The moment Rudhran and the warriors witnessed the countless corpses lying at the border, they froze in shock. Every single body had been brutally slaughtered. A heavy silence spread among them as fear and confusion gripped their hearts.
Suddenly, Rudhran spoke with urgency.
"We must leave for the Gandharva Kingdom immediately!"
None of them understood what was truly happening, yet they followed him without hesitation. As they journeyed toward the kingdom, countless thoughts raced through their minds. An unsettling fear slowly consumed them.
Just as Rudhran had feared, the Gandharva Kingdom had already fallen under the control of the Shadow Warriors.
The entire kingdom was under their rule.
When Rudhran arrived there, his eyes immediately fell upon a terrifying warrior standing among the Shadow Warriors. Unlike the others, this man possessed an overwhelming aura and monstrous strength. There was something strange and terrifying about him.
At first, Rudhran could not understand who he was.
But then, a memory flashed through his mind.
Parthibhan and Paarivendhan had once spoken about the commander of the Shadow Warriors.
Only then did Rudhran realize the truth.
The man standing before him was none other than the Commander of the Shadow Warriors.
Enraged, Rudhran instantly drew his sword and charged toward him.
However, before he could even strike, the commander grabbed innocent civilians and placed blades against their throats. Rudhran stopped immediately.
Within moments, the Shadow Warriors surrounded him and captured him.
The commander looked at Rudhran with a cruel smile and ordered his men,
"Tie both of his hands."
Then he stepped forward and spoke loudly before the people.
"So… you dared to raise your hand against the Shadow Warriors?"
The civilians trembled in fear.
"Watch carefully," the commander continued. "This is the punishment awaiting anyone who dares to oppose us. After today, merely hearing the name 'Shadow Warriors' will make all of you shiver in terror."
As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed a brutal whip embedded with iron spikes and mercilessly lashed Rudhran again and again.
The strikes tore through his flesh.
Blood flowed from his body like a river.
Slowly, Rudhran's eyes began to close. His vision blurred, and moments later, he collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
Afterward, he was thrown into prison.
When Rudhran finally regained consciousness, he could not even understand where he was. His entire body was covered in severe wounds, and the pain was unbearable. He could barely move.
Every breath itself felt like torture.
Suddenly, chaos erupted outside the prison cells.
Four mysterious warriors stormed inside and began slaughtering the guards without mercy. Before Rudhran could understand what was happening, they broke him out of prison and carried him away.
Some time later, Rudhran slowly opened his eyes.
He found himself deep within a forest.
Standing before him were Bermi, Paarivendhan, and Parthibhan.
Bermi immediately moved closer and spoke gently.
"My son… do not be afraid. You are safe now. Nothing will happen to you. Do not worry about anything."
But Rudhran, even in his weakened state, kept murmuring only one name.
"Ponni… Ponni…"
The three men fell silent, unsure of what to say.
After several days, Rudhran's condition slowly improved. Only then did they reveal the truth about Ponni and the others.
The moment they learned that the Shadow Warriors had entered the kingdom, Munivars, Alli, several warriors, and many others had escaped through the northern region of the empire.
"We have already sent men to search for them," Paarivendhan explained. "Soon, we will find them all. So do not lose hope."
Then Bermi spoke in a serious tone.
"Rudhran… anger will bring you no benefit right now. We must move carefully. These enemies are not easy to defeat."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"There is something else you must know."
Rudhran looked at him silently.
"The people for whom you surrendered…"
His voice grew heavier.
"…after your capture, that monster beheaded every single one of them."
Rudhran's fists trembled violently.
"That demon cannot be underestimated," Parthibhan added. "If we attack recklessly, we will lose everything. First, we must find and protect our families. Only after that can we begin our counterattack."
"If he finds them before us…" Paarivendhan said quietly, "…the consequences will be unimaginable."
Hearing their words, Rudhran remained silent.
But deep within him, an uncontrollable storm was raging.
A few days later, Paarivendhan and Parthibhan traveled with a group of warriors to witness the condition of Zimbar.
What they saw there horrified them beyond imagination.
Every civilian had been gathered together, their hands and legs tightly bound, and abandoned in the middle of the streets beneath the scorching sun.
Day and night, they were tortured without mercy.
Neither food nor water was given to them.
Men, women, children, and even warriors suffered equally under the cruelty of the Shadow Warriors.
The sight itself was unbearable.
Yet Parthibhan and the others did not intervene.
Instead, they secretly placed a few spies to monitor the situation and immediately returned. Above all else, they did not want Rudhran to learn about the suffering of the people.
Just then, a messenger arrived with urgent news.
"We have received a summons from Karatchi," he announced.
Parthibhan immediately turned toward Paarivendhan.
"Then we should leave at once."
Rudhran frowned in confusion.
"Where are we going? Who sent this summons?"
Parthibhan replied quickly,
"There is no time to explain. We must reach Karatchi immediately."
Without another word, they took Rudhran along with them.
Soon, they arrived at a mysterious place hidden deep within the mountains.
Karatchi.
It was not an ordinary place.
Karatchi was a legendary land where terrifying weapons were forged.
Not normal weapons…
But magical weapons infused with ancient sorcery.
The weapons created there were nearly indestructible, and no ordinary person could ever obtain them so easily. The people of Karatchi trusted very few outsiders.
Yet somehow, they had summoned Rudhran and his allies personally.
And the reason behind it was only one man.
Singha.