“Remember; focus!” said Ember, its voice faint and distant. Those words barely registered in Aadi’s mind, as he was completely focused on the sight before him. The red haze oppressed the corners of his vision deeply, forcing him to pay attention to the brawl before him, whether he wanted to or not. Flint’s form lunged at Shan’s and the two fought. The former had the upper hand from the get-go and seeing his friend pummelled wrenched Aadi’s heart. His emotions overwhelmed him and he tried to rush to Shan’s aid.

Try as he might, he couldn’t move. Aadi had no arms, legs, or body here. In this world of Flint’s soul, shaped and dominated by the dark, bloody facet, fuelled by the Unflinching’s undying desire for vengeance, he had no agency. He heard Flint’s voice, saturated with evil, laugh menacingly as Shan’s form was mercilessly beaten to death. Here, in this world of Flint’s soul, he couldn’t even shed tears. Sorrow swelled inside Aadi like an unstoppable tide. Every dam has its breaking point. Shan’s form dematerialised, leaving Flint standing victoriously.

Aadi’s dam broke! A rage rivalling the Unflinching’s rose within him. The deep red haze clouded his vision, yet he aimed a fist unerringly at Flint’s form. He suddenly had an arm to punch with and Aadi used it! He didn’t know how and he didn’t know why; he didn’t care either. His fist whipped towards his enemy’s shape, fuelled by his rage and overwhelming sorrow. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he imagined he heard a voice shout, “Remember; focus!” It didn’t matter. Not right now. Unfortunately for Aadi, neither did his punch. His fist sailed through the space where Flint’s form had stood, connecting with nothing but air. Red mist parted around his fist and then, almost immediately coalesced.

Aadi felt an emptiness inside him as his attack failed, followed by a surge of frustration. His anger fed off it and he felt himself carried forward, urged by his fury to lash out. There was no one to focus on, however. He simply moved forward into the red haze, further and further. Somewhere in his mind, he thought he ought to stop. Somewhere in his mind, he felt his actions were pointless. What would blind fury gain him? What was he even doing here? He couldn’t control himself, though. His rage directed his motions and he felt himself distant from himself. It was an unusually warm feeling, the heat that he felt fed by his overwhelming emotion. It permeated his entire self and Aadi was very uncomfortable. There was nothing he could do to stop.

Flint’s vicious laughter echoed all over and Aadi thought it was growing louder! As he moved about his environment aimlessly, the laughter morphed into a terrible voice. It yelled, “Take revenge!” Aadi’s fury grew at those words and he found himself inexplicably turning towards a particular direction. Ahead of him, two silhouettes materialised and rapidly took human forms. The one on the right was clearly Flint, but Aadi’s eyes snapped to the human on the left. He didn’t have a mouth to shout, “Appa,” out, but that word broke through the anger that had taken control of him. His vision cleared for a moment as he beheld his father, Viraat with his very eyes. In disbelief, he froze and stared as his father and Aaron Flint faced each other.

The next moment, his wrath returned two-fold and crushed him with intense pressure. Flint had rushed forward and with his evil voice echoing in the background, proceeded to pummel Viraat ceaselessly! Aadi remembered the force of his enemy’s blows all too well. Witnessing his father being inflicted with similar suffering incensed him beyond words. His vision was entirely consumed by the red haze, now. A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind and he was unable to focus on any of them. Blind fury propelled him onward as he aimed a wild fist at Flint. He had to stop the Unflinching. He had to save his father. He had to kill his enemy.

“Kill!” echoed the evil voice again. Aadi’s fist flew towards Flint and the next instant, passed through empty air! He managed to maintain his balance and uttered a cry of rage. He twisted his body left and right, searching for his foe. There, a little further ahead, were Flint and Viraat. Aadi didn’t pause to wonder how the two had moved there. He launched himself off his left foot, aiming a right kick at Flint. The attack should have connected. His aim was excellent. Unfortunately, it was also in vain. He kicked hazy air and fell on the ground. Without even stopping to take a breath, Aadi leapt to his feet and sought Flint once more.

