“A Presence in the Shadows”

In last chapter we saw that saaransh tried not to awaken but the sudden surge of dark mana flow which he got no one knows from where and how that flow made his mana circuits work and created his mana circle. Saaransh felt like someone was there with him. He felt that he is not alone and he felt very dark and enormous amount of evil energy

(The shadowed hand stretched forward, its form shifting like liquid darkness. A suffocating pressure filled the room, making Saaransh's young body tremble. His circuits pulsed wildly, the dark mana within him reacting to the presence of this unknown entity)

(Saaransh gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm. He had faced death before he would not let fear control him. But this situation was different. He was a mere child in this life, powerless compared to what he once was. And yet…) why did this entity feel familiar?

(Then, the voice came again.)

"You carry the mark. You belong to the forgotten pact."

(A shiver ran down Saaransh's spine. The forgotten pact? What the hell was that? He had no memory of making any kind of deal in his past life. And yet, the way the dark mana in his circuits responded it was as if his very soul recognized those words)

(The hand moved closer, reaching for him.

Saaransh's instincts screamed. He had to make a choice)

1. Let the hand touch him and see what happens.

2. Try to resist, even if his young body could barely move.

3. Use the dark mana within him, despite not fully understanding it.

(But before he could decide, the air rippled, and another presence surged into the room

A sharp voice cut through the suffocating darkness)

"Begone"

(The shadowed hand recoiled instantly, the rift quivering as if struck by an unseen force. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the darkness vanished leaving only silence behind)

(Saaransh gasped, his body drenched in cold sweat. His heart pounded in his chest. His gaze snapped to the source of the voice a tall, imposing figure standing by the doorway, his piercing golden eyes glowing in the dim light)

It was his father, Reginald Stoneheart

Reginal:- (rushes to saaransh)(lifts saaransh in arms)son are you all right?(thinking)what the fuck was that shadow?it felt like it had immense strength and it was pure evil too. What was that?and why was it near my son. It's too confusing. Let's let it be for now and think of it as illusion and i will keep this secret from everyone even his mother. (Sighs)

Saaransh:- (thinking) i hope that he does not detect the dark mana into my mana circuits and i hope that he doesn't detect that i built the mana circle or if he does iam done for.

Reginald:- (takes saaransh to his mother and keeps her close to her)

Saaransh:- (thinking)okay so he just changed my place and room that's fine. I hope he let this topic go away and does not dig deep into it.

Selene Stoneheart (mother):- "My love, what happened?" (she asked, immediately rising to her feet)

Reginald :- (Reginald placed Saaransh in her arms, his sharp gaze meeting hers.)"Nothing that needs to be known beyond these walls"

Selene:- She looked down at Saaransh, gently brushing his damp hair away from his forehead. Her eyes, so soft and full of warmth, contrasted sharply with the coldness of the man who stood beside her

Reginald:- i leave him in your care. Today i have to go and meet the elders.

Selene:- elders?why so suddenly? Is everything all right?

Reginald:- no need to worry hon. We are just having a meeting for upcoming awakening ceremony

Selene:- but, the awakening ceremony is 8 years later right?

Reginald:- i know but we have meeting 8 years before the awakening ceremony

Selene:- okay take care darling

Reginald:- (got up and leaves)

Saaransh:- (thinking) awakening ceremony huh? 8 years of time. That is enough time for me to get to know about this dark mana and this new body of mine.

In this life. I will definitely fint the reason behind my betrayal(motivated)

Selene:- (she is a 6th circle mage)(she senses a bit of dark mana around saaransh)huh?an evil mana?what the hell?(she uses purity spell)(removes all the leftover dark mana from saaransh surroundings)i dont know from where this mana came but no worries my son, now you're safe

Saaransh:- (thinking)oh she is a mage?just like my friend kang ha, didnt he died on the same day with me?did he reincarnate too?i have to find out about our origins and everything and have to find out that if he is reincarnated or not

Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.

(Saaransh had spent these years in quiet preparation, testing the limits of his new body and the dark mana that lurked within him. Under the watchful eyes of his mother and father, he played the role of a normal child of the Stoneheart family, but behind closed doors, he was anything but(

(The dark mana remained a mystery, responding to him like an extension of his very soul, yet refusing to fully reveal its secrets. It was neither a curse nor a blessing it was something entirely different. Something ancient)

(And now, with only six months left until the awakening ceremony, Saaransh knew one thing for sure):

(He wasn't the only one hiding something.

Late at night, within the vast Stoneheart estate

A cold wind rustled through the training grounds as Saaransh stood alone, his hand outstretched, dark mana swirling faintly around his fingertips. The whispers had never returned since that night, but the unease never left him)

Then A presence.

He turned sharply.

(A figure stood at the edge of the training field, shrouded in the moon's dim light. Tall, motionless, and exuding an aura that made Saaransh's circuits hum in recognition.

Saaransh's heart pounded. He had never seen this person before) And yet

"Finally," (the figure spoke, its voice dripping with something unsettling) "I've been waiting for you."

The dark mana within Saaransh roared to life.

To Be Continue