25 Chapter Twenty-five: A New Start

mists were already retreating, dissolving in huge chunks even before the gale started, then it blew away the rest, clearing the riverbank.

occasional thunder claps were now lighting the night sky which was covered with dense stormy clouds, brimming over one another, ready to burst and shower everything blow any moment. it was as if even the God himself was mourning over their situation.

at least we are alive Aditya thought sighing as he reached his friends. he left Rajveer and pakhi hugging each other and reached Sidharth. Aditya was far from gooseberry. he called Sidharth but he didn't woke up, he was breathing, so probably he was just unconscious.

Aditya felt pity for him. poor boy had suffered so much in these past few days, probably more than any of them. being possessed by such a powerful entity, not once but twice, did seem quite a stretch for person's health. not to mention the beatings and near death situations he had to face.

and for what? a voice asked inside of him just to fail in the end?

anger was bubbling inside of him - not for anyone or anything in particular but on everything, on God himself, he's the one after all writing everybody's fate - but he felt exhausted to express even that. he knelt there close to Sidharth his shoulders slumped down.

elina storlled over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder consolingly. he looked at her over his shoulder and kissed on her hand. she sat and threw her arms around his neck from behind.

'Aditya...' she said after a small pause

'yeah' he replied in a small voice, hardly audible.

'don't be sad, everything happens for a reason, sure there will be a reason behind this as well. we are all a part his game' she pointed upward 'he isn't just going to let the evil win. in the end good always wins, you knows that.'

'isn't it the end elina...?' he asked 'he has the amulet now. from where I'm watching it... I can't see anything good in it expect of course that we are alive. even that if you ask me, isn't a good thing he probably left us alive so we can watch him destroying the world or whatever he is planning. didn't you listen what he was saying, that soon he'll be even above the God. it...' he shook his head 'what happened today isn't good elina, I have a very... wrong feeling about it'

there was a silence for some time.

'why don't you ask him' she gestured with her head 'you said you could see a man in the light, he certainly seem helpful, and since he's still here...'

'right' he said 'you are right, I just kind of forgot about him. come on let's see him'

he stood and turned, taking elina's hand in his own and looked for the Saint but now only thing he could see was a glowing orb of white light now shining dimly in a distance. he felt angry at him at first, a part of him wanted to accuse him that he didn't helped them enough but although Aditya couldn't see the saint's face now, the way it was shining, dimly, told Aditya that he was perhaps even more upset, more hurt then any of them could be.

he smothered his anger, it wasn't his fault they failed, beside the truth was, he did help. he was the one who showed him the vision that led him to stop Vishal. it was him, he was sure of it. if it wasn't for him they would have died that day. he also kept helping them through Suresh, then he himself came to their aid tonight. what else he could possibly expect him do for them.

the thing was he was a Saint, a devote of God, not God himself. sure he had some powers but he couldn't be omniscient. perhaps like them, he also got tricked by mantrik.

pakhi and rajveer who were now on their feet, joined them. So, Rajveer, pakhi, elina and he now stood in a single file. now the orb hovered close to them, Sidharth was still unconscious laying on the ground behind them.

he took a deep breath.

'what now... father?' he managed to say without croaking. 'please guide us'

Everyone looked at him for a moment, he didn't looked back at tham. it was weird, but what did he suppose to say other than father. then Rajveer something mumbled in ears of others and he heard elina say 'ooohh...'

he felt his ears were heating for some reason.

the orb however didn't replied.

perhaps it couldn't he thought but then something came fluttering toward them from a distance, it stopped in front of elina hovering in the air, then fell in her lap. the book.

Aditya looked at it, it was opened on a certain page. all three of them grouped over elina to have look in the book but in the now dim light of the orb Aditya could only make out was a kind of drawing.

he quickly pulled out his mobile and turned its flashlight on,

what was it that the Saint wanted to show them?

another weapon to defeat mantrik he thought hopefully.

as it turned out it was a drawing of a stone perhaps, being broken into two pieces of the shape and size of the stone in the amulet. there wasn't any color in the drawing but it was enough to understand.

Aditya instantly turned to look at the orb, his jaw, if could, would have literally dropped to the ground.

