"Blood may fall, but dharma never kneels."
Karikalan and Elara locked eyes in front of the principal's office. Elara's gaze was sharp, dripping with arrogance and annoyance, while Karikalan's was steady, almost flamboyant in its confidence. In his mind, Karikalan thought only of one thing: to break Elara's arrogance, to control it.
The silence between them stretched for minutes, heavy and suffocating. Elara's friends noticed the change in his face — the laughter fading, replaced by seriousness.
One of them whispered urgently, "Elara, don't be angry. We'll take care of that brat."
Another stepped forward, sneering at Karikalan. "Hey, you ugly! What are you doing here? What brings you to this place?"
Karikalan's reply was calm but cutting. "Nothing, slave. I came just to get a letter from the principal regarding leaving the college."
The friend's face twisted in rage. "What did you just say? You brat! Am I a slave to you?"
Karikalan's voice was sharp, his words deliberate. "No. I am not the one who enslaved you. It was him — Elara."
The gang erupted in fury. "How dare you call one of us a slave to our best friend! Now you'll pay for this!"
One of them lunged forward, fist raised. But Karikalan moved with sudden precision — dodging the punch and countering with a swift clothesline that sent his attacker crashing to the ground.
The corridor froze. Shock rippled through the gang. None of them had expected Karikalan to fight back, let alone strike with such force.
Everyone turned to Elara, expecting his rage to explode. But instead, Elara's lips curled into a smirk. He began to clap slowly, the sound echoing in the tense hallway.
"Well!" Elara said, his voice carrying both amusement and challenge. "I appreciate you for your first attack against my friend. You're pretty strong, aren't you?"
Elara stepped forward, his tone deceptively calm. "Yeah! I know you got a bit of confidence from that incident. I've never seen someone gain strength after a disaster."
Karikalan's heart raced. Why is he walking toward me?
Elara's voice softened, almost regretful. "It's my fault. I tried to kill you. But I realized I am the guilty one. I know you cannot forgive me for what happened… but I am very sorry."
Turning to his gang, Elara commanded, "Hey! What are you doing? Come and apologize to this guy for what we've done to him."
His friends froze, shocked. "What? Us? Are you serious, Elara? You're asking us to apologize to a nobody like him?"
Elara's eyes flared with anger. "Watch your mouth, you idiot. He is not a nobody. He is—"
Before finishing, Elara's fist drove into Karikalan's stomach with devastating force. Karikalan flew several meters, crashing into a pillar. The stone cracked under the impact, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping in pain.
Elara advanced, his face twisted with rage. He rained down punches and kicks, each blow echoing through the corridor.
"Do you think I'm a fool, huh?
You ugly idiot!
How dare you speak like me in front of my friends?
Do you know who I am? I am beyond your comprehension! You think a little confidence can defeat me? Now take this — you will never feel confidence in your entire life!"
His final kick struck Karikalan's chin, sending him airborne. He soared over six feet before crashing to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth.
At that moment, the office door burst open. The principal stepped out, his eyes widening at the sight.
"Elara! What are you doing? Stop this nonsense immediately! You are attacking an innocent boy in front of others. Stop, or you will face serious consequences!"
Elara's friends rushed forward, pulling him back before his fury could continue. The corridor fell silent, the air heavy with shock. Karikalan lay broken on the ground, his body battered, but his spirit — though bloodied — still alive.
Elara smirked, satisfied, and turned to walk away. His friends followed, mocking Karikalan's broken body.
"Come on, guys," Elara sneered. "There's nothing here except a dead body."
But Rajan's voice cut through the laughter. "Elara… turn your head. Look. You'll see what happened."
Confused, Elara turned — and froze. His smirk vanished.
Karikalan, blood dripping from his mouth, trembled as he forced himself upright. His legs shook violently, but he stood. His laughter echoed through the corridor, raw and defiant.
"Ahhh… ahhhhhh… hahahahhh… You think I am nobody, right? One day, I will beat you — not only your strength, but your arrogance. I will do it."
His voice grew stronger, fueled by pain.
"I will never stop. I would rather die than live in this world without defending my pride. If I sit silently and cry like a baby, I will become a coward. I don't want that. I must try."
Karikalan's eyes burned with fire as he raised his bloodied hand.
"I promise you — with this bleeding blood — I will return to this college after I defeat you."
The corridor fell silent. Elara's gang stared in disbelief. Even the principal, who had witnessed countless confrontations, was shaken by the sight. Karikalan's vow was not just words — it was a declaration carved in blood, a promise that his suffering would become the foundation of his strength.
Elara's face twisted with rage, his smirk collapsing into raw fury. "How dare you… you ahhh!" he roared, his voice echoing through the corridor.
With blazing anger, he lunged forward, fists clenched, ready to finish what he had started.
But before he could reach Karikalan, his friends grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him back with desperate strength.
"Elara, stop!" Rajan shouted, his voice trembling. "This isn't the place. The principal is watching. If you go further, you'll destroy yourself!"
Another friend added, "We can't let you do this. You'll face consequences none of us can handle."
Elara struggled against their grip, his eyes locked on Karikalan, burning with hatred. His chest heaved, his fists shook, but his gang held him tight.
Karikalan, still trembling and bloodied, stood defiantly, his vow echoing in the silence. The sight of him refusing to fall only fueled Elara's rage further — yet the restraint of his friends turned that fury into frustration.
The corridor was heavy with tension: Karikalan's defiance, Elara's halted wrath, the gang's fear, and the principal's watchful eyes. It was no longer just a fight — it was the beginning of a war of pride, arrogance, and resilience.
Elara's friends pulled him back, dragging him away from the scene before his fury could spill further. His smirk lingered, but his eyes burned with frustration.
Karikalan, who had stood defiantly moments before, finally succumbed to his injuries. His body collapsed, unconscious, blood staining the floor beneath him.
"Take him to the infirmary! Give him immediate first aid!" the principal commanded, his voice sharp with urgency.
Staff members rushed forward, lifting Karikalan's battered body with care.
His head lolled to the side, his breath shallow, but his spirit — though hidden beneath pain — still clung to life.
The corridor was silent, every student and teacher watching in shock. Elara's gang exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the weight of what had just happened.
The principal turned toward Elara, his eyes filled with both anger and sorrow. His words cut through the silence like a blade:
"Elara… you are going beyond your limits. One day, this arrogance will turn against you. And when it does, it will tremble your heart."
Elara's smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it with indifference.