41. Letter from Eternity

Vall-eran's voice, thick with bitterness, broke the charged silence.

"When I was a kid, you were always there to play with me in the divine land. You used my title of prince to learn many artifacts, advanced technologies, and even the forbidden knowledge of life's secrets and the cycle of time. Because of you, I have been punished—banished from the divine realm."

He paused, his eyes burning with old wounds, then continued, "You were the one who killed me, even though I was the strongest of my generation. You manipulated everyone around you."

Sambh's features hardened as he responded, "You accuse me of deeds I have never committed."

He raised his sword, its blade shimmering with an ethereal light, and gestured to it.

"This sword was programmed to accept only one master. Do you truly believe it could betray its own ethics and protocols? Its royal lineage makes it one of the three divine swords of our land."

A shadow of regret passed over Sambh's face. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember any of these events," he insisted, his voice carrying a mix of confusion and sorrow.

In a subtle shift, his form began to change—a hint at the strange nature of his existence. "Perhaps it is because you are a time traveller," he added dryly.

Then, urgency edged his tone: "There is a procedure to claim the Mirror of Fate. It is destined for one master—and that master is me. Begin it now, for I cannot delay any longer. Ruchi will not be able to hold on much longer."

A cold command resonated from the dim recesses of the chamber. "You must accept these shards of my soul into your body."

Without a moment's hesitation, Sambh nodded. In that instant, the spectral essence of Vall-eran merged with him—a shattering surge that coursed through his veins. He emerged from the dark pond, lightning dancing wildly from his fingertips, sending arcs of raw energy into the night.

The violent display sent the mummies scurrying back into the shadows. Ruchi, her breath shallow in a fragile bubble of life, appeared from the thinning mist and clutched Sambh's hand.

"Sambh, are you okay?" she whispered, her voice trembling with both relief and fear. Yet Sambh lay unconscious, his mind still reeling from the transformation.

Desperation spurred Ruchi into action. She conjured a portal with swift incantations and leapt through, landing in a majestic palace bathed in soft, early light. There, she gently laid Sambh on a grand bed and summoned the palace physicians.

After a brief, tense examination, one of the healers murmured, "He is fine," though their eyes betrayed lingering concern.

In the quiet solitude of the palace chamber, Sambh drifted in and out of consciousness. Amid the dim glow of twilight, his gaze fell upon a small, radiant mirror resting on a carved stand near the bed.

Its surface shimmered with an inner light that beckoned him. "It must be the Mirror of Fate," he murmured, barely audible. Drawn inexorably forward, he approached the mirror. Almost imperceptibly, a small, enigmatic voice emanated from its depths.

"Master, how may I serve you?"

Startled, Sambh blinked and asked, "Are you talking to me?"

The mirror replied calmly, "Yes." Gaining a sliver of composure, he pressed, "Are you truly the Mirror of Fate?"

"Indeed, I am," the mirror affirmed.

Then, after a thoughtful pause, it continued, "Master, behold the stars twinkling in this beautiful scenario. One among them must be my master, but what of the other two?"

Sambh's brow furrowed in perplexity. "I have no knowledge of any such arrangement. This is my first time encountering these revelations."

His voice wavered with uncertainty, yet he sensed that the mirror held secrets tied to his destiny.

The mirror's tone grew both soothing and foreboding as it said, "You will know once they wake. For now, let them sleep." Sambh, emboldened by desperation, asked, "And what will happen if they wake?"

The mirror's voice dropped to a somber whisper: "They may take over your body."

Gathering every ounce of courage, Sambh inquired, "Do you know how I died and was revived here?"

For a long moment, the mirror remained silent before responding, "I am sorry, but I can only see your future." Its cryptic words resonated in the still air, leaving Sambh to ponder the heavy burden of fate.

As silence reclaimed the room, the mirror spoke again, "Master, your journey is only just beginning. Embrace these shards of fate within you, for they hold the power to change the course of time. But be warned—if those who sleep awaken, the path ahead may be filled with peril and betrayal."

Sambh clenched his sword tightly, his thoughts swirling as he absorbed the mirror's prophetic words. The palace room pulsed with an otherworldly energy, as if every shadow and ray of light carried whispers of an uncertain future.

"I must reclaim what has been lost, and I cannot let Ruchi down," he murmured, a fierce determination kindling in his heart.

Yet even as resolve steeled his spirit, a chilling realization crept into his mind. The mirror's prophecy hinted at forces and secrets beyond his control—mysterious others, perhaps connected to the divine order, who were yet to awaken.

In that fragile moment, as the first light of dawn began to filter through the palace windows, Sambh's fate seemed suspended on a knife's edge.

"Tell me," he whispered to the mirror, "what if those who awaken are not allies, but enemies?"

His question hung in the air, unanswered, as the mirror's glow flickered like the heartbeat of an ancient star.

With a final, resonant murmur, the mirror intoned, "Time will reveal all, Master. For now, rest and prepare—your future awaits, and it is as inevitable as the dawn."

Its words, heavy with both promise and dread, left Sambh in a state of introspection, his mind racing with questions that offered no immediate answers.

In that quiet, charged moment, as the mirror continued to shimmer with the light of hidden truths.