"The Breath gives three kinds of flame: One that burns, one that heals, and one that waits." — The Ember Sutras
🔥 Amaravati — Celestial Amphitheater
Meera stood on the marble platform, golden robes trailing like sunlit rivers. All of Amaravati had come to witness the Ceremony of Binding — the moment she would receive her spirit sigil, binding her to the Path of Light.
Elders chanted. Glyphs flared.
But as the sigil approached, Meera stepped back.
> "No. Not yet."
Gasps echoed. The Elder of Light frowned. "Why do you resist your calling, child?"
> "Because I haven't found all of myself yet."
In her vision, Shiva stood by the banyan tree. Aarav walked through falling snow. And she… stood between them.
🪞 Northern Pass — Mirrored Path
Aarav paused at a river that flowed uphill.
The Reflection Trials had begun.
His path was not guarded by beasts, but by memory.
He stepped onto the water — and it turned into glass.
In the glass, he saw a burning child screaming beneath stars… and a girl pulling him out with her voice.
He did not remember it. But the mirror did.
> "What is your name?" asked the river.
> "The one they erased. But I will find it again."
He passed.
🌿 Sharanya — The Temple Tree
Shiva knelt beneath the chandrapushpa.
Whispers circled him — not from outside, but within.
His Talent was still Dormant. But something deeper had begun to stir.
A hidden breath. A second silence.
He drew a circle in the dirt. Flame rose, but made no sound.
Then, without thinking, he whispered a word:
> "Aarav."
And from across the continent, a mirror cracked.
🕯️ Vault of Embers
The three veiled figures turned.
> "All three names have been spoken."
> "Now the Weave begins to tear."