The story “KEIBU KEIOIBA: The Guardian in the Mist” recounts the origin of Keibu Keioiba, who was once the respected village priest Kabui Salang Maiba. Driven by a proud ambition to save his people from sickness, he performed a forbidden ritual to gain the power of a tiger, which backfired, leaving him with a man’s body and a tiger’s head—a monster trapped between worlds. He was forced to live in the shadows, feared by the villagers near Loktak Lake, including the young boy Chinglen. Years later, when a cruel, savage tiger threatens the village, Keibu Keioiba honors his old promise. Using his cunning and strength, he defeats the savage tiger without killing it, saving his people and confirming his role as their lonely protector and guardian in the mist.