Chapter 15:
Ashes and Dawn
Tatva- The Awakening of Elements
The waves had finally fallen silent.
For the first time in days, the air around Sagarur was calm — no crimson light, no monstrous cries beneath the water, only the gentle hum of the sea returning to life.
Smoke rose from the broken shoreline, the scent of salt and ash mingling in the morning air.The barrier that had trapped them was gone.
And so was Karkotaka.
---
The Return of the Sun
Kedar woke to the warmth of sunlight — not fire, not energy, just the soft warmth of dawn. His body was wrapped in healing cloth, faint traces of golden energy still pulsing beneath his skin.
He blinked, vision clearing to see familiar faces.
Anant sat nearby, sharpening his twin chakras, every motion slow but steady.Shakti rested against a wooden pillar, her glaive beside her, eyes half-closed but smiling faintly.And Aryan stood at the edge of the hut, armor dismantled, wires and circuits spread out on the floor as he tinkered with his broken combat suit.
> “You’re awake,” Aryan said without turning.“Barely,” Kedar muttered. “Feels like I got hit by a mountain.”“You did,” Anant said dryly. “Twice.”
They laughed — weakly, but genuinely.
Outside, the villagers cheered. Drums echoed along the coastline. The Festival of Dawn had begun — a spontaneous celebration of survival. Lanterns floated on the sea, each carrying a small flame in honor of those lost.
Children ran through the streets, painting crimson marks of victory on each other’s cheeks. Fishermen repaired their boats, humming old songs.For a moment, the world felt whole again.
---
The Hero’s Quiet
Later that evening, the group sat by the shore.
Kedar watched the waves, his reflection rippling beside the setting sun.
> “It’s strange,” he said softly. “We almost died down there… and now everyone’s smiling.”
Shakti leaned back on her elbows. “That’s what heroes are for, right? We bleed so they can smile.”
Anant grinned. “You sound like Parshu.”
At that name, they all laughed — a sound light enough to break the silence that had haunted them.
Aryan adjusted his repaired gauntlet, the glowing edges flickering faintly.
> “Still,” he said, glancing toward the water, “the ocean’s too quiet. Monsters don’t just vanish.”
Kedar nodded, but didn’t reply. His thoughts were elsewhere — on that final whisper from Karkotaka, and on the way his flames had changed.Golden light, etched with symbols he didn’t recognize.Something ancient. Something… connected.
---
Two Months of Silence
After their return, Guru Parshu met them at the mountain gate. His expression was unreadable — neither praise nor anger, only the calm of someone who already knew.
> “You’ve seen too much,” he said simply. “And learned faster than I expected.”
He brought them back to the ashram. For the next two months, they trained in silence — refining what they’d learned under the sea.
Shakti mastered her glaive’s resonance technique.Anant learned to control his twin chakras as separate but living weapons.Aryan rebuilt his tech-suit into something more organic — fused with energy flow rather than machine logic.
And Kedar… trained in secret. Every night, he’d sit before the flame shrine, his Fire Prana flickering between red and gold, unsure of what it was becoming.
---
Erased Memories
When the time came to return to school, Guru Parshu gathered the students and teachers of the original expedition.
He lifted his hand, and a faint blue light rippled outward — soft, clean, like morning fog.
> “They cannot carry the weight of what they’ve seen,” he said quietly. “The world is not ready.”
The light swept over them, erasing every memory of dhumaparvat, the beasts, the barrier — even the name navkunjra faded from their minds.
To them, it would be as if the trip ended peacefully, long ago.
Only Kedar, Shakti, Anant, and Aryan retained the truth.The four of them stood at the back, silent as the light faded.
Kedar looked at Parshu. “Why only us?”
> “Because you’ve stepped beyond the line,” Parshu replied. “The others aren’t meant to walk that path. But you four… the flame chose you.”
---
A Quiet Promise
That night, as they prepared to leave, the sea wind carried faint whispers through the trees.
Kedar stood alone by the mountain edge, gazing toward the horizon.The flames of Sagapur still glowed faintly in his memories — and deep inside, the echo of Rosha still pulsed in his heart.
> “We’ll meet again,” he murmured, remembering the whisper of the fallen king. “And when we do… I’ll be ready.”
Behind him, Aryan called out. “Come on, hero. Parshu says we’ve got our next assignment soon.”
Kedar smiled faintly and turned away from the sea.
The dawn rose golden over the mountains, the flames of the night finally gone —but somewhere, deep beneath the ocean’s calm surface, a crimson eye opened once more.
