The twisted trees of the Abandoned Forest of Pralay seemed to whisper secrets of an age long past as Shiv pushed deeper into its forgotten heart. Thorns tore his clothes. Shadows clung to him like ghosts. And yet… he felt lighter. Freer. As if the chains of his clan's judgment had been left behind the moment he crossed into this forbidden place.
Suddenly, the dense woods parted into a clearing shrouded in ancient mist. At its center stood a crumbling stone gate, half-swallowed by earth and vines. Time had nearly erased it, but the carvings still pulsed faintly with a blue glow.
Shiv stepped closer, his breath caught in awe.
On the arch of the gate, etched in faded Sanskrit, read the words:
"The Cemetery of the Dragon."
"Cemetery…?" Shiv frowned. "What is this place?"
He pushed through the gate and descended into the ruin beyond. The air grew still. The light dimmed, despite no clouds overhead. Soon, he stood at the edge of an underground hall carved from stone, the walls lined with murals of enormous dragon-like beasts and armored warriors bowing to them.
As he ventured deeper, he came upon a still, mirror-like pond in the center of a stone chamber. Around its edge was a circular engraving in ancient script, but unlike the faded gate, this one shone brilliantly:
"Jalāsaya Nāga: The Sacred Pond of the Sleeping Serpent."
Shiv knelt beside the water, brushing his fingers across the inscription.
"Sleeping Serpent… is this some kind of trial?"
The surface of the pond rippled—though no wind blew. A strange energy seeped from it, coiling around his fingers. His heart raced.
"…If this is a trick, then let me be fooled. I have nothing to lose."
Without hesitation, he stepped into the pond.
The water was strangely warm, like liquid fire without the burn. But as he waded deeper, something changed.
Whirrr...
The pond began to churn. Energy surged from beneath the surface, slamming into Shiv's body like invisible spears.
SHUK! SHUK! SHUK!
"AAAHHHH!!" Shiv screamed as pure energy lanced through his skin — like a thousand burning needles piercing into his bones, muscles, even his mind. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest.
His veins glowed faint blue. His limbs trembled violently. It felt like his soul was being torn open.
"Make it stop… MAKE IT STOP!!"
BOOM!
The chamber quaked as a blinding surge of light erupted from the pond — and then, silence.
Shiv collapsed, eyes rolling back, the world fading into cold darkness.
---
Drip… drip…
When he awoke, Shiv found himself lying on the stone floor, the pond calm once more. The air was still. His body was soaked, but the pain was gone.
He sat up slowly.
"…I'm alive?"
He patted his chest. Looked at his hands. Stood. Jumped. Moved his arms. Nothing.
"…That's it?" he muttered, voice cracking. "After all that pain, after that… that power—! Nothing?!"
He clenched his fists in frustration. "Tch. I should've known. Some ancient trickster's illusion. A false promise. Just like everything else."
He turned back toward the way he came, limping slightly.
"But I'll keep going," he muttered. "Even if the heavens laugh at me. Even if the world turns its back. I'll crawl my way to power… even if my fists bleed to dust."
Unseen to him, beneath the surface of the pond, the sleeping form of a dragon-shaped shadow stirred, its eyes glowing for the first time in centuries.
---