Chapter 11 - The Rising Sun

Amira woke up with a start.

She noticed The Sun shining through the slits in the curtain. She had grown to not mind the sweat drenched clothes and bedsheets.


She sat up and noticed that the bed next to her was empty and made up neatly, as usual. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was past 11 in the morning.
And on the table sat a covered cup. The aroma rising from it told her it was coffee.

Tying back her hair, she took the cup into her hands, allowing it to warm her.

Slowly drinking the coffee, she recollected yesterdays events in her head. She had no clue who that old man was, or what he could do.
But Ajay, or Maanav as he had introduced himself had come searching for her, all the way from her dream.

'This is torture',Amira muttered.

Getting ready, Amira went downstairs, surprised to hear her parents talking with someone in the main hall.

She walked into the room and her eyes were automatically drawn to Ajay, sitting in the sofa. The blue shirt  and denim jeans he wore really complemented him and that's when she wished she was dressed a bit more nice.
But then she remembered what had happened yesterday in her dreamland with him and she blushed, her cheeks infusing with blood, turning them warm.

Ajay saw her standing at the bottom of the stairs and smiled at her, waving his hand.

Her mom noticed her standing there and asked her to have some breakfast and then come over to the main hall.

Rima was sulking in a corner, playing on her phone.


After breakfast was done, Amira walked over to the hall. A seat was open and her parents and Ajay were waiting expectantly for her.


'Sit down,  Amira' her mom said.
Her dad looked a teeny bit apprehensive and confused about something but she knocked it off as her overactive imagination.


Clearing his throat, her dad leaned forward.
'Amira, Look.'
'Yes Dad?'
'We, that is the three of us had a few discussions and have come to the conclusion that it's time to tell you what's happening around you.'

'Okay...' she seemed unsure now.

'Our families... that is your mothers and my families are part of a feuding system. Our forces are opposing and we generally cannot stand each other, without trying to kill or control the other.
But something magical happened between your mom and I... and that's how you were born.'

'Ew Dad. Stop talking about the 'magic' that happened between you both!' Amira shouted, using air-quotes to signal her sarcasm.

'That's not exactly what I meant...' her dad looked amused, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Her mom placed a hand on his thigh. 
'You're doing a bad job of explaining this my dear. Let me do this'

'So... Amira. As your father said, we are part of two feuding families. Before we had you, we had no idea about this... nor about any of the history regarding our families. Sure, we had heard stories here and there, but we did not believe in most of it.'

'I kinda did.', her dad muttered.

Her mom looked at him and then turned back to Amira. 

'But it all changed when you were born.'

Amira was curious now.

'You were born with both the Eye and the Mark. Two distinct, powerful symbols of power from two families. Two conflicting sources of energy. It is that energy that makes you so restless and reluctant to listen to authorities. Your Sister Rima on the other hand, are born without any of these marks. And as you know, she is', her mother paused, eyeing for the right word, 'compliant'.

She smiled at Amira, knowing she would hate being called a rebel of sorts.

'So we did what we could do. We dove into history, collected information from all sources. And we found out that these are generally well hidden traits in our family that is exposed for a temporary period when they are around each other. Many in the past have married and had children, with cases ranging from Happy, Fulfilling Lives to Disaster and Destructive.'

'So... what am I?'

'That is an answer you shall only find at the end of the journey, my Dear', her mom smiled, caressing Amira's face. 

'But... what does this mean for me?'

'Well, it means that you are going to have to train your powers.'
'But what are my powers?' she asked, slamming the table in front. 

It was Ajay who spoke.

'In general, you are as normal as anyone can ever be. You are not a giant or a dwarf as has been seen in a few cases. You are normal and that is pretty much good for you.'

'So.. you're saying that I am normal, but I'm not normal?'

'In a way', Ajay paused and continued, 'Yes. Your powers provide you with increased agility and mental strength. But they, similar to any part in your body, requires training. And I am sure much more powers will come to the light as we start our training.'

