Chapter 16: The Mirror of Infinite Shadows
Vikram's fist, wreathed in the violet-white fire of L11 Strength, made contact with Meghanada's chest. The impact should have shattered the bridge, the sea, and the sky. But as the blow landed, the sensation wasn't that of striking bone and meat—it was like punching a cloud of cold, ancient smoke.
Meghanada's body dissolved into a thousand black butterflies, each one inscribed with a mocking Sanskrit rune.
"Did you think it would be that easy, blacksmith?"
The voice came from everywhere—the water, the wind, and even the stones of the Setu.
[ SYSTEM WARNING ]
Condition: [Supreme Maya] Activated.
Status: The Anjana-Astra (Ointment of Truth) has been bypassed.
Note: Meghanada has sacrificed 100,000 Punya to 'Hack' your vision.
Vikram skidded across the stones, his Reaction (L10) allowing him to flip mid-air and land gracefully. He looked around. He was no longer on the bridge. He was standing on a flat, infinite mirror of water. Above him, ten thousand Meghanadas floated in the sky, each one holding a bow, each one aiming at his heart.
The Duel of the Mirror
"This is my domain," the ten thousand voices spoke in perfect unison. "Here, your strength has nothing to strike. Here, your speed has nowhere to go. You are in the Chaya-Loka—the World of Shadows."
Ten thousand arrows were released. They weren't physical; they were Manasa-Astras (Mind-Arrows), designed to strike the soul directly.
[ KARMIC SYSTEM ANALYSIS ]
Incoming Threat: Mental Erasure.
Current Punya: 100,005.
Strategy: You cannot hit the shadows. You must find the 'Origin.'
Vikram closed his eyes. If his vision was hacked, he would rely on his Charm (L10-MAX). In the Treta Yuga, Purity is the only thing that cannot be mimicked by Maya.
"System," Vikram whispered. "Spend 50,000 Punya. Upgrade Eye of Truth to L8."
[ ALLOCATING PUNYA... ]
Eye of Truth: L5 ➔ L8.
New Ability unlocked: [Karmic Resonance] — Allows the user to see the 'Weight of Sin' through any illusion.
The Beacon of Truth
Vikram's Ajna Chakra (Third Eye) burned with a sudden, golden heat. He didn't look at the Meghanadas with his eyes; he looked at them with his Dharma.
In the sea of ten thousand identical warriors, he saw it. One warrior had a 'Paap' counter that wasn't a number—it was a pulsing, bleeding wound of 1,200,000. The others were just zeros.
"Found you," Vikram said.
He didn't use Flash-Step. He used Akash-Gaman to step through the mirror itself. He appeared not in front of a shadow, but behind a single, invisible point in the void.
The Karmic Rebirth
Vikram reached out. He didn't use a fist. He used the [Mantra of Forgiveness] he had just purchased from the shop.
"Meghanada! Your Maya is built on the fear of being small. But in the eyes of the Veda, you are already a part of the Infinite!"
Vikram slammed his palm into the invisible point, releasing a wave of Sattva-Energy.
The mirror world shattered. The butterflies burned. Vikram and Meghanada were back on the Bridge of Rama. Meghanada was on his knees, coughing up black bile—the physical manifestation of his corrupted Maya.
[ KARMIC EVENT: MAYA BROKEN ]
Reward: +200,000 Punya.
Condition: Meghanada is alive but his 'Maya-Core' is permanently cracked.
The King's Capture
Meghanada looked up, his arrogance finally replaced by a raw, naked fear. For the first time in his life, his tricks had failed. He looked at Vikram and didn't see a boy—he saw a force of nature.
"Take me," Meghanada rasped, his pride broken. "Kill me and be done with it."
"No," Vikram said, sheathing the Whisper of Kalindi. "You are the first head of the Ten. You will be the one to open the gates of Lanka for me."
[ VOLUME 1: CONCLUDED ]
Final Status:
Rank: Rathi (Ascending to Atirathi).
Punya: 250,005.
Prisoner: Meghanada (Indrajit).
Volume 2: The Siege of Lanka begins. Vikram stands at the gates of the Golden City with the Prince in chains. The Ten-Headed King, Ravana, has just stepped onto the balcony of his palace.
What is the first move in the Second Volume?
The Public Challenge: Use Charm (L10) to address the entire city of Lanka, revealing the King's Paap and inciting a spiritual revolution.The Infiltration: Use Meghanada's access codes to enter the Secret Laboratory of Patala under the city to stop the production of Dark Vajra-Loha.The Sacrifice: Exchange Meghanada's soul in the Akasha Shop for a [Map of the Ten-Headed King's Weakness].
The story of the Iron Sage continues... what do you choose?