The Fall of the Sacred Flame

The entire jungle echoed with the clash of titans. Birds fled miles away, animals hid trembling in burrows, and even the wind seemed afraid to blow too close. Agni—Rudra in his divine flame form—stood glowing with white-gold fire, his entire body pulsing with sacred energy. Kaalnemi writhed as the holy flames burned through his shadowed flesh.

Kaalnemi staggered back, roaring so loudly that boulders cracked nearby.

Aghori’s face twisted in pure disbelief.
“That fire should not exist! Rudra is only a child—how does he summon Divya-Agni?”

Valmiki kept his distance, watching closely. “Rudra… be careful. The Sacred Fire is powerful—but unstable. Your body is still too young to wield it fully.”

Agni tightened his fists. “I’ll hold it together. I must.”

But deep inside him, the bracelet—the Saktra—flickered.

A faint warning…
A soft tremble…
Like a candle weakening in the wind.

Agni didn’t notice.

Kaalnemi roared once more, gathering dark clouds around him. “You dare hurt me, child? I am Kaalnemi, the Devourer of Souls! I WILL END YOU!”

He lunged forward with horrifying speed. Agni reacted instantly, blasting forward with a wave of the Sacred Fire. The ground beneath him melted into glowing embers as he launched into the air, tackling Kaalnemi mid-charge.

They collided with such force that the entire jungle shook.

Kaalnemi dug his claws into the ground to stop himself. “YOUR FLAMES…” he growled, “THEY BURN LIKE THE SUN!”

Agni didn’t hesitate—he punched again, each strike exploding like a meteor impact. Kaalnemi stumbled backward, his shadowy body cracking.

Aghori raised both hands. “Kaalnemi! Absorb the fire—don’t retreat!”

But Kaalnemi hissed in frustration.
“I CANNOT ABSORB THIS FLAME! IT IS DIVINE!”

Aghori’s smile froze.

Valmiki, gripping his staff, whispered, “That fire… it is from ancient times… even demons fear it.”

Agni jumped high into the air and unleashed his strongest attack yet.
A wave of blinding white flames erupted from his palms.

“Divya–Agni BURST!”

The explosion swallowed Kaalnemi entirely.

For a moment—there was silence.

Only crackling fire and drifting ash filled the scene.

Aghori’s jaw clenched. He stepped forward, raising dark energy, preparing to counterattack—

BOOM!

A massive shockwave blasted from the explosion.

Trees uprooted. The ground split open. The air itself quaked.

Then…

From the swirling smoke emerged Kaalnemi—still standing.

His body was charred, cracks glowing red beneath burnt shadows. His eyes burned brighter and wilder.

“IMPRESSIVE…” the monster growled. “BUT NOT ENOUGH.”

Agni’s flames flickered. He felt a pulse of weakness in his body.

“What… was that?”

A faint blue spark appeared on the bracelet.
Valmiki’s eyes widened.

“The Saktra… it’s losing power. Rudra, your transformation will not last long!”

Agni tried to steady his breath. “I… I can still fight.”

But deep inside, he knew he couldn’t maintain this divine power forever.

Kaalnemi lifted both arms, summoning a swirling vortex of dark souls behind him. Thousands of faint, tortured faces screamed from the darkness.

Valmiki shouted, “Rudra, that attack—DON’T LET IT TOUCH YOU!”

Kaalnemi roared,
“Soul Tempest!”

The vortex exploded outward.

Agni leaped forward to counter, but his Sacred Flames sputtered, flickered… then dimmed sharply.

“No… no, not now!”

His blast met Kaalnemi’s storm—but Agni’s flame weakened halfway.

Kaalnemi’s attack hit him like a collapsing mountain.

Agni’s body was thrown across the forest, smashing through trees and crashing into the earth.

Valmiki screamed, “RUDRA!”

Aghori burst into laughter.
“YES! THE SAKTRA IS FAILING! HE CAN’T HOLD THAT FORM!”

Agni lay in a crater, trembling. His vision blurred. His flames dimmed.

He tried standing.

Tried to summon the Sacred Fire again.

But the bracelet blinked weakly.