'So... are you going to train me?' Amira asked

'Yes... I am.' Ajay said, smiling at her, but his eyes hid something from her. 

Turning to her parents, she smiled. And then said,' I want to know my family history.'


Her parents looked at each other and smiled. They had been expecting this. Rima paid no attention to any of this, continuing her tapping.

Chapter 8- The Surprise

Amira stood, transfixed, unable to process what had just happened.
The old man... she could not understand who he was. The people around him, the stone at the center of the circle, everything confused her. It made her mind go wild with theories and what they could be doing there.


She walked out from the building, the door closing shut behind her on its own.
She noticed the detailing in gold on the door... it seemed to be of a language she couldn't understand.

Walking away from the building, going over everything that had happened to her in the room, Amira just knew that Something or someone was behind this and that all this was way more huge that she could imagine.


The sun had travelled his course for the day, hanging low on the horizon. He painted the sky a shade of red, a color so irresistible, that all she wanted to do was stay there forever, staring at it.

She remembered the draganoid from the other world, his horns gleaming in the sun. A sense of loss washed over her, because she sensed that she could have learnt so much more from him.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't know her feet walking on, retracing her steps back to her home.

She found her parents cars in the driveway, the lights on in the house.

Amira knew today was going to be rough at home. She was way more late than she usually ever was. And Rima was rarely ever a help. She couldn't lie and she never would.

Ringing the bell of the house, she waited for someone to open the door. Amira could see someone walk up to the door, hesitation in every footstep.

Slowly, the door creaked open, the light from inside shining out to the front porch.

Amira was, to say the least, pleasantly surprised to see the person behind the door. She ran in, hugging him, a huge smile plastered on her face. Her eyes showed tears, her laugh echoing throughout the house. He hugged her back, his arms holding her, a strained smile at his face.

Chapter 7- The Escape

With his aid, she walked out bit by bit. 

His smiling face seemed to not take into consideration the looks of hatred the other men and women were giving him. 

Guiding her out safely, the door shut on her face with a resounding thud. He severed the connection with her mind, his mind controlled enough to not let his true self or feelings out. 

Once he was sure she couldn't hear them, In a thick, rough voice, he said,'That's enough for today'. His voice imbibed with energy, barely concealing the anger in his mind. The dot on his forehead grew larger, his irises returning to a pale green shade and then to dark brown. 

The dots on the foreheads of the crowd around him suddenly decreased in size, turning into a pin point and then vanishing. Their eyes returned to their normal colors but the crowd seemed displeased at their leaders actions. 

But their eyes betrayed the fear in their minds and one by one, the crowd around him disappeared, vanishing into smoke. 

The old man walked back to a room hidden behind the marble covered walls, covered in black except for a huge statue in marble at the center. 

It was a unique statue, it's eyes devoid of irises and a huge black dot on its forehead. It's features were rough, his face kind. His left hand was clenched into a fist, his right hand open, outstretched. His legs crossed over the throne, as if engrossed in meditation. What seemed to be an apple was placed on his right fist, not a bite taken out of it, as if offering it to his followers. 

Seated On his marble throne, he gazed down on his followers with kindness.  

The old man knelt down at the base of the throne, his tears falling into the floor. His voice filled with happiness, he said,' She has arrived, my Lord.'

He looked up at the kind face and continued,' After all this while, she has returned to our world' 

A light shone from the black dot and the statue moved. 

From the marble mouth, in a gravelly tone he said,' Take care of her. Recruit her', before returning to his immovable form.

Chapter 5- The Block

Flying down to the ground, He set her down on the floor, ever so gentle. He took a wayward strand of hair and tucked it back into place. 

His nakedness bothered him, as did hers. She wished to be clothed, that even the robe she had on before seemed like a blessing. 

And suddenly, She was clothed. And so was he. And fashionably too, in a pair of shorts and a snug tshirt. 

