"Okay Suraj, just what do you want from me. Why are you doing all of this? Is it for money." Raghav asked
"No, I have plenty of that." he answered
"Then why? I have never done anything that would hurt you. You were my closest brother." Raghav spoke with his stammering voice due to the injury.
"Is that so, dear brother? Then how about the times when you just ignore me and my father like we are your underlings, huh. Everyday, you just wake up, go to college and hang out with your friends spending the money hard earned by us." Suraj said in a mocking tone.
"I never meant to belittle you or uncle Rajeev." Raghav made a gun with his hand at his back while saying this.
"Oh shut up, you know what you were not meant to be the heir. My father was two years younger than your father but he married first so that next heir would be from our family, but my sister was born before me and girls do not count. You just got ahead by several months or I would have been the damn king." he yelled at Raghav
Raghav made a berretta M9 with his right hand still at back, the gun was fully loaded. He immediately pulled it from back and pointed towards Suraj who was standing at a 6 feet distance from him.
"Is that supposed to be scary?" Suraj sneered
"I will shoot you as in self-defense, then I won't be accused." Raghav spoke in stuttering voice
"Really, with those shaking hands."
Raghav's hands trembled, gripped by the sheer terror of witnessing someone burn another alive without a hint of hesitation. Sweat poured down his face, and his wide, unblinking eyes remained locked on Suraj, frozen in disbelief and fear.
*Aaaaaah*
Raghav yelled and pulled the trigger but Suraj was still uninjured because Raghav shot near his legs to scare him.
"Hahaha, welcome to the real world big bro. This is the type of shit that happens in the streets and behind the scenes where your type of guys keep rambling about independence in the rebellious phase." Suraj said
"You mean killing someone is just a second nature to you." Raghav yelled at him with a distressful voice
"No, that just now was my first blood."
"What?" Raghav shocked on the Suraj's response
"We were stupid to not take any action up until now but he guided us." Suraj smiled and looked above while saying this like talking about his mentor.
[We, Us, he ain't alone in this and who does he mean by he] Raghav thought upon hearing him
"Who are you talking about?"
"You don't need to know, just die." Suraj said and pointed his left palm towards Raghav
Raghav also pointed his gun in response. A big flare emitted from Suraj's hand and approached him at a great speed. Raghav dropped his gun and opened both of his hands which absorbed the flames.
*hah*
Raghav pants after absorbing it completely.
"Oh, so your power is not just creation, you can also absorb." Suraj surprised a little
Still frozen in place, Raghav glared at him, eyes burning with intensity—then, in a firm voice, he called his move
"Return"
The very same fire he had absorbed moments ago burst from his hands, mirroring the way it had erupted from Suraj. The flames surged forward, racing towards Suraj with fierce intent.
"What" now this was something really unexpected for Suraj.
But Suraj didn't move. He stood still as the flames consumed him, his body engulfed just like Sandeep's. Raghav's eyes widened in shock—he had done it. He had taken a life, just like the one he feared.
Raghav's mind raced, panic setting in as he wondered what to do next. But then, to his utter disbelief, the flames abruptly died out—and Suraj stood there, completely unscathed. Not a single burn marked his skin. The only noticeable change? He was now standing there completely naked, the fire having incinerated everything but him.
"What, how did you survive that? Did you instantly removed your clothes?" Raghav asked
"Do you really think that fire could hurt the fire itself." he answered
The scene unfolded just outside the entrance to the theme park. The crowd had already moved inside, leaving the area eerily quiet—just Raghav and Suraj standing alone amidst the aftermath of fire and fear.
Suraj remained still, his bare skin untouched by even a trace of flame. Of course—Raghav realized—he was no ordinary man. Suraj was like a fireman in the truest sense: his entire body could emit fire, a living furnace immune to heat, whether his own or from any outside source. But there was a catch—he couldn't control the fire once it left his body. He could unleash it, but not command it.
Still it was a public place and a passerby could see them so Suraj covered his body with fire obstructing the view of some certain places.
"Guess I will stop playing around now." Suraj said while doing some neck stretching
Without warning, Suraj charged at him, his body ablaze, a living torch hurtling forward. Instinct took over—Raghav hastily summoned a slim iron shield in front of him. But his hands shook, and his mind raced. He wasn't a fighter. This was his first real battle. The shield, though forged from iron, was rushed—thin, fragile, barely holding together.
Suraj's flaming fist shattered the iron shield with a single, brutal punch. The fragments scattered like sparks, but the attack didn't stop there—the punch continued, aimed straight at Raghav's face. Fortunately, Raghav's hands were still raised from holding the shield, and he managed to block the blow just in time.
But there was no comparison between them. Raghav, slender and untrained, stood no chance against Suraj's strength—his body sculpted by daily training, his power amplified by fire. The impact of the searing blow sent Raghav flying backward, crashing to the ground nearly eight feet away.
*Ah**grunts*
Raghav hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. His hands, scorched from blocking the fiery blow, trembled as he tried to push himself up. The stab wound from earlier throbbed with renewed intensity, flaring with every breath. Now, with his entire body wracked in agony, he lay there—burning, bruised, and barely holding on.
But Suraj wasn't done. He lunged toward Raghav again, flames dancing wildly across his skin. Raghav lay helpless on the ground, his body trembling, every nerve gripped by fear. He couldn't move, couldn't fight—only stare up at the towering figure above him.
"So long, big bro" he said and put his hand in front of Raghav's face, he closed his eyes in the fear of what will come out of his hand.
But nothing came. No pain, no impact. Confused, Raghav slowly opened his eyes.
What he saw left him stunned.
Suraj was no longer looming over him—instead, he lay sprawled on the ground a short distance away. Standing tall above him was another boy, his foot firmly planted on Suraj's chest, as if pinning down a beast.
He was a chubby boy with short blue hair, looking to be around the same age as Raghav. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, and he wore a casual outfit—an orange T-shirt, dark green shorts, and white sports shoes. Despite his unassuming appearance, he stood with quiet confidence, his foot pressing down on Suraj's chest like it was second nature.
"Param, you?" Raghav recognized him.