'is... oh my god' he grabbed his head 'is that what I am thinking'

'it is exactly what you are thinking my boy' a booming voice said as if coming from a loudspeaker, but the voice itself was gentle, very much like his own

'but that's mean..' Rajveer started

'but..' the Saint's voice interrupted 'don't say anything just now. not before this...'

so they hadn't lost, Aditya couldn't help his brain wandering around, not completely. elina was right. there's still hope.

he looked at her and smiled. his spirit rising like a high tide in the ocean.

then something small, followed by something round came wisting toward them. rajveer's kattar and shield, they hung in the air like before. kattar in front of Rajveer and shield in front of pakhi. then came the sword and chakkram. elina got the chakkram and Aditya the sword. then came the axe, it hung in a empty space beside Aditya.

before Aditya could feel sorry for Sidharth for not being able to experience this, Sidharth limp form covered in a white glow floated into the empty space beside him.

he opened his eyes, smacking his lips together as if waking up from a good nap and...

'holly shit...' he shouted stammering and stumbling backwards 'what the hell is happening'

he had to grab him by his shoulder and shake him to make him realise everything was fine.

'cool down!' he shouted 'cool down!'

'mantrik!' he said breathing heavily

'gone!' he shouted 'we have to give him the amulet but he's gone. we are safe'

that relaxed him

'what? we gave him the amulet' he asked bewildered 'but why? wasn't that supposed to be the key to defeat him?'

'it is. now, stand here I'll tell you the rest later' Aditya told him.

he nodded and took his place behind his hovering axe.

'that was certainly not how we used to greet people in my days' the Saint said in his gentle voice.

'no..., no he is just a little jumpy, I apologise for him' Aditya said bowing, feeling an instinct to do it, like the instinct to drive a vehicle you used to drive a lot but haven't drived from a while but when you sit on the seat you know what do to without thinking about it. it was something like that.

while his head bowed, he gave Sidharth a stern look.

he frowned at first then started, 'aa... I am sorry' Sidharth said without any sorry in it, while simultaneously peeking side to side as if trying to see if someone stood behind the light 'it just there is so much weird things happening with me nowadays, I can't help being a little jumpy! as my dear friend just described' this time he gave him a stern look. 'what is it with these weapons hanging like this?' he added quickly, prodding the axe with his finger.

on that many tendrils of energy started to stretch out of the orb. connecting one by one with the weapons like electricity tendrils in a plasma globe focused on the fingers touching it. all five of them watched open-mouthed as it started to melt then mould the weapons into different shapes, some shrank in size like shield and chakkram, rajveer's kattar grew whereas his and Sidharth's weapons just kind of vanished. which seemed completely unfair, he looked around puzzled. then he saw a kind of bracelet but a finger broad, hovering in the air in front of Rajveer. then Rajveer's arm automatically lifted up and his sweater's cuffs rolled up. Rajveer flinched a little as the bracelet snapped onto his wrist like pair of jaws and then... spectacularly vanished. Rajveer felt his arm and grinned. he made his fist then gave it a little jerk, his kattar sprang into existence. going all the way from the bracelet to over his fist, like a single, very fat wolverine claw. Rajveer grinned but didn't said anything. he lowered his and Aditya could see the kattar no longer, it vanished again.

he was completely dumbfounded not to mention a bit jealous, where was his magic weapon?

then he saw pakhi, now holding a ring with a miniature shield on top of it with intricate patterns and elina a circlet they both hesitantly wore them but didn't try to conjure them to their full size but Aditya could tell they would perform the exact same thing when it's needed. Aditya turned to face Sidharth and could see the same question in his expression he was thinking.

''why they got cool magic weapons and not us? we want cool magic weapons too!''

then he realized something, a weight strapped to his back. he reached curious and felt something metallic, the hilt of his sword.

smiling, he pulled it out. he held the sword and marveled looking at the weapon he had just pulled out of thin air, the feel was amazing.

he turned smiling to Sidharth and saw him feeling his waist, he gripped something invisible and performed a motion as if unhooking something. next instinct he too had his axe in his hand. he tossed it in the air and caught it.

both of them smiled and returned the weapons to their place where they promptly disappeared.

now, with a renewed gusto when Aditya turned to look at the Saint, rug was pulled from under his feet.

the orb of light looked horribly weak, hardly lit now. gleaming very faintly, like a small bulb shining through fog.

he knew by instinct something was wrong. very, very wrong.