He seemed amused at what she had done for him. She could hear his laugh echo through the pathways of her mind. 

'Being clothed is nothing to laugh at', She said, even as his laugh continued. 

'I am happy the way I am. But if this is how you wish to see me, so shall it be' he said, his voice breaking from the strain of not laughing. 

She turned and walked away, hoping to get out of this place and return to her world. 

'You could have said that there was a hole behind me before' she said, her voice accusing him. 

'I was under the impression that you knew' he said. 

After an awkward silence in their minds, he decided to break it. 

'You didn't ask what you wanted to know' 

She was shocked when he said that. His voice had turned serious, the mirth in his eyes long gone. 

'I do not want to know anything. I don't even know why I am here' 

He must have understood she was saying the truth, because he walked closer to her. She tried to walk backwards and allmost tripped. 'Careful' he said, letting go of her hand. And then, with his index finger, touched her forehead. 

And suddenly, she could feel another world, a world where she was standing frozen in place, her mind trying hard to stop the swarm of minds around her. 

His eyes turned sad as he seemed to understand what was happening. 

He took a step back, his eyes downcast. 

'I realize that I am just a block for you' he said,' Something to stop those people from entering your mind' 

He continued, telling her about he was surprised that she had been able to do this. 

He didn't know that she was surprised at what she had done as well. 

He told her to imagine him and walk out of the room, stabbing at anyone who dared approach her with their mind. He thought her a few things, which she seemed to grasp quickly. 

She seemed to not notice the time passing in this world. But soon, she understood it was time to leave and get back to her reality. 

As she walked away from him, what he said stuck in her mind. She hoped with all her might that she may meet him again one day. 

He seemed to have understood what she was hoping for, as he shouted 'Till we meet again', as she left his world. 

A quick glance back showed him, waving his hand at her, smiling, the horns on his head shining in the light of the rising sun. 

Chapter 3 - The Stone

She, cautious and curious in equal measure, walked into the room. She could hear chants of some sort from the room. It seemed to pulse with power, electrifying the surroundings. She could feel the hairs on her arms stand up, as if to signal danger to her. 
 What she saw inside was a sight that truly baffled her. A huge room,the floor and walls covered in marble. Etched in the stone were a language she did not understand and statues of men and women. Their eyes seemed to be alive, staring her down, sizing her up. 

The ceiling resembled a stormy night covered with dark clouds, the moon peaking out from behind the shadows. Dark, yet bright.  

Inside the room at the Centre, a black stone was kept. It seemed to be a deity of some sort. Not any that she recognized though. 

Around it,in circles, men and women clothed in white were seated. A huge black dot on their forehead,their eyes rolled back into their sockets, not seeing anything, chanting a mantra,in unison, that was not known to her. They seemed to not notice her entry or the fact that she was witnessing a ritual of theirs. 

Inside one of the circles she recognized a man. He was clothed in white just like the rest. But something made her notice him. 

But what puzzled her was the fact that She had never seen him before.

His iris invisible,the black dot on his forehead pulsing, growing and decreasing in size along with the mantra. His unkempt hair,dirty from many years and his beard, lying on the ground like a gray rope. He stood up, his long beard dragging on the floor and looked in her direction and smiled,extending his hands as if to welcome her into the group.

At the same time,she felt the minds of hundreds,if not thousands of men and women pressing against her mind. Her soul felt a power surging into her body and she felt in horror as her eyes turned red.

Chapter 1: The Road

Mist surrounded her. She was walking on a road, a road she now knew led nowhere. In the beginning it was just her, the mist and the sound of someone following her.

A faint light seemed to illuminate her surroundings, showing her the beautiful shrubs and trees beside her. 

Fear had conquered her the first time she had been here. Unable to move, she broke down and sobbed into the night. She stayed there, till her mother woke her up. It took a long time for her to open up to her parents about this. And even much more time before she could even stand and move around. 

