Chapter 25:
“THE RUINS REMEMBER THE Deads
Tatva- The Awakening of Elements
When Stone Learns to Breathe
The palace corridor beyond the court was narrow, long, and silent.Yet as Kedar followed Mayan, he felt a subtle trembling through the floor — like the stones were breathing under his feet.
The air turned colder.Not desert cold.The cold of something ancient waking from sleep.
Mayan walked ahead, humming an old lullaby, the tune too sweet for a place so twisted.
> “Do you hear it?” he asked softly.“This palace doesn’t sleep. It listens.”
Kedar answered without slowing.“It feels like it’s watching.”
Mayan smiled with satisfaction.“Good. You’re starting to perceive it.”
---
The Wall of Faces
They reached a towering stone wall carved with hundreds of human-like faces.Some smiling.Some crying.Some screaming.
But all of them… too realistic.
Kedar touched one.The surface felt warm.Alive.
A faint heartbeat pulsed beneath the stone.
“What are these?”
Mayan ran his fingers lovingly over one of the faces.
> “Once… my servants, my guards, my people.When the dark force cursed me, it cursed everything around me.They became part of the palace.”
Kedar’s eyes sharpened.
“You trapped them.”
Mayan didn’t even blink.
> “I preserved them.Illusions fade.Stones do not.”
One of the stone faces whispered—A faint breath against Kedar’s palm.
> “Run…”
Kedar stepped back sharply.
Mayan chuckled.
> “Ignore them. They are half-conscious remnants. Echoes with no form.They envy the living — nothing more.”
But Kedar knew envy wasn’t what he heard.It was fear.
---
The Prince’s Forgotten Corridor
The hallway ahead shifted without warning.
The walls stretched.The ceiling lifted.The floor patterns rearranged themselves into a spiral-like sigil.
Kedar halted.“This wasn’t here before.”
Mayan looked amused.
> “This… is the inner palace.It reshapes itself for every visitor.You should feel honored — it rarely reveals this corridor.”
The corridor walls now displayed murals.
But as Kedar studied them, his steps slowed.
These were not paintings.They were memories — flickering like reflections seen through water.
A young prince studying with sages.A boy laughing with friends in a garden.A father placing a crown gently on his head.
The images flickered… then distorted.
The boy fell to the ground.The friends vanished.The father’s face faded to black.
Then the same murals replayed — distorted even more.
Kedar felt something twist in his chest.
“Mayan… these memories aren’t complete.”
The prince walked past the murals without looking at them.
> “Memories never are.We only remember what we want.”
---
The First Hallucination
As they reached the end of the corridor, Kedar felt the walls blur.A faint ringing began in his ears.
Mayan didn’t turn.
> “Don’t fight it.The palace is showing you something.”
The ringing grew louder.
And then—
A figure appeared beside Kedar.Walking with him.
A tall man.Broad shoulders.Warm eyes.
A man Kedar recognized instantly.
His father.
But not the fisherman who raised him.The father from his blurred childhood memories — the one he never fully remembered.
Kedar froze mid-step.
The man looked down at him with a smile.
> “Kedar… you’ve grown strong.”
Kedar’s breath hitched.“No… this is—”
The man extended his hand.
> “Come back home, son.”
Kedar took a step back, shaking.
“This… isn’t real.”
Mayan finally stopped walking.
But he didn’t look back.He didn’t need to.
> “Real? Illusion?Those words mean nothing here.What matters is what your mind clings to.”
The figure spoke again, voice warmer this time.
> “We’ve waited for you, Kedar…come back to where you belong.”
Kedar’s heartbeat quickened.
He whispered, almost to himself:
“My father died… years ago.This can’t be him.”
Mayan tilted his head.
> “And yet…you turned when you heard his voice.”
Kedar felt anger flood him.
“Mayan—stop this.”
The illusionary father smiled sadly… and dissolved into smoke.
---
The Prince Enjoys the Cracks
Mayan turned around slowly, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim corridor.
> “Ah, Kedar… cracks in your mind are starting to show.”“Good. Very good.”
Kedar clenched his fists.
“You think these illusions will break me?”
Mayan stepped closer.
He whispered:
> “I think… you are terrified of what you don’t remember.And that terror is more powerful than any monster you’ve fought.”
Kedar didn’t respond.
Because Mayan was right — not fully, but right enough to sting.
There was a hole in Kedar’s past.Something stolen.Something missing.
But he refused to let Mayan see his doubt.
---
The Room That Wasn’t There
Mayan placed a hand on a blank section of wall.
The stone rippled like water.
He looked back at Kedar with a calm smile.
> “Come.This next room is one I haven’t entered in years.But I want you to see it.”
Kedar hesitated.
The ripple grew into a doorway made of shifting light.
He breathed deeply, centered his prana…
And stepped inside.
