The Storm Sea — Trial of Courage

Rudra walked away from the Temple of Sand with slow but steady steps.

Behind him, the desert became silent.
The whispers faded.
The heat softened.

Ahead of him, the land slowly changed.

The golden sand turned dark and wet.
The ground became rocky.
The air grew heavy and smelled of salt.

Rudra stopped.

In front of him stretched a vast ocean.

But this was not a peaceful sea.

Dark clouds covered the sky.
Huge waves crashed violently against black rocks.
Lightning flashed again and again, tearing the sky apart.
Thunder roared so loud that the ground shook.

Rudra swallowed hard.

“…So this is the Storm Sea.”

The bracelet on his wrist glowed brighter than ever—blue, green, gold, and amber mixed together, pulsing like a living heart.

Rudra clenched his fist.

“Guardian of Thunder… I’m coming.”

The Angry Sea

As Rudra stepped closer, strong wind pushed against his body.

He struggled to stand.

“Whoa—easy!”

Rain suddenly poured from the sky, soaking him instantly.

Waves crashed so high they looked like mountains of water.

Rudra shouted over the storm,

“How am I supposed to cross this!?”

The bracelet vibrated.

A soft voice whispered:

“Do not fight the storm. Face it.”

Rudra frowned.

“That sounds dangerous.”

Lightning struck the sea nearby.

BOOOOM!

The sound made Rudra’s ears ring.

He took a deep breath.

“…Okay. One step at a time.”

He stepped onto the rocky shore.

The sea responded immediately.

A huge wave rushed toward him.

Rudra jumped back just in time, heart pounding.

“This place really doesn’t want visitors.”

The Bridge of Thunder

Suddenly, lightning struck the rocks ahead.

Instead of breaking them, the lightning formed a glowing path across the sea.

A bridge made of pure electric light appeared, crackling and unstable.

Rudra stared.

“…A lightning bridge?”

Thunder boomed.

A deep voice echoed from the storm clouds:

“If you wish to meet me, cross.”

Rudra’s heart raced.

“So that’s the challenge.”

He looked down at the bridge.

Electric sparks jumped wildly.

One wrong step could throw him into the raging sea.

Rudra whispered,

“Don’t panic. Courage… remember courage.”

He stepped onto the bridge.

ZAP!

Electric energy surged around his feet, but it didn’t hurt.

The bracelet glowed, protecting him.

Rudra took another step.

Then another.

The bridge shook violently.

Wind screamed.
Rain lashed his face.
Thunder roared above him.

Rudra felt fear crawl into his chest.

“What if I fall…?”

The storm answered with louder thunder.

Rudra stopped in the middle of the bridge.

His legs trembled.

He closed his eyes.

“I’ve faced fear before,” he said aloud.
“In the ice.
In the forest.
In the desert.”

Lightning flashed.

“I won’t turn back now.”

He opened his eyes and walked forward again.

The Island of Storms

After what felt like forever, Rudra reached solid ground.

An island stood in the center of the Storm Sea.

Tall stone pillars rose into the sky.
Lightning struck them constantly, charging the air.
The ground vibrated with power.

Rudra fell to one knee, breathing heavily.

“…I made it.”

The storm grew even stronger.

Thunder boomed directly above him.

Then—

The lightning stopped.

The wind slowed.

The rain softened.

At the center of the island, a figure appeared.

The Guardian Appears — Lord of Thunder

The figure was tall and powerful.

His body looked like living lightning wrapped in human form.
Blue-white energy flowed through his veins.
His eyes glowed bright electric blue.
A massive hammer made of storm energy rested in his hand.

The air itself seemed to bow to him.

Rudra stood slowly.

“…You must be the guardian.”

The figure spoke, his voice like rolling thunder:

“I am Vajrak, Guardian of Thunder.
Master of Storms.
Judge of Courage.”

Rudra bowed respectfully.

“My name is Rudra. I seek your guidance to protect the world.”

Vajrak studied him silently.

Lightning flickered around his body.

“You carry Ice, Beast, and Sand,” Vajrak said.
“Yet thunder is different.”

Rudra nodded.

“I know.”

Vajrak lifted his hammer.

“Thunder is fear.
Thunder is chaos.
Thunder is power that cannot be controlled—only faced.”

Rudra swallowed.

“So… what is my trial?”

Vajrak raised his hammer high.

“Face the storm within you.”

The Trial of Courage Begins

Lightning struck the ground.

The world around Rudra changed.

He now stood on a battlefield.

Broken weapons.
Fallen warriors.
Dark clouds above.

Rudra’s heart tightened.

“No… this place…”

He saw Valmiki lying on the ground, badly wounded.

Demons surrounded him.

Rudra tried to run—

But his body wouldn’t move.

Fear locked him in place.

Vajrak’s voice echoed:

“This is your fear.
The moment you hesitate.
The moment courage fails.”

Rudra’s hands shook.

“I… I don’t want to see this.”

A demon raised its weapon toward Valmiki.

Rudra screamed,

“STOP!”

Still, his body didn’t move.

Tears filled his eyes.

“I’m scared… What if I’m not strong enough?”

Thunder roared.

Vajrak’s voice thundered:

“Courage is not the absence of fear.
It is action despite fear.”

Rudra clenched his fists.

His bracelet pulsed fiercely.

He felt Himra’s calm.
Arvion’s bravery.
Sahar’s endurance.

Rudra shouted,

“I AM AFRAID!”

The battlefield shook.

“But I won’t freeze!”

He forced his legs to move.

Pain shot through his body.

But he moved.

Step by step.

He stood between Valmiki and the demons.

Lightning burst from the sky.

Rudra raised his arms instinctively.

The lightning didn’t hurt him.

It surrounded him.

Empowered him.

The demons screamed and vanished into smoke.

The battlefield shattered like glass.

Awakening Thunder

Rudra stood back on the island, surrounded by storm.

Vajrak watched him closely.

“You walked forward despite fear,” Vajrak said.
“That is true courage.”

Rudra fell to one knee, exhausted.

“My heart… was screaming to run.”

Vajrak nodded.

“Yet you stood.”

The guardian lifted his hammer.

A crack of lightning struck it.

From the lightning formed a crystal—bright blue, crackling with energy.

“This is the Thunder Spirit,” Vajrak said.
“It grants courage when fear shakes your soul.”

He placed the crystal onto Rudra’s bracelet.

The bracelet exploded with light.

Ice.
Forest.
Sand.
Thunder.

All four energies spun together.

Rudra felt power surge through him—wild but balanced.

His heartbeat matched the thunder.

He stood tall.

“I… I can feel it.”

Vajrak smiled slightly.

“You now carry the strength to face chaos.”

Rudra looked up.

“Is this the last guardian?”

Vajrak turned toward the horizon, where dark clouds twisted unnaturally.

“No,” he said seriously.
“The final trial awaits soon.
And it will test not your strength… but your destiny.”

Rudra’s chest tightened.

“…Destiny?”

Vajrak met his gaze.

“The enemy moves.
Aghori grows stronger.
And the balance of the world trembles.”

Lightning flashed behind him.

“Prepare yourself, Rudra.
The war is approaching.”

Rudra clenched his fist.

“I won’t run.”

Vajrak nodded.

“Good.”

He raised his hammer.

The storm slowly calmed.

The sea became quiet.

A path of light formed leading away from the island.

“Go,” Vajrak said.
“You carry the storm now.”

Rudra bowed deeply.

“Thank you, Guardian of Thunder.”

He stepped onto the path.

Behind him, thunder rolled one last time.

Ahead of him—

The final journey awaited.

And the fate of the world moved closer.