'no,' Aditya spoke suddenly

'yes my boy..' Saint spoke through the dim orb of light, his voice feeble no longer booming like a megaphone. 'you have guessed it right. I have given each of you... a portion of my power, of my self, disguised as these... weapons. hopefully, it will protect you from mantrik, this time'

he didn't said the rest but his tone betrayed him conveying the message probably he didn't intend to convey.

'it wasn't your fault' Aditya said his nose and eyes stinging 'you didn't... had to do it'

now he thought, but couldn't tell why he was getting emotional for a man who was already dead and he didn't have any memories of, expect for a weird dream.

perhaps it was the word "father". he had called him father and now all so sudden the idea of him going had frightened him or perhaps it was his soul which knew this man and didn't want him to go, even if his brain didn't remember him. he decided it was latter.

'I have to do it Aditya' he said softly 'I'm just an old man... of no use to any of you. it has been proven today.'

Aditya couldn't understand how he could say something like that so cheerfully but it was agitating him.

'no!' Aditya shouted 'its wrong, you know that. that monster fooled as all, that is what he does...!'

'perhaps you are right but still it's better this way. I have lived enough, served enough, 100 years before death and 300 years after death' he laughed at it, a very relaxed laugh. there was a kind of melody even in this man's laughter. 'now the time has come for me to finally rest, to finally fade away into the divinity. to rest for a few centuries in his embrace. waiting for a new start. and when finally I will get it there will be no past snapping at me, just a present to live and... a future to make.' he paused for a second then said pleadingly 'I have made many mistakes in my life. this is my chance, my only chance to get those things right. Please let me do it.'

there was silence for a moment. Aditya analysed the Saints words in his mind, he didn't understand much about the after death concept but one thing was clear to him that the biting past Saint was talking about was when he captured the mantrik, possibly the deaths happened in that time, his death, he considered his fault. he possibly thinks by giving them his power he could make a difference he otherwise won't be able to make. but there was no stopping him now he had given his powers already and the plea to let him do it was just metaphorical.

that's when the phones started to ring, two at once. distracting him.

'oh my god guys it's 9:30!' pakhi cried, almost jumping on the spot 'mum gonna murder me...!'

'fifty! missed calls! we are dead!' elina screamed, pacing back and forth. 'what do we do?'

'stop worrying' Saint said and at once both the phones silenced. 'that will be managed'

elina and pakhi exchanged looks.

probably thinking how? but they didn't voiced the question.

'but...' Aditya spoke coming back to the topic 'what would become to the poor people you help!'

'it won't matter. what is coming I doubt even all of my kind together would be able to manage. it's going to be a crisis humankind has never faced before.' he said miserably, it was first time when he sounded anything other than calm 'you five! are now the only hope we have. only hope humankind have.'

once again they stood in silence.

Aditya thought what it was this Mantrik was planning to do that could endanger all the humans but before he could voice it.

'aa...' Sidharth raised his hand 'firstly, thank you for your help but can I ask... what exactly going to happen, what power does this amulet have?' he asked with all the gathered sincerity he could perhaps manage.

'yes, ' Aditya perked up but said carefully choosing his words, 'and does... he knows about it as well?' he said pointing towards the book.

'no! and now you can speak about the other amulet but only with each other. try not to talk about it with anyone else' the Saint explained 'he can not listen to you. these weapons will shield you from him, he would not be able to locate where you are or what you're doing. neither he'll be able to eavesdrop. with these you'll aslo be able to know when you see a human Infected by some evil power. which going to help you children a lot in upcoming days and that bring us back to Sidharth's question. what do you think Aditya?'

that took him by surprise 'I- know he is planning something very big but I don't know, only power that amulet seemed to have is to catch sprits but why would he need that power? I have no idea' he shrugged 'what would he do with it? when he said all the demons are his servant, already!'

