Chapter 12
Aryan's eyes slowly open.
A strange red sky was spread all around. The ground was cracked and hot wind was blowing fiercely, as if he were standing inside a furnace.
Aryan slowly gets up and starts looking around.
Aryan thinks to himself —
"Am I… dead?
Have I really come to hell?"
He slowly starts moving forward.
While walking, he mutters to himself —
"But why would I go to hell…?
What great sin have I even committed… I just broke a few girls' hearts… and snatched money from some guys…"
At some distance, he spots a large stone statue.
As soon as he reaches near it —
Suddenly, a heavy voice echoes.
"I have waited for many years…
And finally… the last member of the Kalraksh family has arrived."
Aryan immediately freezes.
He starts looking all around.
"Who's there?
Where is this voice coming from?"
Just then, his eyes fall on that statue again.
The statue's eyes were faintly glowing.
And then the same voice comes again —
"I know… you need to awaken.
And I can awaken you."
Aryan says in surprise —
"What's the point of awakening after dying?"
The statue laughs.
"You haven't died yet."
Aryan's eyes widen.
"What… I'm still alive?"
"Yes."
Aryan stays quiet for a moment, then says —
"If that's the case… what will I have to do to awaken?"
The statue replies —
"You don't have to do anything.
I will do everything."
Aryan asks with suspicion —
"But… in return?"
"You'll just have to bear a little pain."
Aryan furrows his brows.
"Awakening doesn't cause pain."
The statue's voice suddenly turns serious.
"Because I won't be awakening you."
Aryan is stunned.
"What do you mean?"
The statue says —
"You are already awakened.
From birth."
Aryan's eyes widen.
"Awakened… from birth?"
"Yes.
But someone has placed a seal on your power.
I will simply remove that seal."
Aryan starts thinking to himself.
"A seal on me…?
Who could have put it?"
He says to the statue —
"You're lying.
No one can be awakened from birth."
The statue speaks in a calm voice —
"You are the last member of the Kalraksh family."
Aryan immediately says —
"I've never heard the name Kalraksh family."
The statue stays quiet for a moment.
Then says —
"Did your parents not tell you anything?
How powerful your ancestors were…"
Aryan quickly replies —
"I'm not alone.
I have my brother Aditya… and my little sister Meena too."
The statue thinks for a while.
Then says —
"Now I understand…
Your real parents were probably killed in childhood.
And you must have been adopted by another family."
Several thoughts suddenly start swirling in Aryan's mind.
"My appearance… is completely different from Aditya and Meena…"
"Did… Aditya already know that I'm not his real brother?"
"Why did he never tell me…?"
The statue's voice echoes again —
"What are you thinking?"
Aryan takes a deep breath.
"Fine… let's say I am from the Kalraksh family.
But how do I believe that I was awakened from birth?"
The statue replies —
"The Kalraksh family had received two blessings from the gods.
First —
Every child born in this family is awakened from birth.
Second —
A member of the Kalraksh family can only be defeated by another member of the Kalraksh family."
Aryan says with a slight smile —
"So that means… no one can defeat me?"
The statue laughs softly.
"That was the case before.
But now you are the last member…
And not as powerful as your ancestors were."
Aryan immediately asks —
"Then tell me… how was the Kalraksh family so powerful?
And how did it come to an end?"
The statue says in a dry tone —
"You will find all of that out yourself.
I am not your servant."
Aryan says angrily —
"Fine… then at least tell me how you'll remove the seal."
Suddenly —
Aryan's body starts rising into the air.
Aryan panics.
"What… what is happening?"
Suddenly —
CRACK!!!
The bone in his right hand breaks.
Aryan screams in pain.
"AAAAAAH!!!
Hey you statue! What are you doing?!"
The statue speaks in a calm voice —
"You will have to endure this pain to remove the seal."
CRACK!
Now the bone in his left hand breaks.
Aryan starts screaming.
"Stop!
Stop this!"
But the statue doesn't stop.
Slowly, all of his bones begin to break.
Blood starts flowing from his eyes.
He starts vomiting blood.
His body gets so crushed that it begins to look like a crumpled ball.
Almost all of his bones had been shattered.
He was nearly dead.
But just then —
The statue grabs his soul.
"I won't let you die so quickly."
Suddenly, his body heals again.
But the very next moment —
His bones are broken all over again.
This process keeps repeating, again and again.
Just then, suddenly —
Aryan sees a memory.
A hazy memory.
A man…
And a woman…
Their faces weren't clearly visible.
The woman's voice comes —
"Are you really going to seal Aryan's power?"
The man replies softly —
"Yes…
I will have to do this."
"I don't want his power…
to become a threat to this world."