Chapter 7: Whispers of the Forgotten

Veer stood frozen on the last remaining step, his heart still hammering from his near fall. The floating temple loomed ahead, its golden gates carved with ancient symbols that pulsed with a strange, rhythmic glow.

Around him, only a handful of applicants remained—each one standing on a separate, flickering step in the void. The noble boy beside him gulped.

"So… now what?"

Before Veer could answer, the entire sky above them twisted, shifting from its illusion of open heavens into something darker, deeper… and impossibly vast.

A voice—not human, not entirely mortal—whispered through the void.

"They should not be here."

A sudden, suffocating pressure filled the space around them, pressing down on Veer's chest like an unseen force. He struggled to breathe, his vision swimming.

The other applicants gasped in terror—some clutching their heads, others dropping to their knees. The noble beside him let out a strangled whimper.

"What… what is this?!"

Veer's instincts screamed danger. This wasn't just a test anymore. Something was wrong.

The temple gates shuddered, and the glowing inscriptions on them flickered—almost as if they were fighting against something unseen.

Then, with a deafening crack, the entire floating platform lurched forward.

"Move!" Veer shouted, leaping toward the gates.

The others followed, desperation in their movements as they threw themselves toward the safety of the temple. Just as Veer's feet landed on solid ground, the last floating step vanished, swallowed by the void below.

For a few moments, silence.

Then—

A low growl echoed from the darkness beyond the temple.

Something was still watching them.

Veer's breath hitched. The temple, once a place of sanctuary, now felt like something else entirely.

A prison.

The Temple of Vajra

The golden gates behind them sealed shut with a thunderous boom, locking them inside.

A few of the applicants pounded against them, but the doors didn't budge.

"There's no way back," someone whispered.

Veer turned, taking in the interior of the temple—and immediately realized something wasn't right.

The architecture was ancient, far older than any structure he'd ever seen. Golden pillars lined the hall, each etched with runic inscriptions that glowed with a fading light. The air was thick with the scent of incense and something metallic—blood?

But what unsettled Veer the most were the statues.

Lining the walls, countless stone figures stood frozen in battle stances—each one strikingly lifelike, as if real warriors had been turned to stone mid-fight.

The noble boy shuddered. "I have a very, very bad feeling about this."

Veer walked forward cautiously, running his fingers along the closest statue's surface.

Cold. Too cold.

And then—he noticed something that sent a chill down his spine.

The statues weren't just random warriors.

They were Jyotirlinga Academy applicants.

Each one wore the same robes and insignias as them.

"What the hell…" Veer whispered.

These weren't just decorations.

They were people.

A girl beside him let out a strangled gasp. "This—this was the previous batch of applicants."

Someone cursed. "You mean… they failed the test and got turned into this?!"

Before anyone could panic, a sudden whisper echoed through the chamber.

"They watch. They wait."

Veer's body tensed.

The voice was coming from the statues.

The others must have heard it too because the noble boy jumped back, nearly tripping over himself.

"Okay, no. Nope. I draw the line at talking statues."

But Veer wasn't listening anymore.

His attention was locked onto one particular statue near the temple's center. Unlike the others, this one was partially broken, its face fractured—revealing something inside.

Not stone. Flesh.

His stomach churned.

These people hadn't just turned into statues.

They were still alive.

Suddenly, the temple shuddered.

The runic inscriptions along the walls flared, then began to fade—one by one.

The whispering grew louder.

"He is here."

Veer's pulse raced. Who?

Before he could think, the broken statue's eyes snapped open.

A hand shot out, grabbing Veer's wrist in a vice-like grip.

He barely had time to react before the statue spoke—its voice cracked and filled with desperation.

"Stop them. Stop the Ritual."

And then—

A monstrous, deafening roar shook the temple.

Something in the shadows had awoken.