Chapter 1: The Man Who Should Not Exist
The heat came first.
Dry. Relentless. Unforgiving.
It pressed against his skin like a silent weight, seeping into his bones, dragging him out of a darkness that felt far too deep… and far too final.
Akshy Dabra opened his eyes.
For a moment, he did not move.
He simply stared.
Above him—no ceiling fan, no white paint, no glass lights.
Only a cracked, uneven roof made of wood and packed earth.
A thin beam of sunlight slipped through a narrow gap, cutting across the dim room like a blade.
Dust floated in that light.
Slowly.
Quietly.