It was cold. Too cold for Delhi outskirts.
Neel stepped out of the tent, rubbing his arms. The campfire behind him crackled, and faint murmurs of students drifted on the wind. But ahead—only fog.
He hadn't walked far when the air shifted.
A figure stood near the edge of the forest. Still. Watching.
His eyes adjusted—and his heart jumped.
The fog parted.And from it emerged a tall figure—dark eyes, sunken cheekbones, a vertical scar down one arm. And something impossible glinting on his forehead: a faded gem, dull like a dying star.
> "You've been watching us," Neel said. "Since the hostel."
The man didn't deny it.
> "I was looking for someone just like before," he said. "But I didn't expect to find you first."
Neel narrowed his eyes. "Who… are you?"
Neel knew the answe very well but wanted the man himself to confirm that.
The man gave a smile that held centuries of grief.
> "Ashwatthama. Son of Drona. Cursed wanderer of time. And you… you were one of the only ones who chose the right path."
Neel froze.
> "Yuyutsu," the name rang in his head like a half-forgotten war cry.
> "I saw you speak up in that sabha," Ashwatthama said softly, his eyes gleaming. "You and Vikarna. Everyone else stood silent as she was humiliated. But you didn't. You—half-Kaurava, half-righteous—you spoke up. You walked out."
Something cracked inside Neel.
A thousand lives flickered behind his eyes. A thousand screams. A brother's hand gripping his shoulder. War.
> "I… I remember now," Neel whispered. "I was the one who left them. The only one who walked away."
Ashwatthama stepped back into the shadows.
> "You were forgotten. But your dharma wasn't. Remember it now… because darkness is returning. And your silence will no longer protect you."
And then—he was gone.
---
The Camp Tent – Late Night
The wind picked up.
Inside the camp tent, Parth sat cross-legged on his sleeping mat, staring at his phone. More headlines. More disappearances. No patterns. No names. Just silence—and missing faces.
> "Second student from Ayatan Institute found dead in railway yard." "Another girl missing near forest path—locals refuse to help police."
He scrolled, lips pressed into a hard line.
Aarav lay nearby, arms folded behind his head, eyes open in the dark.
> "I used to be loud," he said suddenly. "Remember?From the very beginning."
Parth glanced at him.
> "You still are."
Aarav shook his head.
> "No. I feel... quieter now. Like someone pressed a mute button inside me."
Parth didn't respond.
Aarav sat up slowly. "I'll check on Neel."
> "He's fine," Parth said without looking up.
> "Still. Might need air."
Parth studied his face.
> "Don't go far."
Aarav smiled faintly. "Promise."
He lied.
---
The Temple-Shunya Gaon
The temple loomed like a wound in the forest. Cracked walls. A bell that shouldn't ring. An idol that changed expressions.
Aarav stepped through the gates.
> "I know you're watching."
No reply. But he felt it.
Then came the sound—flesh against stone. A figure emerged. Half-human, half-crow. Limbs twisted. Feathers growing from skin. One eye sunken. One glowing red.
Aarav stood still.
> "You're the one from the lab," he said. "And the one from the woods.You were everywhere.Why do you follow us?"
The danava chuckled, a wet rasp. "Follow? No. I observe. I report."
> "To whom?"
> "To him. The one who waits."
Aarav clenched his fists. "We're just students. Leave us alone."
The danava tilted its head.
> "You? Just students? You were never just anything."
Aarav swallowed.
> "What do you want?"
> "Not here to fight you. I can't defeat you. Not yet."
The crow-like monster stepped forward. The air stank of rot and something older than time.
> "I came to say… your soul has awakened. Your brothers remember. Your enemies remember. And soon—you will remember too."
Aarav stared.
> "What are you talking about?"
The danava gave a hideous grin.
"You are the youngest Pandava. Sahadev. Silent. Wise. A healer. You were known in Dwapar Yug for your precision and loyalty."
Aarav felt something unravel inside him.
> "Parth knows," the danava added. "He remembers. Ask him."
And before Aarav could move—it dissolved into feathers and ash.
A single crow called above.
Caw.
Caw.
Caw.
---
Return to Tent—
Aarav stepped back into the camp.
Parth looked up. He could tell.
Aarav's eyes were dark. Focused.
> "You lied," Parth said quietly.
Aarav sat across from him.
> "And you?"
Aarav stared at him with a cold gaze.
> "You knew. About me. Abou Neel.About everything."
Parth nodded.He wasn't expecting this suddenly.He remained silent.
Aarav was not having it at all.
> "When do you plan to be completely honest with us, Parth?Who are you in the first place?"
Silence.The silence that followed was not only awkward—it was sacred. A door cracking open.
Moments later, Neel returned. His eyes dark with memory. And understanding.
The three sat in silence, listening to the wind whisper through Shunya Gaon.
Three friends.
Three pasts.
And a war that was no longer just a memory.
---
Meanwhile, in the Logistics Tent (Sia's POV)
Sia leaned against a pole, watching the boys from afar.
Mira was asleep, curled up on a mat. Avni was rechecking boxes for the fifth time.
Sia muttered under her breath:
> "Boys. Always sneaking off to face demons like it's some kind of hero side quest. Idiots."
She yanked her scarf tighter.
> "Ei sob cholbena aaj theke. (This won't go on anymore.)"
But even as she spoke the words, she felt it too—
A storm was coming.
And they were all already inside it.
---
🌑End Note:
Darkness has names.
And it remembers you.
🌸Author's note:
Next update on Sunday(08.06.25)
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