The glass orb dimmed to a soft, pulsing glow, its once-brilliant surface now flickering like a candle in wind. The last image of Troy and the girl—two lovers from opposing worlds—hung in the silence of the room.
Prabhas sat motionless, his breath shallow. "Father," he whispered, "that wasn't just another story, was it?"
Ramakanth's gaze was steady, ancient wisdom flickering behind his eyes. "No, my son. What we saw was truth… from our first divine birth. That love, that betrayal, it's where everything began." The orb hummed faintly between them, like it was listening. "But who were they?" Prabhas asked, voice trembling. "And why do I feel as if I've known them forever?"
Ramakanth leaned back, the faint light casting deep shadows across his lined face. "Because you were him, Prabhas. The demon lord Troy was your first incarnation. And the girl…" He hesitated, his voice breaking for a moment. "The girl was your wife. Her soul still roams this world, waiting for release."Prabhas felt his heart tighten. "And her brother, Drone?"
Ramakanth closed his eyes. "That's what we must uncover. The glass shows only what it is allowed to. Fate decides the rest." For a moment, neither spoke. Outside, the night winds howled over the wastelands, carrying the scent of dust and decay through the cracks of the rebuilt world. Ramakanth finally rose. "Rest now. The orb needs time to recharge."
But Prabhas couldn't sleep. Long after his father had retired, he sat alone by the flickering orb. The memory of the girl's terrified face, the plea in her voice, echoed endlessly in his mind.
"My lord, my brother saw me leaving the castle…""I love him. I wish to marry him."
Her words were branded in his soul. And for the first time, he realized that the sorrow he carried in every lifetime might not be fate's punishment—it might be memory.
Morning came with a pale, ash-colored sky. The Institute stood like a relic of hope amidst the barren cityscaper. As Prabhas walked through its metallic gates, he caught sight of the holographic news feed blinking faintly above the main dome:
"WATER LEVELS DECLINE IN ZONE 7. ELECTRICITY UNITS LIMITED TO PRIORITY SECTORS."
Even in 2090, survival was fragile. Yet today, the place buzzed with life. Students from every district—genetically engineered tube-borns, human hybrids, and android aides gathered outside his classroom. They were whispering about the "history teacher who could make the past feel alive."
When Prabhas entered, the class went silent. He smiled faintly. "Good morning. Today, I want to tell you something different—something not found in your data records." He walked to the board and drew a simple line. "You've learned about evolution. But what if I told you… before humans, before apes, before even the first breath of life, there existed two realms?"The students leaned forward, fascinated.
"One was Heaven, ruled by divine light. The other, Netherworld, ruled by shadows. But neither realm was evil nor pure. Both were mirrors of creation itself. And once, long ago, a prince from the dark realm dared to love a maiden from the heavens." He stopped, looking at the expectant faces. "That love changed everything."
The students murmured among themselves, unaware that what they were hearing wasn't just mythology, it was memory. That night, when Prabhas returned home, he found Ramakanth already seated by the orb, his eyes closed in deep focus. "Father?"
Ramakanth opened his eyes slowly. "The orb is ready. But this time, it's different. It's not showing the past by command, it's calling us." The light intensified, drawing them both in. Suddenly, the room dissolved into mist. The air thickened. Prabhas felt his body weightless, the ground shifting beneath him.
When the fog cleared, they stood before a breathtaking palace of light floating amidst clouds, Heaven itself. The sky shimmered in hues of gold and violet. Angels glided past, their wings radiating silver fire. At the center, on a marble balcony, stood a girl in flowing robes, her eyes distant, her expression filled with sorrow. "It's her," Prabhas whispered. "The girl from the vision."But now she looked different, radiant, yet imprisoned within her own perfection.
A tall figure approached her. He was dressed in white armor, his golden eyes reflecting both pride and pain. "Seraphina," he said sternly. "Do you realize what your actions could cause? Loving a being of darkness is forbidden!"Her lips quivered. "Brother Drone… I cannot change what my heart chose.""Your heart?" he snapped. "Our father, the Supreme Light, will cast you out if he learns of this."
She turned away, tears shimmering. "Then let him. I will not abandon Troy. His world may be cursed with shadow, but his soul is brighter than any star." Drone's anger softened for a moment, replaced by despair. "You're risking eternal damnation." Before she could answer, the sky rippled. A storm of divine fire erupted above them.
