Allan awoke with a start. He felt disoriented at first, and then remembered that he had pulled off at a rest stop. He didn’t know how long he had been out, but knew there was no way he would return to the Pastor’s house where Alison was waiting.

His eyes darted around, looking at his surroundings. The sky was dark, with only a few stars visible. The moon shone brightly in the sky, reflecting off the clouds.

Allan got out of the car, stretching his arms over his head. He ran his fingers through his hair, or rather what was left of the pastor’s receding hairline.

Then the memory of the dream hit him again. He saw an ancient-looking building, and knew innately that it was very far away. The voice of the Leviathan was overwhelming, telling him that he must go there. In his mind’s eye the vision zoomed in until he was deep inside the building where a swirling blue portal hovered in mid-air a few feet off of the ground. Inside the portal he could see an image of his body, perfectly preserved inside a tomb.

He was frozen, unable to move.

"Ye shall find thy body in the Old World." the Leviathan said telepathically.

Allan was overwhelmed with emotion. His heart pounded in his chest.

"What does that mean?" he whispered.

"It means that thou must travel to the Somnath Temple and fulfill thy destiny." the Leviathan’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Do you mean I can get my body back?!” he gasped.

"Only if thou dost return to the Old World through the portal. Thou must find thine amulet, and return to the side of thy body." the Leviathan explained, “Only then shall ye have the power to become reunited.”

Allan stared at the glowing blue portal in the vision.

"But how do I get there?" he asked, "What do I do once I'm there? Do I need to speak to anyone?"

"Thou shalt find thy answers in the place where thy ancestors built their temple." the Leviathan replied, "I shall guide thee to find the portal once thou hast arrived.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Thank you," Allan sighed, "I think."

Allan did a quick Google search on his phone, and discovered that the Somnath Temple was in India. The temple itself was located in Gujarat, about a seven hour drive from Ahmedabad, the nearest city. He purchased tickets from O’Hare Airport to the capital Mumbai, and booked a hotel room at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.

He paid for everything using the pastor's credit card, making sure to take lots of screenshots so he wouldn't forget anything.

He took a shower at a truck stop and went to sleep early, setting his alarm for 4 AM.

As promised, the Leviathan appeared in his dream, leading him through a series of rooms inside the temple, guiding him to the location of the portal. He didn’t know how he would get past security, but he assumed the Leviathan would provide a solution.

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The flight from Chicago to Mumbai took nearly seventeen hours. It was hands-down the longest flight he had ever taken in his life. Allan slept most of the way, waking up briefly when they served breakfast and dinner.

Once he landed, he rented a car and headed to the hotel. After checking in, he took a nap and woke up well after midnight.

He got dressed and checked out. He got a taxi to the airport, and boarded a plane to Ahmedabad, the nearest city to the Somnath Temple. Upon arrival, he rented a car. The drive from Ahmedabad to Somnath lasted about eight hours.

Finally, he arrived in Somnath, arriving at the temple just before 5 PM. The sun was beginning to set, casting shadows across the land.

At the entrance he handed his passport to a guard and received a visitor's pass. A woman in a bright yellow sari greeted him and directed him to the Visitors' Center. After passing through security, he entered a large hall filled with marble pillars and colorful tapestries.

There was a map on the wall showing the layout of the temple grounds, which included a number of shrines, statues, and open fields. He followed the path along the outer perimeter of the temple, reaching the area where the main temple was located.

Allan stepped into a dimly-lit hallway lined with stone columns. He walked slowly, taking in the sights. There were a number of tourists milling around, snapping photos of the various monuments and shrines scattered throughout the temple.

Allan stopped at a shrine dedicated to Hanuman, one of the Hindu trinity gods. He stared at the statue of the monkey god, marveling at its intricate details.

On his way out of the building, he walked past a group of men chanting and dancing in front of a small stage. They were performing a dance known as the Dance of Shiva, a ritual performed in honor of the god.

Allan stepped outside, admiring the scenery. From here he could see the entire temple complex spread out below him.

He wandered around aimlessly, searching for the portal.

“Follow me.” the voice of the Leviathan entered his mind, “I will guide thee.”

Allan followed the sound of the voice to a darkened section of the temple that was cordoned off with construction tape. As he approached, he saw a flickering blue light emanating from behind a partially crumbled wall. Stepping through the crumbled hole in the wall, the swirling vortex lay before him.

I found it!

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