Chapter 1
# Chapter 1 — The Boy Nobody Knew
Rain fell over the kingdom.
Not the gentle kind.
It came down heavily, turning the streets into rivers of mud and filling the narrow alleys with cold water.
At the end of one such alley stood a tiny rented room.
Inside lived a young man who owned almost nothing.
No family.
No friends.
No influence.
And no money.
He sat silently on the floor while rainwater slowly entered through the cracks beneath the door.
His stomach was empty.
His rent was overdue.
And he had nothing left to give his landlord.
Then came a violent knock.
**BANG! BANG! BANG!**
"Open the door!"
The boy knew that voice.
His landlord.
He slowly opened the door.
The landlord stood there, staring at him with disgust.
"Where is my rent?"
The boy lowered his eyes.
"I don't have it."
The landlord's expression immediately changed.
"You don't have it?"
"I'll pay you when I can."
The landlord laughed.
"People like you always say that."
He grabbed the boy's few belongings and threw them into the street.
The boy tried to stop him.
"Please..."
"Enough."
The landlord pointed outside.
"Get out."
The boy stood in the doorway.
The landlord looked him up and down.
"You have nothing. Nobody will help you."
The boy said nothing.
He simply stepped into the rain.
The door slammed behind him.
**BANG!**
He looked at the few belongings lying in the mud.
Then he looked toward the mountains.
The mountains were enormous.
Their peaks disappeared into the clouds.
Some were covered in snow.
Some contained enormous caves.
And deep inside those mountains were the kingdom's famous gold mines.
The boy had heard stories about them.
People who entered came back exhausted.
Some never came back at all.
But he had no choice.
He started walking.
---
## THE GOLD MINES
By sunset, he reached the mining region.
The workers looked at him.
Nobody asked his name.
Nobody cared.
One worker pointed toward the mountain.
"Work."
The boy nodded.
He was taken toward the mine.
A thick collar was placed around him.
A chain was attached.
Then the workers pulled him upward.
The journey itself was painful.
The mountain was steep.
The collar pressed against his neck.
The cold wind struck his face.
But he kept climbing.
Inside the mountain, the darkness became complete.
Torches burned along the walls.
The boy was sent deeper into the caves.
He worked for hours.
Breaking rocks.
Carrying stones.
Searching for gold.
Every piece of gold he found was taken from him.
He received no respect.
No kindness.
No thanks.
Only orders.
"Faster."
"Keep working."
"Don't stop."
The boy continued.
Eventually, the workers discovered enough gold.
They took it away.
Then they brought the boy back down.
He waited for his payment.
A worker tossed a single coin toward him.
The coin fell into the dirt.
**CLINK.**
The boy picked it up.
₹5.
That was his entire payment.
He stared at it.
Five rupees.
After everything.
He closed his hand around the coin.
And walked away.
---
## THE HOTEL
Later that night, he reached a small hotel.
The smell of hot food filled the street.
He stood outside.
He couldn't afford anything.
Inside, people were eating comfortably.
The boy remained at the entrance.
A hotel employee noticed him.
Unlike the owner, the employee didn't immediately chase him away.
The employee quietly collected some leftover food.
"Here."
The boy looked at him.
"For me?"
The employee nodded.
"It's leftover."
The boy accepted it.
He sat outside and ate.
Nobody invited him inside.
Nobody spoke to him like an equal.
But for those few minutes, he was able to eat.
When he finished, he quietly said,
"Thank you."
The employee nodded.
The boy walked away.
---
## THE LAST RUPEE
He returned to his landlord.
He had almost nothing left.
He held out one rupee.
"I can give you this now."
The landlord stared at the coin.
Then at him.
"One rupee?"
The boy nodded.
"I'll pay the rest later."
The landlord pushed his hand away.
"You think one rupee makes you equal to everyone else?"
The boy said nothing.
The landlord pointed toward the street.
"Leave."
The boy turned around.
He walked away without arguing.
Nobody stopped him.
Nobody cared.
Because in this kingdom, a poor man was invisible.
---
## THE VOID DRESS
That night, the boy reached an abandoned place outside the town.
Hidden beneath his ordinary clothes was something he had kept for a long time.
A strange black garment.
The **Void Dress**.
It was not simply clothing.
It represented **purity**.
No royal symbol.
No family crest.
No wealth.
No status.
Only emptiness.
The boy put it on.
The dark fabric covered his body.
His face remained hidden.
He looked completely different.
Not like a starving worker.
Not like a homeless boy.
But like someone who belonged to the shadows.
Yet nobody in the kingdom knew who he was.
To everyone else, he was simply an unknown figure.
Only one person knew his true identity.
The King's Minister.
And the minister had given him one name.
**Assassin.**
Not because the kingdom knew him.
Not because he had a reputation.
But because the minister alone understood what the boy was capable of.
The boy stepped into the darkness.
He had no idea what awaited him.
He only knew one thing:
The King's Minister wanted to see him.
So he began walking toward the royal city.
The rain continued falling behind him.
His ₹5 coin remained clenched in his hand.
And somewhere beyond the palace walls...
**the minister was waiting for Assassin.**
**End of Chapter 1.**
