Chapter 2: The Forgotten War
[Scene Opens: Underground Base – The Pandava Sanctuary]
Arjun followed Ved down a spiral staircase carved into stone, the air shifting from city dust to cool silence. The deeper they went, the more the noise of the world faded behind them.
They emerged into a chamber of light and shadow — not a military bunker, but a temple fused with technology. Walls hummed with energy. Symbols from ancient scriptures floated midair, alive in projection. And at the center stood a tall man in white, radiating stillness.
"This is the Founder," Ved said softly. "He's the reason any of us are still alive."
The Founder turned. His eyes glowed faintly — not with power, but with burdened clarity, like he had seen centuries pass through a single breath.
Legend Sequence: The Founder's Story
The Founder nodded once. "Sit, Arjun. You deserve the truth."
He raised his hand, and the walls responded. The floating glyphs rearranged into a living tapestry — glowing holograms of the past, scenes from an era long gone.
The Tale Begins…
"After the Mahabharata war… after Krishna departed this world… the Astras — the divine weapons — became too dangerous for humanity to hold.
Fire that could melt oceans. Arrows that could end time. Blades that whispered to men's egos. The gods left the Earth… but the weapons remained.
And so Arjuna, the last true warrior of that age, did what no one else could: he gathered the Astras, locked them in a realm between realms, and sealed them with his own soul's vow."
The image showed an aging Arjuna — eyes full of sorrow — casting weapons into a vortex of light, then walking away alone.
"But Arjuna knew power never truly dies… it waits. So he built a code into the Astras — a spiritual lock.
Only those who echoed the virtues of the old warriors could ever awaken them again. Not strength… but will, truth, sacrifice.
Centuries passed. Until two brothers — me, and my younger kin — found the seal during a dig. A temple long buried. A doorway that should've never opened."
Darkness Creeps In…
The scene changed. Two men touched an ancient stone. One is the Founder. The other… a younger version of the Kaurava Leader — proud, hopeful, eager.
"The Chakra chose me. It called to me — and I accepted. But it turned away from my brother. He… was not rejected by silence.
He heard whispers. Darker Astras, buried deeper. Weapons corrupted by time and desire. They made him an offer — and he took it.
And so, while I formed the Pandava Order… he formed the Kauravas. He says he wants peace… but through fear. Through domination.
I've watched my own blood become the architect of our enemy."
[Scene Ends – Return to Present]
The legend dissolved, leaving Arjun speechless.
"So," he said, his voice low, "you're telling me I'm part of some… ancient prophecy?"
The Founder smiled faintly. "You're not chosen by prophecy. You were chosen by your heart."
Ved clapped a hand on Arjun's shoulder. "That locket you wear — it wasn't just a keepsake. It was a key. Your will awakened Gandivam. And that means you're one of us now."
Arjun looked down at his hand — at the memory of the bow that formed from nothing.
Somewhere deep inside, something had clicked into place.
He wasn't just a man anymore.
He was a warrior.
And the war had already begun.
[End of Chapter 2]
written by
Sanjaya