CHAPTER 50 The Blood Path to Void Peak

The air in that crumbling house of Nabhgadh was still filled with poisonous fear, but outside the world was preparing for a storm. Looking through the windows, Agni saw black clouds dancing in the sky, lightning flashing, but its glow was not red. It was a sickly black blue. The wind had become strong, old branches of trees breaking and falling to the ground.

Agni put his sword Jwala back in its sheath. The metal sound cut like a scream. He turned and looked at his disciples. There was tiredness in their eyes, but more than that, a stubbornness. A will to live.

Aksh, Kalpit, Agni voice had a stone like hardness, the hardness that comes only on a battlefield. You two will stay here.

Aksh brows tensed. But Acharya

This is an order, Aksh, Agni cut him off, a spark in his eyes that did not tolerate any opposition. The safety of Nabhgadh is now in your hands. These shadow warriors will return, and then your presence here is necessary to protect the people. Your powers will be useful here.

Kalpit nodded, his eyes closed. We understand, Acharya. But you be careful.

Agni looked at Vedika. She was still sitting around the unconscious children, a green light glowing from her hands. A soft, warm energy that was slowly warming the children cold bodies. Her face was turning pale, but there was an unshakeable determination in her eyes.

Vedika, Agni said, his voice softer. You heal these children. We cannot leave them like this.

Vedika just nodded, her lips moving. As you command, Acharya. Do not worry, I will heal all these children. You go ahead without worry.

Agni, Akshansh, Anvay, and Varunya. The four stepped out of the house. The outside air hit them like ice blades. In the distance, the black peaks of Void Peak were cutting through the clouds. That mountain did not look ordinary. It looked like a giant beast ready to swallow the sky.

Varunya was walking in front, her steps fast and certain.

Agni looked at her. Varunya, his voice had a strain. What are you hiding from us? What did you whisper in that shadow warriors ear? Are you playing games with us? Are you some ally of Andhak Void?

Varunya kept walking forward. She did not even look back. She just waved her hand in the air.

The air trembled.

A letter appeared. Glowing. Blue. It floated through the air toward Agni.

Agni caught the letter and opened it. He began to read.

You will know the whole truth about who I am with or not. But more important than that is finding those children and rescuing them from that murderer who trapped those innocent children and wants to sacrifice them.

Agni threw the letter down in anger. The paper began to burn in the air, black smoke rising.

See, Acharya, Akshansh said, a sharp suspicion in his voice. This woman is not trustworthy.

Anvay looked at Akshansh and said, You are right, Akshansh. But first we have to forget all this and save the children. Because right now, the lives of those innocent children are more important than this womans intention.

Agni looked at Anvay and nodded slightly. A smile. Small, bitter. Touched his lips. And the three began to follow Varunya.

As soon as they crossed the city border and entered a dense forest, the air temperature suddenly dropped. Ten degrees. Then fifteen. Then twenty. Breathing felt like ice needles piercing the lungs. Tree branches began to move without wind. An irregular, frightening motion, as if an invisible hand was pulling them.

Careful, Akshansh drew Nakshatra. Blue lightning flashed on the swords edge.

Then the ground shook.

First one place. Then another. Then a third. The soil cracked, and hands came out of it. Bone hands, with no flesh on them, just black smoke like energy wrapped around them.

Skeletons of dead warriors began to emerge from the ground.

They were not ordinary skeletons. There were carvings on their bones. Ancient war marks, now faded. In their hands were old, rusted swords, but on those swords edges, the same black energy was glowing.

These are, Anvay voice trembled. These are our own ancestor warriors. From the time of the first king of Nabhgadh.

He put his hands on the ground. Eyes closed. Then pushed hard.

The ground cracked.

Huge stone hands emerged from the ground. Five fingers. Palm. Wrist. They rose in the air, then fell down. Crushed one skeleton. Bones shattered, a cloud of black smoke rose.

Agni was clearing the path with his fire. He swung Jwala. A red, orange fire wheel cut through the air. It passed through the skeletons, burning them. Bones turned black, then turned to ash.

But then he saw something strange.

Varunya was not fighting.

She was standing, her blue eyes searching for something in the darkness of the forest. Her body was tense, but she was not attacking. She was just watching. And waiting.

Agni started to go toward her, but then a skeleton moved toward him.

This skeleton was bigger than the others. On its head was a broken crown. Gold, now turned black. It raised its sword and began to attack Agni.

Agni cut it into two pieces with his sword Jwala.

The skeleton fell apart.

Akshansh used his lightning power to rain lightning from the sky. One after another, blue flashes hit the ground, and the remaining skeletons shattered in a moment.

Varunya kept walking forward.

Agni ran after her.

Suddenly, in the middle of the forest, an old stone pillar appeared. This pillar stood completely straight, like a giant finger pointing at the sky. There were carvings on it. Words written in an ancient language.

