Chapter 2:
The Vanishing Mist
Tatva- The Awakening of Elements
Chapter 2 — The Vanishing Mist
1 — Into the Clouds
The road that wound toward Dhuma Parvat looked like a serpent carved through the forest. The school bus rattled over every curve, its old suspension squeaking a rhythm that blended with the chatter of thirty students.
Kedar sat by the window, chin resting on his palm, watching the rising hills blur into sheets of drifting fog. His reflection stared back—red-tinged eyes that always seemed to hold a quiet spark, black hair falling over his forehead in untamed waves, a body neither tall nor short, broad enough to hint at hidden strength.
Behind him, Anant argued with the driver about the playlist. “Bhaiya, play something heroic! This is a mountain, not a meditation camp!”
The teacher, Mr. Rajan, sighed. “It is a study tour, Anant. Try to act like a student for once.”
Across the aisle, Aryan was sketching a miniature drone design in his notebook. The boy’s mind ran on circuits and codes even on field trips.And next to him, Shakti sat composed, eyes on the window, the hem of her uniform neatly pressed as always.
She glanced at Kedar. “You’re unusually quiet.”
“Mountains do that,” he murmured. “They feel… alive.”
Aryan chuckled. “Or maybe you’re just scared of homework.”
Kedar smirked, but his gaze stayed fixed on the mist-covered peaks ahead. Somewhere deep inside, the mountain’s call resonated like an echo he couldn’t name.
---
2 — Camp at the Edge
By afternoon, the bus rolled into a clearing where the air was sharp with pine and damp stone. Beyond the tree line, Dhuma Parvat rose like a wall of silver cloud, its summit lost to the sky.
The students spilled out, stretching and marveling at the view. Mr. Rajan clapped his hands.“Alright everyone, we’ll set the tents here. Remember, no wandering after dark. This place is sacred ground.”
Kedar helped pitch the tents, his muscles warm from the climb. When they finally sat around the evening fire, the teacher began his usual lecture about the geology of misted mountains and how ancient sages once meditated here.
Anant leaned closer and whispered, “Bet there’s a treasure buried up there. Every legend’s got one.”
“Or maybe a monster guarding it,” Shakti said flatly.
Aryan grinned. “Now that’s the kind of field research I’d actually do.”
They laughed, their voices swallowed by the fog that crept silently closer.
---
3 — Whispers in the Night
The first night passed uneasily. The forest noises felt wrong—no birdsong, no chirping, only the hiss of wind and the drip of water from unseen leaves.
Kedar woke once to what he thought was a whisper outside his tent. When he peeked out, the mist shimmered faintly, almost forming a shape—a silhouette watching him. But when he blinked, it was gone.
Morning brought an absence more chilling than the night. Priya, the biology topper, was missing. Her friends thought she had gone to the stream to collect samples, but her bag was still there, her boots damp with dew.
By noon, the whole class was searching. They found only her notebook near the stream, pages soaked, the last one scribbled with a drawing of nine strange animal heads encircling a flame.
That night, the campfire burned lower, conversation fading into nervous silence.
---
4 — The Roar
The second disappearance came with rain. Samar and Ishita never returned from the slope survey. The teacher’s voice trembled when he ordered everyone back into their tents.
“Tomorrow morning we descend,” he said. “No arguments. This place isn’t safe.”
But tomorrow never came.
Somewhere deep in the mountain, a sound rose—a long, thunderous roar that bent the air itself. The tents shuddered. The ground quaked.
Students screamed. Flashlights scattered beams through the fog.
Kedar stumbled out, heart pounding. “What was that!?”
Aryan clutched his shoulder. “It came from the ridge!”
Anant’s face, usually brimming with jokes, was pale. “That… wasn’t any animal.”
The roar faded into an echoing hum that seemed to vibrate inside Kedar’s skull. And then silence returned—heavy and absolute.
---
5 — Gone
Morning light revealed chaos. Half the tents were empty. Only Kedar, Aryan, Shakti, Anant, and a handful of students remained.
Then, while Mr. Rajan tried to radio the base camp, the mist rolled in thicker than ever. Shadows moved inside it. One by one, voices called out and vanished.
Anant’s hand slipped from Kedar’s grasp. “Kedar!”
“Anant!”
Only echo answered. Within minutes, Kedar was completely alone.
His breath clouded before him as he shouted into the gray void. “Aryan! Shakti! Where are you!?”
