The Ethereal Bridge stretched endlessly in all directions, its crystalline surface shimmering with GEN—the divine energy that flowed through all of SAMAGRA. Shim stood at its edge, his aqua green eyes reflecting the cosmic light, black hair moving in the ethereal winds. At nineteen, he had grown into his tall, lean frame, though he still felt like that twelve-year-old boy who had first discovered he was different. That day seven years ago, when he had collapsed in JANASTRI district of the Bridge, experiencing visions of a towering figure with a bow who spoke of destiny—it was the first sign that he was meant for something greater. Now, as he stood watching the planes drift above like jewels in the cosmic sea, that same energy, that same GEN, pulsed golden beneath his skin.
"The Bridge speaks to you differently today." Vakra's deep voice carried on the ethereal winds. Shim turned to see his guardian's imposing figure approaching. At six feet two inches, Vakra cut an intimidating figure—muscular frame wrapped in flowing robes, long beard framing a warrior's face, and those distinctive crimson eyes that marked him as a Rakta. Yet there had always been something else about him, something that transcended his physical presence.
"You can sense it too?" Shim asked, watching as his guardian moved with impossible grace despite his warrior's build.
"I've raised you since you were a child, Shim. I know when the GEN flows differently through you." Vakra stood beside him, his crimson eyes reflecting the light of countless planes above. For a moment, his form seemed to shimmer at the edges, as it often did lately.
"I've been thinking about that day again," Shim said, his fingers trailing along a crystalline pillar. Light rippled out from his touch, the Bridge singing in response. "The day I collapsed in JANASTRI. The vision..."
"The man with the bow," Vakra nodded, his expression unreadable. "You see him more clearly now?"
"Seven feet tall, brown hair, full beard..." Shim paused, studying his guardian's reaction. "He said I was the only hope for SAMAGRA. But you've never told me why I survived that day, when others would have been consumed by such uncontrolled GEN."
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Vakra's form rippled slightly, his robes moving in patterns that seemed to defy the natural flow of the Bridge's gentle breeze. "Some truths cannot be given, Shim. They must be earned through understanding."
"More mysteries?" Shim smiled wryly. "You've lived alone in JANASTRI longer than anyone can remember, raised me since I was a child, yet no one knows where you came from. Even your eyes mark you as Rakta, but you're different from any Rakta I've ever met."
A subtle smile played at the corners of Vakra's beard. "Perhaps those mysteries and yours are connected in ways you've yet to discover." He gestured to the vast expanse of planes above them. "The answers you seek lie beyond the Bridge, Shim. In the planes above, in the ancient places where truth still echoes."
"Beyond the Bridge?" Shim's heart raced at the thought. In nineteen years, he had never left the Ethereal Bridge, never ventured beyond JANASTRI and its surrounding districts.
"Your powers are awakening for a reason," Vakra continued, his crimson eyes reflecting the light of distant planes. "The Bridge has been your home, but it cannot be your prison. Your destiny lies out there, among the planes."
As if in response to these words, the GEN beneath Shim's skin pulsed brighter, creating ripples in the crystalline surface beneath his feet. In the distance, ancient pillars hummed in resonance, their light synchronizing with his own inner glow.
"How will I know where to go?" he asked, both excited and apprehensive.
"The GEN will guide you," Vakra replied, placing a strong hand on Shim's shoulder. For a moment, Shim felt an ancient power in that touch, something far beyond what any Rakta should possess. "Trust in what flows through your veins. When you're ready, when you've learned what you need to learn, you'll find your way back here. Then, all your questions will be answered."
Shim looked up at the man who had raised him, who had taught him everything he knew about the Bridge and GEN, yet remained the greatest mystery in his life. "When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow," Vakra said, his form momentarily aligning with the cosmic patterns swirling around them. "Tonight, I will teach you one last lesson about the nature of GEN and the planes it connects. Tomorrow, your journey begins."
As darkness fell across the Ethereal Bridge, the planes above seemed to shine brighter, their GEN flowing in patterns that spoke of ancient secrets and hidden truths. Shim stood there with Vakra, watching the cosmic dance of SAMAGRA, unaware that he was about to uncover truths that would shake the very foundations of existence itself.
For now, he was simply a young man on the edge of an infinite bridge, preparing to take his first step into a much larger reality—one that had been waiting for him since before he was born, guarded by a warrior whose crimson eyes held secrets older than time itself.