Arjun Mehra's sandals crunched on the pebbled ghat, the sacred river before him shimmering like a Chennai monsoon breeze under a dawn sky. The air carried the chant of sadhus, their voices rising and falling like the waves of a temple aarti. After the chaos of the Festival of a Thousand Flames, the village of Prayag Ghat felt like a quiet exhale, its stone steps lined with clay lamps and marigold garlands, reminiscent of the Kumbh Mela his grandmother once described. But the Vedic System's latest quest—Uncover Your Past Life—weighed heavy, its Reward: Unknown taunting him. The asura prince's retreat last night hadn't ended the threat; Priya had warned of a curse tainting the river, its waters vital to Bharatvarsha's prana. Arjun's new mantra, Agni's Ember, warmed his chest, but the memory of his past-life vision—a warrior named Arjuna, vowing loyalty—stirred unease. I'm just a Delhi guy who haggled for cheap earphones, not some epic hero.
Priya walked beside him, her trishul resting on her shoulder, her armor polished but still bearing scratches from the festival's battle. Her usual fire was dimmed, her eyes scanning the river with a tension Arjun hadn't seen before. "The asura prince cursed this river," she said, her voice low, like his mother's when she'd scold him for skipping puja. "Its prana feeds the devas' temples. If it dies, so does our defense."
Arjun squinted at the water, its surface rippling with faint streaks of black, like ink spilled in a kolam design. "So, what, we dive in and fight water demons?" he asked, half-hoping for a break from rakshasas. His Prana Gauge read 60%, and his Karma Points sat at 290—decent, but he wasn't exactly a Vedic superhero yet.
Priya shook her head, pointing to a stone shrine at the ghat's edge, its surface carved with peacock feathers and Garuda's wings, a nod to South Indian temple art. "The river's prana is sealed in a ritual lock. We need to solve its puzzle to purify it." She hesitated, her fingers tightening on her trishul. "I've… failed this before. The devas entrusted me to guard their relics, but I let a shrine fall once." Her voice cracked, a rare glimpse of doubt, like when his sister Dipti confessed failing a college exam.
Arjun blinked, caught off guard. "You? Fail? Thought you were Miss Perfect Guardian." He meant it as a tease, but her flinch made him regret it. Way to go, Arjun. Insult the one person who can save your sorry self.
Before he could apologize, a cackle echoed from the shrine. A yaksha—a squat, mischievous creature with golden skin and a feathered cap—perched on the stone, juggling three glowing orbs. "Want the river's secret, mortals?" he taunted, his voice like a street vendor's haggling pitch. "Solve my riddle, or the curse spreads."
Priya stepped forward, but Arjun raised a hand. "Wait. I've got this." He'd haggled in Delhi's Sarojini Market, outsmarting vendors for knockoff sunglasses. This yaksha couldn't be worse. "What's the deal, feather-hat? Name your price."
The yaksha grinned, tossing an orb that burst into Holi-like colors—vermilion, turquoise, saffron. "Answer this: I am present in every breath, yet unseen. I carry the eagle's flight and the sage's wisdom. Name me, or the river dies." The system pinged: New Challenge: Solve the Yaksha's Riddle. Reward: Vedic Insight Skill.
Arjun's mind raced, the sadhus' chants grounding him like a morning prayer. Breath, eagle, wisdom. He thought of his father's lectures on pranayama, the breath of life, and the Garuda carvings on the shrine. "Prana," he said, his voice steady. "You're prana, the energy in every breath, carried by Garuda, the devas' messenger."
The yaksha clapped, his orbs dissolving into a shower of colored powder. "Clever, mortal!" He snapped his fingers, and the shrine's carvings glowed, revealing a stone tablet etched with runes. The system chimed: Riddle Solved. Vedic Insight Unlocked: Enhances Perception of Prana Flows. Karma Points: +60.
Priya's eyes widened, a flicker of respect breaking her tension. "Not bad, market boy." She knelt by the tablet, tracing its runes. "These form a ritual sequence. Chant them in order, and the river's prana unlocks."
Arjun crouched beside her, the tablet's runes pulsing like the neon signs of Connaught Place. "Chant? Again?" he said, but his tone was lighter, buoyed by the yaksha's approval. The system displayed the runes' sequence, and he recognized one from his mother's puja book—Om Namo Narayana. "Alright, let's try this." He chanted, his voice mingling with the sadhus', and the river shimmered, its black streaks fading. The system updated: Purification Progress: 50%. Karma Points: +40.
Priya joined in, her voice softer, like a lullaby his grandmother sang. The river's glow strengthened, but a low hum interrupted them. The water bubbled, and a metal object surfaced—a rusted arrowhead, etched with a bow symbol. Arjun's vision blurred, another past-life flash: the warrior Arjuna, nocking an arrow on a glowing bow, facing a shadowed asura. A voice echoed, "Your vow binds you, but your heart betrayed." The system glitched: Past Life Artifact: Arrow of Dhanur. Data Incomplete.
Arjun staggered, clutching the arrowhead. "This… was mine?" he whispered, his chest tight with pride and fear, like scoring high on an exam he hadn't studied for.
Priya grabbed his shoulder, her eyes wide. "Where did you find that?" Before he could answer, the river churned, black tendrils surging. The asura prince's voice echoed, not from the sky but within the water. "You cannot escape your past, Arjuna. The river will claim you."
The system blared: Warning: Curse Intensifying. New Quest: Seal the River's Prana. Priya's face paled, her earlier doubt resurfacing. "He's targeting you," she said, gripping her trishul. "That arrow—it's tied to your vow. We need to finish the ritual, now."
Arjun nodded, the arrowhead heavy in his hand. The sadhus' chants grew frantic, and Holi-colored mists rose from the river, hiding the tendrils. I outsmarted a yaksha, he thought, pride sparking like a festival sparkler. I can do this. But the prince's words lingered, and the river's churn promised a fight he wasn't ready for.