Valmiki rushed toward him, lifting him slightly. “Rudra, stop! You’ll damage your body!”

Agni gritted his teeth. “I can’t give up… if I stop now… Kaalnemi will kill us all…”

He pushed Valmiki’s hand away and stood, wobbling.

Kaalnemi approached, laughing. “Look at you… little flame dying out.”

Agni raised his fists one last time, but—

FLASH.

The bracelet glowed brightly… then went completely dim.

Agni gasped.

The flames around him extinguished instantly.

He felt his body become smaller, weaker.

The white-gold glow vanished.

And in the next moment—

He stood there again as Rudra.
A 13-year-old boy.
Normal. Mortal. Exhausted. Vulnerable.

Rudra looked at his trembling hands in shock.
“No… NO… the bracelet—why?!”

Aghori clapped mockingly. “Finally. The little hero falls.”

Kaalnemi grinned, shadow teeth gleaming. “You are no longer a threat, child.”

Rudra stepped back, heart pounding.

Valmiki moved immediately, shielding Rudra with his body.
“Rudra, stay behind me. You have no power left.”

Rudra felt sick with guilt. “Babaji… I didn’t expect this… I thought I could handle it…”

Valmiki whispered, “It is not your fault. The Sacred Fire consumes tremendous energy. The Saktra cannot maintain that form for long.”

Aghori pointed toward Valmiki.
“Kaalnemi… kill the sage first. We will take the bracelet from the boy afterward.”

Kaalnemi roared and charged.

Valmiki struck his staff into the ground, chanting rapidly. Golden symbols exploded from the soil, forming a protective dome.

Kaalnemi’s claws crashed into the dome.

BOOM!

The barrier cracked instantly.

Valmiki coughed blood from the impact.

Rudra shouted, “Babaji, stop! You’re hurt—let me help!”

“You cannot,” Valmiki snapped. “Without the bracelet’s power, you are only human. RUN!”

“I’m not leaving you!”

Kaalnemi struck again.

CRACK!

The barrier shattered.

Valmiki flew backward, landing hard but rising again stubbornly. His entire body glowed with golden runes.

He spun his staff and summoned massive roots from the ground—ancient, powerful, glowing with earth magic.

The roots wrapped around Kaalnemi like chains.

Valmiki roared, “EARTH BINDING SEAL!”

Kaalnemi struggled, roaring. “THIS WON’T HOLD ME!”

Aghori smirked. “Break it, Kaalnemi.”

Kaalnemi flexed—and the roots snapped like dry straw.

He dashed toward Valmiki.

Rudra screamed, “NOOO!”

Valmiki blocked the attack with his staff, but Kaalnemi’s strength was overwhelming.

The monster slashed again, forcing Valmiki back.

Rudra watched helplessly as the two clashed—Valmiki’s golden light against Kaalnemi’s abyssal darkness.

Aghori laughed, arms crossed. “Let the old Sadhu try. Without Rudra’s power, he cannot win.”

Valmiki fought desperately, dodging claw strikes, countering with bursts of golden light. But Kaalnemi was too strong. He moved faster, hit harder, and grew stronger with every second.

Valmiki swung his staff, releasing a beam of light that burned Kaalnemi’s shoulder.

The Devourer roared in pain.

But then—his shadowy tail whipped forward, striking Valmiki directly in the ribs.

CRACK!

Valmiki collapsed to one knee.

“Babaji!” Rudra cried, tears forming in his eyes.

Rudra looked down at his bracelet, glowing faintly like a dying ember.

“Why… why now? I have to help him! Please… PLEASE WORK!”

But the bracelet remained dim.

No flame.
No power.
No Agni.

Only Rudra.

Kaalnemi loomed over Valmiki, raising both claws for the killing strike.

Valmiki, bruised and breathing hard, looked back at Rudra and whispered,

“Run… live… you are the future of the Saktra…”

Rudra stepped forward, tears falling.
“Babaji… no… NO!”

Aghori raised his hand triumphantly.

Kaalnemi roared.

And Valmiki, alone, wounded, and drained… prepared to face the monster with the last of his strength.