Aryavarta — Kingdom of Endless Legends
The air in Aryavarta hummed with latent power. Here, magic coiled like serpents beneath the soil, chakra flickered in the veins of warriors, and artifacts hummed with forgotten souls. Yet today, my routine at the Awakening Department twisted into something... unexpected.
My name is Ledger, a mid-rank evaluator serving under King Fernando. My duty? To scan young hopefuls for traces of divine attributes—sparks of Qi, chakra, or magic that could elevate them into Aryavarta's elite. Most days, I witnessed mediocrity. Today, I met him.
The Boy Who Radiated Nothing
The headache struck first—a jagged pulse behind my temples, as if the universe itself had hiccuped. Then he walked in.
Nero Almik. Ten years old, bones visible beneath paper-thin skin, eyes hollow as a starless night. No parents accompanied him—a violation of protocol. Yet his presence vibrated, an invisible storm that made my chakra recoil.
"Where are your guardians?" I asked, masking unease with formality.
His voice was a whisper. "My mother is ill. My father... gone."
Sympathy clawed at me. In this prosperous kingdom, how does a child starve? I bent the rules, allowing his Awakening.
The Ritual
He placed a trembling hand on the obsidian altar. I channeled my energy into him, searching for the usual signatures—fire Qi, water chakra, anything. Instead... nothing.
No divine attributes. Not a flicker.
Yet—his soul. Gods above, his soul. It blazed purer than the High Priest's, a diamond amidst coal. But purity meant little on battlefields where monsters tore through flesh.
"I'm sorry," I said, withdrawing. "You have no combat aptitude."
His shoulders slumped. I pressed a pouch of mudras into his palm. "Take this. Return if you need work."
As he left, my superior, Velmin, materialized like a shadow. "Well?"
"A dying boy," I lied. "Malnourished. No threat."
Velmin's smirk curdled my blood. Cult spies are everywhere. Best to keep secrets close.
The King's Command
The next day, I stood before King Fernando in Aehichatrapur—the City of Hidden Cobras. Marble pillars loomed, carved with serpents whose gemstone eyes followed my every move.
"The boy's soul is a relic," I confessed. "Purer than any recorded in the archives."
The king's gaze sharpened. "Become his guardian. Train him as a priest."
Priests. Fragile but essential. Their purifying magic was our only shield against the Abyss Nurturers—entities that devoured armies whole. Yet priests rarely survived battles.
"Your Majesty," I bowed, dread and hope entwined. What have I unleashed?
Ephemeral Shadows
That night, I revisited the ancient texts. The Seven Divine Gates—myths etched into humanity's bones. Gates that granted power to warp reality itself... if one sacrificed everything.
Aadharbuth (Base Gate)
Indrlyoni (Gate of Senses)
Maya (Gate of Illusions)
Imagination's Forge (Gate of Power)
Singularity (Gate of Creation)
Primordial Judgement (Gate of Justice)
The Suffering Ends Here (Gateway to Home)
Legends claimed the Gates demanded a soul untainted by desire, fear, or greed. A soul like Nero's.
Coincidence? I doubted it.
As moonlight bled through my window, I vowed to protect the boy—even if it meant burying truths deeper than the Abyss.