Vihan’s hand trembled slightly as he closed the ancient book with a soft thud. His eyes lingered on the cover, the title "Bhagavad Gita" embossed in gold, now weathered by age, as if it too had a story to tell. It was surreal that this very book, the one that had been lost for centuries, had just found its way into his hands. There was no mistaking the gravity of this moment. He was holding something that could change everything.

  "Let’s go," Asha said, breaking his reverie as she looked toward the exit of the ruined temple.

  Vihan nodded silently, tucking the book into his bag. He turned to join the others—Asha, Zara, and the rest of the group—who had already gathered near the old stone steps leading out of the temple. The tension in the air was palpable. What was the next step? The prophecy of Kalki had been set into motion, and Vihan could no longer avoid the fact that he had a role to play in it.

  As they walked down the steps and out of the temple, the world outside seemed unchanged, the city of Mumbai continuing its relentless hum. The sky was overcast, the city’s ever-present haze hanging thick in the air. But Vihan felt something different today. He wasn’t sure what it was yet, but something inside him stirred, a recognition deep within that he could no longer ignore.

  Zara glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “You’ll see it soon,” she said cryptically.

  Vihan frowned, but before he could respond, a loud noise erupted from behind them—a vehicle’s engine revving. They turned just in time to see a black SUV speeding toward them, tires screeching on the cracked pavement. Without thinking, Vihan grabbed Asha’s arm, pulling her aside. The others followed suit, instinctively seeking cover. It was too late to outrun it, but they had no choice but to make a run for the nearby alleyway.

  As they darted into the shadows, the flash of headlights disappeared, but Vihan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The world around him felt suddenly claustrophobic, as if every shadow hid a threat. It was in that moment, when the chaos of the present crashed against the uncertainty of the future, that the memory hit him.

  ---

  Flashback: The Temple, A Child’s Vision

  Vihan had been a restless child. Nine years old, with a hunger for adventure that no one could quell. Unlike the other kids in the neighborhood, he didn’t find joy in games or idle chatter. He spent his days exploring the back alleys of the city, sneaking into forgotten temples, and often getting lost in the labyrinth of old Mumbai.

  It was during one of these adventures that he had found the temple. He had stumbled across it by accident, or perhaps it wasn’t an accident at all. Something about it had drawn him in. The temple, standing against the backdrop of the crumbling city, was overgrown with vines and forgotten by time. But there was an energy there that he couldn’t explain.

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  His mother had always warned him to stay away from places like these, but the moment he stepped inside, it felt... different. It was dark, except for the faint light filtering in through cracks in the ceiling, and the air smelled faintly of incense and decay.

  As he wandered deeper into the temple, he had been drawn to a small alcove at the far end. There, nestled among forgotten statues and shattered stone, lay a pedestal. On it rested a box—small, simple, but imbued with an undeniable aura. Vihan couldn’t help himself; he reached out and touched it.

  The moment his fingers made contact, something strange happened. The air seemed to thrum with energy, and for a brief moment, the world around him froze. The distant sounds of the city disappeared, and he was consumed by a vision. A figure, tall and draped in a cloak of light, appeared before him. The face was indistinct, shrouded in mist, but the voice that came from it was clear and certain.

  “The time is near, child,” the figure said. “You will walk the path of Kalki, and when the time comes, you will carry the flame of balance. But first, you must learn, you must understand the world that is to come. The prophecy will guide you, but only if you listen.”

  The vision faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Vihan breathless, standing alone in the temple, the box still in his hands. He had run home that day, the pendant he found inside it stuffed into his pocket, not understanding what it meant, but knowing somehow that his life had changed. That the world around him was far more complex than he had ever imagined.

  ---

  *Back to the Present: The Awakening*

  Vihan’s breath caught as the memory faded and the present came crashing back. His hands were clenched around the pendant now, the very same one he had discovered that day in the temple so long ago. It was the same pendant that Zara had recognized, that had triggered something deep inside him when he saw the symbols in the book earlier.

  Suddenly, it clicked. The journey he was on wasn’t just about finding Kalki or fulfilling a prophecy—it was about understanding the meaning behind those visions from his childhood. He had always been part of this world, even as a child, unknowingly preparing for the moment when the prophecy would no longer be a myth, but a reality.

  The SUV that had nearly run them down moments ago was not just a random threat. It was a warning. Someone was watching, someone who didn’t want them to succeed in their mission. Whoever controlled the Council of 9, whoever sought to manipulate Kalki’s power, knew exactly who Vihan was—and now, they would stop at nothing to destroy him before he could unlock his true purpose.

  “Are you alright?” Asha’s voice broke through his thoughts.

  Vihan looked at her, the weight of the past and the present pressing down on him. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for this, if he was ready to face what was to come. But one thing was certain—there was no turning back.

  “I will be,” he said, his voice steady. “But we have to keep moving.”

  With that, they turned back toward the road ahead, the weight of the book, the prophecy, and Vihan’s own destiny carrying them forward into the unknown.

  The past had returned to guide them, and the future was waiting.