Arjun couldn’t concentrate on anything all day. During math class, he kept seeing those golden threads floating around his teacher. During lunch, he noticed dark spots—like tiny shadows—hovering over some of his classmates’ food. Was the Darkness everywhere?
“Arjun, are you okay?” his best friend Ravi asked. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”
“I’m fine,” Arjun lied. How could he explain what he’d seen? Ravi would think he’d gone crazy.
The day dragged on forever. Finally, night fell over Banaras. Arjun waited until his grandmother fell asleep, then quietly slipped out of the house. The lanes of Banaras looked different at night—mysterious and ancient, as if the city itself was alive with secrets.
The temple was closed, its massive doors locked. Arjun stood there, confused. Had the old man been joking?
“Looking for something?” a voice came from behind him.
Arjun spun around. It was the old man, but he looked different—younger somehow, his eyes bright with an otherworldly light.
“Who are you really?” Arjun asked.
“My name is Vidyut, and I am the Guardian of Banaras—or at least, I was. I’ve been waiting for you for twelve years, Arjun. Since the day you were born under the blood moon.”
Vidyut touched the temple wall, and a door appeared where there had been only stone before. “Welcome to the real Kashi—the magical heart of Banaras.”
They descended a spiral staircase that seemed to go down forever. The walls glowed with ancient symbols that Arjun could somehow read: “Where light dwells, darkness cannot enter.”
Finally, they reached a massive underground chamber. Arjun’s jaw dropped. The room was filled with floating books, crystals that pulsed with light, and in the center, a large pool of water that showed images like a television screen—but these images showed different parts of the world, all under attack by shadow creatures.
“This is the Sanrakshan Kaksha—the Chamber of Protection,” Vidyut explained. “From here, Guardians have protected the world for millennia. But the magic is weakening. The Darkness has found a way to break through the barriers.”
“Why is it weakening?” Arjun asked, mesmerized by everything around him.
“Because people have stopped believing. Magic exists because of faith, wonder, and belief. In today’s world, people believe only in what they can touch and measure. As belief fades, so does magic.”
Vidyut led Arjun to the pool. “Look closely.”
Arjun peered into the water. The images shifted, showing a massive tear in the sky above a distant mountain range. Through the tear, an endless army of shadow creatures was pouring into the world.
“That is the Void Gate. It opened three months ago. Every day, more creatures come through. They feed on light, hope, and joy. Wherever they go, they leave only despair.”
“But why me?” Arjun’s voice cracked. “I’m nobody special. I’m not brave or strong. I’m just… me.”
Vidyut smiled warmly. “That’s exactly why you’re perfect. True magic doesn’t come from being fearless, Arjun. It comes from being afraid but choosing to act anyway. Your gift of seeing magic is just the beginning. Inside you lies a power that even I don’t fully understand—a power that was prophesied long ago.”
He waved his hand, and one of the floating books flew into his palm. He opened it to a page with a drawing of a boy surrounded by light, standing before a massive shadow.
“The Prophecy of the Roopdarshi,” Vidyut read. “When darkness threatens to consume all light, a child born under the blood moon shall rise. He who sees the true form of magic shall wield the power of the Eternal Flame—a power that can either save the world or destroy it.”
Arjun felt a chill run down his spine. “Destroy it?”
“Great power is always dangerous,” Vidyut said seriously. “That’s why your training is crucial. You have seven days to master your abilities before the Darkness discovers who you are. Once it knows a Roopdarshi exists, it will send everything it has to eliminate you.”
“Seven days? That’s impossible!”
“Nothing is impossible when magic is involved.” Vidyut’s eyes twinkled. “Now, let’s begin. First lesson: Magic responds to emotion. Show me—what do you feel right now?”
Arjun closed his eyes. Fear. Confusion. But also… excitement. For the first time in his life, the strange things he saw made sense. He wasn’t weird or broken. He was special.
When he opened his eyes, his hands were glowing with golden light.
Vidyut nodded approvingly. “Good. Very good. But tomorrow, we’ll need to push harder. Because there’s something I haven’t told you yet…”
What is Vidyut hiding? And can Arjun really master magic in just seven days? Continue reading “The Magic of Banaras” to find out!
