Chapter 5: Flames Remember Her Name
Location: Tapovan, near the lost ashram of Maharishi Vashishta
Hidden in the folds of the Himalayas, cradled by wild rivers and forests where few dared to tread, was an ashram that did not exist on any modern map. And yet, Anaya had been raised there her whole life.
She had never seen a city. Never used a phone. But she could recite entire Vedic verses from memory, chant in multiple tongues, and set water on fire with a whisper.
That morning, she awoke screaming.
"The fire tree… it burned again," she muttered, breathless.
"And the boy with the scar… I knew his eyes…"
The wind outside howled unnaturally.
From the shadows of the hermitage, a woman in ochre robes stepped forward. Her hair was white, her presence sharp like the edge of a mantra.
"You saw him, didn't you?" the woman said.
"Yes, Guru Ma," Anaya whispered. "The bearer of the light weapon… He's alive again. And the seal... it's weakening."
"Then your time here is over."
Anaya was stunned. "But the Vratyas still hunt! The Ashvatta is not ready!"
"The Fifth Yuga doesn't wait for permission," Guru Ma said. "Go to Prayagraj. The Saptarishi Kumbh has begun. There you will find the Astradhari's path. Or he will find you."
Meanwhile – On the Train to Rishikesh
Aarav sat beside the window, still clutching the ancient scroll. Sleep evaded him. Every station passed like a riddle.
His phone buzzed.
A number again — unknown.
"She dreams in fire. Find her before the Rakshas do."
"Your second seal lies in Prayagraj."
He looked around the coach. Ordinary passengers. Or so it seemed.
But then he noticed the man in the third seat, reading a Sanskrit book upside down. And the girl near the door whispering into her hand — no phone, just a bead tied with a black string.
Someone was watching him.
Or testing him.
Suddenly, the lights flickered. The train shuddered.
And from the shadows near the toilet section, a hand emerged. Clawed. Grey. Flickering with dark smoke.
A Rakshas.
It leapt with unnatural speed. Passengers screamed. But before Aarav could react, his palm lit up on its own — a trident-shaped burst of golden fire forming in his fist.
He didn't think. He just moved.
With a primal roar, he thrust the flame forward. It pierced the Rakshas like a beam of Surya's wrath, exploding it into ash.
The train lurched back to normal. No one remembered. Everyone blinked, confused.
Only the girl with the black thread stared at him.
"You've awakened," she said quietly.
"Who are you?" Aarav asked.
"A messenger. I serve the seventh seal. But you must hurry. She is calling for you. And they have found her too."
Elsewhere – Prayagraj, Kumbh Grounds
Anaya stood in a sea of pilgrims — sadhus with ash-smeared bodies, Nagas chanting on burning coals, dancers in trance. The air was electric. The Ganga sparkled, ancient and alive.
As she walked through the throngs, she felt a strange hum in her veins. Something — or someone — was near.
That night, she camped by the river. Dreams returned.
Dreamscape – Past Life Memory
Anaya, dressed in red, stood on a battlefield of stars. Rishan — Aarav's past self — stood before her.
"You lied to me," he said.
"I had to. If you had known, you would never have let me go."
"You were the anchor," he whispered. "Not me."
"No, Rishan," she said with tears. "We both were."
Present Moment – Dawn at the Kumbh
Aarav arrived just as the sun broke the horizon. He pushed through pilgrims, trying to feel something — a pull, a sign.
And then — in the distance — he saw her.
Anaya.
She stood on the riverbank, hands joined in prayer. Her aura shimmered faintly — red and gold — like embers waiting to ignite.
Aarav felt his heart slam against his chest. She was the girl from the visions.
He took one step forward.
But before he could call out, the earth trembled — and a dark vortex split the air behind her.
A Rakshas emerged — larger, fanged, cloaked in black smoke.
Aarav ran. She turned. Their eyes met for a fraction of eternity — and everything fell silent.
And in that silence, they remembered each other.
The war.
The betrayal.
The love.
Anaya raised her hand. A flaming bow appeared from thin air.
Aarav leapt, his trident-fire igniting midair.
Together — again — after yugas.
And the Fifth Yuga roared with fire and fate.
End of Chapter 5