MY GAME BEGINS Episode 4 / Chapter 4: The Truth, Atonement, and Redemption (Part 1)

MY GAME BEGINS

Episode 4 / Chapter 4: The Truth, Atonement, and Redemption (Part 1)

Srinivasulu's eyelids fluttered rapidly under a barrage of fragmented, violent visions.

In the dark behind his eyes, the terrifying, colossal form of Lord Yama Dharmaraja rose like a mountain of shadows, his voice shaking the earth:

"I shall bind this sinner with the Yama Pasham and drag him by his neck on my divine mount to the banks of the Vaitarani River!"

Then came the golden, fiery blazes of Jaya and Vijaya standing their ground, followed by Chitragupta, and finally the gentle, radiant figure of Sage Narada stepping between the titans, his veena echoing with the sacred name:

"Narayana, Narayana..."

Then, a unified, echoing chant swept through his mind, washing over his spirit:

"Chiranjeeva... Chiranjeeva... Sukhibhava... Sukhibhava..."

Srinivasulu gasped violently, his chest heaving as he sat bolt upright in bed.

His lungs pulled in a deep, ragged breath of clean air. Sweat slicked his forehead, and his pulse hammered against his ribs as his wide, frantic eyes scanned his surroundings.

He was back in Ren's plush, familiar hotel suite.

It was 2 PM. Afternoon light filtered softly through the heavy drapes.

Beside his mattress stood an IV pole, a clear tube running down to a needle taped securely onto the back of his left hand.

Scattered across the oversized leather sofas in the room lay Jin, Kaito, Rose, and Chief Rai, all visibly exhausted.

Directly beside his mattress, Aira sat slumped forward in a soft chair, her head resting on her folded arms beside his blanket.

The sharp rustle of his sheets and his heavy breathing shattered the quiet room.

One by one, the room stirred.

Aira jolted awake first, her eyes snapping open. She stared at him for a second, her hands flying to her mouth before she scrambled out of the chair.

"Ren!" she cried, her voice cracking. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Srinivasulu swallowed hard, his dry throat burning as he looked from face to face.

"What... what happened? Where am I?"

Rose leaned over the mattress, her face pale with relief.

"Don't panic, Ren. You're safe. You're in your room at the hotel."

Chief Rai stepped up to the edge of the bed, his voice quiet but heavy.

A deep relief softened the sharp lines of his face.

"It's good to have you back, Ren."

Srinivasulu looked up at Chief, his voice raspy.

"Chief... what happened to me? How did I get back here?"

Aira bit her lower lip, tears welling instantly in her swollen eyes. She reached out, her hands trembling as she wrapped her fingers tightly around his right palm.

"We thought... we thought we lost you forever, Ren. Thank God you came back to us."

Srinivasulu stared at her in utter confusion.

"Came back? Aira, what are you talking about? Chief, what is she saying?"

Chief Rai exchanged a long, somber look with Jin and Kaito before turning his attention back to his daughter, Rose.

He took a slow breath, adjusting his coat, and looked at Srinivasulu, who was in Ren's form.

"Do you truly remember nothing after you collapsed, Ren?"

Srinivasulu looked around at the circle of strained, tired faces.

"I remember the battle before Brahma Muhurtam. We defeated the shadow monster. At Brahma Muhurtam, its tentacle pierced deep into my shoulder. The poison spread through my body. I fell... I couldn't breathe. My vision went completely black. After that... nothing. I opened my eyes, and I was lying right here."

He paused, his heart skipping a beat.

"Chief... what actually happened?"

Chief Rai hesitated, taking a deep, heavy breath before meeting his eyes directly.

"You died, Ren."

The room fell dead silent.

Srinivasulu’s eyes widened in sheer shock.

"I... what?"

"For nearly thirty minutes, you had no pulse," Chief Rai said, his voice thick with emotion.

"You weren't breathing. Your heart had completely stopped. But by some miraculous twist of fate... some divine grace... your life returned to you.

"The guilt of failing to protect you nearly crushed me out there on the shrine steps. Seeing you breathing again... it is nothing short of a miracle."

Jin stepped forward, looking down at the carpet as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey... Ren. I owe you an apology. I've been getting so irritated with you lately. I thought you were changing your whole personality. I was angry, and I snapped at you. I'm sorry, man. From now on, I don't care what style you have or how much you change. Just stay alive."

Rose wiped a tear from her cheek, offering a soft, fragile smile.

