RECAP -
In Brazil, a child becomes a living canvas, sketching symbols that awaken long-lost memories. Meanwhile, the world quakes with echoes of past lives, quiet awakenings, and a twist in cause and effect. Suddenly, an ancient relic emerges—not to mirror the present, but to remind the soul of what it has forgotten.
---
The mirror was discovered within a sealed stupa, hidden beneath the Himalayas.
It had no frame, no markings, and no glass.
Just a circle of black crystal, about the size of a human face, resting on a lotus pedestal.
It didn't gleam.
It didn't reflect.
It simply waited.
The monks who uncovered it chose not to gaze into it.
They named it: "Chhaya-Mukh" - the face of shadow.
---
Devina was brought in by Neo-Kailash after her name appeared on the scroll that encased the mirror.
Not her current name.
Her ancient name.
Sanskrit carved in bloodstone.
"Devanayani Scribe of the Shadow Flame."
She had never heard it before.
But as she read it, her hands began to shake.
And in the depths of her mind, a voice echoed softly:
"You wrote before you were born."
---
The monastery was quiet when she arrived.
The monks kept their gazes lowered.
One elder remarked, "It reveals not your face, but the outline of your forgotten fire."
She was lost in confusion.
Until she made contact.
---
The moment her fingers grazed the surface of the mirror, her vision exploded into a blinding white.
Then it faded to black.
Then, she saw stars.
What she witnessed:
- Herself draped in a robe woven from golden threads
- Grasping a stylus that flickered like fire
- Inscribing verses onto a scroll that sparkled in the air
- Chanting not with her voice, but from the depths of her memory
She beheld Shiva.
Not in motion. Not dancing.
But seated, eyes shut, hand lifted toward her.
And he spoke:
"Write the world into remembering."
---
She fell to her knees.
The mirror throbbed.
Not with light.
But with breath.
The whole chamber inhaled and exhaled with her.
---
Outside, Rudra and Anika observed from a distance through a drone.
"Why her?" Rudra inquired.
"Because she doesn't believe she's chosen," Anika answered.
"And that's precisely why she is."
---
Back inside, Devina opened her eyes.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
She glanced at the mirror once more.
Still black.
Still no reflection.
But now, clarity washed over her.
It wasn't a mirror for faces.
It was a gateway for memories.
And it had returned hers.
---
Later, she conversed with Vyom.
He asked her what she had seen.
She didn't respond.
Instead, she lifted her hand and began to write in the air.
Glowing symbols appeared—Tandava scripts, mudra codes, patterns of breath.
The child beamed.
"You wrote before I could even speak," he remarked.
And she nodded in agreement.
---
The mirror was sealed once more.
Returned to its pedestal.
Not because it posed a threat.
But because it had fulfilled its purpose.
One more fragment of Shiva had remembered.
And another flame had chosen to ignite once again.
---
End of Chapter 12