The sun was just a fading ember when Parashu finished his training for the day. He stood alone in the deep forest outside the village, sweat rolling down his neck, his axe pulsing softly with the strange energy it had begun to absorb since Yakshini's arrival. A new strength had been building inside him lately—something quieter, more controlled.
Just then, footsteps crunched through the fallen leaves.
"Parashu," a calm, familiar voice called.
Parashu turned. It was Veerath.
He looked different—serious, almost… distant.
"I have something for you," Veerath said, voice low. "You have to come with me. Now."
Parashu raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?"
Veerath's eyes glinted. "The Forbidden Forest. It's a symbol of my clan. A place few even believe exists. A living forest."
They didn't speak much as they traveled. The path was twisted and overgrown, as though the forest itself tested their resolve. After hours of silence, they arrived.
Veerath stopped before a strange tree line. Beyond it, the air shimmered. The trees whispered to one another. The leaves shimmered with breath. It was alive.
"This is my home," Veerath said, stepping forward. "Or what remains of it. My village was destroyed long ago… but the forest lived."
Parashu looked around, confused but cautious. "What is this place really?"
Veerath answered, "This is where my father found knowledge. Dangerous knowledge. He was hunted for what he knew. Killed for it. But this forest… it remembers everything."
Suddenly, a voice echoed from the trees. Ancient, powerful, and... warm.
"You are the last of Vetala. I've waited more than a hundred years to meet you."
Parashu stepped back. "Who are you?"
The trees swayed. The wind hummed.
"I am memory. I am truth. I am the forest your bloodline was sworn to protect. And I have something for you."
Parashu clenched his fists. "Then tell me where she is. My mother. Is she… dead too?"
Silence.
Then the forest replied.
"No. She is alive. Hidden… for your sake. You are not ready to meet her yet, but you will one day. And when you do, you'll understand everything."
Parashu's heart pounded.
"Then tell me about my father. Was he really the monster everyone says he was?"
The forest pulsed.
"No. He was broken, not evil. The world twisted his story. They feared his truth. You must learn to stand by him. Because only through him… can you understand yourself."
Parashu stood in silence.
The forest had no more to say.
But something inside him had changed. Again.
And Veerath—who once walked alone—stood beside him now, not as a rival…
…but as a brother.