The mist swirled in reply, forming a faint circle around him. Then came a voice—ancient, layered, like multiple throats speaking at once:
> “Why do you wander, child of fire?”
Kedar turned slowly. The mist condensed into form—a colossal being of muscle and shadow, nine heads flickering in and out of existence.
---
6 — The Navkunjra
It stood upon four leonine legs, wings half-folded like thunderclouds, tails of serpent and wolf coiling behind. Every head gleamed with a different essence—beast, bird, and man—all glaring with golden eyes.
Kedar froze, unable to breathe. “What are you…?”
> “I am Navkunjra, guardian of the veil between worlds. Those who enter my mist are weighed by the fire within.”
Its steps shook the clearing.
> “Your companions were unready. They sleep now in the mountain’s memory. But you—your spark calls me.”
Rage flared inside Kedar. “Bring them back!”
The creature’s nine voices merged into a single thunderous laugh.
> “Defy a guardian, mortal? Then let your flame be judged.”
It struck.
---
7 — Trial by Flame
Kedar dove aside, the earth exploding where he had stood. Stone splinters cut his arms. The creature swung a serpent tail; he ducked under it and rolled, grabbing a broken branch. It shattered uselessly against the beast’s hide.
Navkunjra slammed a hoof, sending a shockwave that threw Kedar backward. Pain exploded through his ribs. He coughed blood, forcing himself up.
> “Too weak,” the beast rumbled. “A spark untested by shadow.”
Kedar staggered, vision swimming. I can’t… no, I won’t run.
He remembered Aryan’s determined eyes, Shakti’s calm strength, Anant’s unbreakable grin. He thought of his father walking into the mountains years ago, promising to return.
Something cracked open inside him.
The air around him began to ripple. Heat built under his skin, burning but not consuming. His eyes blazed red; the mist recoiled from him.
The ground beneath his feet turned to glowing embers.
> So this is… the fire?
He clenched his fists, flame-veins tracing his arms like molten gold.
---
8 — The Awakening
He charged, flames bursting from his heels. Every punch struck with a sound like cannon fire. Sparks flew as he hammered against the beast’s foreleg. The ninth blow landed true—a searing impact that branded a glowing symbol upon the creature’s hide.
Navkunjra staggered, letting out a roar that rattled the trees. Smoke and steam rose where fire met divine flesh.
> “Interesting… a mortal wound from a mortal flame.”
Kedar dropped to one knee, gasping, the fire fading. “I… I did it.”
> “Indeed. You are ready.”
The beast’s form shimmered, breaking apart into light. One by one, the heads folded inward until only a human silhouette remained—tall, radiant, and calm.
---
9 — Sage Parshu
Where the monster had stood now stood a man clad in crimson robes embroidered with gold, long bronze hair tied loosely behind, eyes burning like dawn.
He smiled. “Courage without balance is chaos. You fought well, child.”
Kedar stared, trembling. “Who… who are you?”
“I am Sage Parshu, once guardian of this mountain, disciple of Guru Vishrant.”
Kedar’s eyes widened. “My master’s teacher…?”
Parshu nodded gently. “And your father’s companion, long ago. You have awakened what he feared to face.”
Kedar’s breath caught. “You knew my father?”
“He sought the same flame that burns within you. But answers must come with strength. For now, rest.”
He extended his hand; a warm glow enveloped Kedar, easing the pain from his bruised ribs.
> “Sleep, young flame. Tomorrow you will begin to understand.”
Darkness closed over Kedar as his knees gave way. The last thing he saw was Parshu’s serene face framed by firelight.
---
10 — The Ashram in the Mist
When Kedar awoke, soft chanting filled the air. He lay on a stone bed inside a vast cave illuminated by hundreds of floating lamps. The walls glimmered with inscriptions of ancient Pranas—symbols for fire, wind, water, earth, and sky.
Outside, waterfalls fell through veils of white mist, glowing in sunrise hues.
Sage Parshu sat cross-legged nearby, eyes closed in meditation. Without looking up, he said,
> “You are awake. The fire did not consume you. Good.”
Kedar sat up slowly. “My friends… are they alive?”
“They have descended safely. The mountain released them once your trial ended.”
Kedar exhaled in relief. “Then why am I here?”
Parshu opened his eyes. “Because the world is changing, and your flame is one of its keys. You will learn to control it—or it will devour everything you love.”
He rose, gazing out toward the glowing peaks.
> “Welcome, Kedar Sharma, heir of the Rośha flame. From this day, you are my disciple.”
