Prologue: The Myth and Fear of Victoria Land
In the dawn of the 20th century, deep within the eastern reaches of British India, lay a place whispered about in uneasy tones—Victoria Land. Though the name sounded grand, it was little more than a remote stretch of mountains and dense forests near what is now Chottogram. Foreign settlers called it their sanctuary, a land where the air was crisp and the beauty rivaled that of Switzerland. But behind the picturesque hills and pine-scented winds, an undercurrent of fear gripped the hearts of many.
The locals spoke in hushed voices about a shadow that moved silently at night—a predator who hunted not for food, but for cruelty. This figure, known only as the Night Killer, was said to strike fear into the bravest of men. His victims were mostly foreigners, travelers who dared venture into the untamed wilderness after dusk. No one knew his face, and no one lived to tell his story.
Even the British colonial police, with their rifles and authority, found themselves powerless. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and yet the killer remained free—an unseen terror stalking the hills of Victoria Land. Rumors spread that the Night Killer was not merely a man, but a beast born from the wild itself, as cunning as the jungle and as ruthless as a storm.
At the same time, stories from across the seas haunted the minds of the settlers—tales of Jack the Ripper, the infamous murderer who once terrorized the streets of London, a killer whose shadow stretched across continents and time. Some believed the Night Killer was his equal, perhaps even a disciple, carrying on a dark legacy far from England's foggy alleys.
In this land of beauty and menace, the simple lives of villagers and hunters intertwined with the deadly game of survival. Among them was a boy named Irfann—born into a family of humble hunters, raised by a father as fierce and wild as the forest itself. Irfann's world was about to change forever, as the silent threat lurking in the shadows drew closer, and the winds of rebellion began to stir in the heart of Victoria Land.