had no time to think. His lungs were empty. He gathered every last bit of strength and screamed from inside his mind—'Yes!'.
With that 'Yes', boiling acid seemed to run through Kabir's veins. But it was not pain. It was a hungry, wild power. Kabir opened his eyes. His pupils were not human anymore. They turned completely black, with a red chakra spinning in the center.
The Enforcer panicked and tried to pull his gun. His hands shook badly. Kabir, who crawled like an insect in the mud moments ago, slowly stood up on his feet. Smoke rose from his body, turning the cold rain into steam.
*[Aghor System Active...]* *[First Task: Absorb the 'Positive Karma' of the enemy ahead]* *[Reward: Regeneration of Life Force]*
Kabir looked at the Enforcer. His eyes were no longer those of a victim, but a predator. He reached out and clenched his fist in the air. Threads of energy pulled out of the Enforcer's blue band and rushed toward Kabir's fingers.
The Enforcer screamed in pain. His life force and his 'virtue' flowed straight into Kabir's body. Kabir's wounds healed in seconds. He felt a power inside him that could break every rule in this city.
*[Positive Karma Absorbed...]* *[Level: 1...]* *[New Ability Unlocked: 'Touch of Death']*
The Enforcer fell to the ground. His band shattered, and his eyes turned to stone. Kabir looked out of that dark alley with his glowing red eyes. This city always stole his share. Now it was his turn. But then, three more shadows appeared at the end of the alley. They held glowing Karma-weapons in their hands. A dangerous smile floated on Kabir's lips. Would this new power be enough to face them all?