"THE FORGOTTEN ONES"

Close to reality

"It's story time again, my son," said the lady, sitting beside a hospital bed in what looked like an emergency room. Her voice was soft, meant to comfort the child lying in bed, whose eyes were wide with curiosity, eager to hear the story.

"Last time, I told you about the lady who worked as a healer in the army. After her service ended, she caught a disease that sadly caused her whole family to perish, except for her grandson, who somehow survived. One night, a strange light appeared in her room. She thought it was a miracle. The light spoke to her and asked if she wanted the power to regain everything she had lost. But in return, she would have to fulfill three wishes. I didn't tell you last time that she was tricked into killing the being that gave her this offer. It seemed like she had murdered a goddess to escape the three wishes, but that wasn't the case at all. The lady wasn't a goddess. In fact, she was quite the opposite."

The woman paused, glancing at her son to make sure he was still following. His eyes were glued to her, hanging on every word. She continued, her voice low and filled with mystery.

"When the healer touched the light, a voice echoed in her mind, 'I'm not a goddess, but I'm not entirely evil either. Like you, I lost my family—my husband, my son, his wife, and my grandson. I don't have a physical body, but I can move into anyone's mind. I don't control them, but I am the force you feel when you wish for something deeply. My powers are unimaginable, but they've weakened because people's hearts have shifted to another realm. To revive my family and yours, I need you to do three things: first, take my name; second, submit your soul to my power; and third, kill my spiritual form to transfer all my powers into your body.'"

The healer suddenly lunged at the source of the light and killed it with her bare hands. There was no grief in her heart, no sadness, because all she could think of was her family. As time passed, she began to remember the soul she had made the deal with. Her new name became Nikriti, and she realized that bringing her family back to life would cost them the same price she had paid. They would be revived, but they would have to carry the memories of the creatures whose lives fueled their resurrection.

"Mom, what powers did she get from the real being?" the child asked, his eyes wide open with excitement, clutching his blanket tightly.

"She was given the power to create whatever she or anyone else desired. She could create anything and even had the ability to become a goddess if the souls she used hadn't been corrupted. Her strength, the ability to change her body's size and shape at will, and the promise of eternal life all came from the powers her family possessed. But she lacked understanding of the real reason she was chosen—to revive her loved ones. Her family's return would bring about the end of the world. Her grandson would regain his senses and become a demon destined to bring an end to the age we live in now, the age of Kalyug."

"Now sleep, Kali. It's not good for a child your age to stay awake this late," the lady said, tucking him in.

The boy finally closed his eyes, and as the lady walked away, the room slowly faded into darkness.

The lady walked into the real world, finding herself sitting on what appeared to be a patient's chair. The room was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the scent of antiseptic. Her expression was unreadable as she sat there, lost in thought.

The scene then shifted to a different room, where Abhinav lay on the cold floor. It was around 6:00 AM, and the first light of dawn was just beginning to filter through the curtains. The room was silent, except for the soft knock at the door. Abhinav's father stood outside, knocking again, trying to rouse his son. Slowly, Abhinav opened his eyes, groggy and drained from a sleepless night. It was the first time he had seen his father since the death of his sister.