Kuldeep Krushna

Ranav took slow, cautious steps toward the box, his senses heightened, ready to react to any unexpected danger. His heart pounded in his chest as he neared the moss-covered object. Holding his breath, he carefully examined it for any signs of traps. Nothing seemed out of place. He stretched out a hand and lightly touched the surface of the box.

The moment his fingers made contact, the skeletal remains sitting on the stone platform crumbled into fine ash. The sight sent a chill down his spine, but before he could react, his surroundings blurred, and his consciousness was forcefully pulled away from reality.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an endless white space. There was no ground beneath his feet, yet he did not fall. There was no sky above, only an overwhelming expanse of nothingness stretching in all directions.

A voice echoed behind him. "I never expected such a young half-elf to come to claim my life's work. I was expecting a seasoned warrior or, at the very least, an experienced mage."

Ranav spun around to face the speaker.

A man dressed in a flowing white robe stood before him, his presence radiating an ethereal glow. His sharp, well-defined features made him look almost angelic, though he lacked any wings. His piercing eyes held wisdom accumulated over countless years.

"Who are you?" Ranav asked warily, taking a step back. "Where am I?"

The man raised a hand in a calming gesture. "Relax, child. You are in the Spirit Realm. A fragment of my soul was bound to the Eternium Vault, and your touch activated it, bringing you here."

Ranav could sense no hostility from the man, only an ancient weight of time pressing down on his being. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"You still haven't answered my first question. Who are you?"

The man gave a small nod. "I will tell you, but first, I have some questions of my own. Answer them truthfully, and then I will share what you need to know. Do you agree?"

Ranav hesitated for a moment. He instinctively tried to reach out to Jessica through their mental link, but to his shock, he couldn't sense her presence. It was as if his connection with the outside world had been severed. Left with no other option, he sighed.

"Fine. I agree."

The man's expression softened slightly. "Good. Let's begin. Are you from the Mayura Kingdom?"

"Yes."

"Who is the current king?"

"King Ekalavya Mayura."

At Ranav's response, the man let out a long sigh, his shoulders visibly relaxing. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest.

"And your family," the man continued, narrowing his eyes. "Which of your parents is an elf? Your father or mother?"

Ranav frowned at the unexpected question. "Neither. Why would you think I'm a half-elf?"

The man's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh… you don't know." He stroked his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Well, I suppose that's none of my concern."

Before Ranav could question him further, the man continued, "One last thing. The vault you touched contains all my life's work. I was once the captain of the royal forgemasters and a spellbreaker. Do you know what that means?"

Ranav nodded. "I've heard of royal forgemasters, but not spellbreakers."

The man smiled. "That's understandable. Spellbreakers are the kingdom's finest array masters, some call them formation masters. They specialize in forming and countering magical defenses."

Ranav absorbed this information, decided to think about it later.

"In the vault," the man continued, "I have stored my research notes, books, mana crystals, personal spells, and all the artifacts I have forged and saved over my lifetime. Do you understand how valuable they are?"

Ranav's breath hitched. "It's… priceless."

The man nodded in approval. "Correct. However, the vault is bound by my soul lock. If I willingly release it, you will gain everything inside. But if my soul is harmed, or if someone tries to forcefully open the vault, it will self-destruct, destroying all of its contents."

Ranav's mind raced. He had no intention of harming this man's soul, but the idea of losing such invaluable treasures made his stomach tighten. "So, what do I have to do to gain your possessions?"

The man chuckled. "Straight to the point. I like that." He took a step closer, his gaze turning serious. "You must take an oath before the gods."

Ranav tensed. "What kind of oath?"

"I want you to deliver certain items in the vault to my daughter. These are my family heirlooms. Once I tell you her location, you must find her and hand them over according to my instructions. If she has passed away, then the oath will be null, and the remaining contents of the vault will be yours to keep."

Ranav thought for a moment. The deal seemed fair, but he needed clarification. "I'm still too young to travel freely. I can only start long-distance journeys after I turn sixteen. Will you accept that?"

The man frowned slightly. "How old are you now?"

"Six."

The man's eyes widened. "Six?! That will be too late. Just promise me you'll find her before you turn twelve. By then, your family won't restrict you from traveling to another city, right?"

Ranav sighed. "Fine. I promise to search for her before I turn twelve. If she's not at the location you give me, I'll investigate further until I exhaust all possible leads. If she's already dead or I lost her tracks, my obligation ends there. And I will deliver the heirlooms only according to your instructions. If I try but fail, I won't be held accountable."

The man smiled, satisfied. "A smart boy indeed."

His expression grew solemn. "Now, listen carefully. What I'm about to tell you is a secret. You cannot share it with anyone… not even my daughter."

Ranav nodded.

The man took a deep breath. "My name is Kuldeep Krushna. I come from the esteemed Krushna family. However, this story is not about my lineage… it is about the Agnisham family."

He paused. "All kings and queens of Mayura Kingdom come from the Agnisham bloodline. When they ascend the throne, they change their surname to Mayura. But contrary to public belief, not all Mayuras are direct descendants of previous kings. From Agnisham lineage, those who held the bloodline of our first king can become a Mayura."

Ranav's eyes widened.

Kuldeep continued, "The late King Prithviraj Mayura had two children: Ekalavya Agnisham and Elise Agnisham. When King Prithviraj died, Ekalavya took the throne. However, he was sickly and unable to bear children. Some members of the Agnisham family used this fact to challenge his claim, but the great protector Mayura eliminated the conspirators and secured Ekalavya's rule."

Kuldeep's voice darkened. "The conspirators did not stop. When Elise became pregnant, she was poisoned. Desperate to save her unborn child, she made a tragic decision… she cut open her own belly. Her husband arrived just in time to witness her final breaths, but the child lived."

Kuldeep's form flickered, his soul visibly weakening. "I was that husband. And the child she saved… is my daughter."

Ranav's breath hitched.

"Fearing for my newborn child's life, I hid her with my childhood friend, Mahendra Rathore, the city lord of Kosala City. Her name is Camilla Elise Agnisham. My friend vowed to protect her as his own daughter. While I was returning to the capital from Kosala, I was attacked by masked mercenaries and severely injured. I fled into the mountains and hid here. But due to severe blood loss, I couldn't make it."

Kuldeep's voice wavered. "You have to give her the vault, as it was a family heirloom passed down from the ancient time in our Krushna family. It was to ensure family secrets remained hidden from outsiders. In the vault, there is her mother's rainbow stone ring, a sword, full body armor, and a black spiral ring that can be expanded as a shield. All items can be activated by her bloodline. Only these things are for my daughter. Other items are for you to take. Please tell my friend that upper echelon could recognize all these items, so it must remain hidden until the current king dies. When the current king dies, she must activate her mother's rainbow ring with a drop of blood. I have no time left. Please, keep your promise."

Ranav opened his mouth to ask more, but Kuldeep's figure dissolved into the endless whiteness.

His voice echoed one last time. "Remember your promise."