Ash was floating in the air. With every breath, its bitter taste slid down the throat, as if the smell of burning iron had chewed the very air alive. Broken fragments of idols, divine symbols carved on stones, and dried bloodstains – everything screamed one single truth:
This was once a temple. Now, only a grave remained.
And in the middle of that grave, lying like a corpse, was Aarya.
His breathing was slow, heavy, and full of pain. His body felt stiff as stone, and with every breath, his chest felt as if something inside was trying to tear its way out. Slowly, his eyes opened – tiny shining ash particles on the stones welcomed him.
And then he felt it.
Pain.
His chest was burning.
Groaning faintly, Aarya looked down, and right above his heart, a blazing mark glowed – ࿇ (Granthnishaan) . Its crimson, throbbing pattern pulsed slowly, like a second heart. The burning was so deep that he pressed his fingers against the scar – and at that very moment, a voice didn't echo in his ears but directly inside his mind:
"Awakened… The Hunt begins."
Aarya's heart pounded violently. He instantly pulled his hand back, as if touching the mark was making it more alive. His mind was a storm of confusion – Who was he? Why was he here? And whose voice was this inside his head?
He tried to stand slowly. His body was still heavy and exhausted, but stumbling and almost falling, he managed to get up. His eyes wandered around the temple.
The broken pillars of the temple were smeared with ash and blood. Ancient murals were carved on the walls – some showing humans fighting beasts, some depicting half-human, half-beast figures glaring in a cursed state. His eyes stayed fixed on those ancient signs… and a strange chill crawled up his spine.
…for a moment, it felt like the beasts inside the murals were staring at him.
A faint scraping sound reached his ears.
Kharr… kharr…
The air shifted, and in the darkness, a small blue light flickered.
Aarya slowly turned his head in that direction. His heart was beating faster.
And then it came.
A small shadowy beast, its body half-smoke and half-flesh, crawled slowly toward him. Its dead, blue eyes locked on Aarya. With each step, its body slithered close to the ground, and wherever it touched, moisture formed on the stones.
Aarya stepped back, but his foot hit a broken statue. The sound of falling stones echoed through the temple. The beast stopped… then rushed faster.
Aarya's heart felt like it would burst out of his chest. He tried to step back, but his body moved sluggishly with pain. The beast was only a few steps away now – its blue eyes glowed brighter.
…and then, a loud thud.
Something dropped from the temple roof.
Dust rose into the air, and amidst it, a huge silhouette stood.
A dire-wolf.
But this was no ordinary wolf.
Its fur was black – so black it looked like darkness itself was seeping from its body. Its frame was large, muscular, and filled with savagery. And its eyes—
shone like silver.
One of its steps landed on the temple's dusty floor, and a guttural growl rumbled in the air. The shadowy beast instantly backed away, as if sensing the scent of some ancient predator.
And then… a voice.
Not in the air. Not in his ears. Directly in Aarya's mind.
"You have awakened the Hunt."
"And you are bound… to me."
Aarya's breath caught. He just stared at the massive beast glaring at him. Its glowing eyes, for a moment, felt as if they could see right through his heart.
The wolf – or whatever it was – slowly stepped closer. Each of its steps stirred the ash on the temple floor. Its growl had grown softer, but there was an ancient, primal rage within it, ready to ignite at any moment.
Aarya stepped back.
A thousand questions raced in his mind – What is this? Why is it saying I'm bound to it? Who am I? – but not a single word left his lips.
The wolf took another step closer… and its telepathic words echoed in his mind again:
"Your memories are locked… but the Hunt has begun."
Aarya just stared. The Granthnishaan on his chest burned hotter. And in the corner of his mind, another voice – cold, dark, different—
"…end it all…."
Aarya's heart was beating faster. He was about to speak when—
The temple walls suddenly trembled.
At that very moment, a burning Trial Sigil glowed on the roof – an ancient, divine symbol throbbing in the air.
And then the wolf spoke again:
"The first trial… has begun."