To be continued......
For the first time in days, the air around Sagarur was calm — no crimson light, no monstrous cries beneath the water, only the gentle hum of the sea returning to life.
Smoke rose from the broken shoreline, the scent of salt and ash mingling in the morning air.The barrier that had trapped them was gone.
And so was Karkotaka.
---
The Return of the Sun
Kedar woke to the warmth of sunlight — not fire, not energy, just the soft warmth of dawn. His body was wrapped in healing cloth, faint traces of golden energy still pulsing beneath his skin.
He blinked, vision clearing to see familiar faces.
Anant sat nearby, sharpening his twin chakras, every motion slow but steady.Shakti rested against a wooden pillar, her glaive beside her, eyes half-closed but smiling faintly.And Aryan stood at the edge of the hut, armor dismantled, wires and circuits spread out on the floor as he tinkered with his broken combat suit.
> “You’re awake,” Aryan said without turning.“Barely,” Kedar muttered. “Feels like I got hit by a mountain.”“You did,” Anant said dryly. “Twice.”
They laughed — weakly, but genuinely.
Outside, the villagers cheered. Drums echoed along the coastline. The Festival of Dawn had begun — a spontaneous celebration of survival. Lanterns floated on the sea, each carrying a small flame in honor of those lost.
Children ran through the streets, painting crimson marks of victory on each other’s cheeks. Fishermen repaired their boats, humming old songs.For a moment, the world felt whole again.
---
The Hero’s Quiet
Later that evening, the group sat by the shore.
Kedar watched the waves, his reflection rippling beside the setting sun.
> “It’s strange,” he said softly. “We almost died down there… and now everyone’s smiling.”
Shakti leaned back on her elbows. “That’s what heroes are for, right? We bleed so they can smile.”
Anant grinned. “You sound like Parshu.”
At that name, they all laughed — a sound light enough to break the silence that had haunted them.
Aryan adjusted his repaired gauntlet, the glowing edges flickering faintly.
> “Still,” he said, glancing toward the water, “the ocean’s too quiet. Monsters don’t just vanish.”
Kedar nodded, but didn’t reply. His thoughts were elsewhere — on that final whisper from Karkotaka, and on the way his flames had changed.Golden light, etched with symbols he didn’t recognize.Something ancient. Something… connected.
---
Two Months of Silence
After their return, Guru Parshu met them at the mountain gate. His expression was unreadable — neither praise nor anger, only the calm of someone who already knew.
> “You’ve seen too much,” he said simply. “And learned faster than I expected.”
He brought them back to the ashram. For the next two months, they trained in silence — refining what they’d learned under the sea.
Shakti mastered her glaive’s resonance technique.Anant learned to control his twin chakras as separate but living weapons.Aryan rebuilt his tech-suit into something more organic — fused with energy flow rather than machine logic.
And Kedar… trained in secret. Every night, he’d sit before the flame shrine, his Fire Prana flickering between red and gold, unsure of what it was becoming.
---
Erased Memories
When the time came to return to school, Guru Parshu gathered the students and teachers of the original expedition.
He lifted his hand, and a faint blue light rippled outward — soft, clean, like morning fog.
> “They cannot carry the weight of what they’ve seen,” he said quietly. “The world is not ready.”
The light swept over them, erasing every memory of dhumaparvat, the beasts, the barrier — even the name navkunjra faded from their minds.
To them, it would be as if the trip ended peacefully, long ago.
Only Kedar, Shakti, Anant, and Aryan retained the truth.The four of them stood at the back, silent as the light faded.
Kedar looked at Parshu. “Why only us?”
> “Because you’ve stepped beyond the line,” Parshu replied. “The others aren’t meant to walk that path. But you four… the flame chose you.”
---
A Quiet Promise
That night, as they prepared to leave, the sea wind carried faint whispers through the trees.
Kedar stood alone by the mountain edge, gazing toward the horizon.The flames of Sagapur still glowed faintly in his memories — and deep inside, the echo of Rosha still pulsed in his heart.
> “We’ll meet again,” he murmured, remembering the whisper of the fallen king. “And when we do… I’ll be ready.”
Behind him, Aryan called out. “Come on, hero. Parshu says we’ve got our next assignment soon.”
Kedar smiled faintly and turned away from the sea.
The dawn rose golden over the mountains, the flames of the night finally gone —but somewhere, deep beneath the ocean’s calm surface, a crimson eye opened once more.
To be continued......
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