The divine eye in the sky faded, but the dread it left behind lingered like smoke after a battlefield fire.
Back in the chamber where Vidyarani had delivered her ominous message, silence reigned. The students sat with hearts pounding. Ash's voice still echoed in their minds: The test begins.
Akarshan was the first to speak.
"We have to find him."
Shiv looked at him, incredulous. "Find him? He just told the world to prove itself or face annihilation. Do you think he wants to be found?"
"That's exactly why we have to," Akarshan said firmly. "He's spiraling. Maybe he doesn't even realize how far he's gone. If we don't reach him soon, it'll be too late."
Vidyarani, still present in the room, observed them with thoughtful eyes. "There may be one path to him… but it won't be easy."
Monish leaned forward. "What do we have to do?"
"The Palace of Origin," she said solemnly. "It was once a place only the supreme being could enter. But in his absence, some of its defenses have weakened. There are three Trials that guard the inner sanctum—Trial of Flame, Trial of Memory, and Trial of Soul. If you pass them, you may reach him."
Sarina stepped forward quietly from the background. "I will go with them."
Everyone turned to her. She had been silent for a long time.
Vidyarani nodded. "You… you were once close to him in a former cycle."
Akarshan narrowed his eyes. "You mean she's—?"
"Yes," Vidyarani confirmed. "She is not merely a student. Sarina is a reincarnated fragment of his chosen one—the only mortal who ever made the Supreme Being hesitate in destroying everything."
Sarina's eyes shimmered. "He told me once… that love was weakness. But I don't believe that. I believe it's the only thing that can bring him back."
Shivam smiled faintly. "Then let's go. The world isn't ending without us at least trying."
---
Meanwhile…
Ash stood atop the skyless spire of his divine palace, a tower made of shifting stars and molten void. The goddesses stood in a semicircle behind him—Life, Nature, Flame, Void, Ocean, and Stone.
"I have given them one year," Ash said, his voice hollow. "After that… I will bring balance."
The Goddess of Life stepped forward. "What if they reach you? What if they remind you of what you once were?"
Ash turned. "Then… I will need to be reminded of why I became what I am."
His eyes glowed with ancient light.
And somewhere deep in his chest, beneath the layers of power and memory, a name echoed:
Sarina.
---