The Door Beneath the Banyan Tree
(Fantasy Adventure with Indian Folklore Touch)
📖 Chapter 1: The Night the Tree Whispered
The old banyan tree stood behind Arka's house like a silent guardian.
No one in the village of Chandipur dared to go near it after sunset.
They said the tree was older than the British railway line. Older than the forgotten temple near the river.
Arka never believed those stories.
Until the night it whispered his name.
"Arka…"
The wind wasn't strong. The sky wasn't stormy. Yet the leaves trembled as if something inside the tree was breathing.
Arka stepped closer.
The air felt different. Heavy. Cold.
Then he saw it.
Between the hanging roots, a faint golden light flickered.
A door.
Not painted on the bark. Not carved.
A real door — glowing, ancient, covered in strange symbols that looked like moving shadows.
His heartbeat thundered.
He should run.
Instead, he touched it.
The moment his fingers met the surface—
The world cracked.
🌪 The Fall
Arka wasn't falling down.
He was falling sideways.
Colors twisted around him — blue rivers in the sky, floating rocks, distant mountains hanging upside down.
He screamed, but no sound came out.
Then—
Silence.
He landed on soft grass.
But this wasn't Chandipur.
The sky was violet.
Two moons floated above.
And in front of him stood—
A white tiger.
Wearing golden armor.
And it spoke.
"Welcome back, Prince of the Forgotten Realm."
Arka froze.
"W-What?"
The tiger bowed.
"You have been gone for sixteen years."
Arka's heart stopped.
Sixteen years?
He was only sixteen.
Before he could speak again, the ground shook.
From the horizon, black smoke rose like a storm.
The tiger's eyes narrowed.
"He has sensed your return."
"Who?" Arka whispered.
The tiger looked at him.
"The Shadow King."
And in the distance—
A giant winged shape rose into the sky.
🔥 End of Chapter 1
(Cliffhanger begins the adventure)
Chapter 2: The Tiger Who Remembered
The wind howled across the violet plains.
Arka stared at the white tiger in golden armor. Its eyes were not animal eyes. They held intelligence… memory… grief.
"You are mistaken," Arka said, stepping back. "I'm not a prince."
The tiger's tail moved slowly.
"You do not remember. That is expected."
The ground trembled again. In the far distance, the dark winged shape circled the sky like a vulture waiting for death.
"We must leave," the tiger said. "He cannot see you clearly yet. The veil between worlds is still unstable."
"Who are you?" Arka demanded.
The tiger lowered its head.
"I am Vyra, General of the Eastern Clans. I swore an oath to your mother."
"My mother lives in Chandipur," Arka snapped.
Vyra's voice softened.
"No… Your true mother was Queen Ishani of Aaryavarta."
The name hit him like thunder.
Aaryavarta.
The word echoed in his mind as if he had heard it before in dreams.
🏰 The Forgotten Kingdom
Vyra leapt forward.
"Climb onto my back. Questions can wait."
Arka hesitated.
Another tremor shook the ground. A distant roar tore through the sky — deep, ancient, monstrous.
That was enough.
He climbed onto the tiger.
Vyra ran.
Not like an animal — but like lightning.
They crossed floating stone bridges suspended in the air. Rivers flowed upward into the sky. Trees glowed with blue fire.
"This world…" Arka whispered.
"This is Vaeloria," Vyra replied. "Your kingdom."
In the distance, a city shimmered — towers of silver crystal rising into the clouds.
But half of it was destroyed.
Black vines crawled over broken walls. Smoke rose from the western towers.
"What happened?" Arka asked.
"Betrayal," Vyra growled.
🌑 The Shadow King
Sixteen years ago, the Shadow King rose from the Northern Abyss.
He was once human.
Once your father's most trusted ally.
Lord Kael.
Arka felt a sharp pain in his chest at the name.
Kael.
Why did it feel familiar?
"He wanted immortality," Vyra continued. "He found something beneath the world. Something older than time."
"The Abyss."
When your parents refused to join him, he opened the gates of darkness.
Your father died protecting the capital.
