At dawn, tension coiled in Trinetra's courtyard. Smoke curled from temple lamps as Agastyan gathered everyone under the ancient banyan tree. His voice cut through the hush. "They have taken our brother…
into Asuravana."
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Ranthak spoke softly, "Asuravana… a forest steeped in shadows and sacrifice, where its people trade breath with the dead."
Agastyan's eyes darkened. "The soil there remembers every drop of blood spilled to bring back what should stay buried. Few who enter return unchanged."
He named the rescue party: "Veer, you will lead." Veer bowed, divine eye faintly glowing. "Devansh, your flame will guard them." Devansh's eyes flared briefly. "Aranya, guide them through the dark." Aranya nodded, his hawk shifting restlessly.
"Revati, your barriers and illusions will protect the group." Revati touched her
mirrored talisman, gaze calm and focused.
Bhairav and Meghna rumbled, "If Asuravana's strongest appear, our young ones may fall." Meghna added quietly, "Their darkness runs deeper than you know." so we will be accompanying them as well.
Kartik's heart pounded. "And me?"
Agastyan's gaze softened but stayed firm. "You and Ranthak must protect Trinetra. Our walls must not fall."
"But why? I've trained!" Kartik pleaded.
"You have strength, Kartik," Agastyan replied, "but Asuravana is unlike any place you've faced also your divine eye has not yet opened and without its powers your will be a hindrance for others.
Early morning, When the rescue team departed, Kartik trained until exhaustion blurred his sight. At dusk, he spoke to Agastyan of dreams that haunted him—flames devouring villages, twisted shadows, and figures trying to kill him.
Agastyan listened, worry deepening. "Dreams can be warnings. If they came before your mark, we must be ready." For a moment, his thoughts turned grim: This might be more troublesome than we have
thought.
He turned to Ranthak. "Strengthen the defenses." Ranthak called to the creatures of the night—owls on roofs, panthers at the treeline, deer guarding silent paths. Warriors prepared their weapons, breaths shallow with unease.
Night weighed heavy. Crows wheeled overhead in silence; the air thickened with unseen malice. Agastyan and Ranthak felt darkness drawing closer.
In Asuravana, the air felt alive with hate. Black trees twisted overhead, bone totems dangled from branches, and sickly mist curled between ritual pits. Dark barriers shimmered, etched with curses hungry for divine power. Among gnarled roots, undead creatures shambled—skin hanging in tatters, eyes empty but watchful.
Veer pressed on, divine eye faintly glowing. Devansh's palms burned, ready to unleash fire. Aranya moved like a whisper, his hawk circling above. Meghna's twin blades flashed at her sides, each step balanced
and precise. They were moving with the help of Revati's illusion so no one was able to see them and she had made a barrier as well in front and at sides so they may remain protected and with this tactics they were able to get pretty far in to asuravana.
Suddenly, enemies struck from behind the barriers—dark warriors wielding jagged axes, cloaks marked by the crescent moon. Their strikes came heavy and wild, fueled by dark strength.
Veer met a charging foe, blades ringing against iron warped by corruption. Sparks flew as Veer twisted, his blade biting deep into blackened flesh. Devansh thrust out his palms, arcs of flame roaring forth, searing through two attackers at once.
Meghna spun, her twin blades a blur of silver. Lightning-fast strikes severed limbs before her enemies even realized she'd moved. Dark blood splattered across cursed ground, the air sizzling where it landed.
Her eyes stayed sharp, reading each motion, each breath.
Aranya's hawk shrieked from above, diving with talons extended, tearing at an enemy's face. Aranya himself slipped behind another foe, striking quick as a shadow.
Bhairav roared, fists wrapped in swirling fire, striking down an undead creature that lurged towards a student. His blows landed like falling hammers, shattering bone and burning sinew.
Beyond the immediate clash, darker shapes moved—unseen enemies watching, waiting for weakness. The forest itself seemed to breathe, branches curling like claws.
Another wave of enemies surged forward, these larger and bearing weapons etched with curses. One swung a massive axe toward Meghna, but she ducked and countered, twin blades slicing the tendons
behind his knee. He fell, and with one fluid motion, she severed his head.
Devansh set the ground aflame, a barrier of fire forcing others to halt or burn. Veer's blade caught the glow, reflecting firelight as he pressed the advantage.
Aranya raised a hand, whispering to his hawk, and the bird soared upward, scattering smaller shadows that lurked near the treetops.
In the brief moment, their breaths ragged, Meghna spoke, voice low, "They're testing us. The real threat hasn't shown its face."
Veer nodded, sweat streaking his brow. "Stay sharp. This is only the beginning."
Back in Trinetra, the uneasy quiet shattered with a sudden explosion and the barrier protecting the village broke. Dark flames lit the sky, black smoke rolling over rooftops. Undead creatures clawed forward, eyes empty and relentless. Four tall figures led them, cloaks marked by the cruel crescent moon.
Kartik clutched at his burning chest as the mark flared painfully, answering the invaders' presence. The shadows had come—not only for the village, but for him. And in that moment, the fire nightmare from his dreams had stepped into the real world.
Note - Thank you for journeying with Kartik and the brave warriors of Trinetra into the heart of darkness!
As Asuravana's shadows close in and the rescue party faces horrors beyond imagination, even the sacred village itself is no longer safe…
What truths lie behind the crescent moon symbol?
How will kartik face his nightmare.
And what price must they all pay to protect what they love?
I'm thrilled to share what comes next—more
fierce battles, secrets of the divine warriors, and choices that could decide the fate of Trinetra itself.
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See you in the next chapter—the real darkness has only just begun….