Karthik, still reeling from Harry's display of power, stood in shock. He was trying to process the incredible ritual he had just witnessed when a finger snapped in front of his face.
"Hey, kiddo, are you still with us?" Harry asked, a wry smile on his lips.
"I'm fine," Karthik mumbled, still a bit dazed. Then, his voice gaining strength, he blurted out, "You are amazing, Mr. Harry!"
Harry looked surprised by the sudden compliment. He cleared his throat. "Well," he said, puffing out his chest a little, "as long as your heart is pure and your will to save people is real, ghosts can't stand in your way."
It was just a simple line, but to Karthik, who had faced a real ghost twice and only managed to run both times, those words hit deep. They gave him a true feeling of trust and respect for Harry, who seemed to do what Karthik could only dream of, and do it every single day.
Karthik quickly gathered his courage. "Mr. Harry," he asked, his voice full of hope, "can I join Light in the Shadow?"
Harry looked confused by the sudden request. He thought for a few seconds, scratching his chin. "Kiddo, what's your age?"
"I'm fifteen," Karthik replied, eager.
After hearing Karthik's age, Harry swiftly shook his head. "No," he said firmly.
But Karthik wasn't about to let this chance slip away. "Please, Mr. Harry! I really need to learn! I'll do anything!" he begged, pouring all his desperation into his words. Harry kept saying no, but he couldn't ignore the deep need in Karthik's eyes—the same desperate look he remembered having as a kid himself.
Finally, Harry sighed and gave in. "Alright," he said. "I'll let you join, but only if your parents agree to it."
Karthik tried to protest. "My father won't allow it! He's a priest, but he's just an ordinary one. He doesn't even believe in ghosts, and he certainly won't believe an organization he's never heard of can handle them!"
Harry was firm, cutting off Karthik's protest. "Look, kid, this is a dangerous job. I can't let a minor get involved without proper consent. I'm already making a huge exception because of how desperate you are. I at least need your parents' permission before I take you in. So stop whining." As much as Karthik wanted to argue, he knew Harry was right. Dealing with ghosts was dangerous, and Harry couldn't simply put a kid's life at risk without his family knowing.
Karthik, unable to argue further, accepted the condition. But he still had one more urgent request. He stopped his protesting and just asked, "Then, Mr. Harry, will you at least help me with the ghost in the graveyard in our town?"
Karthik told Harry everything: about the cemetery, the terrifying figure, the screams, and the strange chant. He pleaded for help. But Harry just shook his head again. "No."
Karthik was stunned. How could a man like Harry, so powerful and dedicated to saving people, refuse a matter that threatened his life? "Why?" Karthik asked, his voice trembling with shock. "Why won't you help me?"
Harry explained patiently, "Well, for starters, kiddo, if you'd truly encountered a ghost, there would be traces of its energy on you. You have none. Don't argue that it's been a long time—ghost traces always stick; you can't just wash them off. So, whatever you saw was likely just your imagination running wild in fear because you stayed out late."
Harry's words hit Karthik like a truck. He was a ghost expert, after all. Karthik couldn't speak. His entire body numb with shock and disbelief, he ran out of the building and headed straight for the bus stop. After sitting there for a long while, trying to process everything, he boarded a bus and went home.
After Karthik left, Harry stood there for a moment, still processing the sudden outburst. Karthik had run out the front door in a daze. A few minutes later, the couple who had attended the class with Karthik approached Harry. They had a short, hushed talk with him and then left.
Karthik arrived home, still utterly confused and devastated. His only hope, Harry, had called his worst fears just "imagination." Several days passed, and Karthik struggled with the crushing doubt. He felt isolated and alone, his sanity in question. He finally decided he had no choice but to tell everything to his father and get his permission to join "LIGHT IN THE SHADOW."
One evening, he sat outside, waiting for his father to come home. As soon as his father arrived, Karthik stood up. "Appa, I need to talk to you." His father agreed, his face serious, and they went to a quiet spot. There, Karthik confessed everything: the ghost, his nightmares, his fears, and his desire to join "Light in the Shadow."
His father listened to Karthik's story, piecing together why his son had been so on edge lately. But when Karthik finished, his father firmly said no. He, too, insisted that it was all just Karthik's imagination. Karthik was left alone again, feeling more lonely than ever. With both his hero and his father dismissing his experience, he himself began to question his own sanity.