Chapter 74 The Vessel of the Void The Seed of Darkness
The court had fallen into that silence which comes only after screams have died
Agnis hands were still burning White gold flames rose from his palms but they were quiet now tired as if they had done what needed to be done and now wanted nothing but rest He slowly closed his fingers The flames died Only a faint red glow remained on his palms like the last embers of dying wood
He looked at Neer
Neer was on his knees His hands rested on the marble floor where moments ago Akshay had stood Now there was only a black glass like stain the spot where Agnis fire had consumed Akshay It was smooth shining as if someone had melted the marble and let it harden again On it the marks of Agnis fingers were visible the shape from which the fire had come the imprint from which death had emerged
Neer touched that stain gently
It was cold
Completely cold
Akshay he whispered His voice was so faint it was barely audible You youre gone
There was no answer Only the deep silence of the court and from a distance the smoke of Aakaash pyre drifting through the windows mixing with the air reminding everyone that another death had happened today
Neers head bowed His shoulders began to shake He wasnt crying his tears had dried long ago But his entire body trembled with a pain that could not escape through tears
We we killed him he said and his voice held a strange emptiness We killed our brother
Agni took a step forward Neer
Dont speak Neer said without looking up Not now
Agni stopped Pain was written on his face the pain that comes when you know you did the right thing but doing the right thing feels so terribly wrong
Margdarshak Vishrayan had been standing silently in a corner of the court He had seen everything Akshays arrival the Dark Shades words Agnis fire and that final moment when it all ended
His eyes were old but sharp They had seen what others could not
He moved forward slowly The marble steps creaked beneath his feet creak creak but no one heard that sound Everyones gaze was fixed on that black stain or on Neers bowed head or on Agnis empty face
Margdarshak reached the spot where Akshay had stood He bent down and his aged eyes examined the floor closely
There right next to the black stain lay a small object
A dagger
That dagger was black so black it absorbed light the kind of black that made your eyes want to look away the moment they fell upon it Its hilt was made of some strange metal like bone but not bone like metal but not metal Carvings covered it carvings that seemed to move like a serpent crawling across its surface On its edge glowed a green brown shimmer as if poison still lay fresh upon it
Margdarshak picked up the dagger
His hands trembled
This he whispered his voice carrying a strange alarm the kind he had never shown before This dagger its
Neer raised his head His eyes were swollen red but they held a question Margdarshak What happened
Margdarshak turned the dagger in his hand Its edge lightly cut his finger slice and a drop of blood emerged But that blood was not red It was black And when it fell to the floor it hissed hiss and a small wisp of smoke rose from the spot
This is no ordinary dagger Margdarshak said His voice was steady now but beneath that steadiness lay a deep concern This is the Dark Shades own weapon It is called the Sting of the Void It is not made from any ordinary metal it is forged from that part of darkness which never dies
Agni stepped forward What does that mean
Margdarshak looked at him His eyes held a strange compassion and beneath that compassion a deep fear It means Agni that the Dark Shade is not dead This dagger is here which means it left a part of itself here And that part has hidden itself somewhere
At that very moment Agni felt something
It wasnt pain No injury No burn It was something else a faint jolt as if something inside him had stirred That stirring was deep very deep near his heart near his soul
He placed a hand on his chest
Agni Neer asked Concern filled his voice What happened
Nothing Agni said but his voice carried a faint tremor Just felt something Slight
Margdarshak eyes narrowed He moved quickly to Agni He grabbed his wrist felt his pulse Then he looked into his eyes deeply very deeply
He saw something there
Right in the center of Agnis pupils very deep was a small black dot It was so small that seeing it was difficult But it was there And it was moving very slowly very faintly but moving
Margdarshak face went white
Agni he said his voice completely calm but beneath that calm lay a deep terror On the battlefield when the Dark Shade was dying it released a black ray at you Do you remember
Agni thought Yes he remembered That moment when everything was ending and he had felt something touch his forehead light cold weightless He had ignored it In the chaos of war it was just another impact
Yes he said I remember A faint cold
Margdarshak took a deep breath That cold Agni was the Dark Shades final weapon With its last strength it planted a seed inside you That seed is now within you
A silence fell over the court the kind of silence more terrifying than any scream
