Previously:
Ved awakened ancient power from the Deva Code — but now, something is hunting him. Agnira, a mysterious guardian, gives him a choice: awaken fully or die forgotten.
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The crimson sky hung low like a bad omen.
Ved followed Agnira through the broken outskirts of Mumbai's old sector — once a tech hub, now a ghost city. Skyscrapers lay half-collapsed, vines creeping over chrome, glass shattered like memory.
"This place is dead," Ved muttered.
"Dead to the world," Agnira replied. "But alive in deeper ways. We hide here because the Code runs strong beneath this land."
Ved paused. "Code?"
Agnira turned. "You still think it's just fire? No. The Deva Code is not just power. It's a rewrite of reality. A layer beneath the physical. Written by Rishis, powered by belief, blood, and… suffering."
He opened a steel door hidden beneath rubble. Inside, a staircase spiraled downward, glowing with ancient script.
---
Underground Sanctuary – Sector 9R
Lights flickered to life. A large hall revealed itself — walls covered with glowing yantras, meditation pods, tech-meets-temple artifacts. And people.
Ten of them.
All staring at Ved.
A girl floated mid-air, surrounded by a vortex of golden leaves.
A boy with closed eyes tapped his fingers — shadows mimicked him like puppets.
An old woman with silver tattoos along her spine sat calmly, lightning dancing on her tongue.
Agnira spoke: "Everyone, meet Ved. New Pralayan. Fire-born."
A tall man with arms like tree trunks stepped forward. "Another one? He looks… weak."
Ved clenched his fists. He could feel the fire again, low in his chest like a heartbeat.
The floating girl smirked. "You were like that too, Raksha."
The man grunted and walked away.
Agnira nodded to Ved. "This is your first circle. Initiates. Those who've just awakened or survived contact with a Verse. You'll train, learn, adapt. Or die."
Ved looked around. "You keep saying that. Die. What exactly am I supposed to die from?"
Agnira's eyes darkened. "Them."
He pointed to a large screen. A black-and-white surveillance feed flickered — showing a market in Delhi.
A man in white robes stood still in the center of a crowd. Everyone around him suddenly… dropped.
No blood. No screams. Just collapsed, lifeless.
Then, he looked at the camera.
His eyes burned silver.
"That's a Hunter," Agnira said. "They collect Verse-borns. Kill the unstable. Enslave the gifted. They serve the real enemy."
"Enemy?"
"The Order of Silence. They want the Deva Code buried. Forever."
---
Later that night, Ved sat alone in the meditation pod, eyes closed.
He could still hear the screams from the footage. The silence of death.
He breathed slowly.
Inhale. Focus. Feel.
Something stirred in his mind — like a puzzle locking into place. He saw symbols. Ancient scripts merging with neural maps. Mantras synced with molecules.
He whispered, without knowing how he knew:
"Agni Vrittam… activate."
His palm lit up. A ring of flame hovered above it.
He felt heat. But this time, it didn't hurt.
Agnira entered silently.
"You triggered a cycle. Impressive. Your genome is syncing fast."
Ved didn't open his eyes. "What happens when I master this?"
Agnira replied, "Then you get to ask questions no one else dares. And maybe… burn the lies they built around this world."
Ved smiled, barely. "Good. I've always hated liars."
---
In the shadows of Delhi, the man with silver eyes watched a new screen.
Ved's face appeared.
He smiled. "Another spark. Let's see how fast you burn."
---
When belief becomes power, and truth becomes weapon… who decides what's sacred?