Mahārishi Kripacharya seemed deeply troubled.
There was a heaviness in his eyes now… something far beyond ordinary concern.
I stepped closer.
"Gurudev… is something wrong? Are you sensing some kind of danger?"
For a few moments, he remained silent.
Then he finally spoke.
"The destruction of that darkness happened too easily…"
His voice was calm—yet every word carried weight.
"That is not natural."
A strange unease spread through me.
"They are angry now," he continued.
"Hanuman's awakening was destined for a specific moment within the cycle of time… and we awakened Him before that destined hour arrived."
The atmosphere itself seemed to grow heavier.
"His rage…" Kripacharya said slowly,
"…will now become terrifying."
I instinctively looked toward Hanuman.
Even while seated in complete stillness, the divine force surrounding Him felt immeasurable. Ancient. Endless.
Kripacharya's gaze deepened.
"For ages, He remained immersed in devotion and penance. The energy accumulated through such limitless bhakti…"
He paused.
"…could destroy this entire world within moments."
A silence followed.
"Which is why His power must remain balanced."
His voice lowered further.
"And only after that balance is restored… will the wheel of time permit the divine realization of Bhagwan Kalki."
The moment I heard that name—
my heartbeat quickened.
I stepped closer immediately.
"Bhagwan Kalki… is He here? In this sacred land?"
"And… was He born here as well?"
Kripacharya slowly turned toward me.
"He is here."
Three words.
Yet they felt heavier than truth itself.
"But wait for the proper time, Ali."
No further explanation came.
Only silence.
---
I hesitated before asking another question.
"If Pavanputra's anger truly remains unstable… then will you be the one to help calm Him, Gurudev?"
Kripacharya looked at me for a moment.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"He is not someone who requires my guidance."
His tone carried immense reverence.
"He is divine itself."
"He already knows how balance must be restored."
---
Meanwhile—
Andy sat before Hanuman, staring at Him continuously like someone afraid to blink and lose the moment forever.
Hanuman finally smiled gently.
"What troubles you, Sajjan?" He asked.
"You have been looking at Me for quite some time."
Andy immediately folded his hands.
"Prabhu…" his voice trembled with emotion,
"I simply wish to behold this divine form for as long as possible."
His eyes had become moist.
"The form for whose deity humanity waits across lifetimes…"
He swallowed heavily.
"And today… I am witnessing it with my own eyes."
A faint laugh escaped him in disbelief.
"The fate of someone as insignificant as me has finally awakened."
"My life has gained meaning today, Prabhu."
Silence settled across the cave once again.
But nearby—
Maan was smiling.
Not out of awe.
Not fear.
Just… happiness.
Pure and innocent.
Hanuman's gaze slowly shifted toward him.
And remained there.
There was something strangely familiar in Maan's expression… something that seemed to interest Hanuman deeply.
Finally, Hanuman asked softly—
"And why are you smiling, Sajjan?"
Maan blinked slightly.
"I don't know…" he admitted quietly.
"But seeing You makes me feel… peaceful."
His smile faded into confusion.
"And strangely…"
He paused.
"I feel like I've seen You before."
Andy turned instantly toward him.
"You've seen Him before?"
Maan was just about to answer—
when Mahārishi Kripacharya suddenly stepped forward.
His expression had changed completely.
"Prabhu," he said urgently,
"danger is near. We must relocate Kashi immediately."
Hanuman nodded once.
That was all.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
---
And then—
He stood.
The very moment He rose to His full height, the place trembled violently.
The air itself bent beneath His presence.
A divine force erupted across the temple.
---
The next moment—
Hanuman lifted His hand toward the sacred city.
And impossibly—
Entire Kashi rose.
As effortlessly as if it weighed nothing.
Just as He once carried Dronagiri mountain in another age…
He now held the hidden city of Kashi within a single hand.
Ali, Andy, and Maan could only stare in stunned silence.
Then—
Hanuman leapt.
---
The world blurred.
Mountains vanished beneath Him.
Clouds tore apart.
The earth itself seemed too small beneath that divine leap.
---
Far away—
Beyond civilization…
Beyond memory…
Beyond the reach of ordinary humans—
lay a barren wasteland.
Dead land.
Silent.
Forgotten.
---
And there—
Hanuman gently placed Kashi once again.
The sacred city settled into existence exactly as before.
Protected.
Hidden.
Invisible to the world.
Safe.
Once more.
---
But elsewhere—
A scream shattered the darkness.
"SIYAAAAAAAAAA!"
The roar echoed like destruction itself.
"Who dared touch my Siya?!"
Pure rage exploded outward.
Screevers were being crushed beneath that wrath mercilessly. Their twisted bodies tore apart as if caught beneath an unstoppable force.
And the few surviving humans—
their deaths were already certain.
Blood.
Screams.
Chaos.
Everything burned beneath that fury.
Yet even now—
one question remained unanswered.
Who was he?
Who was the being hidden behind that dark silhouette?
What cruel face hid behind the shadows…
waiting for the world to finally witness it?