"Maan... can you hear me?"
"Maan, answer us!"
"What do you see around you?"
"Focus... concentrate!"
Ali's voice echoed through the currents of meditation, searching for Maan's consciousness hidden somewhere within the labyrinth of his own soul.
Andy looked at him anxiously.
"What happened, Ali?"
"Can't you establish a connection?"
Ali slowly opened his eyes and shook his head.
"No."
"His mind isn't stable."
"He's trapped in confusion."
"Until he calms his thoughts and steadies his consciousness, reaching him will be almost impossible."
The chamber fell silent once again.
All they could do now was wait.
Minutes passed like hours.
Then suddenly—
"Ali..."
"Andy..."
The faint voice echoed inside their minds.
"Where am I...?"
"What is this place?"
"I can't hear anything clearly."
"Please... get me out of here."
Andy's eyes widened.
"He connected!"
"Ali, hurry!"
Ali immediately closed his eyes and reached into meditation once more.
"Maan!"
"It's me."
"Ali."
The voice returned, weak but recognizable.
"Yes..."
"I can hear you now."
"But this place..."
"It's impossible to understand."
"One moment I see terrifying visions..."
"The next moment everything changes."
"It feels like an endless illusion."
Ali's expression became serious.
"Maan..."
"Listen carefully."
"You are inside the Chakra Vyuha created by your own inner power."
"This is your trial."
"Your Agni Pariksha."
"You must fight yourself."
"You must remember who you truly are."
"Remember the warrior hidden inside your soul."
"Awaken your divine form."
"Remember why you were born."
"You came into existence for the welfare of creation."
"Prepare yourself to fulfill your Dharma..."
"Your Karma..."
"And your responsibility."
Ali's voice echoed endlessly through the spiritual void.
"Maan..."
"Recognize yourself."
Silence followed.
Long...
Heavy...
Painful silence.
Then Maan finally spoke.
Only two words.
"But... why?"
Ali and Andy froze.
The question carried far more pain than rebellion.
Maan continued.
"Why should I bear this responsibility alone?"
"Why is saving creation my duty?"
"Can't the people living in this world protect it themselves?"
"Why must I fight against myself merely to awaken divine power?"
"And even if I awaken..."
"What then?"
"I'll become the reason for this world's destruction."
"What about the innocent?"
"The children..."
"The ordinary people who somehow survive every day without expecting miracles from God?"
"Should I become a deity only to watch them perish alongside evil?"
His voice trembled.
"I remember Siya."
"She once said..."
'We will make this world better.'
"Was this the better world she wanted?"
"A world rebuilt only after destroying the old one?"
His emotions exploded.
"And most importantly..."
"Why me?"
"I fought because I loved all of you."
"I called you my family."
"My duty was to protect my family."
"But why should I carry the burden of the entire universe?"
The words struck Ali's heart.
Yet he answered firmly.
"So you're saying you'll protect only those who accepted you as family?"
"Have you forgotten something?"
"This life you call yours..."
"is borrowed."
"You are not its owner."
"You exist only because of divine grace."
"The One who owns this life..."
"is the Creator, the Sustainer, and the Lord of this universe."
"He worries for this creation."
"It is His responsibility."
"You are not the master of this body."
"You are merely a human chosen by the Divine."
"And your human attachment..."
"cannot stop God's arrival."
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Then Maan broke.
For the first time since entering meditation...
he cried.
His voice echoed through the endless void.
"I never asked for this!"
"I only wanted a normal life!"
"I never asked Him for these useless powers!"
"I never wanted to be special!"
"I never wanted to be chosen!"
"I never asked to become different from everyone else!"
"All I wanted..."
"was a family."
"A mother who loved me."
"A peaceful life."
"I never wished to become a god."
"I only wanted to live as a child."
Every word carried years of loneliness.
Years of pain.
Years of unanswered prayers.
Ali's eyes slowly filled with tears.
Yet he forced himself to remain strong.
"Instead of being grateful..."
"You call yourself unfortunate."
The very next instant—
A thunderous voice exploded across the spiritual realm.
The void itself shook.
Lightning cracked through the darkness.
The universe seemed to tremble beneath its authority.
"ENOUGH, ALI!"
"That is enough."
The entire Chakra Vyuha fell into absolute silence.
Someone else...
had entered the trial.