Varunya went near the pillar and stopped.

Agni went behind her and stopped. But seeing the pillar, his breathing stopped.

He said, his voice a whisper. Neer.

On the pillar, in Neer handwriting, something was carved. The words were clear, as if written just yesterday.

What is left behind will come forward.

Agni moved toward the stone. His hand rose, fingers about to touch those carved words.

But Varunya caught his hand.

Her grip was cold as ice. A cold that could freeze bones. She shook her head firmly, a sharp warning in her eyes. As if she was saying. Do not touch. Do not read. Leave from here.

Agni looked at Varunya. There were questions in his eyes. Hundreds of questions.

Just then, an arrow came from the darkness.

This arrow was not made of iron. It was made of frozen ice. White, transparent, and a black glow on its tip. The arrow was moving straight toward Varunya.

Agni immediately saw the arrow. He raised his hand, and a flame shot from his palm. The flame and the arrow clashed in the air.

The ice arrow began to melt. First the tip, then the shaft. Drops of water began to drip to the ground.

But from inside the arrow, a small piece of paper fell. White. Folded.

Akshansh picked it up. He opened it and began to read. His voice was slow, clear.

The truth is not what Varunya is telling. Ask her. Where is she getting those blue pearls from?

Agni forehead throbbed. Blue pearls. The same ones he had seen on the ground after the shadow warrior was destroyed. The ones Varunya had hidden.

He looked at Varunya. Varunya. What are these pearls? And how does the one who shot this arrow know you?

Varunya did not answer.

Instead, she raised her palm. And released a sharp blue wave from it.

The wave spread through the air. It was not an attack. It was a cleansing. As soon as the blue light touched all the skeleton warriors ahead, they turned to ash. Instead of black smoke, blue sparks rose, and then silence.

Varunya pointed ahead without turning back. The path now became even narrower. A deep gorge between two mountains, from which a gust of black wind was rising.

Just then, black lightning struck from the sky.

This lightning was not ordinary. It tore through the sky and came down, and where it struck, the ground turned black. Grass withered. Stones broke.

And then a voice echoed. Deep. Harsh. And with a poisonous sweetness in it.

Welcome my father.

It was Nirag voice.

Hundreds of shadow soldiers appeared from the sky. These were not the skeleton warriors from before. These were shadows. Completely black. Without eyes. Without faces. They floated in the air, and in their hands were black swords.

Akshansh swung his Nakshatra. A rain of blue lightning began from his sword. One after another, lightning strikes fell on the shadow soldiers, and they turned to black smoke and disappeared.

Anvay made a shield of stones. Huge pieces of stone rose from the ground and began to swirl around him, forming a protective circle. No shadow soldier could come near him.

And Agni. Agni was dancing with death using his Jwala.

He swung his sword. A red fire wheel cut through the air, burning ten shadow soldiers. Then a second wheel. Then a third. Flames were coming from his body, and every flame was consuming an enemy.

But the mystery deepened when Agni saw that one shadow soldier had a pendant around his neck.

This pendant was not ordinary. It was made of blue stone, and a symbol was carved on it. The same symbol that Neer always kept with him.

Agni focus broke. His eyes fixed on that pendant. Neer. This pendant is Neer. How is it here?

Taking advantage of that moment, a shadow soldier tried to strike his back. A sword of black smoke flashed in the air and came down.

Just then Varunya came in front of him.

The strike hit Varunya.

The sword went into her shoulder. But no blood came out.

Instead, blue light came out.

A bright, glowing blue light that spread around the sword. The shadow soldiers sword broke, and he himself jumped backward.

Varunya, Agni shouted.

Varunya looked at him with a painful glance. There was a pain in her eyes that was beyond words. Then she waved her hand in the air.

A blue fog spread.

This fog was not ordinary. It was glowing, as if millions of blue fireflies had lit up together. The fog spread everywhere, and wherever it went, shadow soldiers disappeared. They did not turn into black smoke. They dissolved into blue light.

When the fog cleared, they were at the gate of Void Peak.

In front was a huge black stone door, with strange symbols carved on it. The air smelled of death.

But Agni eyes were on Varunya.

Her mask had slipped a little. Now her lower part was visible. Chin. Corner of lips.

And on her chin. A small mole.

Agni saw that mole. And was shocked.

This mole looked familiar. Very familiar.

A memory flashed in his mind. Very old. Blurry. A face. A smile. And a mole on the chin.

Just then Varunya covered her face again with the cloth. And without saying anything, she began to move forward. Toward that black door, where Nirag was waiting.

Agni stood there, his eyes fixed on Varunya back. A storm of questions was raging in his mind. And among those questions, a name was echoing. A name he had forgotten for years.

But now was not the time to ask questions. Now was the time to fight.

He gripped his sword tightly and stepped toward the black door.

Chapter 193 - CHAPTER 50 The Blood Path to Void Peak