Punyansh_Sharma

For four years, he lived a quiet life, leaving behind the shadows of his past. But when a familiar presence resurfaces, watching his every move, he realizes that walking away was never an option.
Now, a challenge has been issued—one that will test not just his strength but his resolve to protect the life he’s built. With an old rival pulling the strings and a dangerous game unfolding around him, he must make a choice: fight back or lose everything.
But he’s not alone.
She refuses to step aside, standing by his side despite the risks. As the stakes grow higher and their bond deepens, the lines between ally and target blur.
If they want to survive, they’ll have to play the game. And in this game, the past is never truly gone.

Shadow Game: A Past That Won’t Fade

Four Years Ago – The Voting Day

The underground chamber was dimly lit, the flickering candlelight casting restless shadows against the stone walls. The air was thick with tension, a suffocating weight pressing down on the room's occupants. A long, worn table stretched across the center, surrounded by figures the MC once called comrades. Some sat stiffly, others leaned back, arms crossed, their expressions unreadable. At the head of the table sat their leader—his best friend—the one person he had trusted more than anyone.

"Let's get this over with," his best friend said, his voice carrying a casual amusement that made the moment feel even more unreal. "The rules are simple. Majority vote decides. Do we keep him... or cast him out?"

A heavy silence followed, the kind that carried unspoken truths and bitter betrayals. The MC's pulse pounded in his ears. He wanted to believe—needed to believe—that at least some of them still stood by him.

Each vote was a dagger to his chest. He forced himself to scan their faces, searching for hesitation, for regret. Some looked away, shame flickering in their eyes. Others met his gaze with cold resolve, their decision already made long before this moment. And then there were those who smirked, as if relishing the fall of someone they had long resented.

"That's… ten votes to remove," his best friend announced, feigning disappointment as he counted. "Guess that's it. You're out."

The MC remained still, his hands curled into fists at his sides. He had seen this coming. The shift had been gradual at first—whispers in the corridors, hushed conversations that stopped the moment he entered. Once-loyal allies averting their gazes, their footsteps growing more distant. Someone had been pulling the strings, manipulating them, feeding their fears and doubts.

He could have fought. He could have torn them down in an instant, reminded them why they had followed him in the first place. But he had made this rule himself—the rule that the majority's will was absolute. A rule designed to protect unity, never expecting it would one day be used against him.

"This is a mistake," he said quietly, his voice steady despite the storm raging within.

His best friend leaned back in his chair, his grin widening. "Maybe. Or maybe we're just tired of standing in your shadow. You were always too strong, too untouchable. Now, it's our turn to lead."

The MC let out a slow breath, his jaw tightening. He had fought alongside these people, bled for them, built everything they had together. And now, they discarded him like a piece of a broken past, like a ghost that had haunted them for too long.

He met his best friend's gaze, unreadable. "I knew this was coming."

The grin faltered, if only for a moment. "Oh?"

"That's why I'm not fighting it," the MC said, stepping back. "If you really think you can do better, prove it."

A challenge. A promise. A warning.

He turned without another word, his footsteps echoing in the silence as he walked away. Behind him, the only world he had ever known faded into the dim glow of candlelight and whispered betrayals.

Now, they would learn what that truly meant.

Chapter 2: The Vote