Arjun had trained for war. Tactics, firearms, close-quarters combat—his years at the Indian Military Academy had drilled into him every known human method of battle.
But nothing—not the long nights in the trenches, not the blood-soaked wargames—had prepared him for this.
Floating before him was a map that pulsed with color and light. Kingdoms drawn not by nation-states, but by power. Political, magical, spiritual. The layout of this world didn't follow the logic of Earth. It was as if someone had taken history, torn it apart, and rebuilt it with myths and empires that had never coexisted.
Arjun pointed at the central region. "This is... India. Kind of."
Liu Xue leaned in. "More like a shattered mirror of it. And those—" she traced her finger over dark zones on the map "—these are realms controlled by Scorched Banner. The ones who came after us."
"Then we need an army," Arjun said. "Fast."
Liu's eyes glinted. "We already have one. We just have to wake it up."
Throne of the Founders – The Heart of the City
They followed the glowing trail through twisting marble corridors, their steps echoing through a palace built by ancients. Liu's scroll responded to the markings on the wall, pulsing in synchrony with ancient circuits.
The throne room wasn't a room at all. It was an amphitheater surrounded by statues of beings lost to time—some human, some not. In the center stood a platform with seven pillars. Only one was active, the others cracked or lifeless.
"This," Liu said softly, "was once the gathering of the Seven Flames. Seven rulers who governed this world together. Seven kingdoms."
"And now?" Arjun asked.
"Only ours is waking."
She placed the scroll into the center pedestal. It melted into light and sank into the device. In response, mechanisms rumbled below them—ancient gears spinning after centuries of sleep.
"Kingdom core online," a voice intoned from the air."Sovereign: Arjun Dev.Echo Keeper: Liu Xue.Command authorization confirmed."
Suddenly, around them, banners unfurled—dozens, hundreds—each displaying a symbol neither had seen before. A phoenix circling a ring of stars.
"The Banner of the Forgotten Flame," Liu whispered.
"It's ours now," Arjun said. "Then let's rebuild."
Elsewhere – Scorched Banner Border Fortress
Captain Ulrich of the Scorched Banner clan examined the melted cliffside where the two interlopers had vanished.
"They activated the ruins," said one of his scouts. "One of the Sentinels even knelt to the man."
Ulrich ground his teeth. "And the woman?"
"She had a scroll of binding. Echo script. Lost magic."
Ulrich turned to his second-in-command. "Send word to Ghazrak. And tell the Oracle the heirs are more than prophecy—they are war."
Back in the Throne Room
A rumble beneath the palace floor signaled more than just awakening.
Panels opened around the amphitheater, revealing figures slumped in alcoves—armored warriors, preserved in stasis. Their armor was a hybrid of ancient Indian and Chinese designs, fused with glowing power lines running across their limbs. Golden plating reflected the rising sun outside.
"They're alive," Liu said, awed.
"They're soldiers," Arjun corrected. "Waiting for orders."
A soft hiss echoed. One of the figures stirred.
It stood.
Then another. Then another.
Within minutes, fifty armored warriors stood in rank and file.
One stepped forward, removing his helmet to reveal grey eyes and burn-scarred skin. "My name is Kavi. General of the First Flame. I live... because you have returned."
Arjun stepped forward. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Only fragments," Kavi replied. "The flames were extinguished. We were sealed. But we swore to protect the kingdom, no matter how long it slept."
"And now?" Liu asked.
Kavi knelt. "Now, we follow you."
Command Center – Lower Chambers
With Liu deciphering the interface, they gained access to the city's core systems—maps, communications, and defense schematics. The city wasn't just a relic—it was a fortress.
"It can project walls from the earth," Liu said, awed. "And power flight platforms using leyline energy."
"This place is a superweapon," Arjun muttered. "And it's ours."
"But for how long?" Liu asked. "Once Ghazrak realizes we've claimed it, he'll send more than scouts."
Arjun nodded. "We'll need more than fifty men."
Kavi smiled. "We were not the only flame to survive. The Outposts may still respond. If we light the Beacon of Reclamation, they will come."
Arjun placed his palm on the command altar. "Then light it."
Far Across the Shattered Lands – In Hidden Valleys and Forgotten Holds
The signal blazed across the sky like a second sun—golden light streaking into the heavens.
Elders in ruined temples stirred. Mercenaries looked up from their camps. Desert tribes paused mid-march.
In a village deep in old Mongolia, a woman with silver eyes dropped her ladle and whispered, "The Flame returns... and so must I."
In the ruins of a buried temple in Siberia, frost-covered soldiers awoke from enchanted slumber.
One by one, the scattered remnants of the Seven Flames turned toward the light.
The world was changing again.
Midnight – Outside the Palace
The first real test came before dawn.
Three Shadow Riders—assassins bred in the darkness of the Scorched Banner Clan—slipped past the city's outer veil. Their blades were coated in venom, their armor designed to blend with shadow.
Their target: Arjun.
But the moment they crossed the ancient bridge, something stirred.
The lion statues awoke.
With a low growl, the creatures leapt from their pedestals and tore into the assassins before a single cry could escape their lips.
Arjun watched it all from the tower above.
"This place... it protects its own," he whispered.
"No," Liu said beside him. "It protects you."
In the Inner Garden – Just Before Dawn
Later, unable to sleep, Arjun walked into the garden. Once, it had probably been lush. Now, it was barren stone and weeds. But under the faint light of the Beacon, something shimmered.
He saw Liu standing barefoot in the middle of the garden, meditating.
"You should rest," he said.
"I can't. There's too much to think about." She opened her eyes. "When I left Beijing, I was just a student. Now I'm apparently some kind of royal archivist with magical powers."
He chuckled. "When I left Dehradun, I thought I was just going to serve in the northeast border."
She smiled faintly. "This world has plans for us."
He stepped closer. "Do you trust it?"
She looked at him. "No. But I trust you."
They stood in silence for a moment. The air between them warm, humming with unspoken things.
Then she said softly, "There's a reason we both ended up here. Maybe it wasn't chance."
He met her gaze. "Maybe... it was fate."
Ending Scene – Ghazrak's Fortress
Ghazrak watched the rising Beacon from the window of his throne room.
The Oracle beside him shook with laughter.
"The Sovereigns rise. The war begins."
Ghazrak unsheathed his massive axe. "Then let them come. The Old Empires died for a reason. I'll bury them again."