The sky above the village had never looked so calm.
For the first time in months, there were no fires.
No blood.
No battles.
Just peace.
The villagers had returned to their lives, slowly and cautiously.
Children ran through the fields again.
The smithy was alive with the sound of hammers.
The smell of fresh bread floated from the rebuilt bakery.
But this wasn't the same village as before.
It was stronger.
Smarter.
And ready.
---
Parashu stood on the watchtower, eyes scanning the horizon—not out of fear, but habit.
His body had changed.
Not just his strength, but his calm.
His presence.
Training with Master Vishma…
Surviving the Yakshini's possession…
And facing the truth of his bloodline—
had forged him into something new.
He was no longer a scared boy with a heavy axe.
He was now a warrior with purpose.
---
And Yakshini?
She no longer whispered from the shadows.
She now stood beside him.
Their bond—once filled with pain and confusion—had turned into something powerful.
She no longer tried to control him.
Instead, she guided him, quietly, with warmth in her voice.
"Parashu," she said that morning, "your strength now comes from choice, not curse."
And he believed her.
---
The academy had reopened its doors to not just students, but villagers.
Farmers learned how to wield spears.
Blacksmiths trained beside teenagers.
Women, old and young, joined drills under the open sky.
It wasn't just a school anymore.
It was the beating heart of the village.
A place where anyone—broken, scared, or angry—could learn to stand tall.
---
Gharvek walked through the training ground with quiet pride.
Even he admitted Parashu had surpassed expectations.
"Still not as good as me in my prime," he said, grinning.
Parashu smiled back. "Your prime must've been a long time ago then."
They laughed. Loud and free.
---
But not everyone laughed.
Rivan stood far from the crowd, watching.
Studying.
Waiting.
He had seen peace before.
Right before it was shattered.
And deep down, a message still echoed in his mind:
"Kara is not done.
And when they return…
they will not come quietly."
---
But for now, the village breathed.
It healed.
It trained.
It lived.
And Parashu stood at the center of it all—
not as a weapon…
…but as a protector.
---