"You kept saying you had something important to tell me... something you needed to say? I promise you, Ren, whenever you're ready, I'll sit and listen for as long as it takes. Just please... never leave us like that again."

Kaito let out a loud, watery laugh, wiping his face.

"Guys, come on! Ren beat death itself just to come back to us! We should be celebrating, not standing around crying like this!"

He looked down at Srinivasulu, his eyes shining.

"Right, Ren? You're too stubborn to let a little thing like death keep you down. You knew we couldn't survive without you, so you came back to us, right, Ren?"

Srinivasulu stared at their raw, unfiltered expressions.

The sheer weight of their affection hit him like a physical blow, choking his throat.

A single tear slipped down his cheek.

"Yeah..." he whispered, his voice cracking.

"Yeah, Kaito bro."

Srinivasulu shifted his weight on the bed, scanning their pale, exhausted faces.

"You all look completely drained. How long have you been sitting here?"

"You've been unconscious for ten hours," Aira replied softly, her hand still holding his.

"We haven't left your side since we brought you back from the shrine."

Srinivasulu’s eyes widened.

"Ten hours? You've all just been sitting in these chairs for ten hours?"

"The moment we brought you back, we had the hotel doctors check your vitals and hook up this IV," Rose explained.

"We were terrified that if we turned our backs for even a second, something terrible would happen again. Aira hasn't eaten a single bite or left that chair since morning."

Srinivasulu turned his head toward Aira, his tone sharpening with sudden concern.

"Are you out of your mind, Aira? Sitting here all day without eating anything?"

Aira lowered her gaze, remaining silent.

Srinivasulu looked across the room at the rest of them.

"Be honest with me. None of you have eaten this entire day, have you?"

Silence filled the room as Jin, Kaito, Rose, and Chief Rai looked away.

Chief Rai offered a faint, tired smile.

"We had no choice, Ren."

"Don't give us that talk!" Jin snapped back, stepping closer to the bed.

"You think you're the only one allowed to care about people? Our best friend literally died in front of our eyes and came back to life! You were lying there like you were in a deep coma! Do you really expect us to just walk out, head down to a restaurant, and stuff our faces while you lay here lifeless?

"We don't care if it's ten hours or thirty hours—we're staying until you're okay. That's what friendship is. That's what responsibility means. And that same responsibility kept every single one of us in this room!"

Aira lifted Srinivasulu’s hand, holding it gently against her own as tears spilled over her lashes.

"I couldn't bear the thought of losing you again," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I just couldn't."

"I can't lose you again, Ren. I just can't take it."

He lifted his hand and gently brushed his thumb against her cheek, catching a stray tear.

"You foolish girl..." he whispered softly.

"Look at me. I'm right here. I'm breathing. Nothing is going to happen to me while you guys are around. Now please... all of you, go get something to eat."

Aira hesitated, making no move to stand up.

"I promise you, Aira," Srinivasulu added, his gaze steady and warm.

"Your Ren is going nowhere."

A faint, relieved smile finally broke through Aira's tears.

"Alright," Srinivasulu said, turning to Rose.

"Rose, please take Aira downstairs and grab something to eat."

Rose stood up, offering her hand to Aira.

"Come on, Aira. Let me get us some lunch."

As they moved toward the door, Srinivasulu called out,

"Aira! Rose! I'm completely fine. Go eat in peace!"

Both girls turned back, offering him bright, genuine smiles before stepping out into the hallway.

Srinivasulu turned his gaze toward Jin and Kaito, who were still standing near the foot of his bed.

"Well? Do you two need a formal written order from the chief? Get out there and eat!"

Neither of them moved.

Srinivasulu rubbed his temples with an exasperated sigh.

"Guys, if you have any respect for our friendship at all, go fill your stomachs so we can actually talk properly."

Kaito nudged Jin’s elbow.

"He makes a fair point, Jin. I'm actually starving. Let's go grab some food."

Jin glared at Kaito.

"Seriously? Right now?"

"Don't look at me like that!" Kaito laughed, grabbing Jin by the sleeve and pulling him toward the door.

"Come on, let's go!"

"Don't worry, guys!" Srinivasulu called out with a small smirk.

"We have plenty of time. In fact, I might use this recovery as an excuse to ditch school for the next four days so we can just hang out and talk!"

Kaito grinned over his shoulder.

"Now that is a legendary plan!"

"Thank you, Kaito bro," Srinivasulu said.

"You got it, bro!" Kaito replied, dragging Jin into the hallway.

Jin poked his head back inside the door frame.

