Summer break passed like a breeze that carried too many memories.
Savitri was healing well — and Shankar made sure to stay in touch throughout.
Texts. Jokes. Health updates.
She replied like herself — calm, caring… and always sharper than he expected.
Shankar wanted to explain everything.
Everything about the ring. About that night. About the burning.
At least the parts he understood.
But Savitri had said:
"Save it. When school reopens… we'll talk in person."
And now, school was back.
Shankar headed to her section during lunch.
A little nervous.
A little disappointed.
He knew once he wore the ring, she'd forget everything again.
That's how it worked, right?
Still, he had to try.
He explained everything —
The temple. The pearl eye. The truths it forced.
The things he learned. The things he still didn't understand.
Then, he slid the ring onto his thumb.
Prepared for the moment her memory would blur.
But it didn't.
Savitri blinked.
Then smiled.
"You know what's surprising?" she said.
"I can still see the ring this time."
Shankar froze. "Wait… what?"
Savitri shrugged, thoughtful.
"Maybe… the ring reveals itself to the ones you want to share it with."
Shankar tilted his head.
"You mean trust?"
She smiled.
"Exactly."
He smiled back.
He glanced at the ring. "There's still so much I don't know about this world…"
He chuckled. "Hopefully the Pearl doesn't return too soon."
Savitri blinked.
"Pearl?"
Shankar grinned.
"Fancy name for the mystery guy."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Because he had a pearl on his eye?"
Both laughed.
She still looked a bit worried…
but in that moment, it didn't matter.
"You should keep wearing the ring," Savitri said quietly.
"It protects you. Somehow."
Shankar nodded, eyes soft.
He agreed.
From the shadows beyond the school boundary —
He watched.
Cloak rustling in the still air.
Face unreadable.
Left eye gleaming faintly beneath the hood.
His lips barely moved:
"Seems like the artifact can't be obtained unless passed willingly by the user…"
He tapped the side of his ear. A tiny earpiece flickered.
From the other side, a calm yet heavy voice replied:
"The conflicts are widening. Leave this one. Redirect all resources to Atlantis."
The man clenched his jaw.
Then vanished — consumed by a silent distortion in the air.
The bell rang.
Students flooded the gates.
Shankar walked home, alone —
Bag on his back. Ring on his thumb.
He looked up at the clouds drifting across the sky.
The world looked the same.
But he didn't feel the same.
Not anymore.
"Odin? Krishna?"
He thought.
He glanced down at the ring.
"Is this science?"
"Alien?"
"Or… something divine?"
He didn't know.
Not yet.
He stopped.
Closed his eyes.
Lifted his thumb toward the vast, empty sky.
"Do you really exist?"
There was no answer.
Just silence.
Just sky.