Darkness stretched endlessly in every direction. There was no moonlight—only a narrow, uneven road cutting through the dense jungle. A cold wind moved slowly between the trees, carrying faint, unsettling sounds that echoed through the night.
The atmosphere felt heavy... almost alive.
Without warning—
BANG!
A loud explosion shattered the silence.
The vehicle suddenly lost control, skidding violently off the road and plunging into the forest. The driver struggled to regain control as the headlights flickered across broken branches and uneven ground. Then the beam locked onto something ahead-
A shattered tree trunk with a razor- sharp edge pointing straight toward them.
He slammed the brakes.
The vehicle stopped barely an inch before impact.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then everyone stepped out immediately.
The front left tire had burst.
“That’s impossible,” the driver muttered nervously. “This is a new military-grade tire. It shouldn’t fail like this.”
Kunal scanned the surroundings carefully.
Something felt wrong.
Not just the accident… the silence.
The forest had gone completely still.
He instructed the soldiers to change the tire while he moved a short distance away to observe the area.
When these soldier changing the tyre a hand like shape appeared on the branch of the tree behind him.
Because of the heavy darkness, visibility was extremely poor.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
After some minutes kunal felt a slight unease but walked toward them.
But when he reached the vehicle—
No one was there.
The soldiers had vanished.
The tools lay scattered on the ground. The half-changed tire rested beside the vehicle.
Only the sound of rustling leaves remained.
He immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie.
“This is Kunal. Report your status.”
No response.
Then suddenly—
A faint sound came from behind the vehicle.
He moved cautiously toward it.
What he saw froze his blood.
His body starts shaking.
His pulse was fading rapidly.
He saw all the soldiers are dead.
First soldier head completely separated from the body.
Second soldier abdomen was ripped apart, organs exposed and his heart is out of the body.
Before Kunal could react, the body went still
Suddenly third soldier show a little moment.
He rushed to him, lifting him into his arms.
The soldier whispered weakly,
“Why… did you do this…? You killed all of us…”
His mind refused to accept what he had just heard.
He had faced enemies, betrayal, and death before — but never confusion like this.
For the first time in years, uncertainty gripped him.
“I didn’t do anything!” Kunal shouted, shocked. “What are you talking about?”
But the soldier’s eyes lost focus.
He died in Kunal’s arms.
Confusion overwhelmed him.
“I didn’t kill them… then what happened here?” he muttered, panic rising in his voice.
Suddenly—
A sound came from the bushes.
Anger replaced fear.
He turned toward the noise and fired his pistol.
The entire magazine emptied into the darkness.
He grabbed a searchlight and advanced slowly toward the bushes.
Then he stopped.
There was nothing.
Only movement.
A small shape.
As he stepped closer, realization hit him.
A tiger cub lay trembling in a shallow pit.
Its eyes were filled with fear and tear.
There were no bullet wounds.
It had survived.
He exhaled slowly.
“Thank God… atleast for saving this cub life.”
The cub was terrified, he pulled the cub gently out of the pit, but immediately noticed how badly it was trembling.
The cub’s tiny heartbeat raced against his palm.
It clung to him instinctively, as if he was the only safe thing left in the world.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, he felt responsible for this cub.
He carefully picked it up and carried it back toward the vehicle. He placed it near the seat and gave it some food, speaking softly to calm it down.
After making sure the cub was safe, he reached for the map and studied the direction of the mansion.
His expression turned serious.
He reloaded his magazine, checked his weapon, and gathered the necessary equipment. Then, holding the cub close to his chest, he began moving toward the mansion.
But his mind wasn’t focused on the mission anymore.
Only one thing kept repeating inside his head—
The soldier’s words.
“Why did you kill us?”
His thoughts spiraled.
Why would he say that?
I didn’t kill them… so what did he see?
What really happened here?
Lost in these questions, he kept walking forward through the darkness.
Then suddenly—
His foot stepped on something.
A soft but unnatural resistance beneath his boot.
He froze.
Slowly…
He looked down.
And the moment his eyes focused on what was beneath his foot—
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? Kunal Singh
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