"The universe doesn't always choose the strongest. Sometimes, it chooses the one who carries everyone else's pain and still stands."
A Dream Begins
That night, after walking Binni back and helping his sister study, Vikran finally lay down.
He stared up at the silent ceiling.
He wasn't thinking.
He wasn't tired.
But the moment his eyes closed —
The world changed.
The Golden Plain
He stood in a vast, shimmering golden field. It didn't feel like a dream.
No wind. No sun. No sky.
Just light — warm, deep, and endless.
And far in the distance, something huge lay sleeping.
A creature.
Massive. Glowing. Surrounded by swirling wisps of color — blue, green, gold, silver.
A lion.
Its mane flickered like galaxies.
Its eyes were shut… but even closed, it radiated awareness.
Vikran stepped forward. His breath caught.
He didn't feel fear.
He felt like… he had been here before.
The Moment of Recognition
The lion opened a single eye.
Time cracked.
Vikran's knees buckled under the weight of something immeasurable — not power, but… recognition.
"You…"
The lion did not speak. Yet Vikran heard:
"You carried what no one saw."
"You broke so no one else would."
"And still, you chose to smile."
Tears ran down Vikran's face.
He didn't know why.
He only knew — this beast… this soul… this flame — understood him.
The Rising Flame
All around, the golden field began to flicker.
The swirling lights spun faster — forming eight elemental orbs above the lion.
But none of them moved toward Vikran.
Not yet.
Because this wasn't the time for power.
This was the moment of connection.
The lion stepped forward.
Its nose touched Vikran's forehead — not like a master… but like a guardian finding its missing half.
"I see you."
"And soon… the world will too."
A Stir Within the Earth
In the heart of the Earth, something awakened fully.
The Lion's Soul Crown, buried and broken, flared once more.
A ripple of golden energy passed through the molten layers of the planet — toward the surface.
But the lion didn't rise yet.
It turned… and stared toward the north.
Where the Black and White Dragons had already started moving — their spirits drifting through the skies, drawn toward two souls.
The Lion's mane shimmered.
It knew.
"They've fond in their search."
"And I must reach mine."
Vikran Wakes
Vikran jolted awake.
His shirt was damp. His palms were warm.
The morning sun hadn't risen yet. But something in the world had changed.
He looked at his hands. His breath was shallow.
And then — he saw it.
For just a moment — in the faint shadow on the wall — a lion's outline, flickering like a flame, standing beside him.
He blinked.
Gone.
The Soul That is Seen
He stepped outside barefoot, just as dawn cracked open the sky.
The wind brushed against him gently. Not cold — but welcoming.
In the distance, birds chirped. His sister still slept.
And deep inside his chest…
A warmth pulsed.
He didn't know what it meant.
He didn't know what was coming.
But something inside whispered:
"You are no longer unseen."
Final Line:
Far beneath the Earth, a soul had waited.
And now, it had found its reflection.
Not in a warrior.
Not in a legend.
But in a boy who carried love like armor — and pain like a silent crown.
That night, as stars blinked faintly behind drifting clouds, the Lion's soul, sensing the stirrings of war once more, rose from its long sleep.
It looked upon the boy with hands of kindness and a heart wrapped in silence.
And then — like sunlight through deep soil —
it entered Vikran, not with triumph… but with trust.
The bond was made.
The wait had ended.
To be continued...