Your mother sent you through the Banyan Gate — the last portal to Earth.
"And wiped your memory," Vyra finished quietly.
Arka's breathing became uneven.
"That's not possible."
Vyra slowed as they approached the ruined palace gates.
"It is."
Suddenly—
The sky split open.
Dark clouds swirled violently.
A massive winged creature descended — scales black as night, eyes burning red.
A dragon.
But its body seemed stitched with shadow itself.
And on its back stood a tall armored figure cloaked in darkness.
Even from this distance, Arka could feel the hatred.
The figure raised one hand.
The dragon roared.
The Shadow King had arrived.
⚔ The Awakening
"Run!" Vyra shouted.
But Arka didn't move.
Something inside him ignited.
Heat spread through his veins.
The air around him shimmered.
The dragon opened its mouth—
Black fire shot toward them.
Vyra leapt aside.
The fire struck the ground—
But before it could consume Arka—
A golden barrier exploded outward from his body.
Light burst from his hands.
The shadow flame vanished.
Silence fell.
Even the dragon paused.
The armored figure tilted his head.
"Interesting…" a deep voice echoed across the sky.
"So the prince remembers."
Arka looked at his glowing hands.
He didn't remember.
But his power did.
🔥 End of Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Palace of Ashes
The dragon's roar faded into the clouds.
The Shadow King did not attack again.
He simply watched.
Then, like smoke dissolving into the wind, he vanished into the storm.
Silence returned.
Only the broken palace stood ahead.
Arka's hands were still glowing faintly.
Vyra stared at him with something close to awe.
"You felt it, didn't you?" the tiger asked.
Arka nodded slowly.
"It wasn't fire… It felt like… sunlight."
Vyra's golden armor shimmered.
"That is Solaryn — the ancient light of the royal bloodline. It answers only to the true heir."
Arka swallowed.
"So it's true…"
Vyra turned toward the shattered gates.
"Come. There is someone you must meet."
🏰 Inside the Ruins
The palace doors creaked open.
Inside, ash covered the marble floors like grey snow.
Broken banners hung from the ceiling — a symbol of a rising sun split in two.
Arka felt something strange.
Not fear.
Familiarity.
He walked forward slowly, touching the cold walls.
Flash.
A memory.
A woman with silver hair kneeling before him.
"Your Highness," she whispered.
The vision vanished.
Arka staggered.
"Memories are returning," Vyra said quietly.
They reached the throne hall.
The massive throne was cracked in half.
Black veins spread across the walls like infection.
Then—
A sound.
Steel sliding against stone.
Vyra stepped protectively in front of Arka.
From the shadows, a figure emerged.
A girl.
About Arka's age.
Long dark hair. A scar across her eyebrow.
She held twin curved blades glowing faint blue.
Her eyes narrowed.
"So the lost prince finally returns."
⚔ The Hidden Guardian
Arka blinked. "You know me?"
The girl did not lower her weapons.
"I know what you were."
The words stung.
"Were?" Arka repeated.
Vyra spoke carefully. "Princess Mira… lower your blades."
Arka froze.
Princess?
Mira scoffed.
"Do not call me that. Titles died sixteen years ago."
She stepped closer, studying Arka's face.
"You disappeared while this kingdom burned."
"I was a child!" Arka snapped.
"And we were not?" she shot back.
Silence fell heavy between them.
Vyra's voice was calm.
"She stayed. She fought."
Mira looked away.
"I survived."
Arka felt guilt he didn't understand.
Before he could respond—
The floor trembled violently.
Black cracks split across the marble.
Mira's eyes widened.
"He's sending them."
The cracks exploded open.
From beneath the palace crawled creatures made of smoke and bone — twisted shadows with hollow faces.
Their mouths opened in silent screams.
Arka stepped back.
"What are those?"
Mira raised her blades.
"Wraithborn."
Vyra roared.
"They feed on fear!"
The first creature lunged.
Mira sliced through it — blue light tearing shadow apart.
But more poured from the cracks.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
They surrounded the throne hall.
Arka's chest tightened.
Fear crept in.
