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Dawn broke over London with a pale, uncertain light. The sky was a soft gray, and the wind carried the faint chill of rain.

For the first time in years, Veeresh wasn’t surrounded by guards or power — he was alone. Dressed in a plain black shirt, sleeves rolled up, his usual confidence was nowhere to be found. He walked down the quiet street toward a small temple near the hospital — the same one Poornima used to visit every Sunday before exams.

He paused at the entrance, staring at the bell hanging above the doorway. His fingers hovered over it, uncertain. He hadn’t stepped into a temple since his parents’ death. He had stopped believing that prayers worked.

But today… he needed something stronger than belief. He needed her.

He took off his shoes, walked barefoot inside, and stood before the deity. The golden lamps flickered, their light reflecting off his weary eyes.

For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

Then the words fell out, broken and raw — stripped of all pride.

> “I don’t know how to pray,” he whispered. “You know that.”

He looked down, his jaw tightening as tears threatened again.

> “All my life I fought, I took, I built an empire from nothing. I never asked for anything. But now…”

His voice cracked. He looked up at the deity, eyes filled with pain and love.

> “Please… don’t take her. Not her. You can take everything else — my power, my name, my empire — but let her live. She’s the only good thing in me.”

He folded his hands slowly — something he hadn’t done since he was a child.

> “If she comes back… I’ll change. I’ll leave the blood, the deals, the guns — all of it. Just bring her back.”

The priest who had been lighting incense paused, recognizing him instantly. Even he didn’t speak — just bowed his head, murmuring a prayer quietly on his behalf.

Veeresh closed his eyes, and for a long time, he stood there in silence. The smell of sandalwood and jasmine filled the air, and in that stillness, something inside him broke open — not in pain, but in surrender.

When he finally opened his eyes, the sun was rising through the temple door, the light falling directly on his face. It felt warm — gentle, like her touch.

He exhaled slowly, whispering one last time,

> “She’ll come back. She has to.”

And then he walked out, leaving behind not just his prayers — but a part of his darkness, too.

Back at the hospital, as he reached the corridor, one of the nurses ran up to him breathlessly.

> “Sir… she moved again. And this time, her heartbeat is stronger.”

Veeresh stopped mid-step. His lips parted in disbelief — then curved into a faint, trembling smile.

> “You heard me, didn’t you, Ruby…” he whispered.

The king of the underworld looked up toward the sky, eyes glistening with quiet gratitude.

For once, his world wasn’t built by fear — but by faith.