'then you haven't explored it's full potential' the Saint said a hint of disappointment in his voice which he quickly tried to cover 'you said it's power is to trap spirits. Do you know where? do you know where you were sanding me when it started to pull me through?'

his voice was gentle and not a bit accusing but Aditya thought to clear the matter anyway.

'it- was just a mistake' Aditya said quickly, feeling embarrassed.

'I know, I saw your face' the Saint said calmly 'you were frightened yourself... so, coming to the point, I'm losing the rest of my powers maintaining this form, we have to finish it quickly. then you all have to go home too right?'

Aditya nodded and found elina and pakhi nodding even faster. he couldn't help smiling, how much they fear their parents? a good thing perhaps it's for their own safety after all.

'so, listen' the Saint starterd 'there is a realm, similar to this one where people go there after death, it's a replica of this world just a dark version of it. it always stay dark. originally it is a stage after death everyone have to cross, a kind of test. since only good people, strong people, who accept their death, consider it a part of moving on, can cross it, the rest, never been able understand the truth, stay trapped there and become what we call ghosts. Because of so many negative personalities around this becomes a place of bitterness and sorrows. the longer people stay there the bitter they become. all the good in person all his other feelings decays there. at last only feeling they end up left with is the one they have strongest. it could be anything, revenge, lust or anything that sort. I would not go much deep. It's not of your use'

Aditya instantly thought this was of their use, there was more chance of them being end up there then succeeding in the task to come. 'Although it's not a completely different world, just a layer in reality. occasionally they, break through the layer when either it's too weak like on the nights without moon - at those times there is hardly any difference between this world and that world so the line separating them blurs - or when they become that strong so they can break through with force. tantricks also have power to occasionally call one out using the mortal remains of the one.'

so there was life even after death Aditya found himself thinking, and there's struggle even after that, how wrong are people when they think to die to just end their suffering. if they knew this they might never think this way. he never thinks that but he had heard Rajveer and Sidharth talking about it sometimes, mostly joking though. but still wistfulness lingers in their tone when they talk about it. now perhaps both of them will knew better.

'now, listen very carefully, what I have learned form the book and the time when I was being pulled there is that with the amulet you can access that layer, you can send spirits back which have escaped from that world but it works both way. You can also pull someone back from the dead to this world. it will also give the person a body, not complete body although, since the remains of the person would have decayed, even the amulet can manage so much. but it can provide the soul a substantial body with as much it can recover from the nature, of that person's.'

Aditya gulped down the recently gained hopefulness.

so that's why he was so eager to get it. he thought.

everything started to make scene.

'actually, ' the Saint continued 'it was the thing it was made for, the thing you did today was just using its power in reverse.'

'so, he's planning to summon the dead out?' Aditya asked his voice emotional less, he was stunned 'tell me I'm wrong. I really want to be wrong this time. but he's going to summon all the dead out doesn't it.'

'judging from what he said, this is my guess as well. Although I am certain there is more we don't know yet. but think what hazard that be, all the dead lumbering back to live among the livings. you have to stop him.' the Saint replied sounding seriously worried this time.

'so we are to find this second half of the stone and capture him with it' Rajveer said

'yes, that is why I have given you these weapons, and you are going to need them everytime with you. so, they are magically connected with your body now, they won't be visible or even substantial, they'll only appear to you when you'll summon them'

'still seems a piece of cake' Rajveer said smiling nervously 'no?'

nobody replied him.

'how we going to find it?' Sidharth asked 'where it is?'

'everything else you need to know is in the book' the Saint replied 'this girl knows Sanskrit if I'm right, she will tell you. now... I'm afraid it's time... for parting' he said jovially

and with that he started to shine, brighter and brighter. soon it was painstaking and Aditya

was forced to close his eyes.

'and don't worry, in the morning everything will be fine.' the Saint said his voice a distant shout as if from a mile away 'and Aditya always remember I love you.'

emotions flooded his insides and finally poured out through his eyes, he tried to open them but it was still too bright. his eyes closed, he felt his conscious drifting and it was all dark.

the end.