Chapter-7 (A piece that changed everything)

When the night came, Asthav quietly came out of his room, and started moving towards the basement slowly. It was 12 o'clock in the morning, everyone was sleeping in their Dorms. The temple was filled with extreme silence, that was echoing throughout the whole Galiyaara (Corridor) of the temple. The cold breeze of the night was a reminder, that the winter was coming next month. Asthav was extremely scared, not because he was afraid of anyone catching him but, instead he was afraid of something that was inhuman.

There's an urban legend that has been passed down for generations. That urban legend is known as "The Red Moon Syndrome" or "Rakt Shashi". It is created when The Charmaka Beasts roar soo loudly that anyone who hears the sound gets caught in an illusion, that is far more deadlier than any other beast illusion techniques out there. The moment you see a red moon, it is the indication that you are under an almost inescapable illusion, till the morning comes.

"Oh god! I am really scared of the dark, but I must not fear. There would be many other things to fear once I become an Aarwan. I have to travel alone in the nights like this. I cannot back down." he said and started moving a little fast.

Then suddenly, he came across a piece of paper that came by the wind. "It's.....what is this?" he said quietly. He tried to flip the paper to see through it's interior. It was written as :-

"Don't let the fear consume you,

Take the piece and come with me,

Let the darkness kneel,

Take the feel,

The thing is not real,

Brahma shall be with us till the end,

The darkness is taking over,

Let us not pretend,

The creator of the universe is watching us,

What could go wrong?

Just a piece but with an unparalleled song,

Let us march till the end and make a sacrifice,

In order to defeat the evil and save lives,

-(Pathak)"

"A poem, huh? And who is Pathak? It seems like I need to know! Well then" he said quietly, and placed the piece of paper inside his pocket.

"I will research about it later. First, I need to focus on my work." Asthav said and started moving forward once again.

He reached infront of the basement door. "I am glad that there weren't any trouble coming here. Now, I just have to take the locket and see what's in it. It's my only hope of becoming an Aarwan." he said quietly with determination.

He slowly opened the door and started climbing down the stairs. The smell of the old wood rushed to his nose.

"Woah! This basement really smells old. I bet that it hasn't been open for a long time. Well, I just need to find the locket. It might be somewhere around here." he whispered and started looking for the locket.

After searching for a few minutes, he started to get nervous and a sense of guilt rushed through his heart.

"Damn it! Why can I not seem to find it! It is supposed to be somewhere around here!!" he whispered angrily.

He searched the entire basement, but couldn't seem to find the locket. There were only some old books and some tools that were outdated.

"Looks like I need to go to my room now. I cannot seem to find the locket and if I got found out by the temple's staff, then I am done for." Asthav thought.

Suddenly, he tripped over a page that was lying on the floor.

"Ugh! What was that!?" he said cautiously.

Then suddenly, a door from the left side of the wall emerged infront of Asthav's eyes. The door was painted with dark blue, with a shiny door handle.

"Woah!!" Asthav's eyes widen up.

"So this is the entrance to the locket!" he whispered.

"All I am getting from it, is that our temple is hiding something from us." he thought.

"Well, I think that this isn't my problem. Sooner or later the truth would unfold. I need to focus on my work first." he thought.

"Now, let's go inside!" he said and pulled the door infront of him. The scene that Asthav saw was beyond comprehension.

A shiny piece of crystal was glowing through the glass that it was kept in.

"Woah! It is soo fabulous!" he said with a suprised tone. He moved forward to take the locket. He stood right infront of it and thought one more time before taking it.

"This is really not right, but I have to do it. I have to take a wrong step, in order to survive in the outside world." he thought and moved his hand forward.

"Let's try this out" he said. He removed the glass and took the locket in his hand.

"W-what is this?! I can feel an incredible weight suddenly!" Asthav said shockingly.

In the Pratham Guruji's room, someone was talking to him with a bold and a serious tone. "So, Asthav knows about the locket?" the person asked.

"Yes, he sure does. I don't know how the information got leaked." Pratham Guruji replied.

"It's okay. We just need to dispose that kid off somehow. If the government finds out about this, then it would create a huge controversy that would eventually lead to the disposure of the Temple. I've even heard that the 12th division has been sent to patrol over Haruma village. Things are not looking too good for you, Hashan." the person said while sipping his tea.

"Yes, I know. I've found out a way to get rid of both of them. That's why I am sending Asthav to become an Aarwan. He has no ability to cast Mantra, so it would be easy for him to die outside of the temple. If he disappears out of nowhere, then the suspicious would come directly onto us, just like the last time. I don't want to ruin the reputation of the temple that has served this nation for generations. Kurava Temple is one of the most ancient temples of Vishonava and has given the nation many strong Aarwans that stand at the top of the world. The legacy has been maintained for generations and, it would remain like this only. As the Prathama Guruji of the temple, I shall take the responsibility to maintain the reputation and glory of the Kurava Temple." Pratham Guruji Hashan exclaimed with pride.

"Hmmm.......very well then. I would like to ask you a question." the person said while putting down his cup.

"What if your plans turns against you and Asthav dies in the temple only?" the person asked with excitement.

"What do you mean?" Pratham Guruji replied.

"Hmm...you don't know?" the person asked.

"Don't know what?" Pratham Guruji asked back.

"The piece that the locket contains is actually a piece of a legendary god that lived a long time ago. My connections with The Samantha cult tells me that, they were trying to resurrect a god that was vanished a long time ago, during the Ashura War that led to the discovery of "The Mantra". Samantha cult was actually aware of an apocalypse that will happen soon, and only The Pramakam Wing can stop it. So, they tried to resurrect him through a sacrificial ritual. They sacrificed many of thier own members and the reason why one of your Shishya (student) ran away 3 years ago was, that his father was one of the sacrificial pawns and he tried to save him, but failed miserably. He tried to run away with the locket but was killed by the Kākuka Beasts on the way." the man said with an exclamation of excitement.

The Pratham Guruji got up from his chair "So, what you're saying is that, the piece that is stored in the basement is actually that of a God's!?" he asked fearfully.

"Yes, indeed. A God that is born with thousand sacrifices. A God that is unparalleled throughout the entire land of Vishonava." the man said with a grin.

The Pratham Guruji fell to his knees and grabbed his own forehead, and started chanting shlokas fearfully.

"It's no use, Hashan. The God inside the locket is already dead. The only thing that remains are the souls of thousands of people that had been used for the sacrifice." the man said.

In the basement room, Asthav wears the locket.

"Woah!! This thing is fabulous!" he said with excitement.

Then suddenly, someone with bleeding eyes came from behind and whispered in his ears. "You are the final sacrifice. Be ready, Asthav Ravendra." the person said with a devilish tone.

It felt like that person had a thousand voices. Suddenly, Asthav's head starts spinning and he falls on the ground, unconscious. The person speaks the last sentence"The sacrifice has been made"

-(Chapter-7 end)

Next chapter's quote:

"Come with me somewhere, where the devil lives"