Neer stood up His exhaustion his pain his anger all vanished in an instant In their place remained only one thing fear Fear for Agni
What do you mean Margdarshak he asked his voice sharp restless What will it do to him
Margdarshak did not answer He kept looking into Agnis eyes watching that small black dot slowly grow very slowly almost invisibly but growing
On the other side of the court Dharaaya and Vaayansh stood together They had seen everything Akshays end Margdarshak finding the dagger and now this new revelation
Dharaaya hands still trembled with the memory of Aakaash Her brothers pyre still burned its smoke still drifted through the court windows mixing with the air stinging everyones eyes But now along with that sting another fear had joined
Agni she whispered Will he be alright
Vaayansh held her hand His palm was warm steady He will be We are all with him
But his voice lacked the confidence he wanted to show He too had seen the fear on Margdarshak face And that fear told him this was no ordinary matter
Bhargav who had been standing silently stepped forward Faint lightning still crackled around him but it was no longer angry it was alert concerned
Margdarshak he said his voice grave I too saw that black ray On the battlefield when the Dark Shade was dying It went straight toward Agni I thought it was its last attempt a futile attack But if this is true
It is true Margdarshak said He raised the dagger This dagger is part of the Dark Shade And when it is here its other part is somewhere else And that other part is within Agni
He looked at Agni Son do you feel anything Any strange movement Any cold Any voice
Agni closed his eyes He looked within himself into that darkness where his fire burned where his strength lived where his soul resided
He felt something
It wasnt a voice No words No shape It was just a feeling a faint whisper as if someone very far away was saying something so faint that the words couldnt be understood only their tone could be sensed a slow cold whispering sound
He opened his eyes Yes he said his voice carrying a strange emptiness There is something Very faint Very far But its there
Neer moved to him He grabbed Agnis hand tight firm as if trying to save him from being lost We will fix this Agni You hear me We will fix this
Agni looked at him His eyes held a strange glow a glow that hadnt been there before Agni was still in there but alongside that Agni something else now existed a small black cold spark
Saransh who had been standing in the shadow of a pillar slowly stepped forward His face was stone hard but his eyes held a deep pain
Margdarshak he said his voice low but clear I have seen this before Many years ago There was another warrior who grew tired fighting the Dark Shade He thought he had defeated it But the Dark Shade had planted a seed within him just like the one now within Agni
Everyones gaze fixed on him
That warrior began to change slowly Saransh said First he grew angrier Then he started isolating himself Then he began to suspect his closest people And one day he killed his own brother
The silence in the court deepened further
After that he became completely the Dark Shades Saransh said His soul died Only darkness remained in his body And that darkness lives to this day
He looked at Agni His eyes held a strange compassion the compassion of someone who had walked that path themselves
Agni you must be vigilant This seed will grow in your mind It will feed on your fear your anger your doubt It will distance you from your closest people And one day you wont even realize when you became its
Agni listened His face was expressionless but that black dot in his eyes had grown slightly larger
Neer gripped Agnis hand even tighter He placed his other palm on Agnis chest right where his heart beat
Listen to me Agni he said his voice carrying that firmness which only true friendship possesses You are not alone I am with you No matter how deep this seed goes no matter how big this darkness becomes we will fight it together
Agni looked at him His eyes held a faint moisture moisture that wasnt tears but was close to tears
Neer he said his voice heavy if one day I if one day this seed changes me completely and I even forget to recognize you what will you do
Neer thought for a moment Then he spoke his voice completely clear without any hesitation
Then I will bring you back Even if I have to fight the Dark Shade myself even if I have to descend into the depths of darkness even if I have to give my life I will bring you back Because you are my brother Agni And a brother is never left alone
The moisture in Agnis eyes grew He held Neers hand with both hands tightly
Promise he said Promise you wont leave me alone No matter what happens
Promise Neer said
Margdarshak Vishrayan watched this scene His eyes held a deep pain the pain of a sage who could see the future but could not change it
Children he said his voice grave your love your friendship this is your greatest strength But know this also the Dark Shades seed will attack this very strength It will create doubt between you It will turn you against each other It will reopen the wounds of your past
