Chapter 12: The Seven Nights
[Guru's Temple – Morning]
Eshan woke to the sound of bells echoing through the courtyard. His body ached from yesterday's trial — the burns on his torso still throbbed from the fiery awakening of Manipura.
As he limped out into the morning sun, two figures were already training in the yard.
The first was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a shaved head and dark robes. His movements were slow, deliberate, each strike of his staff resonating with a grounded calm.
"Focus," the man muttered to himself, as if the world outside didn't exist.
The second was his opposite: lean, sharp-eyed, clad in crimson. His every movement was violent efficiency — thrusts, slashes, and pivots like he was carving through invisible enemies.
They noticed Eshan.
The calm one spoke first. "You're awake. Good."
"I—uh… hi."
The sharp-eyed man stepped forward, appraising him. "So this is the boy."
"I'm Eshan," he said awkwardly.
The calm man gave a polite bow. "I am Vaishnav. This is Rudra."
"Senior disciples of the Guru," Rudra added curtly. "We don't hold back for newcomers."
"...Good morning to you too," Eshan muttered.
"Your stance is poor," Rudra said, ignoring him. "Your aura is unstable. If you fight like this outside, you'll be dead in seconds."
Eshan bristled. "I just awakened my second gate yesterday. Cut me some slack."
"Excuses," Rudra said flatly. "Show me."
"Show you?"
"Your Astra. Draw it."
Eshan hesitated, then summoned his weapon. The jagged, unstable blade flickered into existence.
Rudra sneered. "Pathetic."
"Hey—!"
Rudra was in front of him before he could blink. A wooden training blade pressed against Eshan's throat.
"You don't need coddling," Rudra said. "You need reality."
Eshan shoved him back, glaring. "Then I'll show you reality."
Rudra smirked. "Now you're starting to sound like a warrior."
Vaishnav chuckled softly. "Enough, Rudra. You'll break him before the Guru does."
"I'm just preparing him," Rudra replied. "If he can't survive me, he won't survive what's coming."
Eshan wiped the sweat from his brow. "...What is coming?"
Vaishnav and Rudra exchanged a glance but said nothing.
[The Shadow Palace – The Lord's Throne Room]
Far away, beyond mortal lands, black flames lit a throne room carved from obsidian.
Seven figures gathered before a colossal throne.
At its center sat the Lord — shrouded in darkness, only his burning eyes visible.
"You called us, my Lord," said Arkan, kneeling.
The Lord's voice was deep, echoing. "It is time the world remembers who walks its nights."
The other six stood in silence, shadows stretching across the room.
"Step forward," the Lord commanded.
[The First]
A giant brute clad in scarred armor stomped forward — Borgas. His fanged grin was as wide as his frame.
"Finally," he growled. "You've kept me caged too long, Lord. Point me at the boy, and I'll crush him."
"Patience," the Lord said.
Borgas chuckled. "Patience isn't my strength."
[The Second]
Slender fingers tapped a cane as a blindfolded figure stepped into the light.
The Scholar of Decay. Robes black as ink, his head slightly bowed.
"Patience is mine," he said softly. His voice was calm, unnervingly so. "But I do wonder… why let the boy grow? Do we fear his potential, or savor it?"
"You speak too much," Borgas snarled.
"And you think too little," the Scholar replied, smiling faintly.
[The Third]
A tall, graceful woman leaned lazily against the wall, twin curved blades at her hips.
The Twilight Huntress.
"Talk, talk, talk," she purred. "When do we get to play? I do love chasing prey when it thinks it's safe."
Her eyes glimmered like a predator's.
[The Fourth]
A hunched, masked creature crawled forward. Sickly green smoke hissed from its body.
The Plague-Tongue.
"Yessss…" it hissed. "Let me… taste the boy's Shakti. I can corrode it… unmake it…"
"Disgusting," the Huntress muttered.
[The Fifth]
Two small feet padded across the floor.
A childlike figure no taller than Eshan stepped forward — but their shadow twisted unnaturally, forming a massive clawed beast behind them.
The Silent Twin.
They said nothing.
Only the shadow laughed.
[The Sixth]
Then came the one who shouldn't be alive.
Krayn emerged from the darkness, his grin even wider than before. But as he stepped forward, his head tilted unnaturally, a faint cracking sound echoing from his neck.
"Ah, the boy lives," he said gleefully, his voice carrying a faint, gurgling undertone. "How exciting. I wonder how loud he'll scream when I cut him open."
The Twilight Huntress smirked, crossing her arms.
"Still walking after what Omkar did to you? Even Yama must've turned his back on you."
Krayn chuckled, the sound wet and broken.
"He didn't kill me. He just… made me better."
[The Seventh]
Finally, Arkan stepped forward — calm, collected, the leader of the Seven Nights.
"Your will shall be done, my Lord."
The Lord's eyes burned brighter.
"Soon," he said, "the cycle will end. And in that ending… we will rise."
[Distant Hilltop – Omkar]
On a distant mountain, Omkar stood barefoot on the grass, watching the palace through a faint astral projection.
The Mark of Om on his arm glowed faintly.
His usual smile was gone.
"So…" he whispered.
His eyes lingered on the blindfolded figure of the Scholar.
"Even you survived."
His hand tightened.
"This changes everything."
The wind carried his words away as he turned back toward the temple.