Evening — Royal District, Temple Complex
As evening settled over the Royal District, the King, accompanied by his Royal Guard, entered the temple complex. It stood upon a slightly elevated platform above the surrounding district, enclosed by a low stone wall that marked the boundary between sacred ground and the city beyond.
The complex was constructed in the traditional manner of classical Indian temples—massive stone blocks carved with precision and fitted together without mortar, each interlocking with the next to form a structure of enduring strength. Every surface bore intricate carvings: images of deities, scenes from sacred lore, and depictions of great events from the kingdom's history.
These also like the rest of the district used magic stones and crystals incorporated in their construction.
At the heart of the complex rose a large central temple, dominant and imposing. Around it stood several smaller yet still impressive shrines, arranged with deliberate symmetry. Scattered throughout the grounds were libraries, halls for debate and instruction, and designated spaces for religious rites—yagnas, offerings, and ceremonial observances. Two wide open courtyards lay within the complex, each accompanied by a stone-carved pond whose still waters reflected the glowing evening light.
The King proceeded along the central pathway toward the temple of Lord Vishnu.
As the king passed through, those in his path paid him respects[1] and continued along their way.
After paying his respects within the sanctum, the King exited the temple through a side entrance on the left. From there, he made his way toward a nearby building. Though modest in size compared to the surrounding structures, it was nonetheless finely crafted and dignified in its design.
Two attendants opened the doors and ushered him inside.
Waiting within were women clad in a light, flowing robe, standing calmly as if she had been expecting him.
The woman, who looks visibly older then the two behind her steps forward and spoke.
"Welcome, Your Majesty, Raja Valangar II. The Archaka is waiting for you."
"Thank you," the King replied, his voice measured but courteous. "I appreciate your guidance. Please, lead the way."
The King entered the building alone, while his Royal Guard remained outside, taking up their stations with practiced discipline.
As they walked through the halls—which felt more like a quiet house than a shrine—the woman who had welcomed him earlier spoke.
"Are you well, Indra[2]?" she asked. "How are you holding up after Savitri's passing? And is your son healthy?"
"My son is doing well," the King replied. "The royal physicians found nothing to be concerned about. His mana channels are stable."He paused briefly. "As for me… I am managing. The break in my mana path still causes pain."
She slowed her steps and glanced back at him before turning forward again.
"I'm glad to hear the child is well. I will come to the palace soon to help. Savitri had strong mana—she could cast spells with ease. The boy will need careful attention."She hesitated, then sighed."And I do not think Bhadra can handle everything on her own just yet."
They walked a little farther before she spoke again.
"And you, Indra," she said softly. "After everything you've been through… losing Savitri like this must be difficult."
The King was not surprised by her words, but they still made him stop for a moment. He took a slow breath before answering.
"I knew this day will come," he said. "I thought I was prepared. But it has been harder than I expected."
As expected of Matha Durga… she still understands me.
She is the wife of Acharya Ram, but to me she had been much more than that. During my childhood and student years, she had taken the place of the mother I lost.
My own mother had died during the last great plague. My father was rarely present, burdened by both war and the task of holding a fracturing kingdom together. Nearly a tenth of the population had died, and the scars of that time had not yet faded.
I was sent to a gurukul far from the capital, placed under Acharya Ram's guidance. Away from the fighting and the noise of the court, I found some peace there.
And during those years, Matha Durga became a quiet, steady presence in my life—a mother figure when I needed one most.
That was why she spoke to me now not only as a subject to her king, but as someone who had known me long before the crown ever rested on my head.
After the brief exchange, they fell into silence. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the hall as they walked, until they finally stopped before a wooden door.
"He has been waiting for some time," the woman said gently. "Please do not rush. You may have dinner here before you leave."
"As you wish," the King replied.
He stepped inside the room.
A man sat within, cross-legged on a wooden chair, quietly chanting under his breath.
"Greetings, Guru Ram," the King said, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly. "I have come, as you requested an audience."
The man opened his eyes and looked at him.
"Indra," he said calmly, "have I not taught you that a king should not bow so easily?"
The King straightened and replied without hesitation."I may be a king now, but I was once your student. I still see you as my guru."
The Acharya let out a small sigh before a faint smile crossed his face.
"Very well," he said. "Sit. There are matters of importance we must discuss."
The King moved forward and took the seat opposite his guru.
"As your message indicated," Guru Ram said, "the mana dead zone has been recovering at an unusual rate."
He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.
"I ordered my students and the temple's agents to look into the matter. At first, it appeared that the area itself was healing naturally. But that is not the full truth."He looked up at the King.
"Further investigation revealed something more troubling. The great mana dead zone is not truly recovering. Instead, it is drawing in mana—pulling it from nearby dead zones and from regions where mana exists in unnatural surplus.
That gathered mana is not restoring the land, but sustaining the dead zone's continued existence, allowing it to persist rather than fade."
