What Just Happened

Parvat sat atop a mountain of bodies, his breath steady, his eyes distant. The once chaotic dungeon was now eerily silent. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, but his posture was calm—too calm. His body radiated an aura so intense that even Mia, the principal, and the healer hesitated to step forward.

Mia narrowed her eyes. "This is… different."

The principal, usually composed, felt a shiver crawl up his spine. "This boy… What exactly happened in here?"

The healer gulped. "I—I can heal wounds, but I can't fix whatever just happened to him…"

Parvat didn't move. He didn't even acknowledge their presence. It was as if he was somewhere else, lost in whatever madness had taken hold of him inside this room. The scent of blood was thick, and the weight of violence hung in the air.

Mia stepped forward cautiously. "Parvat…? Say something."

Still, nothing.

The principal clenched his fists. "That ability… 'HeatUp' wasn't supposed to do this. It only enhances physical abilities and numbs pain. But this… This is something beyond that."

Then, slowly, Parvat turned his head toward them. His eyes weren't just fierce—they were different. Something had changed.

Parvat's voice was sharp, his words pressing against the silence like a blade against skin. His breaths were heavy, his body exhausted, but his mind was sharp as ever. He looked down at the pile of bodies beneath him, his fingers twitching slightly.

"You… threw me into a pit of dead bodies…" His voice was low, shaking with something he couldn't describe. "And I killed this many people." His gray eyes burned with a fire none of them had seen before. "Do you even know what that means?"

Mia took a step forward, but the principal raised a hand, stopping her. He met Parvat's gaze with an unreadable expression.

"We didn't throw you there for nothing," the principal finally said.

Parvat's fists clenched, his knuckles turning white. His entire body felt like a storm, raging and restless. "Then tell me. Why?"

Mia hesitated, then crossed her arms over her chest. She was always confident, always sure of herself. But now? Now, she looked uncertain.

"Because this was a test," she said, her voice quieter than usual.

Parvat let out a bitter laugh. "A test? A test for what? To see if I'd die?" His voice rose with every word, anger boiling inside him. He had survived, yes, but he wasn't the same as before. Something had changed.

"No," the principal said, his voice firm. "To see if you'd adapt. And you did."

Parvat's jaw tightened. He wasn't sure if he should feel proud or disgusted. He had changed. His body moved differently now. His mind calculated things faster, reacted without hesitation. He had turned his environment into a weapon.

And he had killed without thinking twice.

Mia's gaze flickered, and he could tell—there was something she wasn't saying. Something she knew.

But before he could press her, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"You need healing," the soft voice of the healer broke through the tension. "Your body won't last much longer if we don't treat you now."

Parvat exhaled heavily. His limbs ached, his muscles screamed in protest. He knew the healer was right.

The healer reached into his coat and pulled out a small case. Inside were tiny, translucent capsules—no bigger than a piece of candy.

"Eat these," he instructed. "They're pure nutrients, extracted from food. Your body is starving. These will help restore everything you lost."

Parvat hesitated for a second but took them, swallowing them dry. Almost instantly, a strange warmth spread through his body, a comforting heat that soothed his exhausted muscles. His energy returned, little by little.

Then, the healer placed a hand on Parvat's chest. A soft golden glow spread across his body, wrapping around his wounds like a warm blanket. The pain, the burning sensation in his limbs, the sharp stings of every cut—they all faded. His breathing steadied. His mind cleared.

The principal watched, his arms crossed. He nodded approvingly.

"You were…" he said, pausing as if reconsidering his words. "More than I expected, Parvat." His gaze was heavy, his voice carrying an undeniable weight. "You're the first kid to come back alive from this place."

Parvat didn't respond immediately. He looked down at his hands—steady, unshaken. He thought about everything that had happened inside that blood-soaked room. The screams. The chaos. The moment he activated HeatUp and became something else.

He should feel relieved that he survived. But instead, all he felt was… hollow.

His gaze lifted back to the principal.

"Then what happens now?"

Parvat flexed his fingers, testing his body. The healer had done a remarkable job—his wounds were gone, and his body felt completely refreshed, as if he had never fought at all. His clothes were the only thing that showed signs of battle, torn in places and stained with dried blood. But physically, he was in perfect shape.

Mia watched him with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"You good?" she asked.

Parvat nodded. "Yeah… I guess."

She sighed and gestured toward the exit. "Come with me."

He followed her without question. Outside, the usual black car wasn't waiting for them. Instead, a different one—a sleek, unfamiliar vehicle—stood parked near the curb. Parvat narrowed his eyes.

"No tyrannous car this time?" he muttered.

Mia smirked. "No need. You're healed, so you don't look like you just survived hell. People won't ask questions."

They got in, and as soon as the doors closed, the car hummed to life, smoothly pulling onto the road. Parvat leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment. The silence stretched between them before he finally spoke.

"You have some kind of problem?" he asked, glancing at Mia.

She kept her eyes forward, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "Not really. Why?"

Parvat shrugged. "You just seem… off."

Mia exhaled slowly, her fingers tapping against the wheel. Then, finally, she said, "The time will come soon."

Parvat frowned. "What do you mean?"

Mia didn't answer right away. Instead, she let the words settle in the air before continuing. "You're getting stronger, Parvat. Stronger than I expected. And soon… you'll be stronger than me."

There was no jealousy in her voice—just a simple, honest statement.

Parvat stared at her. "That's a good thing, right?"

Mia nodded. "Yeah. It is. I've never seen a kid like you. You're different."

Parvat didn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't sure if being "different" was a good thing or something to worry about. But before he could ask anything else, the car slowed to a stop.

He looked outside and saw his home.

Mia leaned back in her seat. "Go. Get some rest."

Parvat opened the door but hesitated for a moment. He glanced at her again, his instincts telling him she was holding something back. But she didn't say anything else.

He stepped out, closed the door, and watched as the car drove off into the night.

When he entered his house, he was met with the familiar warmth of home. His brothers were there, chatting and laughing over something meaningless.

For the first time in a long while, Parvat allowed himself to relax. He sat with them, letting the noise of normal life drown out the chaos in his mind.

For now, he was home.

But he knew it wouldn't last forever.