A deep, thunderous voice boomed across the heavens."Seraphina of the Eighth Choir! You have defied the law of realms!" The ground shook. Light enveloped the palace. The voice continued, echoing like judgment itself."You shall be stripped of your wings and cast into the mortal realm. Your soul will wander until it learns obedience. As for the demon who tempted you, he shall bear the curse of rebirth. Seven lives of pain. Seven lifetimes of remembrance."
Prabhas and Ramakanth watched in stunned silence as Seraphina fell from the sky like a falling star, her wings burning away in trails of light. And below, in the shadow realm, Troy screamed her name as chains of molten fire wrapped around him. "SERAPHINA!"
The ground split, swallowing him into the abyss. The orb's vision blurred, flickering violently. "Father!" Prabhas shouted, clutching his chest as pain seared through him. For a moment, he was Troy, feeling the agony of eternal loss. Then, darkness.
When he awoke, the room was silent again. The orb lay dim and cracked, smoke rising from its surface. Ramakanth sat beside him, pale but conscious. "You saw it," he said weakly. "The truth of our curse." Prabhas nodded, his mind spinning. "So she… Seraphina… my wife's soul… she's still trapped because the punishment never ended."
Ramakanth's expression hardened. "Every life you've lived since then, every sorrow, every separation, is part of that curse. Until her mission is complete, neither of you can be free." "What mission?" Prabhas demanded. "What does she need me to do?" Ramakanth looked at him gravely. "To restore what Heaven destroyed. To bridge the two worlds once more."
A silence followed, heavy and suffocating. "Father," Prabhas whispered, "you knew all this. Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Because knowing too soon would destroy you," Ramakanth said quietly. "You were not ready. But now… the time has come." He rose and placed a trembling hand on Prabhas's shoulder. "Tomorrow, you must return to the Institute. There's something buried deep in its archives, a book bound in silver. Find it. It was once kept by Peter Parker himself, though he doesn't know its true power. Inside lies the path to the next vision, and to Seraphina."
Prabhas nodded, his pulse racing. "And if I fail?" Ramakanth's voice lowered to a whisper. "Then the curse continues for eternity." That night, Prabhas couldn't sleep. He sat by the cracked orb, tracing its broken surface. Faint whispers still echoed from within."Find me…""Complete the mission…"
The next morning, the Institute's hallways felt different—colder, heavier, as if the building itself was aware of what he sought. Parker was nowhere to be found. Prabhas headed for the library, the ancient wing sealed after the war. The door recognized his access card and opened with a soft click. Inside, dust hung like mist. Thousands of books—some printed, others etched with holograms—lined the shelves.
He scanned the room, guided by instinct more than logic. And then he saw it, an old chest marked with strange runes. He knelt, brushed away dust, and opened it. Inside lay a book bound in shining silver.
The moment his fingers touched it, the air trembled. The pages fluttered open on their own, revealing an ancient symbol glowing faintly in gold, two circles intertwined, one dark, one light. A pulse ran through his veins. The same symbol flashed in his mind, burning with recognition. He had seen it before, in his dreams, on Seraphina's hand.
The light in the room dimmed, shadows dancing around him. The book's pages turned faster, faster, until a single word appeared across both pages:
"AWAKEN."
A blinding light engulfed him. And from deep within the cracked orb lying miles away at home, a faint voice whispered: "The past is not gone, my love… it's returning."
Author's Note
Dear readers,This chapter reveals the first layer of the truth, the heavenly origin of Prabhas and his wife, Seraphina. The forbidden love between Heaven and the Netherworld created a curse that has echoed across seven lives. Now, in 2090, that curse begins to unravel.
The story blends sci-fi and divine mythology, showing how destiny loops across time. The glass orb is not merely a magical artifact but a soul link, forged during Troy and Seraphina's first life to connect all their reincarnations.
The next chapter will unveil the Book of Silver, its link to the Institute's mysterious founder, and the reason Mr. Parker's technology holds traces of divine power.What lies hidden in the book?Who truly was Mr. Parker before the war?And will Prabhas awaken the part of him that still remembers being the Demon Lord Troy?