________________________________________________________________________________
- Hidden Flame Base, Outskirts of Bombay-
- May 6, 1937 | Late Afternoon -
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the compound as Aryan stood at the heart of the command hub, silent but resolved. His thoughts were already a step ahead, beyond the walls of this world, reaching into the stars.
Without wasting a moment, he called for Shakti, Nalini, and Karna—his most trusted and powerful allies. The trio arrived quickly. Karna, already briefed and ready, radiated quiet strength as always. Shakti's sharp gaze met Aryan's with a silent nod, her energy humming just beneath the surface. Nalini followed closely, eyes gleaming with excitement and a trace of nervous anticipation. This was her first major assignment since joining The Hidden Flame.
Aryan turned to face them fully, his voice calm but firm. "We follow Kingo to his ship. It's likely our best chance to locate the other Eternals. The Deviant's trail is cold, but their systems might give us a lead. Stay alert."
Behind him, Kingo fidgeted slightly, clearly uncomfortable with revealing the location of the Domo—the Eternal ship. Still, he had little choice. The situation was growing dire, and Aryan's ability to teleport would get them there faster than any ship could. After a brief pause, Kingo gave in, muttering the coordinates and looking away as if the decision weighed on him.
Aryan didn't blame him. The Eternals were private by nature, and their ship was more than a vessel—it was a piece of their legacy.
With the location locked in his mind, Aryan reached out with his Void Step, wrapping the space around them in a veil of shifting nothingness. A moment later, the world folded.
_________
- Remote location, Alaska -
- May 6,1937 | Late Afternoon -
They reappeared in a remote stretch of tundra, barren and white under a pale sky. For a second, nothing seemed to be there—just empty snow and silence. Then, as the ship's sensors detected Kingo, something remarkable happened.
A low hum rippled through the air as the cloaking field broke down, like fog parting before sunlight. Before them rose the majestic silhouette of the Domo—sleek, alien, and awe-inspiring. Golden lines of light pulsed across its hull, responding to Kingo's presence. The ship recognized him. They were welcome.
Shakti stepped forward slowly, eyes wide in wonder. "So this is where they've been…"
Nalini, standing close beside her, looked just as amazed. "It's beautiful."
Karna remained silent, his gaze scanning their surroundings out of habit. Yet even he couldn't deny the sense of something ancient and powerful stirring in the air.
Aryan looked at the ship, but his mind was on his team. He had brought them here for more than just backup. The Deviant threat was growing stronger and more unpredictable. And, they were perfect stepping stones to make his allies grow stronger too—Shakti, fierce and determined; Karna, unwavering but still haunted; and Nalini, new but eager to prove herself.
He remembered the nights spent helping Nalini master her powers in a different and innovative methods using her nature manipulation to emulate wood release or other ideas. Aryan taught her quite a bit different from what she learnt under Sorcerer Supreme, while both of them laughing and failing and trying again. What started as a responsibility, a promise to the Sorcerer Supreme, had grown into something simpler and deeper: a friendship rooted in trust.
Having her by his side, along with Shakti and Karna—his two most trusted companions—felt natural now. They were stronger together.
The moment stretched, quiet and profound, before Aryan spoke again.
"Inside, we'll search for clues—logs, maps, anything. If the other Eternals are out there, we find them. And if the Deviant shows up…"
His voice lowered, eyes narrowing.
"…we end it."
Shakti smiled, steady and confident. "Let's bring them home."
Karna's grip tightened on his blade. Nalini nodded, determination blooming behind her eyes.
They walked toward the ship, four figures against the snow, with starlight in their hearts and battles ahead.
__________
The moment they stepped onto the Domo, a strange stillness wrapped around them. It wasn't lifeless—but it felt abandoned. As Kingo led them through the curved, golden-lit corridors, his steps slowed, his eyes darting around as if expecting to see someone—anyone—familiar.
Shakti walked beside him, sensing the shift in his energy. "You thought they might be here."
Kingo gave a small, hesitant nod. "Yeah… I hoped."
But the ship remained quiet. No voices, no movement. Only the low hum of dormant machinery and the soft, responsive pulses of the golden architecture adjusting to their presence.
The Domo recognized Kingo instantly. As he approached the central command chamber, the doors slid open without resistance, the walls glowing gently in acknowledgment. It was like being welcomed home, yet no one was there to greet him.
He moved to the main control panel—an intricate array of fluid metal and light. A familiar chime rang as the system lit up. Phastos had taught him enough to operate the interface, and his hands moved with quiet urgency.
A holographic projection of Earth shimmered into view in the center of the room. Countless energy signatures floated across it, glowing like stars. Kingo narrowed the search.
"There," he said, pointing. "That's them."
A cluster of faint energy signatures pulsed weakly over the icy expanse of Greenland. Confined. Close together. Too dim for comfort.
Aryan stepped forward, frowning. "Alive, but drained. They're either restrained or held in something that suppresses their essence."
Before anyone could speak, Karna's calm voice cut through the tension. "It could be a trap."
The room turned to him.
Karna didn't flinch under the attention. "That mob Deviant, or so I assume, in Bombay—it was strong. Too strong. It gave Kingo a hard time but left quickly when we arrived. It didn't push its advantage. It fled. Like it had already done what it came to do."
Shakti narrowed her eyes. "You're thinking it was a test run?"
"A setup," Karna replied. "That Deviant didn't act like a normal one. It seemed… engineered or mutated specifically to challenge an Eternal. And now, Kingo's friends are conveniently captured? All grouped together? Their energy levels deliberately suppressed, just enough to draw attention but not enough to go unnoticed? The Deviants are definitely luring him in."
Nalini shifted uncomfortably. "You think they're really waiting for him to walk into the trap?"
Karna nodded. "They know he'd come. He's Eternal. From what Aryan already told us about their race. Loyalty is part of his core."
Kingo looked away for a moment, jaw clenched. "Even if it's a trap… they're still my people. I'm not abandoning them."
Aryan remained quiet for a few seconds, his gaze fixed on the flickering lights in the projection. He had already suspected something was off—the neatness of it all, the timing, the bait. Karna had simply said it aloud.
Finally, Aryan turned to Kingo. "I believe you. And I'm not letting you walk into it alone."
Kingo looked back at him, grateful but steady. "Then let's go."
But Aryan raised his hand. "We'll go. But we'll do it smart."
The void began to stir around his fingers, a ripple of shadow bending space itself.
"We won't land exactly at the coordinates. I'll shift us a few miles out. If it is a trap, I'm not handing us to them on a silver platter."
Everyone nodded.
Even as danger loomed unseen in the cold wilds of Greenland, they were moving. With purpose. With caution. Together.
________________________________________________________________________________
Thanks for reading 🙏 🙏.
If you are liking this story so far please support this novel through the power stones and let me know your thoughts in the comments and please review the book with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ if you deem it worthwhile.