"I'm coming right back after I finish a plate, got it?"

"Got it. Take your time," Srinivasulu replied with a wave.

The heavy suite door clicked shut, leaving only Srinivasulu and Chief Rai in the quiet room.

Chief Rai stood near the edge of the bed, his hands thrust deep into his coat pockets.

Srinivasulu looked up at him.

"Chief? Aren't you going to join them for food?"

"I will shortly, Ren," Chief Rai replied softly.

His expression turned solemn, his sharp eyes narrowing as he stepped closer.

"But there is a question that has been burning in my mind ever since the battle at the shrine."

Srinivasulu’s pulse quickened slightly.

"What question, Chief?"

Chief Rai leaned in, his voice dropping to a serious whisper.

"I know this might not be the right time, but I need to ask. Why didn't your powers work during the fight against the Shadow Lord?"

Srinivasulu froze, his eyes darting sideways as he scrambled for an explanation.

"You are only supposed to possess three core transformation cards," Chief Rai continued, his gaze piercing.

"Why did I see five cards hovering in the air around you?"

Srinivasulu forced a nervous laugh, shaking his head.

"Chief, what are you talking about? Five cards? I only have three! Where would five come from?"

"I know what I saw, Ren," Rai said firmly.

"Five distinct cards floated in front of you right before you collapsed."

"You must have seen double from all the atmospheric distortion, Chief! I only have three cards. Where would five even come from?" Srinivasulu said quickly, reaching into his jacket pocket with a slightly trembling hand.

"I only have three transformations: the Silver Warrior, the Red Thunder Knight, and the Demon Lord. Look, see for yourself!"

Srinivasulu pulled out three glossy cards and held them out to Chief.

Chief Rai took the cards, examining the intricate metallic patterns etched onto their surfaces.

Srinivasulu let out a quiet sigh of relief, offering a quick, practiced smile.

Flashback

A week ago, deep within the shadows of the forest...

Srinivasulu had stood over the battered, bleeding body of the real Ren.

"Well, Ren!" Srinivasulu said as he walked up to him, reaching into the fallen hero's jacket and pulling out the three transformation cards.

"I'll be taking these along with your identity," Srinivasulu said with a smirk.

Ren had coughed weakly, his eyes half-open as he glared up at Srinivasulu.

"Take them... it won't matter. No one can use those powers except me."

Srinivasulu had let out a hearty laugh.

"Did I ever say I planned on using them in battle? One day, your friends might get suspicious and start asking tricky questions. These three cards will make the perfect cover story."

Ren had closed his eyes with a bitter breath.

"I hate to admit it... but you plan ahead for everything, don't you?"

"Smart, right?" Srinivasulu chuckled.

"That's how Srinivasulu operates.

"That's called survival, my friend," Srinivasulu had replied proudly.

"Besides, with the divine powers granted to me by Lord Venkateswara, who needs your cards anyway? You saw how easily I crushed you."

End of Flashback

Chief Rai ran his thumb over the glossy finish of the three cards.

"If these three are all you have... why did your powers stop working?"

"I... I honestly don't know, Chief," Srinivasulu stammered, looking away.

"I couldn't channel anything."

Chief Rai nodded slowly, a dark look of realization crossing his face.

"It must have been an external suppression. When I tried to activate my cards, an overwhelming, unknown entity completely blocked my power as well."

Srinivasulu let out a long, quiet breath.

"Yes... exactly, Chief! That must have been it. I felt a massive force completely seal me off."

Chief Rai slipped the three cards back into Srinivasulu's hand, his expression softening with genuine regret.

"Forgive me for grilling you like this right after you woke up, Ren. As Chief, checking everything is my responsibility."

"It's completely fine, Chief. I understand," Srinivasulu replied, tucking the cards back into his pocket.

"Get some rest," Rai said, turning toward the door.

"I'll go grab a bite to eat and check on the perimeter. Don't leave this room until the doctors clear you."

"Understood, Chief," Srinivasulu said with a nod.

Chief Rai pulled open the door and stepped out into the corridor, closing it softly behind him.

Left entirely alone in the silent room, Srinivasulu slumped back against his pillows, staring up at the ceiling.

He wiped a cold bead of sweat from his forehead.

That was way too close... he thought, his chest tight with lingering anxiety.

Then, his gaze drifted toward his hands.

He stared at his fingers.

Why didn't my divine powers work? Did I truly commit a grave sin?

(End of Episode 4 / Chapter 4  Part 1)