The ruins of the border city were washed by the golden-orange light of the afternoon sun, Svetavastra continued to channel his spiritual energy to the Kapala Chief. In the mind realm, in the tunnel of time and space, Svetavastra was using his spiritual powers to engulf the dark energy that cast a net on the ancestral memory bubbles. These memory bubbles were directly linked to the yaksha mani in the Kapala Chief’s heart. As Svetavastra progressed, sending the purple spiritual flames to separate the dark energy from the ancestral memories, the Kapala Chief grimaced. He felt unbearable pain like a thousand knives were stabbing his heart repeatedly. However, he continued to meditate focusing on his breath to numb his pain.
“Toyesha,” Svetavastra called out to him from the mind realm. “I cannot purify the dark energy from within your body, I would not be able to control the spiritual flames if I release them completely, they can devour you from within.”
The Kapala Chief stayed calm and continued to listen to Svetavastra.
“I will be separating the dark energy from your ancestral memories and the yaksha mani,” said Svetavastra. “I have to fight this dark energy on my own. In a short while, once I’m done separating the dark energy from you, I want you to escape from this place. Your body will be drained and exhausted. Go to the spring in Amarkantak and regain your powers. Lakhan is waiting for you at the western entry of the city.”
“I understand,” said the Kapala Chief.
“I want you to reflect on your actions during this time, Toyesha,” said Svetavastra. “Even though it’s the dark energy that unleashed horror on this city, it is you who has to bear responsibility. You are the vessel through which it acted.”
“I know,” said the Kapala Chief, his voice bleak.
“When you have done reflecting, come to me,” said Svetavastra. “You can find me using your yaksha powers. Help me fight the dark energy manifesting on Bhu-loka.”
“I will find you,” nodded the Kapala Chief.
This was the first time, Svetavastra spoke so much at a time, however, these things needed to be said. He pushed his hand forward increasing the intensity of the spiritual flames. But the dark energy persisted on the ancestral memory bubbles with a striking resistance.
The dark energy is stronger than I anticipated, Svetavastra thought to himself his brows furrowed. Looks like I have to use the naga mani to separate it from Toyesha.
With one hand channelling the spiritual powers, he called forth the naga mani, the red pearl from himself. The luminescent red pearl floated before him, he willed it to go forth and it became bigger in size as big as Svetavastra himself and sent a shockwave that could be felt in the human realm as well creating an energy barrier.
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Svetavastra trapped the dark energy in the red energy barrier created by the naga mani. He brought it outside of the Kapala Chief using his spiritual powers and took it high above the ground to separate them physically to the extent possible.
“Toyesha!” shouted Svetavastra, “Run!”
At once, the Kapala Chief opened his eyes, and got up momentarily transfixed by the levitating Svetavastra surrounded by a red energy barrier fighting the dark energy within it above the city.
“Run!” He heard Svetavastra’s voice in his head and he ran towards the western gate, clutching his chest with his hand. Soon, he saw his faithful comrade Lakhan obediently waiting at the gate protected by a spiritual barrier.
“Chief!” Lakhan shouted in relief seeing him and ran towards him. The Kapala Chief collapsed in Lakhan’s arms, tired from all the exertion he had been put through.
“We need to head North,” he whispered before losing consciousness.
Lakhan at once picked him, put him on the horse and galloped northward at full speed. Long shadows cast by the rays of the setting sun, blurred on the ground as they sped through the road bound to the North.
As night began to descend, the man stood on the outskirts of the forest outside of the border city, only his silhouette was visible. He gazed at the sky where the red energy barrier floated like a small tiny sun. He began to walk towards the city.
Svetavastra found his spiritual energy steadily depleting as he kept using the naga mani to contain and purify the dark energy. Fortunately, he had the good sense to send some of his spiritual powers to double-seal the pretabandana in case something happened to his own powers. Having a cosmic weapon would have made it easier for him to vanquish the dark energy. He couldn’t remember anything about his own weapons, he felt he had a few. He felt the irony of how he was able to penetrate into the ancestral memories of the Kapala Chief, while he himself couldn’t regain the memories of the current life.
If only I can cultivate without being disturbed for a few months, he thought to himself. I can generate enough spiritual powers to balance my chakras and maybe even regain some memories.
As the red flames began to vanquish the dark energy, Svetavastra wondered if he would have such luxury to devote so many days at a time to cultivate when episode after episode of the dark energy kept cropping out throughout the land. He brushed aside the thought and shifted his attention back to the naga mani. The flames had almost eaten the dark energy, only a tiny sliver of it remained. Svetavastra could feel himself weakening, he was losing control of the flames and his body, as his spiritual powers drained to their last. The last of the dark energy sliver was consumed by the flames of the naga mani and the red barrier vanished the next moment. It was early night by this time and the full moon started to come out from behind the clouds. Svetavastra felt heavy like lead and realised he would fall to the ground with no spiritual powers to support his levitation. He felt frozen unable to do anything and the rays of the full moon fell on him, his male skin disappeared with the rays revealing his original female form.
She closed her eyes and resigned herself to falling, feeling the cold air brush past her rapidly as she fell. I can survive a crash, she thought to herself. Instead of feeling the ground, she felt herself caught in the arms of a man.