Arjun Mehra stepped out of the Flame Temple, his heart thumping like a dhol at a Ganpati procession. The Festival of a Thousand Flames was a battlefield now, its floating lotus lamps dimmed, their golden glow snuffed out by the crimson runes pulsing on the asura prince's descending island. The air carried the acrid tang of rakshasa ichor and the faint sweetness of spilled soma, like prasad scattered at a disrupted puja. Priya stood beside him, her trishul bloodied but steady, her armor scratched yet gleaming under the temple's restored light. The Vedic System glowed in Arjun's vision: New Quest: Repel the Asura Prince's Assault. Karma Points: 170. Prana Gauge: 70%. Mantra Available: Agni's Ember. The new mantra felt like a spark in his chest, warm but untested, like the first bite of his mother's spicy aloo paratha.
The asura prince's laughter rolled across the clearing, smooth as a Bollywood villain's taunt but colder, like a Delhi winter fog. "The Flame endures, but not for long," he called from the island, now hovering just above the treetops. His silhouette sharpened into focus—a tall figure in black armor etched with demonic runes, his crimson eyes locking onto Arjun. "You, reborn. You think a spark can defy me?"
Arjun's grip tightened on his lotus-carved dagger, the soma's warmth fading but the amulet's Om symbol still pulsing against his skin. He knows me. How? The vision from the temple—himself as an ancient warrior, Arjuna, on a battlefield—flashed again, stirring a mix of dread and defiance. "I'm not whoever you think I am," he shouted back, his voice cracking like a teenager's at a family argument. "But I'm not letting you ruin this Diwali knockoff!"
Priya shot him a look, her braid swinging as she raised her trishul. "Less talking, city boy. More fighting." Her cheek bore a fresh cut, but her eyes burned with the same fire he'd seen in his sister Dipti when she'd argue with their father over curfews. "The prince's rakshasas are circling. We protect the temple at all costs."
The clearing erupted into chaos. Rakshasas—six now, their claws glinting like street vendors' knives—slunk from the jungle, their hisses drowning the festival's fading sitar notes. A naga warrior, scales shimmering, joined Priya, hurling a spear at one beast, while a human chanter in saffron robes wove prana into a glowing shield. Arjun felt useless, like the time he'd flunked a group project at college. I'm no Mahabharata hero. But I've got this mantra.
"Om Agni Embera!" he chanted, the words clumsy but fueled by the temple's heat. A small flame, no bigger than a Holi bonfire's spark, flared from his palm, singeing a rakshasa's leg. It snarled, lunging, and Arjun dove behind a shattered stall, his kurta catching on splintered wood. The system pinged: Mantra Success. Karma Points: +20. "Great, points for not dying," he muttered, scrambling to his feet.
Priya was a storm, her trishul spinning as she felled a rakshasa, its body dissolving into black mist. "Aim for their hearts!" she yelled, dodging a claw that tore her cape. "Your ember's weak, but it's enough!" Her confidence, sharp as a katar, pushed Arjun to try again.
He pictured his mother's puja lamp, its steady flame against Delhi's power cuts. "Om Agni Embera!" A larger flame burst forth, striking a rakshasa's chest. It howled, collapsing into ash, and the system chimed: Enemy Defeated. Karma Points: +50. Arjun's chest heaved, a grin breaking through his fear. "Take that, you oversized lizard!"
The asura prince's laughter cut through the victory. "Bold, but futile." The island descended further, its runes flaring, and a wave of crimson energy swept the clearing, snuffing out the last lamps. The naga warrior fell, clutching his spear, and the chanter's shield flickered out. Priya staggered, her trishul planted in the ground for support. "He's draining the prana," she gasped, her eyes flicking to the temple. "The Flame's safe, but he's targeting us now."
Arjun's pulse raced, the vision of the warrior—himself—flashing again: a bow, a battlefield, a vow to protect. Failed us once. "What does he want with me?" he shouted, more to himself than the prince. The system glitched: Past Life Fragment: Loyalty to the Devas. Data Incomplete.
The prince stepped off the island, landing with a thud that shook the earth. Up close, he was towering, his armor pulsing with runes, a curved blade at his hip. "You don't remember, Arjuna," he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "You swore to serve the devas, yet you faltered. Now, you're a boy playing with embers." He raised a hand, and crimson chains shot toward Arjun, their heat like a tandoor's blaze.
Priya dove in front, her trishul deflecting the chains with a burst of blue prana. "Run, Arjun!" she shouted, her voice strained. "Get to the temple!" But the chains coiled around her, pinning her arms. She gritted her teeth, her eyes fierce. "Don't you dare give up, city boy."
Arjun's legs felt like lead, his mind screaming to flee, like when he'd avoided his father's lectures. But Priya's struggle, the temple's glow, and the warrior's vow in his vision rooted him. I'm not running. He clutched the amulet, its warmth like his sister's rakhi. "Om Agni Embera!" A roaring flame, brighter than a Diwali sparkler, erupted, severing the chains. Priya fell free, gasping, and Arjun caught her, his arms shaking.
The prince's eyes narrowed. "Impressive, for a novice." He drew his blade, its edge glowing crimson. "But the Flame will be mine." He slashed, and a wave of energy tore through the clearing, toppling stalls and scattering the last festival-goers.
Arjun pulled Priya behind a temple pillar, his breath ragged. "Any bright ideas, Guardian?" he whispered, his sarcasm masking panic. The system pinged: Prana Gauge: 40%. Karma Points: +30. Not enough for another ember like that.
Priya's hand gripped his, her cut cheek smudged with ash. "The temple's runes," she said, her voice low. "They amplify prana. Chant near them, and your mantra might match his power." Her eyes held a flicker of trust, like Dipti's when she'd tied a rakhi, believing in him despite his failures.
Arjun nodded, his throat tight. He sprinted toward the temple's outer wall, its runes pulsing faintly. The prince advanced, his blade carving crimson arcs. "Om Agni Embera!" Arjun chanted, pressing his hand to a rune. The stone flared, and a torrent of flame surged, colliding with the prince's energy. The impact shook the clearing, the temple's light blazing brighter.
The system chimed: Mantra Amplified. Karma Points: +70. Quest Progress: Asura Prince Repelled Temporarily. The prince staggered, his armor scorched, but his grin widened. "You delay the inevitable, Arjuna. Your past will haunt you." He vanished into a swirl of crimson mist, the island retreating into the sky.
Priya limped to Arjun's side, her trishul supporting her. "You're full of surprises," she said, a faint smile breaking through her exhaustion. "But he'll be back. And he knows you."
Arjun's chest heaved, the warrior's vow echoing: Failed us once. The system flashed: New Quest: Uncover Your Past Life. Reward: Unknown. The temple glowed, but the festival lay in ruins, its lamps dark. "What's his deal with me?" Arjun asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Priya's gaze softened, like his mother's when he'd confess a school prank. "You're tied to the devas, Arjun. More than you know. Rest now. Tomorrow, we train." She turned toward the temple, leaving Arjun staring at the sky, the prince's words heavy as a Delhi monsoon.
The system pinged: Karma Points: +20. Prepare for Training. Arjun gripped the dagger, the Flame's warmth distant but steady. Golgappas were easier, he thought, but a spark of courage burned brighter.