The ring sat motionless in the drawer, hidden under a soft cotton cloth, but Abhi couldn't stop feeling its presence. Even through the wooden drawer, it radiated a kind of heat that had nothing to do with temperature. It was a pull—a whisper in the back of his mind. He had barely slept. The visions haunted him every time he closed his eyes. He kept hearing the woman's whisper:
"Protect him... the key is waking."
Who was him? And what was this "key"? The next morning, the house was oddly quiet. Somi Dadi had gone to visit a neighbor, and the usual hum of the kitchen was absent. Abhi moved through the house with his cane, though he didn't need it here. He knew every step, every creak on the floor. He returned to his room and hesitated by the drawer. Was he ready to look again? His hand moved before his mind could answer. Slowly, he pulled open the drawer and lifted the cloth. The ring gleamed, smooth and golden, the carved symbol faint but intricate—an eye with three pupils, surrounded by lines that looked like runes. He leaned closer, tracing the carving with his fingers. As he touched the symbol again, a sharp click echoed from within the ring. Startled, he dropped it. But it didn't fall. The ring hovered in mid-air, spinning slowly. Then, without warning, it shot forward and clamped itself onto his right ring finger. The pain was instant and blinding. It burned into his skin like molten fire. "Aahhh!" Abhi screamed, collapsing to his knees. His eyes rolled back, and his mind was pulled into the void again.---
He stood in a realm that wasn't real—or maybe it was more real than anything he'd ever known. The sky above was blood red, torn by cracks of violet lightning. Floating islands hovered in the air, twisted ruins and black stone towers jutting out of them.
Before him stood the woman from his visions.

She was tall, her figure robbed in a gown made of shadow and light. Her eyes glowed white, and chains bound her wrists, but she stood proud. A mist of energy floated around her.
"You found it,"
she said, her voice echoing like wind in a cave.
"Or it found you."
Abhi tried to speak, but his mouth produced no sound.
"Do not be afraid,"
she continued. "The ring chose you. It only awakens for the bearer of the forgotten blood."
Forgotten blood? She stepped closer, her voice a murmur now.
"You must find the Vault of Eyes before they do. If the seal is broken, your world ends."
The ground beneath him cracked.
"Wait! Who are you?!"
he finally managed to scream. Her chains clattered. She reached out toward him.
"I am the Guardian. But I am fading. You must... find the other. The second bearer. Before the Hunters come."
"Hunters? What are—"
CRACK! He jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. The ring no longer burned. It was cool against his skin, as if the moment had never happened. But a strange glow pulsed gently from the carving. Abhi panted, heart racing. The visions were no longer just dreams. They were messages. And now, he had been given a task. Find the Vault of Eyes. Find the second bearer. Before the Hunters come. He stood and quickly dressed, slipping on a hoodie and adjusting his cane. The moment he stepped outside, the world felt different. Brighter, sharper. His ears picked up sounds he never noticed before: the distant flutter of bird wings, the faint crackle of static in the air. Was the ring enhancing his senses? As he made his way down the road, he realized something else. He didn't stumble. He didn't hesitate. It was as if his feet knew exactly where to go, even outside the house. Something had awakened. But he wasn't alone. Across the street, a man in a grey coat stood, watching him. His face was hidden beneath a low hat, but his stance was too still. Too focused. When Abhi paused, the man turned and disappeared into the crowd. The Hunters...---That night, back in his room, Abhi tried to sleep, but a sound pulled him from the edge of dreams. Tic... tic... tic... Not from the drawer this time. From his window. He sat up. The window was closed. Carefully, he approached and slid it open. The night was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves. And then he heard it.
"Abhishek... "A horror whisper. Not outside. Inside his mind.
"We are watching." He slammed the window shut and backed away. The ring pulsed with heat. Suddenly, the mirror in his room cracked. A hairline fracture across the center. The symbol from the ring etched itself into the glass. Burned. They had found him. But who were they? He needed answers. And he knew where to start. The college library had restricted archives section—books on ancient lore, symbols, and old civilizations. He'd heard rumors from the staff that it contained more than just history. Tomorrow, he would go there. With or without permission. Because now, he wasn't just blind. He was chosen.