Driven into ignominious flight after the shattering of his armies, Afrasiab roamed the earth without sleep or sustenance, shadowed perpetually by the terrifying spectre of Iran's vengeance. Desperate to preserve his life, he sought sanctuary in the absolute wilderness. Near the region of Barda, high upon a sheer mountain peak untouched by the wings of falcons or the tracks of wild beasts, lay the cavern known as Hang. There, in that cold stone fortress, the broken tyrant secreted himself, mourning his vanished glory and reflecting bitterly upon his past deeds.
Yet upon that same mountain dwelt a holy ascetic named Hum, a righteous man of the ancient lineage of Fereydun. Clad in simple wool, Hum had renounced worldly joys, devoting his days to prayer far from the haunts of men. In the quiet darkness of the night, a voice broken by weeping echoed through the gorges—a lamentation in the Turkic tongue, mourning lost crowns, dispersed legions, and shattered majesty. Ceasing his devotions, Hum realized that none save Afrasiab could utter such agonizing laments. Guided by divine purpose, he descended the mountain pathways into the dark mouth of Hang.
Like a raging lion, Hum confronted the fallen king and unbound the woven girdle he wore in place of a sacred cord. With swift strength, he lashed Afrasiab's arms securely and dragged him out of the cave. Trapped and humiliated, Afrasiab began to weep, invoking the almighty Yazdan and the terror of the Day of Judgment. He pleaded his descent from noble Fereydun and blamed the cold turnings of Fate for driving him to wickedness. Hum rebuked him fiercely, listing his monstrous crimes—the murder of his own brother Aghriras, the slaying of King Nowzar, and the martyrdom of innocent Siyavash—reminding him that his ultimate doom lay in the hands of Kay Khosrow.
Yet as the bound monarch continued to wail in helpless misery, Hum's devout heart was wrung with pity. Softened by the tears of the ruined king, Hum slackened the tension of the royal lasso. Sensing the loosened bond in an instant, Afrasiab twisted violently out of Hum's grasp, threw himself headlong into the deep waters below, and vanished into the shadowy abyss.