The King was visibly taken aback. He remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"So the mana is moving toward the great dead zone," he said slowly, "and that is what is causing it to recover so quickly?"
He frowned.
"What does this mean? I do not recall studying anything like this ever happening before."
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Mana in this world is similar to energy.
It exists everywhere and in everything—living or not. In that sense, mana is like an atom: all matter contains it. However, unlike matter, the total amount of mana in the world is not fixed. It increases and decreases over time, depending on the state of the world itself.
The world continuously releases mana into the ecosystem from its core, maintaining a natural balance under normal conditions.
All living creatures—plants, animals, and people—possess mana. They use it internally, often without realizing it. Mana helps speed up healing, strengthen the body, sharpen senses, and support other basic functions. This internal use of mana is universal among living beings.
Some creatures, however, can use mana externally. These beings are capable of influencing the world around them—bending elements such as fire, water, earth, or lightning to their will.
Even so, this ability has strict limitations.
Mana cannot create something from nothing. Fire cannot appear out of thin air, nor can water be conjured where none exists. The laws of physics still apply in most cases. A spark may be used to ignite a fire, and mana can help that fire grow, but there must be something flammable present. Water and earth can be moved or reshaped, and electricity can be generated, but mana alone cannot change the fundamental state of matter under normal circumstances.
There are exceptions.
A very small number of creatures possess an immense concentration of mana. These beings are so rare that most people believe them to be myths rather than real. Such entities can break many of the usual rules, but their existence is almost unheard of.
When living beings die, their mana does not vanish immediately. Over time, it decays and is absorbed back into nature, much like the rest of the body. How long this process takes depends on several factors, the most important being the number of deaths in a given area.
When death reaches a certain scale, nature's ability to reclaim and disperse mana slows significantly. In such places, mana can linger, distort, or behave in unnatural ways.
One of the main problems this causes is making the area uninhabitable for most creatures, except for the ones who have evolved to live in these zones.
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The Acharya waited for a moment, as if expecting the King to speak further. When no words came, he continued.
"I have my doubts about the cause as well," he said. "I have contacted other temples and several of my former students. A search is already underway as we speak."
He took a slow breath before continuing.
"But after reviewing many scriptures and records, and drawing upon my own memory of more than one hundred and fifty years, I find no logical explanation for this phenomenon—at least not within our current understanding of mana."
The King considered this before responding.
"If matters stand as you say, then this is of grave importance. Should I inform the other royal courts and have them investigate the remaining great mana dead zones?"
"That will not be necessary," the Acharya replied. "I have already sent word. Reports from the other two have arrived."
He paused.
"There are no disturbances like the one we face here. Instead, those zones appear to be stabilizing far more quickly than expected—rather than recovering in the usual sense."
The King took a moment to process this.
"So they are stabilizing," he said slowly. "Meaning they are becoming habitable while remaining rich in mana?"
"It is as you say," the Acharya replied. "They are recovering to the point where they can now be classified as highly mana-rich, habitable regions."
They sat in silence for a time, the only sound in the room coming from the faint hum of the light-giving magic crystals.
At last, the King spoke.
"This will lead to war," he said. "And if we do not act swiftly, then within a decade or two—once these regions are fully settled—those who control them will see their power and wealth increase greatly."
"You are correct," the Acharya said calmly. "What, then, do you intend to do, King of Valangar?"
The King remained silent for several minutes before answering.
"There is nothing I can do at present," he said. "The matter of the Rangas remains unresolved, and the kingdom's recovery is proceeding more slowly than anticipated. I cannot commit to any major action for the next few years."
"I see," the Acharya replied.He then raised his hand in blessing. "May Lord Vishnu grant you clarity and protection. I shall visit the young prince soon. Preparations must also be made for his naming."
"Thank you, Guruji," the King said. "Now I must take my leave. My presence is required elsewhere."
With that, the King rose, pressed his palms together, and bowed slightly before departing.
Afterward, he sent his apologies to Matha Durga for being unable to join them for dinner. Then, accompanied by his guard, he returned to the Royal Palace.
[1] To be more accurate, unless the ruler or the royals were on a procession or something similar they did not explicetly do out of their way to stop doing what work they were doing and pay respects to the king/queen/prince or anyone of statues. Like if you were in they way you might be expected to move but nothing else of there were on non-official business like he is here in this case. And by paying respects, they do not bow down or prostiate themselves. It would be more along the line of greeting wiht a title and blessing the ruler for the gurus[TEACHER] and students remaining silent or averting eye contact if possible. In India the king was seen as a protector provider and donor not a figure of suthority like a higher level preist may be seen as. So they pay respect in an appriote way. Cause at the end of the day DHARMA AND LEARING IS ABOVE A RULER IN TEMPLES.
[2] The kings name was Indra Deva Varman. He is then took the name Valangar to solidify his rule after his father is killed on the battle field during the civil war and he was the one to finish it and claimed the throne solely to himself.