"Hello..? Mr. Asura, can you come to the hospital?

"Sir? Hello..? Can you hear me?"

My mind was completely blank to think about anything. I couldn't hear or feel anything at all. An air of melancholy surrounded me.

Mom's dead? Even though it was a completely shocking disclosure. It felt like it was imminent, inevitable. I just didn't notice it coming. Guilt and ignorance changed into despair and it began to feast on my soul. My eyes welled up as I held back my tears.

There's no way she would die and leave me alone. She was doing fine till yesterday. Just eating unhealthy food and overworking won't kill you. In the demon realm, the main cause of death was either extreme blood loss or getting evaporated by a mana blast. Yeah, that's right. When I reach the hospital, she will be alright, with a smile on her face as usual.

I immediately stepped out and started running in the direction of the hospital. How dumb can she be? Not taking her meds. What is the meaning of having an easy life when she is not a part of it? I don't care about the stupid exam. I will get a part-time job and support her.

Upon reaching the hospital, I rushed in through the gates to the reception area. "Wh..where is my Mom? Amvi Singh, where is she?" I was put out of breath as fear slowly clawed up my throat.

"Warden no. 37," she said with a startled look on her face. Maybe she found it weird that I was smiling. I just wanted to see mom and take her home with me. I ran through the passage and saw a door with 37 written over it. I barged inside. The room was dark, dimly illuminated by a single light in the center of the ceiling. There was no one inside. No nurse or doctor looking after her. Her whole body was completely covered by a bedsheet from head to toe.

"Mom…?" There was no response.

I lifted the sheet, uncovering her face. Her skin had turned bluish-grey and her face was shrunken. She was completely still.

"Mom. Mom." I shook her, grabbing her shoulders. Cold. Her skin was stiff and freezing.

"Asura " I was pleased to hear a familiar voice. It was Dr. Virendra standing at the door.

"Doctor, she passed out again. Give her the injection. Wake her up." He stood silently, looking at me with eyes filled with pity.

"Why aren't you doing anything?" I grabbed his apron by the collar and yelled at him, "Do Something!"

"I am sorry Asura. Your mom is not with us anymore. There's nothing I can do about it." The doctor said in a gentle tone.

"Rubbish! You saw her yesterday, right? She was all smiling and doing just fine. She said it herself." I pulled him by his collar.

"That was all an act!" He raised his voice, "Everything she said was a lie."

"Lie...?" My grip on his collar loosened up, "What are you talking about?"

He straightened his apron and adjusted his collar. "Your mother lied to you. She wasn't fine. She couldn't have been further from being healthy. She was suffering from coronary atherosclerosis."

"What?" She was enduring such a serious illness and never let it show. Maybe it was me who never paid attention.

"Her condition wasn't that severe. Her lifestyle was what made it worse. Over exhausting herself with two continuous shifts with no rest, cheap high cholesterol junk food and most important of all not undergoing treatment or medication."

"S..she never said anything to me." I was out of words.

"She hid it from you because she knew that you would either stop her or quit college to support her. She even stopped taking palliative drugs to save money." She gave me all the money for buying books instead of the meds. My legs lost all strength and I collapsed on the floor.

"Why?" Tears started pouring down my cheeks. Everything I have been holding inside since the call, came gushing out through my eyes. It was painful. I could feel my heart cramping.

"Whhyyy?" I cried out, "Why would she go to such lengths?"

The doctor opened the door and stepped outside but stopped halfway on the passage, "Before I go and let you mourn. Your mother has life insurance in her name which should cover all of the remaining college fees. She could go through all that suffering while keeping a smile on her face because she knew that her efforts won't be in vain and will give you a better chance at life." With that, the doctor left.

Everything she did was for me? I was sitting alone on the floor in the dimly lit room and my eyes were swollen from crying.

I thought back to everything she did and said to me during these last couple of days I had spent with her. Her notes next to the breakfast every morning and the things she said when I laid on her comforting lap as she applied ointment to my bruised cheeks. I realized that I knew the answer to the why all along.

I clenched my fists tight as I looked straight ahead with my eyes filled with resolve. I screamed out loud as my voice cracked,

"I don't care that there are other ways to attain an easy life.

I don't care how many attempts it will take me or the number of hardships I will have to go through.

I Don't Care if this is the most difficult thing in the universe,

I AM GONNA PASS THIS FUCKING EXAM!"