Epilogue

It was a cold, wet morning. Monsoon means dropping temperatures and irritable mornings where getting out of bed should be banned, or so Vikaya thinks

The curtains were tightly shut so no sunlight could peak in and dance on her eyes filled with honey sleep. Buried in her covers, a familiar dream visited her. A dream which was a reflection of her reality, an incident etched into her heart and mind

"So you're telling me to just cut off his neck?" asked Vikaya, hardly able to utter those words

"Well yes, but not exactly" said Zar

"We have to show him that we are not very clever and our strategy and planning is very basic" said Zar

Vikaya nodded. Their plan was simple and straightforward and they executed it perfectly.

"Great so we are deliberately falling into his plan but what if kills us right after catching us red-handed? The second part of the plan will forever remain in fiction" said Vikaya

"He won't. He needs a ritual, killing us directly won't be a part of that. While he prepares for the second part we execute our plan" said Zar

Both of them shook their heads in deep thought and worry. Will this plan even work

Meanwhile the powerful, almost eternal Alekon Do was making plans of his own

"I would have to let her go when she comes" he said clutching his fist, sitting in his vast tacky mansion

"But then I will make her disappear in the most natural way, easiest sacrifice ever" said Alekon "A sacrifice that actually did my work for me" he chuckled remembering how he put Vikaya on the trail to retrieve Zar's coffin

And then Vikaya arrived and as planned Alekon let her go

"You may leave now" he said and flicked his fingers pointing towards the door

Vikaya was taken aback. She didn't expect things to escalate this way

"Umm.. Mr. Do I will come straight to the point" she said

Now Alekon Do was very curious, he stared at Vikaya his eyebrows raised and this is when his suspicions began to raise and his intuitive powers alerted him of shadow play

"I suffered too much trying to retrieve this coffin for you and it forced me to think about a lot of things" began Vikaya

Alekon just nodded, amused by the turn of events

"So I would like that money you offered" she said "And.."

"And?" asked Alekon

"And a lot more" she said loud and clear

"Interesting, very interesting" said Alekon and walked around, closer to her. He decided to go along with her and test her

"You see Ms. Vikaya, money from my methods" he began "Won't be clean money" he pointed around him

"I understand" said Vik trying her best to stall him

Vikaya failed. He knew she was upto something!

"The money you receive from me will enslave you" warned Alekon in a chilling tone

Vikaya took a deep breath in.

"Who's behind you Mr. Do? I am really curious to know. Who do you serve?" she said in a strong voice

Now Alekon was sure and gladly laid out his trap to make the sacrifice today. Well, because Vikaya and Zar truly deserved it, according to him.

And as the turn of events decided by the Universe itself, began unfolding in the perfect, chaotic order. But what Vikaya and Zar didn't plan was the way Alekon will trap them

"You both hollow-brained bozos thought that I would to fall for your antics?" Alekon chortled with a mean streak

Vikaya and Zar now hung in the air, several feet above the ground in the invisible clutches of Alekon's cold and cruel hands. As they gasped for air hanging by their necks their plan to stop and end Alekon took a deep dive into the ocean of eluding success

But something unusual happened, something unexpected. Zar had only seen in but never had the chance to experience it. The beauty of the anger of the feminine. Anger born witnessing the wrongs and the injustices. Anger when you stifle someone's heart and their true power. Vikaya's anger was sparked which turned into a disruptive and violent ocean for Alekon. An ocean so magnificent it threw his powers aside.

Alekon watched with horror and that's when a seed of fear took sprout in his psyche which would end up becoming his downfall. But unfortunately for him, he was still ignorant

The battle had begun and Vikaya was trying to choke Alekon holding holding him fiercely in her grip and while she pretended to be taken by the lust of power. She took out her sword which was the main player in all of their farce and strategy.

When she swung out her sword to attack him, Vikaya and Zar were ready. They knew Alekon would boil up with rage and attack them and he did. In a fit of rage he kicked Vikaya off him

"How dare you?!" yelled Alekon

Vikaya and Zar had specifically decided that it would be best if Zar actually was out of the frame in the final battle which gave him the advantage to work between the dimensional layers

After kicking Vikaya, Alekon jumped on his feet with rage, and amidst all this he didn't realize the smooth cut slashed on his back from behind by Zar who was holding another identical sword. Alekon was busy on his power-trip. Vikaya's powers having grabbed his attention.

The events next happened like clockwork according to the Universe. While Alekon was busy setting up for the ritual now having the blood of the sacrifice on the sword, Vikaya lay patiently waiting for the perfect time to strike him. And she did! Kicking him hard and throwing off the sword which was the crucial part of their plan!

Even evil makes mistakes, Alekon had forgotten about his powers having taken over by anger and his hunger for power. The blood of the sacrifice thrown aside, Zar quickly changed the swords replacing it with the sword which had Alekon's blood!

Then Alekon fell into their trap like earthlings fall on the ground due to gravity. It was inevitable almost natural. But the most gorgeous part of the result was the all-powerful dark force who accepted the blood not knowing where it came from. Even after knowing it was Alekon's blood, the dark force thought that he was making a final sacrifice of himself unable to contemplate the loophole in hunger for more.

As Vikaya and Zar held hands, watching the embers of Alekon and the dark force flying off becoming nothing, a strange glow emerged

Vikaya turned and saw Zar glowing, as if a thousand fireflies were stuck on him.

"What's happening?" she asked shocked

"It's time Pekassador" said Zar, trying to hide his tears with his smile

Vikaya stepped back as the light took over Zar and the body he had take over faded away and Vikaya witnessed the true him, the color of his soul. The cold, bony wraith was gone and in his place stood a beautiful being. Whose eyes glimmered like the stars and the smile lighted up the world, whose heart was truly of gold just like Vikaya

He reached out and held Vikaya's hands

"Thank you" he said, tearing running down his eyes "Thank you Vikaya"

"No but you can't go" said Vikaya, failing to stifle her tears

"I just got used to you. I like you" said Vikaya

"I like you too and you too had just become tolerable but sadly I cannot delay the order of nature anymore" said Zar "I have been here long enough, too long"

Both of them fell silent and stared at each other through the tears

"I really enjoyed your stories, Raconteur" said Vikaya smiling

"I loved telling them to you. You have an amazing and brilliant mind and anyone who doesn't agree does not deserve even a speck of your attention, alright?" said Zar pressing her hands

Vikaya nodded and noticed that Zar had begun to fade away. Like leaves of autumn the concentrated being called Zar was now turning into what he came from - specks and particles of this Universe. Slowly like glimmering stars on the milky away, he faded away becoming one with Source

When this finally ends, Vikaya wakes up without any effort. She touched her cheek and noticed the tears again. This dream comes to her time and again and she cannot help but cry sometimes but was it really tears of sadness?

"Maybe this is Zar's way of telling me that he's alright? And that he remembers me" she said to herself and stretched out her arms and legs before finally hopping out of bed to start her day

Thankfully Vikaya was back to her normal life; for now