Chapter 1: The Blood of Amber
Far from Rathum, the mighty capital of the Indica Empire, there lay a small town known as Amber — the Town of Doctors. Among its respected citizens was Ashok Arya, a kindhearted healer, famed for his gentle touch and brilliant mind. His wife, Meera, a florist, filled their home with the scent of blooming flowers. Their family was small but complete, bound by love and laughter.
They had a son, Rudra, a bright six-year-old with curious eyes and a sharp mind. Yet despite his intelligence, Rudra often found himself the target of teasing from classmates, mocked for having such an ancient name in a world that had long forgotten its meanings.
One evening, after another round of cruel jokes, Rudra asked his mother, "Mom… what does my name mean?"
Meera smiled warmly and placed a gentle hand on his head. "One day, my dear, you will understand — when you grow up to be strong, like your father."
That smile—soft, kind, and full of unspoken sorrow—became a memory engraved upon Rudra's heart.
That night, the stars hung quietly over Amber—the town of doctors—casting a silver glow on its sleeping rooftops. Rudra had dinner with his parents like any other evening, laughing as his mother told stories from the flower shop and his father gently reminded him to finish his vegetables. It was peaceful… almost too peaceful. After hugging his mother and whispering a soft goodnight, Rudra curled up in his warm bed, his eyelids heavy with comfort and innocence.
But fate was already moving.
Somewhere beyond the quiet streets, shadows crept through the darkness with silent intent. And as Rudra drifted into sleep, he could never have imagined that by morning, his world would be bathed in blood, shattered by cruelty, and forever changed. That night was not just a night—it was the end of his childhood, and the beginning of something far more terrifying.