The night before the choice did not allow sleep.
Arya sat cross-legged within the sanctum, eyes closed, breath steady, yet his mind burned like a battlefield that refused ceasefire. Outside, Mahismati endured—walls scarred, streets hushed, hearts clenched. The city lived, but it lived tensely, as if afraid that breathing too loudly would invite fate to strike again.
The Dominion Protocol did not speak.
That silence was worse than any warning.
---
> [System Status: Dormant]
> Authority Reserves: Locked
> Narrative Pressure: Extreme
Arya opened his eyes.
"So this is how you corner me," he murmured. "Not with commands—but with absence."
The oil lamps flickered.
The shadows listened.
---
Karna entered without ceremony.
"You're awake," he said.
"I never slept."
Karna hesitated, then sat opposite him. For once, there was no armor between them. No titles. Just two men shaped by war and waiting.
"They're afraid of you," Karna said quietly.
Arya nodded. "They should be."
"That's not what I meant." Karna leaned forward. "They're afraid of what you'll choose."
Arya's gaze sharpened. "And you?"
Karna did not answer immediately.
"When I was younger," Karna said slowly, "I thought strength was proof of worth. That if I could stand taller, strike harder, endure longer—then the world would have to acknowledge me."
Arya listened.
"But the world doesn't care about strength," Karna continued. "It cares about stories. About who we become when strength is no longer enough."
He met Arya's eyes.
"What story are you telling?"
---
The system stirred.
---
> [Decision Threshold Reached]
> Two Viable Paths Detected
> Warning:
> Selection Will Permanently Alter World-State
Arya exhaled.
"Tell me," he said, not to Karna—but to the unseen force coiled within him. "Tell me the cost."
---
The world shifted.
Not physically.
Narratively.
---
> [Path One: Absolute Dominion]
> Description:
> Full release of Authority Field.
> Enemy will submit or perish.
> Siege ends within one day.
> Consequences:
> - Massive karmic backlash
> - Human empathy suppressed permanently
> - Future divine opposition increased
> Result:
> You will win.
> You will not be forgiven.
---
Arya's jaw tightened.
"And the other?"
---
> [Path Two: Dharma-Bound Sacrifice]
> Description:
> Voluntary limitation of Dominion.
> Personal power reduced.
> War prolonged.
> Consequences:
> - Severe personal loss
> - Increased ally casualties
> - Moral authority amplified
> Result:
> You may lose.
> You may remain human.
---
Silence fell.
Karna felt something heavy settle in the air.
"Arya," he said, voice rough, "whatever you choose… don't do it alone."
Arya smiled faintly.
"That's the problem," he replied. "I already am."
---
At dawn, the horns sounded again.
The Kuru forces advanced—not cautiously this time, but deliberately. Shields locked. Formations tight. Bhishma walked at the front, bow unstrung but presence undeniable.
He stopped within arrow range.
And waited.
---
Arya stepped onto the wall.
The city watched.
The enemy watched.
The gods watched.
---
> [Final Confirmation Required]
> Select Path:
> ▢ Absolute Dominion
> ▢ Dharma-Bound Sacrifice
Arya closed his eyes.
He remembered Kaliyuga.
Blood on concrete.
Hands reaching for help that never came.
He remembered Shiva's gaze—fierce, proud, grieving.
Parvati's touch—gentle, unforgiving.
"You were born for justice," she had said.
Not victory.
Justice.
---
Arya opened his eyes.
"I choose," he said aloud, voice carrying across the field, "to remain human."
---
The system screamed.
---
> [Path Selected: Dharma-Bound Sacrifice]
> Authority Field: Restricted
> Dominion Output: Reduced by 70%
> Permanent Debuff Applied:
> Sovereign's Burden
> Effect:
> Power drains proportional to compassion exercised
---
Arya staggered.
Blood spilled freely now—not from nose or eyes—but from his palm as something unseen carved itself into him.
A mark.
A weight.
A promise.
---
Bhishma felt it.
His eyes widened.
"You would chain yourself," he whispered, "to spare others."
Arya met his gaze.
"I will not become what ends the world just to save one city."
---
The battle began.
Not with collapse.
Not with terror.
With steel.
---
Kuru arrows flew.
Mahismati answered.
The clash was brutal, personal, unforgiving.
Arya fought on the walls—not as a god, but as a prince.
Each strike cost him.
Each saved life weakened him.
---
> [Sovereign's Burden Active]
> Compassion Registered
> Power Output Decreasing
Arya gritted his teeth and kept moving.
---
Karna fought like a storm.
Not because he believed in victory—
But because he believed in Arya.
---
By midday, the losses were heavy.
On both sides.
The system whispered again, almost regretful.
---
> [Advisory]
> Absolute Dominion Still Available
> Warning:
> Reversal Will Nullify Current Choice
Arya ignored it.
He pulled a wounded soldier to safety instead.
The pain nearly dropped him to his knees.
But he smiled.
---
Krishna watched from afar, leaning against a tree that did not exist a moment earlier.
"So," he said softly, "you chose the longer road."
The wind did not answer.
But the world adjusted.
---
By nightfall, the siege was not broken.
But it was no longer one-sided.
Mahismati bled.
The Kurus hesitated.
And something fragile—
Dangerous—
Hope—
Took root.
---
As Arya collapsed against the wall, Karna caught him.
"You're an idiot," Karna muttered.
Arya laughed weakly.
"I know."
"But you're still here," Karna said.
Arya closed his eyes.
"For now."
---
The system delivered its final message for the day.
---
> [New Title Acquired]
> Bearer of the Broken Scale
> Effect:
> Those who fight beside you gain resolve
> Those who oppose you feel doubt
> Note:
> This title grows only through sacrifice
---
The war was far from over.
But heaven—
Had noticed.
---
End of Chapter 21