Welcome to part 4 of Magic Of Banaras. The next day at school, Arjun couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He kept glancing over his shoulder, but saw nothing unusual just his classmates, teachers, and the normal chaos of school life.
Except… was it normal? Now that he was paying attention, Arjun noticed things that disturbed him. More students had dark spots on them. The school’s usually bright aura was dimming. And there was a cold spot near the principal’s office that made his skin crawl.
During history class, their teacher Mr. Sharma was discussing ancient Banaras. “This city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world,” he said. “Some legends claim it was built by the gods themselves, as a bridge between the earthly and divine realms.”
Arjun perked up. That sounded like it could be related to magic.
Mr. Sharma continued, “There are stories of mystical guardians who protected the city, of magical temples hidden beneath the visible ones. Of course, these are just myths and superstitions.”
“But what if they’re not?” Arjun found himself saying. “What if the myths are based on truth?”
The class laughed. Mr. Sharma smiled indulgently. “Arjun, it’s good to have imagination, but we must distinguish between fantasy and reality.”
As the class moved on, Arjun noticed Mr. Sharma watching him with an odd expression. It was gone in a moment, but it made Arjun uneasy.
At lunch, Ravi looked worse. The dark spot had spread from his shoulder to his chest.
“Ravi, you should see a doctor,” Arjun said, worried.
“I did. They can’t find anything wrong. They say it’s stress.” Ravi pushed his food around his plate. “Arjun, I keep having this nightmare. There’s a voice calling me, telling me to go somewhere. To the old abandoned temple near Manikarnika Ghat. It says… it says it can make all my problems go away.”
Arjun’s blood ran cold. The Darkness was calling his friend.
“Don’t go there,” Arjun said urgently. “Promise me, Ravi. Don’t go to that temple.”
“Why? It’s just a dream.”
“Just promise me!”
Ravi looked startled by Arjun’s intensity. “Okay, okay. I promise.”
But Arjun could see the dark spot pulsing, almost like it was alive. He had to do something, even if Vidyut said he wasn’t ready.
That afternoon, as Arjun was leaving school, someone grabbed his arm. He spun around to find a girl from his class Meera, the quiet one who always sat in the back.
“I need to talk to you,” she whispered urgently. “Somewhere private.”
“I don’t…” as Arjun tried to speak.
“I know what you are,” she interrupted. “I know you can see things others can’t. Please. It’s important.”
Arjun’s hand instinctively went to the Raksha Stone in his pocket. Was this the traitor Vidyut warned him about? But Meera looked genuinely scared, not threatening.
“The tea stall near the river. Five minutes,” Arjun said.
At the tea stall, Meera looked around nervously before speaking. “My grandmother told me stories about Roopdarshis. She said if I ever met one, I should help them. Arjun, something bad is happening at our school.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Sharma. Haven’t you noticed? He’s been acting strange for the past month. He stays late every night, and sometimes I see him talking to… nothing. At least, it looks like nothing. But there’s this cold feeling around him.”
Arjun’s mind raced. Could Mr. Sharma be the traitor?
“There’s more,” Meera continued. “Last week, I followed him. I know I shouldn’t have, but I was curious. He went to that abandoned temple near Manikarnika Ghat. The same one that’s been in everyone’s nightmares.”
The same temple calling to Ravi.
“Meera, this is dangerous. You need to stay away from Mr. Sharma and that temple.”
“I know. But you need to stop him, don’t you? That’s what Roopdarshis do—they fight the darkness.” Her eyes were pleading. “My little brother has the nightmares too. He’s only six. Please, Arjun. Help us.”
Before Arjun could respond, his phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number: “Come to the chamber immediately. Emergency. -V”
“I have to go,” Arjun said, standing up. “Meera, thank you for telling me. But promise me you’ll stay safe. Don’t go near that temple, and avoid Mr. Sharma.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What I was meant to do,” Arjun said, surprising himself with his own confidence. “I’m going to fight back.”
He ran through the lanes of Banaras, his heart pounding. When he reached the temple and descended into the chamber, he found Vidyut and Tara standing before the pool, their faces grim.
“What’s wrong?” Arjun asked.
“The Darkness is accelerating its plans,” Vidyut said. “Look.”
The pool showed the abandoned temple near Manikarnika Ghat. Shadow creatures were gathering there—dozens of them, more than Arjun had ever seen.
“They’re building a second Void Gate,” Tara said. “Right here in Banaras. If they succeed, this city—the magical heart of India—will fall. And if Banaras falls, the rest of the world will follow within days.”
“When?” Arjun asked.
“Tomorrow night. During the new moon, when magical defenses are weakest.”
“Then we stop them tomorrow night.”
“Arjun, you’re not ready” Vidyut began.
“I don’t care!” Arjun’s hands began to glow. “My best friend is being consumed by darkness. A six-year-old boy is having nightmares. People are suffering, and it’s getting worse every day. Ready or not, I have to try.”
Vidyut and Tara looked at each other, having a silent conversation.
Finally, Vidyut nodded. “Then we train through the night. No sleep, no breaks. We’ll teach you everything we can. But Arjun…” His expression was serious. “Tomorrow, you’ll face real danger. Shadow creatures that want to kill you. Possibly a traitor who knows magic as well as we do. Are you absolutely sure?”
Arjun thought of Ravi’s tired face, of Meera’s little brother, of all the people in Banaras who had no idea they were in danger.
“I’m sure” Arjun Said.
“Good,” Tara said, and for the first time, she smiled at him with genuine warmth. “Then let’s begin. First, we teach you the Eternal Flame—the power that only a Roopdarshi can wield.”
She raised her hands, and the entire chamber filled with golden light. “This will hurt, Arjun. Awakening your true power always does. But on the other side of that pain lies the strength to save the world.”
Arjun took a deep breath and stepped forward into the light.
Can Arjun master the Eternal Flame in just one night? What awaits him at the abandoned temple? Find out in the next thrilling chapter of “The Magic of Banaras”!