The shadows grew larger.
"They're reacting to you!" Mira shouted. "Control your emotions!"
Control?
How?
A Wraithborn leapt toward him—
Time slowed.
His heartbeat echoed.
He remembered something.
A voice.
His mother's voice.
"Light is not anger. Light is choice."
Arka closed his eyes.
The fear didn't disappear.
But he faced it.
Warmth spread through his chest.
Golden light erupted from his body — not explosive this time.
Steady.
Radiant.
The shadows screamed.
One by one, they dissolved like mist under sunlight.
The throne hall became silent again.
Ash drifted slowly through the air.
Mira lowered her blades.
Vyra bowed his head.
Arka opened his eyes.
The broken throne behind him began to glow faintly.
A symbol of the rising sun burned into the air.
And far away…
In a dark fortress beyond the mountains…
The Shadow King smiled.
"The awakening has begun."
🔥 End of Chapter 3
Chapter 4: The Light That Trembles
The throne hall was quiet again.
Ash drifted like tired snow.
Princess Mira sheathed her blades but did not look impressed.
"You have power," she said flatly. "But power without control kills allies first."
Arka clenched his jaw. "I didn't ask for this."
"No one does," she replied.
Vyra stepped between them. "Enough. The Shadow King knows the prince has awakened. We cannot remain here."
Mira nodded reluctantly.
"There is still one safe place left."
Arka looked up. "Where?"
"The Ember Vault."
🔥 The Ember Vault
It was hidden beneath the eastern cliffs of Vaeloria.
They traveled through broken streets and silent watchtowers. Half the kingdom lay in ruins, swallowed by creeping black vines that pulsed faintly like living veins.
As they walked, Arka kept feeling flashes — laughter in palace gardens… sword practice under sunlight… a tall man placing a hand on his shoulder.
His father?
The memories slipped away before he could grasp them.
They reached a massive stone gate carved with a rising sun symbol.
Mira pressed her palm to it.
Blue light spread across the surface.
The gate opened.
Inside was a vast underground chamber glowing with warm orange crystals.
Weapons lined the walls. Ancient armor rested on stands. In the center stood a circular training platform etched with golden runes.
"This was where your bloodline trained," Mira said quietly.
Arka stepped forward.
The runes flickered beneath his feet.
⚔ Training Begins
Mira tossed him a wooden practice blade.
"Show me how much Earth softened you."
Arka caught it awkwardly.
"I've never fought with a sword."
Mira raised an eyebrow.
"That explains everything."
She attacked without warning.
Fast.
Precise.
Arka barely blocked.
The impact sent him stumbling backward.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Within minutes he was on the ground.
Breathing hard.
Frustrated.
Mira stood over him.
"Light alone will not save this world."
Arka's chest burned — not from exhaustion.
From humiliation.
"You think I wanted to run?" he snapped. "I didn't even know this place existed!"
Mira's expression hardened.
"My mother died protecting this vault."
Silence.
Arka looked down.
"I'm sorry."
The words were quiet. Honest.
Something in Mira's posture shifted.
But before she could respond—
The crystals flickered.
Vyra's head snapped up.
"He found it."
🌑 The Hidden Truth
A deep rumble echoed through the vault.
Not an attack.
Something else.
From the far end of the chamber, an ancient door began to glow.
Mira's eyes widened.
"That door has been sealed for sixteen years…"
Arka felt drawn to it.
Each step felt heavy.
Important.
The door slowly opened.
Inside was not treasure.
Not weapons.
A mirror.
Tall. Silver. Surrounded by blackened gold.
Arka stepped closer.
His reflection shimmered.
Then changed.
He saw himself older.
Wearing royal armor.
Standing beside—
The Shadow King.
Not as enemies.
As allies.
Arka stumbled back.
"That's not real."
But the vision shifted again.
He saw Lord Kael kneeling before him.
"You opened the Abyss with me, my prince."
Arka's breathing became uneven.
Mira grabbed his shoulder. "It's an illusion!"
But Vyra's voice was tense.
"No…"
The mirror glowed brighter.
