Drago: The Beginning Of Darkness

Safal and Ram were taken captive by a group of three bandits—two men and a young woman—as they attempted to leave the outskirts of their ruined village. The air was heavy with tension, and the silence between the captives and their captors only deepened Safal's despair. Ram clung to Safal's side, trembling, as Safal walked with his head low, the weight of his promise to protect the boy pressing heavily on his shoulders.

Safal had agreed to become their slave, his only condition being the safety of Ram. His mind was a whirlwind of grief, anger, and helplessness. Yet, he kept walking. One step after another. He had no choice.

As they moved through the dark forest, the young female bandit, Pranisha, spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence. Her voice was laced with mockery. "Why were you two kids even wandering out of the village? Were you bored of living? Or maybe you thought you could escape into some grand adventure?" She smirked as she glanced back at them, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Safal didn't answer. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his gaze stayed fixed on the dirt path ahead. His silence only seemed to amuse Pranisha more.

"What's the matter?" she pressed, her voice light but sharp. "Cat got your tongue? Or maybe you're regretting your little escapade now?"

Suddenly, Safal stopped in his tracks. His fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. "Did your gang kill our villagers?" His voice was low, but the raw anger in it sent a chill through the air.

The taller male bandit, walking ahead, turned and sneered. "What if we did? What can you do about it, huh?"

Safal's body trembled. His rage boiled over, and his vision blurred as a sudden, strange sensation overcame him. It was as if time froze, and a screen appeared in his mind.

"Do you want to kill all three of them?"

The words echoed in his head, clear and taunting. His heart raced. The answer came to him instantly, almost too quickly.

"Yes," he thought.

But before he could say or do anything, Pranisha spoke again, her voice cutting through the haze in his mind. "We didn't kill anyone," she said bluntly. "We're thieves, not murderers. We take what we want and leave. That's all."

Her words hit him like a bucket of cold water. The screen in his mind disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Safal let out a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm within him.

The male bandit rolled his eyes. "You're too soft, Pranisha. Why are you even explaining yourself to this kid?"

Pranisha shrugged, turning her attention back to the path. "It's not my problem if he wants to think we're killers. Let him believe whatever helps him sleep at night."

Safal's anger didn't dissipate completely, but he forced himself to stay composed. He couldn't lose control now—not when Ram's safety depended on him.

"How far is your hideout?" Safal asked, his voice steady but cold.

Pranisha glanced over her shoulder at him, a curious glint in her eyes. "Why? Getting impatient?" She smiled slyly. "You seem... oddly calm for someone in your position. Happy, even."

Safal's eyes darkened, and his lips curled into a bitter smile. "Happy?" he repeated, his voice laced with quiet fury. "No. I'm not happy. I just wanna kill everyone ."

Pranisha's smile faltered for a moment, her gaze lingering on Safal as if she were trying to decipher him. But she said nothing more, turning back to the path ahead.

The group continued walking, the silence now heavier than before. Safal's mind raced. He wasn't sure what was happening to him—the strange screen, the uncontrollable rage—but one thing was certain. He was no longer the same boy who had fled the village.

Something inside him had changed or had woken up after eternal sleep.