---
The temple walls shook again. Dust swirled in the air, and the glowing Trial Sigil blazed brighter. Its light pierced through the darkness, and a heavy, ancient heartbeat echoed inside the temple – as if something deep within the earth was rising.
The dire-wolf – still glaring at Aarya – suddenly turned. Its body crouched low, its claws scraped against the stones, and its fur rippled in the harsh air. Its silver eyes gleamed even brighter.
"Stay back."
The voice echoed in Aarya's mind again. This time, it was louder, carrying an ancient authority – as if this wolf was not just a beast but something far older.
Aarya was still trying to understand when growls rose from the hidden corners of the temple.
From the darkness… they came.
Shadows moving like mist, four or five Spirit Beasts – half-smoke, half-flesh – leapt into the center of the temple. Their blue, empty eyes stared, and their claws scratched the stones. A chilling dampness spread from their bodies – as if they weren't alive but cursed spirits.
Aarya took a step back. His breathing was heavy.
The dire-wolf – now looking like his bound companion – stepped forward. It slammed a paw into the ground, and its growl thundered through the temple like a storm.
For a brief moment, everything paused.
And then—
The fight began.
---
The dire-wolf lunged at two Spirit Beasts at once. Its fangs glinted like steel through the ash. With its first strike, its claws ripped half of a beast's smoky body apart. The beast's scream echoed like a lost soul inside the temple, then vanished into smoke.
Another beast leapt on its back from behind, but the dire-wolf spun its massive body and, with a savage swipe, tore its head off.
Aarya just stood there, watching.
His breathing grew heavier, and the Granthnishaan on his chest throbbed harder – as if this fight was meant for him. His body trembled, but he couldn't take a single step.
Then, one Spirit Beast lunged toward him.
Instinctively, Aarya raised his hands, but he had no weapon. The beast's jaws were inches away when—
A voice.
Darkness.
"…spill blood…"
That other voice echoed inside his mind – cold, dark, powerful. For a moment, everything slowed.
Aarya grabbed a stone and smashed it into the beast's head with a single strike. The beast fell back but wasn't dead. Its smoky body quivered.
The voice inside him grew louder—
"…steal its essence… you need power…"
The Granthnishaan on his chest turned black for a second. His heart pounded violently, and his feet moved on their own toward the beast. He smashed its head again with the stone… and in that instant, the beast's smoke seeped into his hands and entered his chest.
Aarya gasped. His body trembled violently. A memory flashed in his mind—
A crying child… a burning building… his own hands covered in blood.
"No!" Aarya shouted and stumbled back. The beast was gone, but its essence now burned inside him.
The dire-wolf glared at him. There was something strange in its silver eyes – as if it sensed his darkness.
"…you shouldn't have done that…"
The voice in his mind spoke again, but this time it was the wolf's – cold and disappointed.
But the fight wasn't over yet.
---
The remaining two Spirit Beasts leapt at them together. The dire-wolf pinned one down with its claws, but the other charged straight at Aarya. His legs were tired, but his body now moved on instinct. Grabbing a broken piece of pillar, he struck the beast.
The beast fell, but its claws scratched his arm – a deep cut. Blood dripped from his hand, and at that moment, the Granthnishaan on his chest burned hotter.
The wolf growled and tore the beast apart. Its smoke dissolved into the air. The fight was over.
Only the smell of ash and blood remained in the temple.
Aarya collapsed to the ground, his breathing ragged. He looked at the wolf.
The wolf stepped closer, standing before him. Its fur was covered in dust, but its inner power still glimmered fiercely.
The telepathic voice echoed in his mind again:
"You… are changing. You want your memories… but every memory will cost you something."
Aarya said nothing. His chest was warm, and the Granthnishaan was slowly calming down.
And then…
The Trial Sigil glowing on the roof suddenly blazed even brighter. The whole temple was drowned in light. In that light, for a split second, Aarya thought he saw his own face on a mural – the face of a beastbound king wearing a crown.
And then the voice came—
"The Hunt… has begun."
---
TO BE CONTINUED…