A whisper echoed through the vault.
"You were not stolen from this world…"
The voice belonged to the Shadow King.
"You chose to leave."
The mirror shattered into black mist.
The crystals dimmed.
Silence returned.
Arka stood frozen.
Mira looked at him carefully.
"What did you see?"
Arka's hands trembled.
"I… don't know anymore."
Far beyond the cliffs—
In a fortress wrapped in storm clouds—
The Shadow King watched through shadows.
And smiled.
"Let the doubt grow."
🔥 End of Chapter 4
Chapter 5: The Assassin in Moonlight
The Ember Vault felt colder after the mirror shattered.
Arka sat alone near the crystal wall, staring at his hands.
You chose to leave.
The words wouldn't stop echoing.
Mira stood across the chamber, watching him quietly.
For the first time, she didn't look angry.
She looked worried.
"You don't believe him," she said finally.
Arka didn't answer.
"Do you?" he asked instead.
Mira hesitated.
"That mirror only shows buried truth. Not full truth."
"That's not comforting."
Before she could respond—
Vyra growled low.
"Someone is here."
The crystals dimmed.
A soft metallic sound echoed through the vault.
Footsteps.
Slow. Calm. Confident.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Tall.
Cloaked in dark silver armor.
A thin blade shimmered in his hand like liquid night.
His eyes glowed faint violet.
"I was told the prince has returned," he said smoothly.
Mira instantly drew her twin blades.
"Ravik."
The man smiled slightly.
"Princess."
Arka looked between them. "You know him?"
Mira's voice hardened.
"He was captain of the royal guard."
Ravik tilted his head.
"And now… I serve a king who will not fall again."
The air tightened.
"You betrayed us," Mira said.
Ravik's smile faded.
"No. I chose survival."
⚔ The Duel
He moved faster than sight.
His blade flashed toward Arka.
Mira intercepted, sparks flying as steel met steel.
The force pushed her back.
Ravik's gaze shifted to Arka.
"You hesitate," he observed. "Still unsure which side you belong to?"
Arka's chest tightened.
Anger rose.
Doubt followed.
The shadows around Ravik thickened.
They reacted to Arka's emotions.
"Don't let him provoke you!" Mira shouted.
Ravik attacked again — this time aiming to kill.
Arka reacted on instinct.
Golden light burst from his palm — not wild, not explosive.
Focused.
It collided with Ravik's blade.
The dark metal cracked.
Ravik stepped back, surprised.
"So the Solaryn awakens properly…"
His violet eyes narrowed.
"Good. That will make breaking you more satisfying."
He slammed his hand onto the floor.
Black chains erupted from the ground, wrapping around Arka's arms.
Cold.
Heavy.
Whispers filled his ears.
"You opened the Abyss…"
"You are the reason this world burns…"
Arka's breathing became shallow.
The golden light flickered.
Mira struggled against shadow tendrils holding her back.
"Arka! Listen to me!"
The chains tightened.
Then—
A memory surged.
Not from the mirror.
From his heart.
His father kneeling before him as a child.
"Power is not about what you were."
"It is about what you choose now."
The whispers weakened.
Arka opened his eyes.
"No," he said firmly.
The golden light flared.
The chains shattered.
Ravik's expression changed for the first time.
Shock.
Arka stepped forward.
Light gathered around him like a rising sun.
"I don't know my past," Arka said.
"But I decide my future."
He raised his hand.
A focused beam of radiant energy struck Ravik directly.
The assassin was thrown backward into a pillar.
The vault trembled.
Smoke filled the air.
When it cleared—
Ravik was gone.
Only a dark feather remained on the floor.
Vyra approached slowly.
"He retreats when the fight turns."
Mira exhaled.
"He'll report everything."
Arka stared at the feather.
"Let him."
For the first time—
His voice carried confidence.
Not doubt.
But far away…
The Shadow King closed his eyes.
"Interesting," he murmured.
"The prince chooses light."
For now.
🔥 End of Chapter 5
End of vol 1 of The Door Beneath the Banyan Tree to be continue in next volume so.