He looked at Agni Agni the fire within you can protect you But that same fire can also burn you Remember the true fire is not the one that burns outside but the one that burns inside the fire of trust the fire of love the fire of truth
Then he looked at Neer Neer your water is your strength But water can stagnate freeze or flow You must keep flowing forward always forward Never stop never freeze
He looked at both of them You two will need each other Alone you cannot fight the Dark Shades seed Together you can defeat it But remember this war will be long It will not be easy And in it there will be sacrifices
At that moment a sound came from outside the court Om the same primal sound Gopal had used in Akshays cave It was softer now calmer but it still carried a strange power
Everyone went outside
Aakaash pyre was burning
The flames were high golden with a blue shimmer the shimmer of Aakaash soul the light he had spread in his life Around the pyre stood hundreds of people warriors ministers servants citizens all with bowed heads all with folded hands
Dharaaya stepped forward She went to the pyre and extended her hands toward the fire From her palms rose fine dust the dust of her earth bidding Aakaash a final farewell
Goodbye brother she whispered You are gone but your light will always remain Within us In our memories In our hearts
Vaayansh placed a hand on her shoulder His eyes too were moist He is gone he said but he taught us one thing that true love never dies It only changes form
A short distance from the pyre a young man stood alone His clothes were simple his face unknown This was Pranav Aakaash friend who had come with him from Swarnagad who had shared his sorrows who had witnessed his silences
In his hand was Aakaash sword that sun metal sword Aakaash had never let go Now that sword was in Pranavs hand and its weight was immense
Pranav looked at Aakaash pyre His eyes held no tears they had dried long ago But on his face was a strange determination the determination of someone who had lost everything and now had only one thing left revenge
I promise you Aakaash he whispered so softly that only he could hear your name will never fade Your sacrifice will never be forgotten And the darkness that took you I will destroy it Even if I have to give my life
He pressed the sword to his chest Its edge was cold but it held Aakaash warmth the warmth that never ends
The sun had set Night had fallen over Prakashgadh a strange heavy silent night
On the highest tower of the palace Margdarshak Vishrayan stood alone Before him lay the entire city its lights its homes its people But his gaze was elsewhere toward that dark sky where even the stars had hidden
In his hand was that black dagger It was still cold still radiating that strange energy
Andhak Void he whispered his voice dissolving into the air You have returned After so many years
He looked at the dagger The green brown shimmer on its edge had grown stronger
Last time you fought us he said In that war we defeated you but we could not destroy you You hid You waited And now you have returned
He looked down toward the room where Agni and Neer slept unaware unsuspecting
But this time you are not alone he said This time you have a power with you the power you yourself planted And that power is within Agni
His eyes held a deep concern
If he loses then this entire world everything will end
A cold wave passed through the air Margdarshak hair stood on end He gripped the dagger tightly
But if he wins if he and Neer together defeat you then you will never rise again
He looked at the sky There among the clouds a small shooting star appeared a spark falling into the darkness
Aakaash he whispered you gave your light Now watch watch what your light does
That night Agni had a dream
He stood in a dark field Around him was nothing no trees no grass no sky no ground Only an endless empty black silence
Ahead of him far away was a light It was small but bright white golden warm Near that light was a figure That figure was Neer
Agni stepped toward him
But as soon as he took a step the ground beneath his feet turned black That blackness began to spread up from his feet to his knees to his waist
He was drowning
Neer he screamed Neer help
But Neer did not turn He was lost in that light looking at it merging into it
Agni kept drowning the blackness now reached his chest his throat his mouth
He looked at Neer one last time
And then
That blackness merged into him
Agni woke up screaming
His entire body was drenched in sweat His heart pounded wildly thump thump thump thump like a drum beating
He placed a hand on his chest There on his skin was a small black spot exactly like the one on Akshays palm That spot had grown larger
Agni stared at it His eyes held fear the fear he had never felt before
And at that very moment in the corner of his room a small black shadow stirred very faintly very slowly almost invisible That shadow watched Agni drinking his fear feeding his darkness
The Dark Shades seed had awakened
And it was beginning to grow
End of Chapter 74
Next Chapter The darkness within Agni deepens Neers concern grows and a new threat moves toward Prakashgadh
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