Author POV

The dimly lit underground gym reeked of sweat, blood, and aggression. The air was thick with the sound of fists meeting flesh, the dull thud of gloves striking bodies, and the occasional groan of pain.

Vedant Roy stood in the center of the boxing ring, his bare knuckles coated in blood—not his own. His opponent, a broad-shouldered man nearly twice his size, stumbled back, his lip split open, his eye already swelling shut. But Vedant didn’t stop. He never did.

With a deadly precision, he lunged forward, landing a brutal uppercut to the man’s ribs. A sickening crack echoed through the room as the man gasped, crumpling onto his knees. The crowd that had gathered around the ring watched in silence, knowing better than to interfere.

Vedant’s breathing was steady, controlled. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his dark eyes void of emotion. The man before him was no opponent—just another body to break. Just like all the others.

A slow clap echoed through the gym.

“Damn, Vedant. You really don’t hold back, do you?”

Vedant turned his head to see Mehul and Akshat leaning against the ropes, smirking. The two men had been by his side for years, the only people he could tolerate in the corrupt world he lived in.

“The bastard was too slow,” Vedant muttered, stepping over the unconscious fighter as he exited the ring. He grabbed a towel and wiped the blood off his hands, unfazed by the destruction he had left behind.

Mehul let out a low whistle. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

Akshat chuckled before his expression turned serious. “Your father sent a message. He wants you in the meeting hall in ten minutes.”

At the mention of Uday Roy, something dark flickered in Vedant’s eyes. He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. “So, it’s time.”

Mehul nodded. “The council is gathering. They’re deciding on your final task.”

Vedant didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stared at his reflection in the gym’s mirror, taking in the man he had become. Every scar, every wound, every drop of blood spilled—it had all led him to this moment.

He had spent years proving himself. Every mission, every kill, every order given to him by the Roy Empire, he had followed without hesitation. He had eliminated threats, crushed enemies, and wiped-out entire bloodlines. He had done things no one else could, things that even the most ruthless men in the empire feared to do.

And now, no one could stand in his way.

This was the last task.

And once it was done, he would finally become the king of the Roy Empire.

Then, he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

Including destroying the man who had made him this way.

Vedant’s fingers curled into fists, the memory of his mother’s screams clawing at his mind. Uday had forced him to kill her. The one person who had loved him, who had whispered stories of freedom into his ears when he was just a boy. She had begged him to run, to escape, but there was no escape from Uday Roy. And when the moment came, Vedant had been given a choice—kill her, or die alongside her.

He had chosen survival.

And now, he had one final step before he could take his revenge.

Straightening his shoulders, Vedant threw the towel aside. His bruised knuckles flexed as he stepped past his fallen opponent without a second glance.

“Let’s go,” he muttered.

Mehul and Akshat exchanged a glance but followed without question.

Vedant didn’t need to hear what the final task was.

No matter what they demanded, he would complete it.

Because the throne was already his.

And soon, so would his revenge.