A lone warrior stood drenched in blood.
Scarlet drops slid down from the edge of his sword, falling one by one onto the earth beneath him. At his feet lay the severed head of a mighty emperor. The once-invincible ruler now lay lifeless, and his vast army—terrified at the sight—had fled in fear.
The warrior showed no trace of fear on his face.Yet, there was no joy in his victory either.
His eyes remained open, unblinking… but his thoughts were far away.A woman's face appeared before him, vivid and haunting. He stood still, like a lifeless tree—motionless, lost in memories.
Far away, in a grand palace, a king abruptly awoke from his sleep.
The vision had felt too real.
He slowly rose from his bed and stepped out of his chamber. Walking to the top of his palace, he gazed upon his vast empire stretching endlessly beneath the sky. The sight calmed his restless mind.
Soon after, he made his way to the royal court.
His majestic presence alone was enough to make the entire assembly tremble. The palace itself seemed to touch the heavens—towering pillars, massive elephant sculptures, and an overwhelming grandeur that captivated the eyes.
The king took his seat upon the throne.
He listened as his ministers discussed the growth of the kingdom, reviewed the progress of various plans, and spoke of the needs of the people. The king observed, questioned, and understood everything in silence.
In the same kingdom lived a young boy named Agan.
He had come from a distant village to visit his grandfather, who worked in the palace as a servant. Agan's visit was special—he had arrived to witness the grand festival that took place only once every eight years.
After his grandfather finished his duties, they spent time together. One evening, as everyone sat outside their home talking, Agan turned to his grandfather with curiosity.
"I've never seen such a vast kingdom before," he said. "I've heard many things about our king. Have you ever seen him in person, Thatha?"
His grandfather smiled slightly.
"Yes, I have seen him. He is a great warrior… and they say he possesses mysterious powers. But there is much about him that even I do not know."
Agan leaned forward eagerly. "Then tell me everything you know. I can't even sleep thinking about it!"
The old man nodded.
"Alright… I will tell you what I know."
"This Gandharva kingdom was founded nearly a thousand years ago. Our ancestors were masters of magic—people who could control powerful mystical forces. That is how this empire was built.
Neighboring kingdoms feared us, for no one else possessed such power.
Not only that, our ancestors were unmatched in architecture. The towering structures you see today… they were built by them. But such greatness came at a cost—thousands of lives were sacrificed to create this empire.
This is not an ordinary kingdom.
Every kingdom has a ruler… but our current king is different."
"Twenty-five years ago, he wasn't even here.
He lived in a distant land called Preta Desam—a kingdom just as powerful as ours. That is where he grew up. His name… is Ariyan."
Ariyan.
A warrior feared by many.
Preta Desam was a land of ruthless discipline. Becoming a warrior there was no easy task. The army was vast—over a hundred thousand soldiers—and they trained every single day without fail.
Among them, Ariyan rose above all.
Because of his unmatched strength and skill, he was appointed as the commander of fifteen thousand soldiers. But that was not enough for him.
His dream… was to lead the entire army.
Yet, Ariyan was alone.
He knew nothing about his parents. He had entered the kingdom as an orphan, carrying only his will to survive. The hardships he endured shaped him into a fearless and unbreakable warrior.
One day, while guarding the royal palace, Ariyan witnessed something that filled him with silent rage.
Prince Janatharangan had arrived at the temple with his family. As they prayed, the prince's son—Kichakan—began displaying his arrogance toward the soldiers.
"You are all beneath me," he declared.
Suddenly, without warning, he drew his sword… and beheaded a soldier.
"Why did you kill him?" Janatharangan asked.
Kichakan replied coldly,"How dare they look at us as equals? They must bow their heads. If not… they will lose them."
Ariyan clenched his fists, suppressing his anger.
Later, as the royal family prepared to leave, a sudden chaos erupted.
A wild elephant, maddened and uncontrollable, charged toward the princess.
In that instant—Ariyan moved.
With incredible speed, he intercepted the beast and rescued her.
For the first time… their eyes met.
The princess—Alli.
Though her face was partially hidden, Ariyan could see her eyes clearly. And in that moment… everything around him faded away.
He stood frozen.
Lost.
From that day onward, her face never left his mind.
Her beauty… her eyes… they haunted him.
"Alli…" he whispered to himself.
Determined to see her again, Ariyan pushed himself further. He led his army into battle, conquered two smaller kingdoms, and expanded his forces to forty thousand soldiers.
His strength and leadership astonished even the royal family.
He was granted a higher command and finally entered the royal court.
One day, fate brought them together again.
An arrow flew toward him—swift and sharp.
Ariyan caught it effortlessly and turned.
It was Alli.
She had been practicing archery, and the arrow had accidentally come his way.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
But Ariyan said nothing.
He simply stood there… staring at her, unmoving.
And once again—her eyes met his.
From that moment… everything began to change.