After dinner, everyone had sprawled out wherever they found space in the tiny flat.Someone was awkwardly twisted on the couch, while someone else had turned a pile of pillows on the floor into a makeshift bed.The room echoed with soft snores and scattered laughter that still floated in the air.
The Next Morning
When Izaan woke up, the entire house was filled with the aroma of food.A faint scent of spices and ghee wafted through the air, hitting his nostrils and startling him for a moment."Is someone here...?"He panicked for a second—after all, he'd gotten used to living alone.
But the next moment, the memories of last night returned—the laughter, the warmth, the hugs...
Izaan slapped his forehead and muttered,"These idiots actually stayed the night?"
"Hey Izaan, where are you going?"Ved asked, watching him hurriedly tuck in his shirt.
"It's time for my shift… I need to leave,"Izaan said quickly, slipping into his shoes.
"Are you insane...? Shadow Venom's leader is going to do a job? You're the boss now, forgot?"Rishabh growled.
"I haven't said yes yet…"Izaan pouted.
"So you're going to say no?"Rishabh took a step closer and glared at him.
Izaan mumbled internally —"This bull! How is anyone supposed to say no when he threatens like that… fat buffalo… rhino… hippo..."
"What happened, cat got your tongue?"Sauryansh nudged him.
Izaan glared and snapped,"Dog, will you even let me speak?"
"He's not saying anything, so let's count it as a yes!"Aviral raised his hand like it was official.
And one by one, everyone else nodded in agreement.
"You jerks... Since when did silence become the same as saying yes?"Izaan cursed them all while grinning tiredly and headed for the bathroom.
Kavin tossed a bag at him and said —"Go change… we've got a meeting today."
Izaan looked at the boys, all squinting at him like hawks — waiting for him to say no, so they could all pounce on him.
He opened the bag —Inside was a sleek, expensive shirt, pants, and a long black coat...
Emblazoned in big golden letters on the back:"SHADOW VENOM"
Izaan gently touched those letters and whispered —"Isn't this… Yug's jersey?"
Ved stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder."Yes... It was Yug's. And also Shadow Venom's President's."
A little while later, Izaan stepped out—And everyone just stared.
For a moment, it felt like time froze…There wasn't a broken shadow of the past standing there anymore—But the next leader of Shadow Venom.
Then they all climbed into their cars and left for their destination…
And Izaan… drifted back into his past...
A dull math class was going on.Aviral, Nirbhay, and Izaan were sitting on the same bench.Kavin was in front of them, sneakily eating from his neighbor's tiffin box.
Izaan's eyelids were drooping slowly,His head sinking lower toward the desk,He could barely keep his eyes open...
When suddenly—Loud engine roars echoed from the school playground.
The ground trembled, dust rose into the air,And Izaan turned toward the window.
What he saw stunned him —Around 20–22 motorbikes had just stormed into the campus.The riders—all clad in black jackets, faces full of menace, and walking with swagger.
Izaan's eyes sparkled—"Wow... they look so cool!" he whispered aloud.
The whole class turned to look at him.Izaan quickly blushed, muttered "Sorry," and looked down.
"What's going on?" — he nudged Nirbhay beside him.
Nirbhay looked down and his eyes widened —"They... they're inside the school!"
"Who are they?" Izaan asked.
Nirbhay's voice trembled —"These are... the Gang of Hell..."
It instantly hit Izaan —"The same ones… whose President got beaten up that day…"
"Run, everyone! Gang of Hell is here!" —Nirbhay suddenly shouted.
The whole class panicked.Kids grabbed their bags and scrambled in every direction.Even the teacher bolted out in fear.
But Izaan…He just kept staring out that window,As if trying to understand something deeper...
"Izaan, let's go!" —Aviral grabbed his collar and yanked him.
He began beating the boy mercilessly.Punches, kicks, slaps—Each blow landing heavier than the last on Izaan's bruised body.But Izaan...He wasn't ready to give in.
Every time he fell to the ground,He clenched his teeth—And tried, once again,To rise on his trembling legs.
"Say it—do you give up or not?!"roared the Gang of Hell boy.
"Izaan!! Just give up!"Aviral shouted,Tears welling in his eyes."He's going to kill you!"
But Izaan...Wiping the blood from his lips,He stood—staggering, swaying—But the same fire burned in his eyes.
"Never..."His voice was broken, but still alive."You want to defeat me?You'll have to take my life first…Because as long as I'm breathing,I will never back down."
"Izaan!!!"Nirbhay screamed,But even his voice seemed to vanish into the air.
Then—A brutal punch slammed into Izaan's gut.The sound of the blow echoed across the corridor—And Izaan's bodyCrumbled,Colliding with the edge of the classroom door,Before collapsing several feet away.
He had fallen at someone's feet.His vision was blurred, everything hazy,But somehow, he managed to lift his eyes...
And saw—Yugant standing before him.
Izaan's lips moved—As if trying to say something,But before any words could leave him,His eyes slowly closed.