Mirshad lay motionless, his body weakened from the previous night's chaos. Baba, Jabir, and Sara stood around him, still shaken by what they had witnessed. Though the doctor had assured them Mirshad was unharmed, the truth was far from simple. The CCTV footage had revealed something beyond comprehension—Mirshad's inhuman strength, his glowing eyes, the way he had torn through everything in his path like a force of nature. Baba knew there was only one person who could explain what was happening.
Taking a deep breath, he picked up his phone and called Mirshad's father. After a few rings, the familiar voice answered warmly, exchanging greetings as usual, asking about family and health. But Baba wasted no time. "I need to show you something. No need to panic, but you have to see this," he said, turning the phone camera to the laptop screen, playing the CCTV footage.
There was silence on the other end. Then, Baba heard it—the sound of quiet sobbing.
"Is he… is he okay?" Mirshad's father's voice trembled.
"He's fine," Baba assured him. "But you need to tell us the truth. How did this happen? How did a normal human become… this?"
A deep sigh came from the other end. "It's time. You all deserve to know the truth. This secret… only I and his mother know."
His voice was heavy as he began, "This happened before Mirshad was even born. His mother was seven months pregnant. One night, the sky outside suddenly lit up with an intense, blinding white light—so powerful that no one could look directly at it. It felt as if the heavens had opened. We were terrified, thinking it was the end of the world. But just as suddenly as it appeared, the light began to fade. We sighed in relief and turned to go back inside. But then…"
There was a pause, as if the memory itself was too much to relive.
"A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky… and struck my wife."
Baba and the others listened in stunned silence.
"She collapsed instantly, unconscious. I was frozen with fear, but I rushed to her side. There was no burn, no sign of external injury, but she wouldn't wake up. I panicked, called a taxi, and rushed her to the nearest hospital. On the way, something even more terrifying happened—her water broke. She wasn't due for another two months, but suddenly, she was going into labor."
"The doctors took her into the emergency ward. They told me the chances of saving the child were barely ten percent. Because she was only seven months pregnant, they said the baby might not be fully developed. And even worse… if they tried to save the child, we might lose both of them. They said if they prioritized the mother, she had a fifty percent chance to survive."
"I begged them to do everything they could. I prayed like never before. Then… the doctor came out and said the words that shattered me. 'We tried our best. But… the baby didn't make it.'"
A heavy silence filled the room.
"At that moment, outside the hospital, the sky roared with thunder. A powerful storm broke out, and rain poured heavily. It was the peak of summer—there was no possibility of rain that night. But in that moment, I heard it. The sound of my son crying."
"The doctor, shocked beyond belief, rushed back into the ward. When he returned, he looked like he had seen a miracle. He told me, 'I have delivered many babies in my life, but this… this is beyond science.' He explained that my wife had only been seven months pregnant, yet the baby was fully developed—like a ten-month-old newborn. And somehow, my wife had survived without any complications."
"The doctor then handed my son to me. And that's when I saw it—his eyes were glowing, just for a brief moment, before fading back to normal. That's when I knew… my son wasn't ordinary. He was something else. A gift. Or maybe… something even greater."
Mirshad's father's voice broke. "Since that day, I have protected him. As he grew up, I noticed small things—little moments where he showed unnatural strength or speed, but only in glimpses. This power… it was always there. But nothing like what I saw on that CCTV footage. This… is something else entirely. And I am afraid."
"Afraid?" Baba asked.
"Baba, listen to me. My son… he has the power to destroy everything if he ever loses control. He's not just strong—he is something beyond human limits. You must protect him. Keep him from the world… and keep the world from him."
Baba was silent for a long time. Then, he spoke firmly. "I promise. From now on, protecting him is my responsibility too."
The call ended, and Baba turned back to see Mirshad. To their shock, he was already awake, his eyes distant, as if he were somewhere else.
Jabir rushed to him. "Mirshad! Are you okay? Don't think too much, just rest. You're safe now."
Mirshad didn't respond immediately. His breathing was steady, but his body felt like it was carrying the weight of a storm. He whispered, "I saw… something. I felt… something last night. It wasn't me. It was… something inside me."
Before Baba could respond, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His face immediately turned pale. His hands trembled.
Everyone noticed the sudden change in his expression. Jabir stepped forward. "Baba? Who is it?"
Baba didn't answer. Sweat formed on his forehead. His grip on the phone tightened.
A deep silence filled the room.
And then…
The phone kept ringing.
And ringing.
And ringing.
—TO BE CONTINUED…