The sky above the Sacred Mountain of Trinetra glowed with a strange, celestial shimmer—three faint rays of light converging at the peak like watchful eyes. The air itself felt heavier, crackling with an ancient purity that rejected anything tainted.
Kiara's breath hitched as she and Yuvaan approached the wide, dark cave carved into the foot of the mountain. Strange symbols glowed along the archway, each one humming with a power older than the dark clan itself.
"This must be it," Kiara whispered.
Yuvaan stepped forward first, raising his hand as if testing the air—
but the moment his fingers grazed the unseen barrier, a violent shock slammed into him.
"Yuvaan!" Kiara screamed, rushing to catch him before he hit the ground.
A ripple of divine energy pulsed through the air, and Yuvaan staggered back, clutching his chest. Thin wisps of smoke curled from his skin.
Kiara cupped his face, her voice trembling with worry.
"Are you okay? Say something!"
Yuvaan exhaled shakily, eyes darkened with frustration and pain.
"It's a Trinetra shield… divya shakti. Pure divine protection. It rejects anything born from darkness."
His jaw clenched. "Even me."
Kiara's heart tightened. She helped him stand, keeping one arm firmly wrapped around him.
"So that means only I can go in."
Yuvaan looked at her, the concern in his gaze masked beneath his usual arrogance.
"I won't let you walk into danger alone."
Kiara shook her head gently.
"You didn't let me fall just now. Now it's my turn."
The sacred wind swept between them, pulling their hair like a soft warning as they stood before the shimmering, invisible barrier—
the threshold to the ancient cave hiding the Amrit Kalash.
Kiara took a deep breath and stepped through the divine barrier.
The moment she crossed it, the world behind her dimmed. Yuvaan's figure dissolved into a blur of light, as though she had entered another realm entirely.
Inside, the cave was pitch-black—so silent she could hear her own heartbeat echoing off the stone walls.
She pulled out her phone with trembling fingers and switched on the flashlight.
A narrow beam cut through the darkness.
And then she froze.
Coiled around the vast chamber like a massive living sculpture was a divine serpent, its scales glowing faintly like molten silver. Three shimmering eyes opened, one by one, staring straight at her. The very air trembled with its breath.
Kiara gasped, stumbling back.
"H–holy… molly…"
The serpent lifted its colossal head, its voice echoing directly into her mind—ancient, resonant, and heavy with power.
"A child of Reeva enters the sanctum of Trinetra."
Before Kiara could speak, the serpent's luminous tail whipped forward, wrapping around her waist and arms.
She let out a choked cry as the divine energy surged through her skin, immobilizing her completely.
Her phone clattered to the ground. Its flashlight rolled upward, illuminating her terrified face as the serpent lifted her into the air.
"Only the pure may claim the Amrit Kalash," the serpent intoned.
"But none may pass without proving their truth."
Kiara struggled futilely, her breath shaking.
"I—I'm not here to harm anything! I just want to save—"
"Silence."
The serpent's voice shook the cave.
Outside, Yuvaan paced restlessly along the barrier, fists clenched so tightly his nails drew blood.
Every instinct screamed at him to break through, to tear apart whatever danger Kiara was facing.
"Kiara…" he muttered, his voice raw with frustration.
He pressed his palm to the divine shield, feeling helpless rage surge through him.
"What's happening in there? Are you alright?"
The wind around him rustled violently—as if answering his fear—but the barrier remained unmoved.
Inside, Kiara hung suspended before the serpent's burning tri-eyes, trembling as the trial of the sacred mountain began.
Suspended in the serpent's divine grip, Kiara felt her breath growing shallow.
Her heart pounded—not just from fear, but from helplessness. She didn't know how to fight a creature made of pure divinity. She didn't know if she was strong enough.
So she did the only thing she did know.
She closed her eyes tightly, tears clinging to her lashes, and whispered with trembling devotion:
"Om Namah Shivaay…
Om Namah Shivaay…"
Her voice echoed through the cave—soft, fragile, yet glowing with faith.
And unknown to her, something ancient and dormant awakened.
A faint pulse of light flickered beneath her skin—right at the mark on her back shoulder.
The dormant Jishwa Trident Mark—the celestial emblem she never knew she carried—blazed to life in a golden radiance.
The serpent's three eyes widened.
The divine energy holding Kiara loosened... then vanished entirely.
The serpent bowed its massive head so low the cavern shook.
"Forgive me, child of Trinetra."
Its voice trembled with reverence.
"I did not know… you are the one destined."
Kiara dropped gently to the ground, wincing as she landed on her knees. The bruises across her arms and waist pulsed with pain, but she didn't complain. She simply gasped for breath, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
The serpent slowly withdrew into the shadows, disappearing like mist at dawn, leaving only its voice behind:
"The Kalash awaits you.
Take it… and restore what has been lost."
Kiara looked up.
There, resting on a stone pedestal carved with divine symbols, was the Amrit Kalash—glowing with a soft, ethereal light.
She wiped her tears, forced herself to stand despite the ache, and staggered toward it.
"Thank you," she whispered into the empty cavern, grateful even without understanding.
Her fingers touched the Kalash.
At once, the vessel glowed brighter—recognizing her, accepting her, resonating with the mark still faintly shining beneath her skin.
A warm current of purity flowed through her hands, calming her pain.
Kiara held the Kalash close to her chest and turned toward the exit, unaware that the soft divine glow now enveloping her carried the blessing of her true identity—Jishwa's reincarnation.
Outside, Yuvaan waited…
And everything was about to change.