To be continued.....
The palace corridor beyond the court was narrow, long, and silent.Yet as Kedar followed Mayan, he felt a subtle trembling through the floor — like the stones were breathing under his feet.
The air turned colder.Not desert cold.The cold of something ancient waking from sleep.
Mayan walked ahead, humming an old lullaby, the tune too sweet for a place so twisted.
> “Do you hear it?” he asked softly.“This palace doesn’t sleep. It listens.”
Kedar answered without slowing.“It feels like it’s watching.”
Mayan smiled with satisfaction.“Good. You’re starting to perceive it.”
---
The Wall of Faces
They reached a towering stone wall carved with hundreds of human-like faces.Some smiling.Some crying.Some screaming.
But all of them… too realistic.
Kedar touched one.The surface felt warm.Alive.
A faint heartbeat pulsed beneath the stone.
“What are these?”
Mayan ran his fingers lovingly over one of the faces.
> “Once… my servants, my guards, my people.When the dark force cursed me, it cursed everything around me.They became part of the palace.”
Kedar’s eyes sharpened.
“You trapped them.”
Mayan didn’t even blink.
> “I preserved them.Illusions fade.Stones do not.”
One of the stone faces whispered—A faint breath against Kedar’s palm.
> “Run…”
Kedar stepped back sharply.
Mayan chuckled.
> “Ignore them. They are half-conscious remnants. Echoes with no form.They envy the living — nothing more.”
But Kedar knew envy wasn’t what he heard.It was fear.
---
The Prince’s Forgotten Corridor
The hallway ahead shifted without warning.
The walls stretched.The ceiling lifted.The floor patterns rearranged themselves into a spiral-like sigil.
Kedar halted.“This wasn’t here before.”
Mayan looked amused.
> “This… is the inner palace.It reshapes itself for every visitor.You should feel honored — it rarely reveals this corridor.”
The corridor walls now displayed murals.
But as Kedar studied them, his steps slowed.
These were not paintings.They were memories — flickering like reflections seen through water.
A young prince studying with sages.A boy laughing with friends in a garden.A father placing a crown gently on his head.
The images flickered… then distorted.
The boy fell to the ground.The friends vanished.The father’s face faded to black.
Then the same murals replayed — distorted even more.
Kedar felt something twist in his chest.
“Mayan… these memories aren’t complete.”
The prince walked past the murals without looking at them.
> “Memories never are.We only remember what we want.”
---
The First Hallucination
As they reached the end of the corridor, Kedar felt the walls blur.A faint ringing began in his ears.
Mayan didn’t turn.
> “Don’t fight it.The palace is showing you something.”
The ringing grew louder.
And then—
A figure appeared beside Kedar.Walking with him.
A tall man.Broad shoulders.Warm eyes.
A man Kedar recognized instantly.
His father.
But not the fisherman who raised him.The father from his blurred childhood memories — the one he never fully remembered.
Kedar froze mid-step.
The man looked down at him with a smile.
> “Kedar… you’ve grown strong.”
Kedar’s breath hitched.“No… this is—”
The man extended his hand.
> “Come back home, son.”
Kedar took a step back, shaking.
“This… isn’t real.”
Mayan finally stopped walking.
But he didn’t look back.He didn’t need to.
> “Real? Illusion?Those words mean nothing here.What matters is what your mind clings to.”
The figure spoke again, voice warmer this time.
> “We’ve waited for you, Kedar…come back to where you belong.”
Kedar’s heartbeat quickened.
He whispered, almost to himself:
“My father died… years ago.This can’t be him.”
Mayan tilted his head.
> “And yet…you turned when you heard his voice.”
Kedar felt anger flood him.
“Mayan—stop this.”
The illusionary father smiled sadly… and dissolved into smoke.
---
The Prince Enjoys the Cracks
Mayan turned around slowly, his eyes glowing faintly in the dim corridor.
> “Ah, Kedar… cracks in your mind are starting to show.”“Good. Very good.”
Kedar clenched his fists.
“You think these illusions will break me?”
Mayan stepped closer.
He whispered:
> “I think… you are terrified of what you don’t remember.And that terror is more powerful than any monster you’ve fought.”
Kedar didn’t respond.
Because Mayan was right — not fully, but right enough to sting.
There was a hole in Kedar’s past.Something stolen.Something missing.
But he refused to let Mayan see his doubt.
---
The Room That Wasn’t There
Mayan placed a hand on a blank section of wall.
The stone rippled like water.
He looked back at Kedar with a calm smile.
> “Come.This next room is one I haven’t entered in years.But I want you to see it.”
Kedar hesitated.
The ripple grew into a doorway made of shifting light.
He breathed deeply, centered his prana…
And stepped inside.
To be continued.....
Please sign in to leave a comment.