The once harmonious grounds of Kashi Gurukul now echoed with warning gongs, conches, and the chants of protective mantras. Students gathered in formation while elders activated the ancestral seals. The arrival of the Asura-blooded invaders had shaken the very roots of the realm.
Veer stood before the great Shivling beneath the cascading waterfall, its surface glowing with radiant light, as if Lord Shiva himself offered silent blessings. The ancient chants whispered in his soul, unlocking memories he never lived—visions of a war-torn Dominion, a sword of radiant judgment, and a girl with fire in her eyes.
That girl now stood across from him—Aarya, daughter of Raghav, and bonded with his divine partner. Her presence radiated power, pride, and pain. She looked at Veer not with welcome, but with disdain.
"You are not ready," she said sharply, summoning her ethereal beast, a phoenix-like creature wrapped in twilight flame.
"I was born ready," Veer replied, despite the tremble in his voice.
Their clash was brief, brutal, and bewildering—energy burst like stars colliding. The conch's echo, the damru's beat, and Nandi's divine presence flared in the background.
Unseen, Raghav whispered, "This is only the beginning."