CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 45 "VISIT"

Ray picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Rinnnngggg"

"Rinnnnngggg"

No one picked up.

He dialed again, "Rinnnggggg" "Rinnnngggg," but still no answer.

Ray thought, ’Why isn’t he picking up my calls?’ Then, with a sudden idea, he logged into the game. ’Maybe he’s already inside the game.’

[You have logged in.]

Ray then looked at his friend list and saw Rohan’s name, who was still offline. This confused him, so Ray decided to try once more.

[You have logged off]

"Rinnngggg"

"Rinngggggggg"

"Hello!"

A soft, feminine voice came from the other side. Ray recognized it and asked, "Ahana! Is that you?"

"Big brother Ray!" Ahana’s soft voice replied, and even before he could speak further, Ray heard her sobbing.

"Ahana, what’s wrong? Is everything alright?" Ray asked, his voice laced with concern.

"N-no, Big Brother Ray," she choked out between sobs. "It’s brother. Something terrible has happened."

"What about Rohan? Where is he?" Ray pressed, a knot forming in his stomach.

Ahana, trying to control her crying, finally managed to say, "They... they have taken brother to prison!"

"WHAT!" Ray was so shocked that he shot up from his comfy bed.

Ray, trying to keep his voice steady, spoke calmly into the phone. "Ahana, take a deep breath. Try to calm down and speak clearly. Did you just say Rohan is in prison? Is that true?"

Through her continued sobs, Ahana managed to confirm, "Yes, Big Brother Ray! It’s true!"

"How? How did this happen?" Ray demanded, the shock turning into a cold dread.

Ahana’s sobbing intensified, but she forced herself to speak.

"They... they came to the village. A lot of them. They took many people to prison, including Brother who didn’t want to sell our land to those people."

This news hit Ray like a physical blow. "What people, Ahana? And is this related to the problem Rohan was talking about?" he asked, the words tumbling out in a rush.

Ahana’s sobbing intensified. "They took father with them too, almost all the men except the old people and women."

Ray listened carefully as Ahana continued, "They wanted grandfather to sell our land, only then will they release the others."

This was sudden but incredibly shocking news. Ray remembered the same thing happening with the people of Mall Street, including his landlord, Uncle Wush.

"Ahana, do you know who those people are?" Ray asked, his voice tight.

Ahana denied it, saying she didn’t know, except that Uncle Gram, who was the village head, came with those people. He was also the one who arrested the people of the village, and even the police were with them.

Ray took a moment to digest the sad details. "Wait, Ahana," he said, his voice firming with resolve. "Stay calm. I’m coming there now. Tell grandfather to don’t do anything reckless, understand? Just stay put."

He decided to visit Rohan’s village and see if he could help them in any way.

He began packing his belongings, including his headset. After that, he booked a cab and left the penthouse, thinking, ’I need a car for myself.’

Once he boarded the cab, Ray pulled out his phone, his fingers scrolling through the current forum of the game.

He barely registered the usual chatter; the threads hadn’t changed much in a couple of days, still the same discussions of the masked car dealer and the guilds.

He leaned back against the worn seat of the cab, "Rohan, you idiot," he muttered under his breath, clenching his jaw.

"Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me what was happening?"

A surge of frustration mixed with deep worry washed over him.

He had always seen Rohan as strong, capable, but this... this was beyond anything he’d imagined. And the worst part was, he hadn’t known. He hadn’t been there.

Then, a new, more unsettling question began to surface, a chilling realization that connected disparate events.

"First the mall streets," he thought aloud, the words barely audible. "My landlord, Uncle... forced out, property taken. Now Rohan’s village, people imprisoned for not selling their land."

He ran a hand through his hair; his brow furrowed in confusion and growing anger. "What the hell is actually going on?"

His voice laced with disbelief. "Why are the authorities letting this happen? Why is no one stopping them? It’s like... it’s like these people can just do whatever they want, and no one cares."

He had to get to Rohan’s village, and he had to find out the truth.

Rohan lived in a remote village, and the journey took over six hours.

As the cab drove deeper into the countryside, a grim sight unfolded before Ray’s eyes. ’What the hell is going on here?’

Ray thought, staring at the growing number of massive machines, dozers, and vehicles lining the route.

Finally, the cab pulled to a stop in front of a two-story building. Ray got out, paid the driver, and began walking toward the house, with a sense of unease in his chest.

"Knock, knock,"

Ray rapped on the door but no one answered.

He knocked again, a little louder this time, and after a moment, a young girl, no older than fifteen, cautiously opened it.

"Ahana!" Ray exclaimed, relief washing over him.

Ahana’s eyes widened in surprise, and then, as if the sight of him only intensified her grief, she burst into fresh sobs.

The tears streamed down her face, undoubtedly fuelled by the painful reminder of her brother, Rohan unjustifiable imprisonment.

"Ahana, who’s at the door? Tell them we’re still thinking about it," an old, reedy voice called from inside the house.

"Grandfather, it’s Big Brother Ray, not those people," Ahana managed to say between sniffles.

"Ray?" The old man’s eyes, clouded with age and worry, focused on Ray.

He stared for a moment, then a flicker of recognition sparked in their depths. "Ray!" he repeated, a mix of surprise and desperation in his tone.

He wasn’t expecting Ray to visit at such a difficult time, nor had Ahana told him about her conversation.

"Hello, Grandfather, remember me?" Ray asked, his voice soft.

The old man nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on Ray. "How can I not? I remember you visiting the house with my Rohan."

His tone fell silent at the end, a heavy sorrow settling over his words.

The old man’s son and his grandson, both taken forcefully and imprisoned because they raised their voices against the injustice.

Now, a deep regret etched itself onto the old man’s face. He believed if he had agreed to sell his land and moved out to the city, then maybe they wouldn’t be going through such a hard time.