Arjun Mehra gripped the Arrow of Dhanur, its bow symbol pulsing like the terracotta lamps of a Bengal Durga Puja pandal. The river at Prayag Ghat roared, the naga king's massive coils thrashing, its emerald-crowned head rising, eyes swirling with hypnotic power. The sadhus' chants clashed with the wind, their voices like a Kolkata street buzzing with festival fervor. The Vedic System blared: Quest: Banish the Naga King. Warning: Asura Rune Detected. Karma Points: 650. Prana Gauge: 40%. The Prana Bond linking Arjun and Priya glowed faintly, a blue thread humming with shared strength, like the rakhi his sister Dipti tied with a teasing grin. But the asura prince's crimson rune glowed beneath the river, its malice stirring Arjun's past-life guilt: Vishnu's command to guard a sacred bow, a woman—Priya?—at his side. I failed then. I won't now.
Priya stood firm, her trishul raised, her armor catching the river's blue glow like Bengal's clay idols. Her eyes held a fire, not just duty but a spark of faith, like his mother's during a Durga aarti. "The naga's weakened," she said, her voice steady as a pandit's chant. "The Prana Bond lets us share strength. Use the ward again, but channel it through me." She stepped closer, their bond pulsing brighter. "I trust you, Arjun."
Arjun's chest warmed, like sharing kheer at a family puja. "Trusting a Delhi guy who can't cook? Brave move." But her faith steadied his uncertainty, like his father's rare nod of approval. He focused on the Ward of Narayana, picturing Durga's lion, fierce yet protective. "Om Namo Narayana," he chanted, the ward flaring, its blue light merging with Priya's prana, amplifying her trishul's glow.
The naga king hissed, its tail smashing a ghat pillar, sending pebbles flying like festival confetti. "You cannot banish me!" it roared, its voice a venomous melody. Its eyes swirled, and the river surged, a wave of black-tinged water crashing toward them. Arjun's ward held, but his Prana Gauge dropped to 30%, the system warning: Prana Surge Detected. Stabilize or Fail.
Priya lunged, her trishul striking the naga's scales, drawing a spray of ichor. "Keep the ward up!" she shouted, her movements fluid as a Durga Puja dancer's. But the naga's tail coiled around her, tightening, and she gasped, her prana flickering. Arjun's heart lurched, like missing Dipti's call during college. Not her. Not now.
He used Vedic Insight, the skill sharpening his senses, revealing the crimson rune's prana threads anchoring the naga to the riverbed. That's the asura's hold. "Priya, the rune's under the water!" he yelled, dodging a wave. "We need to break it!" He didn't wait for her nod, diving into the river, the cold biting like a Delhi winter. The system pinged: Prana Bond: Strength Shared. Karma Points: +30.
Priya broke free, her trishul glowing brighter through their bond. "You're reckless!" she called, but her tone held a grin, like a friend joining a prank. She dove after him, her armor cutting through the water like a Bengal fisherman's net. Together, they reached the rune, a glowing crimson circle pulsing with malice. Arjun pressed the arrowhead against it, chanting, "Om Namo Narayana." The ward surged, blue light clashing with crimson, and the rune cracked.
The naga roared, its coils thrashing, but the river's prana flared, cleansing the black tendrils. A vision hit Arjun: the warrior Arjuna, wielding a bow before Vishnu, a woman—Priya, her trishul gleaming—vowing to guard the devas' relics. "We failed once," she whispered in the vision, "but not again." The system glitched: Past Life Clue: Shared Vow with Guardian. Data Incomplete.
The rune shattered, and the naga king collapsed, its body dissolving into mist, emeralds sinking into the river. The system chimed: Naga King Banished. Karma Points: +100. New Reward: Prana Surge Control. The river calmed, its glow like a Durga Puja lamp, and the sadhus' chants soared.
Priya surfaced, gasping, her braid dripping. "We did it," she said, her eyes bright with relief. "You're not just a market haggler." She punched his shoulder, a rare playfulness, like Dipti's teasing.
Arjun grinned, clutching the arrowhead. "Told you I'm a quick learner." But the vision lingered—Priya's vow, their shared failure. "You were there, weren't you? In my past life."
Her smile faded, her gaze distant. "Maybe. The devas don't share everything." Before he could press, a crimson glow pulsed in the sky—a new rune, larger, on the asura prince's floating island. His voice echoed: "The arrow is but one piece, Arjuna. The war comes to you."
The system flashed: New Quest: Prepare for the Asura's War. Warning: Relic Hunt Detected. Priya's hand tightened on her trishul, and Arjun felt the Prana Bond pulse, their fates intertwined. I don't know our past, but I'll fight for our future.