Recap:
Ved awakened something ancient inside him — fire born from will, triggered by danger, tied to a forgotten manuscript. But it's only the beginning.
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The flames danced in his palm, alive but silent.
Ved didn't know what frightened him more — the fact that it wasn't burning him… or the fact that it felt good. Natural. Like something long-forgotten had just remembered him.
He clenched his fist. The flame disappeared, leaving a faint scorch mark on his skin.
What the hell was that?
He looked back at the burning mandir. The fire had spread unnaturally fast, devouring the stone walls like dry leaves. But still, there was no smoke. And no heat reached him. That wasn't normal.
From the shadows behind the ruined pillar, a figure stepped out — bare feet, ash-covered robes, eyes that glowed with a dim golden light.
"You touched the First Verse," the man said. "Didn't you?"
Ved blinked. "What?"
"The manuscript," the man replied, stepping closer. "The one you found behind the library ruins. It wasn't meant for you. Yet… it chose you."
Ved's mind raced. "Who are you?"
"I am Agnira," the man said, voice as steady as stone. "Guardian of the Deva Code."
Before Ved could respond, the ground trembled — not a quake, but like a heartbeat. Boom. Boom. Boom. The sky above flashed, clouds swirling unnaturally.
Agnira narrowed his eyes. "They've sensed it. You activated the Verse, and now they're coming."
"Who's coming?" Ved backed away.
Agnira didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small metallic orb, inscribed with glowing Sanskrit runes.
"Listen, boy. You've awakened a Pralayan strain. Your blood now echoes with the code written by the ancient Rishis — forgotten by man, guarded by few, desired by all."
Ved stared at him. "I didn't ask for any of this."
Agnira gave a half-smile. "No one ever does. Destiny isn't polite."
He tossed the orb toward Ved. It hovered mid-air, then shot a beam into Ved's forehead.
Pain lanced through his mind — visions flooded in:
Scrolls made of light, floating over a stone temple…
Warriors with burning tattoos, leaping through cities mid-air…
A giant creature, part-machine, part-beast, ripping through Mumbai like paper…
A name whispered in a hundred voices: Pralayans.
Then, blackness.
---
Ved woke up gasping.
He was in an abandoned train station. The sky outside had turned crimson.
Agnira sat nearby, watching him.
"You blacked out. First time is always hard," he said. "Your mind is syncing with the Code. You'll see more soon. Feel more. But for now… you need to choose."
"Choose what?"
"To survive… or to hide."
Ved stood up slowly. "I don't want any of this."
"You think I did?" Agnira snapped. "You think the girl in Kolkata with thunder in her lungs wanted it? Or the blind boy in Varanasi who hears minds?"
Ved's eyes widened.
"You're not alone," Agnira said. "There are others like you. Hidden. Waiting. But if you stay ordinary, the Hunters will find you. And they don't ask questions."
A cold wind blew in.
Ved looked down at his hands — and for a second, the fire sparked again.
This time, he didn't flinch.
---
The Deva Code has awakened… but what price will Ved pay for power?
Would you choose to unlock forbidden power, or walk away?