She did not stop walking. A sense of purpose shone through her. And it showed itself in every step she took. She did not speed up, even as the footsteps behind her continued to follow in pace. 

She had never bothered to look back in fear of what she might see. But tonight, coaxed by her parents and her therapist, she finally summoned the courage to turn around. 

And she was greeted by darkness. The light seemed to stop at her. The moment it reached where she was, it disappeared. 

No one stood in front of her. Even the mist seemed to be afraid of what was following her.  

She stood there for a while, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness around. And she was able to make out the faint outline of a being far away. A human perhaps? 

She walked towards it and it walked forward, it's dress rustling in the silence of this grim world. 

As it walked closer, she could finally see what had been following her for so long. 

She saw a hood pulled over its head, it's long dark robes stained. Unable to see its face, she walked closer. 

Closer and closer... She walked till she reached in front of it. At this point, she was positive that 'it' was a human being. 

And finally, face to face, she dared to grab hold of the hood and reveal the face behind. 

The face behind it sent through her waves of shock and exhilaration. 

Her gasp, an unwelcome visitor to this world, reached the ears of the being in front of her. It's eyes seemed amused by the sound, almost laughing at her shock.  

She took a few steps back, her mind spiraling down into an abyss. She did not know how to respond, for in front of her, stood a being that resembled her. If she did not know better, she would have called it her twin. An evil, ugly and monstrous twin. 

It's blood red eyes, pointed ears and sharp teeth reminded her of vampires seen in movies. Even the blood dripping onto its robes and it's thick tongue slithering out from her grinning mouth and her frizzy hair sticking out from her hood ensured her that this being was not even human, let alone alive. 

It's webbed and clawed hand stroked her face, ever so gentle and caring. She recoiled at its touch, but it seemed to not notice it.  And then, in a silky, mesmerizing voice it said...' Soon'

It's tongue slithered around her face, leaving behind it a trail of foul smelling saliva. It noticed her flinching at each movement it took. And suddenly, the laughter in it's eyes vanished. Cruelty took its place, It's smile vanishing.  It's hand turned into a fist and pushed her away, turning and walking away. But instead of the ground greeting her, she felt herself falling into an abyss Unknown. Her breath knocked out of her, she gasped for air even as a drop of black ink fell on her from above. 

Prologue

Staring at the pictures on the wall, he couldn't help but smile a little. He smiled at the picture of him and his wife, when they were pregnant with Amira.
He still remembered the day she was born. Vividly.

It started out as a normal day would, he leaving for work, visiting her at the hospital on the way to work. 

She seemed happy. Ecstatic even. She pestered him to go for work, even when he said he would take leave.

A couple of hours later, he got a call from the hospital. She had gone into labor. He took leave from work, his co workers seemed happy. His boss smiled at him, wishing him luck.

He rushed towards the hospital, taking all shortcuts he knew, trying to reach before she gave birth.
He reached in record time and waited outside the labor room. Some time later, a nurse came out and told him that it was a girl child. Her smile seemed too stiff, but he pegged that down as her being tired. 

After sometime, he was let into the room. 

He saw his wife, exhausted and happy, but something was wrong about her face. He couldn't put a name to the expression. He just knew that something was off. 

He smiled at her, happiness filling out of him like the rays of the sun. 

He took a glance at his daughter and took a step backwards, horrified. 

A huge black dot adorned her forehead. It seemed to ripple with some unknown energy, mesmerizing him. He extended his hand to touch her forehead, when his wife made a disapproving noise.
He withdrew his hand instantly, but the damage had been done.

He could see that the noise had woken her. She was stirring, her tiny hands moving, her tiny mouth opening and closing. And finally, she opened her eyes.
As a reflex, he recoiled due to fear. Her tiny eyes contained in them blood red irises.  None could have guessed her tiny, beautiful eyes could hold such horrors.

She smiled at something he couldn't see, up and above him, and dozed off again.