The night wind carried whispers across the Ro Khile Valley. Within the hut, the infant Ratan lay wrapped in swaddling cloth, his small chest rising and falling in a rhythm that seemed to echo with the heartbeat of the earth itself. A golden shimmer pulsed faintly from his body, forming invisible ripples that spread through the soil, trees, and sky.
But not all were blind to this light.
---
### **The Hidden Council**
In the largest hall of the village, the clan elders gathered. Oil lamps flickered, casting long shadows across their weathered faces.
Elder Vairaj, his beard silver as moonlight, slammed his hand on the table. "We must protect the child. The shadows have already struck once. Next time, they will come in greater force."
"But if we openly shield him," another elder cautioned, "we invite disaster upon the entire clan. You know the strength of the **Obsidian Sect**—their hunger for forbidden cultivation has no end. If they discover the full extent of this child's gift, they will not stop until every one of us is ashes."
Silence fell. They all knew the truth.
At last, Elder Vairaj spoke again. "Then it is decided. His power must be nurtured… but in secrecy. We will weave a veil around his presence, a seal that hides his aura from wandering eyes. Only those chosen will know the truth."
The elders bowed their heads in agreement, sealing Ratan's destiny as both a **treasured hope** and a **dangerous secret**.
---
### **The Serpent's Second Lesson**
That night, Ratan's spirit drifted once again into the dream-world. The void awaited him, infinite and eternal. The seven glowing lights shone brighter than before, and the **serpent coiled around them stirred**.
"You repel instinctively," the serpent hissed, its seven heads weaving in slow, hypnotic arcs. "But defense alone is weakness. Power must be like the roots of a tree—firm, unyielding, yet able to pierce stone and drink from the depths."
The Root Chakra flared in response. Ratan, though only a child, felt the serpent's teaching seep into him like ancient memory. He stretched his tiny hand in the dream, and the golden aura extended like roots spreading beneath soil.
With a thought, he pulled energy inward. Stones cracked, earth trembled, and for the first time, he sensed **the flow of energy beneath the ground**—life itself breathing with him.
The serpent's voice grew darker. "Remember this well. Your enemies will not cease. You are not a child to them—you are prey. Learn to **draw strength from the world itself**, or you will be devoured."
---
### **The Return of the Shadows**
Far from the village, in the cavernous halls of the **Obsidian Sect**, a figure knelt before a black altar. A pool of blood-red liquid reflected his gaunt face.
"My lord," he whispered into the void, "the prophecy stirs. The child carries the awakened Root Chakra."
From the altar, a voice responded—cold, guttural, inhuman. "Good. His bloodline is rare… a threat to our ascension. If he grows, he will become a Sovereign. Snuff him out before the other chakras awaken."
The kneeling man rose, his eyes burning with fanatic devotion. "As you command. I will lead the strike myself."
---
### **The Calm Before the Storm**
Back in the village, the people lived in uneasy peace. They whispered of the miraculous child, but the elders silenced them with strict orders: *"Forget what you saw. Speak no word of it beyond these walls."*
Ratan's mother rocked him gently, humming a lullaby. The golden aura had calmed, retreating back into his tiny frame. For a moment, it seemed as if he were nothing more than an innocent babe.
Yet, beyond the valley's borders, the winds of fate howled.
---
### **Cliffhanger Ending:**
On the third night, as the moon turned crimson in the sky, **the Obsidian Sect struck again**. This time, not shadows—but a full strike force, cloaked in darkness, blades gleaming with murderous intent.
Their leader's voice echoed through the valley:
"Bring me the child. The Sovereign must die before he takes his first breath of power."
The village bells rang, panic spread, and the elders rushed to form a defensive line.
And within the hut, as the enemy closed in, **Ratan's Root Chakra pulsed violently… as though something far greater was about to awaken.**
---
✅ **Next Chapter (6) will reveal:**
* The **first true battle** between the clan and the Obsidian Sect.
* Ratan's **second chakra hint** awakening during the fight.
* The serpent's warning: the true danger is not the Obsidian Sect… but something even darker watching from afar.