The sudden emergence of two ancient artifacts plunged the Purification Hall into a heavy silence. A soft glow radiated from the ring on Reina's finger, pulsing in harmony with the golden patterns etched onto the long sword now in Bhirendra’s grasp. Their auras shifted—heavier, deeper, more entwined.
Elder Mahawira stepped forward slowly, awe and unease warring in his gaze. He looked first at the ring, then the sword, before releasing a long, weathered sigh and whispering, “Cakra Adhiwara… the Ring of Spiritual Awakening. And that—Prabawa Samayoga… the Sword of Two Worlds.”
His aged hands, lined with time, gripped his staff tightly. His face grew grave. “The prophecy from decades ago… I never thought I’d live to see it unfold before my very eyes.” His voice was hoarse, distant.
Reina stepped forward hesitantly, her gaze darting between the elder and Bhirendra. “W-What does this all mean?” she asked, barely breathing.
Elder Mahawira looked at them both with solemn weight, then said, “The Somo Stone has fractured. It now survives only through its core soul—a core that is fading. If that soul vanishes… all of Swantara will collapse.”
Reina’s knees buckled slightly.
The elder turned, his gaze now sharp, cutting through the room. “You must gather the Sacred Keepers—the ancient artifacts scattered across Swantara—to mend the soul of the Somo Stone. Only then can balance be restored.”
A moment of silence followed.
“I object,” Bhirendra’s voice rang out, sharp and resolute. He brushed aside Reina’s hand as she tried to help him up, his stare cold and unyielding. “I have no desire to be its chosen knight.”
Elder Mahawira raised his voice, nearly shouting, “You have no choice, Bhirendra! The power chose you both. Fate has been carved long before you were born!”
Bhirendra’s jaw clenched. “You tricked me. You said the forbidden spell would only open her consciousness… not bind me to a weak mortal!”
His voice echoed across the stone walls, reverberating with raw emotion. Without waiting for a response, Bhirendra turned and stormed out of the hall, his steps heavy. His breathing was labored, one hand clutching his aching chest—but he refused to show weakness.
Reina stood still, frozen. Her eyes widened, her heart tight.
What just happened?
It all felt like a dream—too strange to believe, too real to deny. She wanted to scream, to cry, but could only watch his retreating back… as if none of this was his burden to bear.
But wasn’t it him who dragged her into this chaos?
Reina clenched her fists, trying to steady the turmoil rising within her chest.
If this is fate… why does it feel like punishment?
Beyond the tall windows of the Purification Hall, the sky above Swantara had begun to shift. The wind twisted more sharply. A journey had begun—and there was no turning back.
—
Two days had passed since the soul-shaking events in the Purification Hall—since the two ancient artifacts had emerged, since fate had bound two souls together, since Bhirendra vanished without a trace.
Reina sat by the window of her chamber, gazing at the sky, where clouds floated like spun sugar under the golden hues of dusk. Her room was vast and beautiful—white stone walls etched with glowing runes, a silk-canopied bed, stained-glass windows casting warm colors across the floor. The kind of place she had only read about in fairy tales. And yet, it felt empty. Hollow.
Her thoughts spun relentlessly around one person—Bhirendra. Cold, distant, filled with secrets… and the only one who truly knew what was happening.
A soft knock broke her reverie. A female attendant entered, pushing a cart of food that smelled divine. The dishes resembled ones from her world—perhaps designed to help her feel at home in this strange realm.
But that wasn’t what made her heart race.
Someone stood in the doorway, casually leaning against the frame: a man about Bhirendra’s age, with long, dark red hair tied half-up with a small silver crown. His attire was regal, his bearing noble. His sharp eyes glinted, and his mouth curved into a small, almost polite smile—warmer than Bhirendra’s ever was, but not quite sincere.
Reina instinctively stepped back, tension stiffening her spine.
Who was he?
The man approached slowly, his smile still in place. “Are you of the Arunika people?” he asked lightly. “What is your name?”
“Reina,” she replied softly, warily.
Without asking, the man bowed and took her hand, placing a kiss on her fingertips with the elegance of a fairytale prince.
“I am Radeeva Kana Kanitra,” he said. “Second Prince of Swastamita. I will accompany you on the quest to retrieve the ancient artifacts. I hope we can protect each other, Princess of Arunika.”
Reina yanked her hand away on reflex—an instinctive move. She wasn’t used to being touched, especially not by strangers in a world she didn’t fully understand.
Radeeva lifted both hands and stepped back. “Relax. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he said. “You still look overwhelmed. Forgive me if I came on too strong.”
Seeing the fear in her eyes, his tone softened. He gestured to the dining table. “Will you dine with me?”
Reina hesitated. But the scent of food, and Radeeva’s seemingly kind—if calculated—expression, made her nod slowly and follow. She sat. He took the seat opposite her, keeping a respectful distance.
The air began to warm as they sampled the meal.
“I heard Bhirendra found you in the Forbidden Forest,” Radeeva began. “And two days ago, you both… were bound by the vow of Wadhita Arkanasya. That is no small matter.”
Reina looked down. “I don’t know anything about it. The Somo Stone, Swastamita, Swantara… It’s all foreign to me.”
Radeeva nodded thoughtfully. “I thought as much,” he said, exhaling. “That’s why you seemed so… unaffected by what happened in the hall.”
“What do you mean?” Reina asked, her brows furrowed. “How should I have reacted?”
Radeeva’s gaze shifted—half amused, half empathetic. He smiled slightly. “With awe. Or confusion. Maybe fear. But you were too calm, like you didn’t grasp the gravity of the moment. It’s… strange, but also fascinating.”
He leaned back, then continued, “Let me tell you something. About Swastamita. About Swantara.”
Reina took a sip of water and nodded.
Radeeva’s expression grew more serious. “Swantara is not just our world. It is a parallel dimension—formed from fragments of a great consciousness, a soul that once kept balance between the physical realm and the spiritual. That soul has fractured, and its pieces are scattered across the land. We call them the Sacred Keepers.”
“Swastamita is the kingdom entrusted to guard this dimension. And the Somo Stone, which now fades, is the heart of Swantara itself.”
Reina clutched the fabric of her robes. Everything felt too vast, too surreal.
Radeeva watched her carefully, then spoke more gently, “And you, Reina… somehow, are the last key. A key from Arunika—a people long thought extinct. Yet here you are. And that… changes everything.”
Silence settled between them. Only the soft dripping of the water clock in the corner filled the air.
Reina bit her lip. She knew her life had changed. She just didn’t yet know how far that change would pull the entire world with it.