“Take revenge!” the Unflinching’s voice echoed everywhere. Aadi’s blood boiled as those words reverberated through him. “Aadi,” whispered a voice in the back of his mind. It barely registered and he looked everywhere for Flint, like a wild animal. Presently, he found his target. A short distance away from him stood Flint, attacking Viraat. Aadi yelled in frustration and anguish, and ran straight towards the Unflinching. This time, he didn’t even punch or kick but used his shoulder to ram his foe. His body barrelled into Flint. Just as he felt it connect, Aadi continued running straight through and tumbled to the ground. He shouted at no one and everyone, the heat of his anger radiating from his body. His throat was parched and he yearned for the cooling grace of water. All he received were the blaring exhortations of the evil voice, “Kill! Take revenge!”

Aadi ached all over, his muscles spasmed, and his head hurt severely. He was barely able to form a thought, yet he found himself rising to his feet. Through his bloody haze-filled vision, he saw his feet. Instead of leather boots, however, they were clad in greaves and sabatons! His eyes moved to his arms and there, he saw a pair of metal gauntlets. “Kill,” roared the evil voice and Aadi’s eyes shifted to the target in front of him. It was his father! A part of him recoiled as he felt his hand draw back, preparing to punch Viraat’s figure. The horror filling him allowed Aadi to exert a modicum of control over his body. He tried his utmost to lower his hand, trying to stop his attack. His efforts were in vain, however. With his arm fully drawn back, he watched aghast as his fist lunged towards his father!

Just then, a sweet, gentle voice whispered in Aadi’s ear, “If you went looking for Vir, you’d just get lost yourself.” His fist had already crossed halfway towards his father, a powerful punch imminent. But that punch never arrived. Viraat’s form gazed at Aadi, as his son stood transfixed with his eyes wide open! The rage that had engulfed and controlled him vanished as if it had never existed. Aadi’s mind was blank as those gentle words echoed in his ears. His mother’s image gradually solidified in his vision and her loving smile quenched the heat that tormented him. She said again, “If you went looking for Vir, you’d just get lost yourself.” Aadi’s lips moved of their own accord, “I’ll lose myself. Then, what should I do?”

Suddenly, another voice said, “Remember, Aadi!” It was the same voice that had tried to reach him several times before. Now, Aadi heard it loud and clear. He focused on it and realised whom the voice belonged to. “Ember!” he exclaimed and the stone said once more, “Remember your purpose. Why are you here?” The red haze around Aadi retreated as a dim, blue light encompassed his frame. Flint’s evil voice roared, but Aadi ignored it entirely, easily. “Why am I here?” he asked himself and a series of images ran across his mind. The woodcutter, his wife, and his daughter. The law keeper, his thugs, and the house on the outskirts of a town. It had all happened a long, long time ago. “And I am here to change it,” said Aadi firmly; the blue light around him shone brighter.

“This is as much as I can do,” said Ember, its voice growing faint, “The rest is up to you, Aadi.” He concentrated all his thoughts on Ember and said slowly and clearly, “I’ll get it done.” The stone didn’t reply. The blue light around Aadi faded away and he sensed the red haze – the blood facet of Flint’s soul – closing in on him. He heard Flint’s voice roar again, louder than before, “Take your revenge! Kill for your family! Kill!” Aadi smiled lopsidedly and said, “No.” The evil voice shouted repeatedly, but he ignored it with relative ease. He remembered his mother’s voice and Ember’s too. They were like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Their succour gave him strength. His mother’s words protected him from the blood rage. Ember’s strengthened his focus.

Aadi concentrated as hard as he could. His purpose was everything here. Aaron Flint’s family formed the core of his memory, Ember’s memory, that had to be altered. The house on the outskirts of town was his destination. The law keeper and his coterie’s visit was when he would intervene. Aadi remembered these factors and focused on them as hard as he could. Despite the evil voice roaring all around him, he was able to push it to the background. The memory of that fateful day, when Flint’s family was brutally murdered, solidified in Aadi’s mind vividly. Suddenly, directly in front of him, the red haze parted and the empty space formed a path that led directly forward. There was no light to guide him and the way appeared to stretch endlessly. Instinctively, he hesitated for a moment and Flint’s voice attempted to take advantage of it.

“Fight! For your family, fight!” said that evil, “Take revenge! Vengeance for your father!” Aadi shook his head and gathered his courage about him. This was no time to dither. “Let’s go thither,” he remarked and sprinted into the darkness, straight as a magic stone would fly.