To be continued.....
1 — Into the Clouds
The road that wound toward Dhuma Parvat looked like a serpent carved through the forest. The school bus rattled over every curve, its old suspension squeaking a rhythm that blended with the chatter of thirty students.
Kedar sat by the window, chin resting on his palm, watching the rising hills blur into sheets of drifting fog. His reflection stared back—red-tinged eyes that always seemed to hold a quiet spark, black hair falling over his forehead in untamed waves, a body neither tall nor short, broad enough to hint at hidden strength.
Behind him, Anant argued with the driver about the playlist. “Bhaiya, play something heroic! This is a mountain, not a meditation camp!”
The teacher, Mr. Rajan, sighed. “It is a study tour, Anant. Try to act like a student for once.”
Across the aisle, Aryan was sketching a miniature drone design in his notebook. The boy’s mind ran on circuits and codes even on field trips.And next to him, Shakti sat composed, eyes on the window, the hem of her uniform neatly pressed as always.
She glanced at Kedar. “You’re unusually quiet.”
“Mountains do that,” he murmured. “They feel… alive.”
Aryan chuckled. “Or maybe you’re just scared of homework.”
Kedar smirked, but his gaze stayed fixed on the mist-covered peaks ahead. Somewhere deep inside, the mountain’s call resonated like an echo he couldn’t name.
---
2 — Camp at the Edge
By afternoon, the bus rolled into a clearing where the air was sharp with pine and damp stone. Beyond the tree line, Dhuma Parvat rose like a wall of silver cloud, its summit lost to the sky.
The students spilled out, stretching and marveling at the view. Mr. Rajan clapped his hands.“Alright everyone, we’ll set the tents here. Remember, no wandering after dark. This place is sacred ground.”
Kedar helped pitch the tents, his muscles warm from the climb. When they finally sat around the evening fire, the teacher began his usual lecture about the geology of misted mountains and how ancient sages once meditated here.
Anant leaned closer and whispered, “Bet there’s a treasure buried up there. Every legend’s got one.”
“Or maybe a monster guarding it,” Shakti said flatly.
Aryan grinned. “Now that’s the kind of field research I’d actually do.”
They laughed, their voices swallowed by the fog that crept silently closer.
---
3 — Whispers in the Night
The first night passed uneasily. The forest noises felt wrong—no birdsong, no chirping, only the hiss of wind and the drip of water from unseen leaves.
Kedar woke once to what he thought was a whisper outside his tent. When he peeked out, the mist shimmered faintly, almost forming a shape—a silhouette watching him. But when he blinked, it was gone.
Morning brought an absence more chilling than the night. Priya, the biology topper, was missing. Her friends thought she had gone to the stream to collect samples, but her bag was still there, her boots damp with dew.
By noon, the whole class was searching. They found only her notebook near the stream, pages soaked, the last one scribbled with a drawing of nine strange animal heads encircling a flame.
That night, the campfire burned lower, conversation fading into nervous silence.
---
4 — The Roar
The second disappearance came with rain. Samar and Ishita never returned from the slope survey. The teacher’s voice trembled when he ordered everyone back into their tents.
“Tomorrow morning we descend,” he said. “No arguments. This place isn’t safe.”
But tomorrow never came.
Somewhere deep in the mountain, a sound rose—a long, thunderous roar that bent the air itself. The tents shuddered. The ground quaked.
Students screamed. Flashlights scattered beams through the fog.
Kedar stumbled out, heart pounding. “What was that!?”
Aryan clutched his shoulder. “It came from the ridge!”
Anant’s face, usually brimming with jokes, was pale. “That… wasn’t any animal.”
The roar faded into an echoing hum that seemed to vibrate inside Kedar’s skull. And then silence returned—heavy and absolute.
---
5 — Gone
Morning light revealed chaos. Half the tents were empty. Only Kedar, Aryan, Shakti, Anant, and a handful of students remained.
Then, while Mr. Rajan tried to radio the base camp, the mist rolled in thicker than ever. Shadows moved inside it. One by one, voices called out and vanished.
Anant’s hand slipped from Kedar’s grasp. “Kedar!”
“Anant!”
Only echo answered. Within minutes, Kedar was completely alone.
His breath clouded before him as he shouted into the gray void. “Aryan! Shakti! Where are you!?”
The mist swirled in reply, forming a faint circle around him. Then came a voice—ancient, layered, like multiple throats speaking at once:
> “Why do you wander, child of fire?”
