By the time Shaad & Liffeni reached the outskirts of the village, it’s already too late. They could smell the blood in the air, and an uncomfortable atmosphere encapsulated the whole area. 

Shaad called Liffeni as he’s giving her an important task. 

"Do me a favor once more, Liffeni. There’s probably still have more humans in there. I can’t to go near there, because I could’ve further evoke more human casualty. You better get in quick, Liffeni. and report me about what you see. But if you can, try reason them to leave the village. We’ll rendezvous at the nearby woods here."

"Y-Yes king Shaad. I’ll try my best."

Going down the route towards the main entrance of the village, came the inevitable reality. What Liffeni saw freaked the living hell out of her. 

"No-no-no… That.. is not hunting… that is just…"

The floor glimmered with ‘red stains’, it almost made a river out of it. Following the path into the village, the street was scattered with human corpses. The women… the children… 

It was a bloody human massacre. 

The sunset had never been redder. 

It was Kaal who did most of the killings, while Chee-Ya assisted him and attack anyone who flees. So far no villagers outside had escaped the wrath of the two predators. Most survived villagers were hiding inside their houses, petrified. 

"KAAL!" Liffeni shouted as she ran into the scene. 

"Please Kaal– come with us at once. The human enforcers are very powerful and they could come in any minutes!"

"It’s too late now, little cat. I don’t care. Now run along."

"I…I can’t take this anymore–"

Suddenly Chee-Ya took a stand for himself. Standing aside Liffeni, he felt sick and obviously had lost the will to continue and wanted to leave this place of horror. He always thought of his best friend as a cheerful fun-loving pal , but never thought of him had becaming like this… a monster. 

Liffeni continued to confront the tiger. She had to do it. 

"Kaal you idiot! Don’t you think you had enough of your killings? Go to our king, we can talk things out, he’ll know what to do. Do you even know that our king cares about you, he’s like a father to you, Kaal!"

"He is NOT my father, cat! And we had enough talk! He did nothing but humiliate me! But… he is right about one thing: I was too weak to "step up" my game, now I know how GREAT it is to be ‘strong’! Guess I have to thank him for that."

"No, that’s not true–"

"Stop bugging me cat, or I’m going to EAT YOU UP! SCRAM!!"

 
Liffeni was stunned by the tiger’s loud roar. She couldn’t do anything with the rabid beast. Reasoning had no use on him anymore. The menacing tiger climbed up into one tall pile of human bodies, like a twisted version of his own "pedestal", and spoke. 

"See Shaad! Humans are just puny! You made that rule because you’re afraid of them! Well, I’m not! I am GREATER than you and I declare myself as the strongest of all meat-eaters! From now on, humans will be the new ‘favorites’ in our food-chain!"

The village was in such calamity, where the beasts roamed around the streets. 

So far it’s been a one-sided victory, but not until now. 

A big black truck arrived at the scene. On the back of the truck stood many men armed with rifles. They were ready to shoot-to-kill. 

"Run! It’s the hunters!" Liffeni screamed.

BANG! BANG! 

 
Dirt particles burst in front of Chee-Ya, along with the loud gunshot noise. Chee-Ya jumped like a frightened cat and quickly took cover with any shades he could find. 

It was so alien to them, the rifle shots, yet they knew how horrifying the impact was. They knew they’re in deep-deep trouble. 

"Run! Runaway Kaal! ‛ shouted Chee-Ya. 

"Run? Run? No!! I’m sick and tired of being the weak one, now that I’ve fully awaken to my full potential, you’re not going to stop me, humans!"

Then, Kaal dashed to the hunters fearlessly. 

"Come on! Big guy! Quickly!" Liffeni called Chee-Ya to retreat with her, after failed to persuade the stubborn tiger. 

"No… my friend is out there, I…I must help him!"

Even though Chee-Ya had said so, he couldn’t shook out the fear and his own cowardliness. his knees are jerking wildly, and his words are trembling. He feared for his best friend, yet also feared for his own life.

By force and persuasion, Liffeni somehow managed to bring the emotionally-shaken Chee-Ya out of the village. 

Meanwhile, the men keep firing at the approaching beast, but they just couldn’t able to neutralize their fast moving target. Like a fearless animal, Kaal speared into the human group, causing major panic and spreading out among the hunters. Even though they are skilled hunters, they’re all startled and unable to attack but to get away. Many were injured, yet these men were hardly mere civilians and were showing resilience. Kaal had clawed his way out of the crowd, as he knew he could not take on so many hunters at the same time. He needed to find a ‘gap’ for his next attack.

In that tight situation, Kaal noticed a hiding spot and ran towards it. 

BANG! 

"GROWL!!"

 
Kaal yelped as a bullet shot through his back leg. The pain was excruciating, something Kaal had never experienced.

That thing– the thing the hunter held, was dangerous! 

Successfully, the tiger was able to slip into a dark corner and made it slipped past their radars. He couldn’t get inside the houses as they’re mostly locked, and there’s little place to hide because the hunters were scatted around looking for him. 

For the first time he tasted FEAR. 

He got to know how it felt to be like the non-meat eater he once chased. Kaal was being brought back to reality. He now clearly realized he was– the hunted. 

He now knew that: what failed him, was not his self-ability, nor his luck; It was his ‘naive’-ness, the naiveness of thinking there’s no bigger opponents than himself. 

His pride got the better of him. 

BANG!

"ARGH!" 

A shot went into Kaal’s abdomen, and Kaal fell to the ground. 

Badly wounded, the tiger couldn’t run no more. Soon, the tiger found himself surrounded by hunters, with all the guns pointed to his face. 

Everything seemed to pause at this very moment. 

At this rate, any animal would know and panicked as they’ve being pushed to their dooms. For Kaal, it was the reverse. The calmness was so unexpectedly present Kaal couldn’t understand. he was never more clear-minded than he was now.

As Kaal look at them in the eyes for the first time: his big topaz eyes radiated a different glow, it was not the eyes of a rabid beast, it was the eye of Kaal he used to be.
 

There’s no more resistance. 

Everything he fought against, everything he angried about, was nothing at all. There’s no more hatred, jealousy, and pride...

Just plain old Kaal. 

Strange. 

How strange it had to be this way.

It had to be this way for him to finally understand. 

BANG-BANG! 

BANG-BANG! 

BANG-BANG-BANG!!! 

A symphony of rifles broke away the momentary silence, and the loud noise echoed through the land. 

Chee-Ya & Liffeni had been out and arrived at the rendezvous point in safety. Even without witnessing, the leopard knew the friend he had was now gone. Too much to hold in, he fell down and cried, underneath the red sunset. 

The lion looked at the village people coming out from their houses, and gathered around the spot where Kaal descended. Fortunately, the hunters did not continued to search for the others outside the village. 

Shaad shook his head in despair, as he knew the fate of the his fellow tiger. 

The village was saved,
And the monster was killed. 

"Farewell, my son."

This were Shaad’s last words to Kaal, for he had nothing else to say. Grief had choked on his words. 

Three silent silhouettes stayed and mourned under the red sky. It was as if they’re waiting for something before they could leave eventually… 

The last beam of sunlight spread across the jungle before the night. It shines the same color of the orange-red fur. This was the final glow. 

The last reminiscence of Kaal. 

The End.