The sun had barely risen, yet the mountain peaks around Kashi Gurukul already shimmered with golden light. Raghav sat cross-legged beneath the Shivling waterfall, where sacred mist drifted like celestial breath. The echoes of yesterday's battle still rang in his bones.
The Trishula mark on his chest pulsed faintly—not with pain, but with purpose.
From behind the sacred shrine, Master Arvind approached, holding a scroll sealed with golden thread and marked with the Emblem of the Godland.
"You've earned more than victory, Raghav. You've awakened a legacy."
He handed the scroll over with reverence.
As Raghav broke the seal, divine script unraveled itself midair, glowing with blue fire. The scroll wasn't written in any earthly language—but his mind understood.
The Scroll of the Shatarupa Bond
A record of the divine beast tamers who transcended mortal limits and walked alongside gods.
His hands trembled.
Names etched in light: Parashuraam the Beastbreaker. Anaya of the Golden Wings. Rudra-Kala, Slayer of the Demon Herds.
And beneath the final name, blank space. The scroll wrote itself:
Raghav Pandit — The Flame of Dominion
He gasped. The scroll suddenly cracked open at its center, revealing a second layer: a prophecy.
"When the Flame bearer rises, the Gates of Pātāl Lok shall stir, and from the Land Beyond Dominion, the Pale Beasts will descend."
Arvind's expression turned grave.
"This tournament is not the end. It's the beginning. Something is coming—something only you, and those chosen by the divine, can face."
Raghav looked to Nyra, who nodded.
They weren't done.
Just then, a horn sounded across the Gurukul. The final rounds were being summoned—but this time, the stakes were far beyond a title.
From the shadows, a hooded figure whispered:
"The Pale Beasts are already watching."