Kedar turned slowly. The mist condensed into form—a colossal being of muscle and shadow, nine heads flickering in and out of existence.
---
6 — The Navkunjra
It stood upon four leonine legs, wings half-folded like thunderclouds, tails of serpent and wolf coiling behind. Every head gleamed with a different essence—beast, bird, and man—all glaring with golden eyes.
Kedar froze, unable to breathe. “What are you…?”
> “I am Navkunjra, guardian of the veil between worlds. Those who enter my mist are weighed by the fire within.”
Its steps shook the clearing.
> “Your companions were unready. They sleep now in the mountain’s memory. But you—your spark calls me.”
Rage flared inside Kedar. “Bring them back!”
The creature’s nine voices merged into a single thunderous laugh.
> “Defy a guardian, mortal? Then let your flame be judged.”
It struck.
---
7 — Trial by Flame
Kedar dove aside, the earth exploding where he had stood. Stone splinters cut his arms. The creature swung a serpent tail; he ducked under it and rolled, grabbing a broken branch. It shattered uselessly against the beast’s hide.
Navkunjra slammed a hoof, sending a shockwave that threw Kedar backward. Pain exploded through his ribs. He coughed blood, forcing himself up.
> “Too weak,” the beast rumbled. “A spark untested by shadow.”
Kedar staggered, vision swimming. I can’t… no, I won’t run.
He remembered Aryan’s determined eyes, Shakti’s calm strength, Anant’s unbreakable grin. He thought of his father walking into the mountains years ago, promising to return.
Something cracked open inside him.
The air around him began to ripple. Heat built under his skin, burning but not consuming. His eyes blazed red; the mist recoiled from him.
The ground beneath his feet turned to glowing embers.
> So this is… the fire?
He clenched his fists, flame-veins tracing his arms like molten gold.
---
8 — The Awakening
He charged, flames bursting from his heels. Every punch struck with a sound like cannon fire. Sparks flew as he hammered against the beast’s foreleg. The ninth blow landed true—a searing impact that branded a glowing symbol upon the creature’s hide.
Navkunjra staggered, letting out a roar that rattled the trees. Smoke and steam rose where fire met divine flesh.
> “Interesting… a mortal wound from a mortal flame.”
Kedar dropped to one knee, gasping, the fire fading. “I… I did it.”
> “Indeed. You are ready.”
The beast’s form shimmered, breaking apart into light. One by one, the heads folded inward until only a human silhouette remained—tall, radiant, and calm.
---
9 — Sage Parshu
Where the monster had stood now stood a man clad in crimson robes embroidered with gold, long bronze hair tied loosely behind, eyes burning like dawn.
He smiled. “Courage without balance is chaos. You fought well, child.”
Kedar stared, trembling. “Who… who are you?”
“I am Sage Parshu, once guardian of this mountain, disciple of Guru Vishrant.”
Kedar’s eyes widened. “My master’s teacher…?”
Parshu nodded gently. “And your father’s companion, long ago. You have awakened what he feared to face.”
Kedar’s breath caught. “You knew my father?”
“He sought the same flame that burns within you. But answers must come with strength. For now, rest.”
He extended his hand; a warm glow enveloped Kedar, easing the pain from his bruised ribs.
> “Sleep, young flame. Tomorrow you will begin to understand.”
Darkness closed over Kedar as his knees gave way. The last thing he saw was Parshu’s serene face framed by firelight.
---
10 — The Ashram in the Mist
When Kedar awoke, soft chanting filled the air. He lay on a stone bed inside a vast cave illuminated by hundreds of floating lamps. The walls glimmered with inscriptions of ancient Pranas—symbols for fire, wind, water, earth, and sky.
Outside, waterfalls fell through veils of white mist, glowing in sunrise hues.
Sage Parshu sat cross-legged nearby, eyes closed in meditation. Without looking up, he said,
> “You are awake. The fire did not consume you. Good.”
Kedar sat up slowly. “My friends… are they alive?”
“They have descended safely. The mountain released them once your trial ended.”
Kedar exhaled in relief. “Then why am I here?”
Parshu opened his eyes. “Because the world is changing, and your flame is one of its keys. You will learn to control it—or it will devour everything you love.”
He rose, gazing out toward the glowing peaks.
> “Welcome, Kedar Sharma, heir of the Rośha flame. From this day, you are my disciple.”
To be continued.....
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