Chapter 9: The Ruins of Truth

The cold night wind howled through the empty streets of Kashindrapura as Veer moved swiftly, his hood pulled low to hide his face. The ruined temple lay beyond the city's outer walls, a place few dared to visit.

Legends spoke of it being cursed—of whispers in the wind and shadows that moved on their own. But Veer wasn't afraid of curses. He was one.

The memory of the strange girl's words lingered in his mind.

"The Academy is lying to you."

His grip tightened around the Mantra Core tucked inside his robes. He needed answers.

As he neared the ruins, a strange sensation crawled up his spine. The air grew thick, charged with an invisible force. The temple stood before him, its once-grand pillars now cracked and broken, overgrown with vines. Faint symbols glowed on the stone, pulsating as if they were alive.

Veer stepped forward cautiously.

"You came."

The voice echoed from the darkness.

Veer turned, his eyes landing on the girl from before. She leaned against a fallen pillar, arms crossed, watching him with an amused expression.

"You never told me your name," Veer said.

She smirked. "It's Riya."

Veer didn't respond, waiting for her to speak.

Riya sighed and gestured to the temple walls. "Tell me, Ashborn—what do you know about the Vajra?"

Veer frowned. "It was destroyed long ago."

"Wrong."

A chill ran down his spine.

Riya walked toward the center of the ruins, running her fingers over the inscriptions. "The Vajra wasn't destroyed. It was… transformed."

Veer's heartbeat quickened.

"That's not what the Academy teaches."

Riya scoffed. "And you believe them?" She turned to him, eyes gleaming. "Do you know why Ashborn are hated? Why the Academy refuses to acknowledge their existence?"

Veer stayed silent.

"Because you're not a mistake." Her voice was quiet but firm. "You are the key."

Something inside Veer trembled.

She pointed at the Mantra Core in his hands. "That fragment—it's reacting to you. Because it's part of what you truly are."

Veer felt a pulse of energy from the core, its inscriptions glowing brighter.

Then, the ground beneath them trembled.

A deep, guttural growl echoed from the darkness.

Riya's expression darkened. "We're not alone."

From the temple's depths, something emerged.

A creature—no, a guardian—its body wrapped in ancient chains, its hollow eyes burning with violet flames. It stepped forward, the ruins shaking under its presence.

Veer's breath hitched.

And then, it spoke.

"Vajra… reincarnated."

Veer's blood ran cold.

Riya grabbed his arm. "Run."

But Veer couldn't move.

Because in that moment, a flood of memories—not his own—rushed into his mind.

Visions of a world before this one. A battle long forgotten. And at the center of it all… himself.

Or rather—what he used to be.

The creature roared, its chains shattering.

Veer's fate had been set in motion.