The first step down was like crossing a threshold between stories; above was dust and memory, but below was something alive.
Dhruv held his makeshift torch high as he descended the cracked stone stairway. Meena followed close behind, surprisingly quiet for someone who had been chatting nonstop for the past hour.
The staircase spiraled downward into the roots of the broken temple, deeper than any normal foundation should reach. The air turned colder, but not in the way of natural chill. It was spiritual—like stepping into a shrine no one had prayed at for a thousand years.
Etched into the walls were broken frescoes of a man with blazing eyes holding an axe the size of a tree. His expression was neither rage nor serenity; it was judgment.
Approaching Relic Zone: Jamadagni's Axe.
Warning: Spirit of Wrath is partially active. Hostile entities are nearby.
Meena glanced at the runes. "That man. That's Rishi Jamadagni, right? Dadi says he once cursed a king into a snake."
"According to the system," Dhruv said, "he also purified entire villages with one swing of that axe."
The system pulsed again:
Declaration of Intent Required for Entry.
Intent filters enemy type, challenge level, and karma impact.
"Okay," Dhruv said aloud, lowering his voice. "My intent... is to earn this relic, not take it. I want to protect. Not destroy."
The walls groaned.
Stone shivered. Old carvings glowed faint red. The stairway ended in a massive underground cavern. At its center stood an altar, a blackened pedestal surrounded by ash and broken chains. Embedded in the altar was an axe wrapped in flame, not of fire, but of memory.
And guarding it were three forms, not human.
They rose from the ash like sculptures coming to life: one had a bull's skull and held a burning rope; another was shaped like a woman but had six skeletal arms; the last was shrouded in mist, only its glowing eyes visible.
Manifestations of Wrath: Created from collective karmic trauma. Purified only by righteous confrontation.
Meena gasped. "Those aren't monsters. They're... regrets."
Dhruv stepped forward. "System, what do I need to do?"
Trial Initiated: Confront Your Reflections.
The first spirit charged.
It moved like lightning, more instinct than shape. Dhruv rolled to the side, the torch flaring in his hand. He struck out, not with the torch, but with focus.
Inner Purge Activated.
The golden threads surged through his palm. When he touched the spirit, it screamed, not in pain, but like a memory cracking.
He was in a vision.
A boy is being beaten in a classroom. A teacher's words, "You'll never amount to anything." A knife in the dark. Blood. Guilt. Rage.
Not his. But someone's.
The bull-headed spirit dissolved into steam.
Reflection One Purified.
The six-armed woman stepped forward next. She didn't attack. She whispered.
"You're not worthy. You've done nothing. You were no one. You still are."
Dhruv flinched.
Her words hit harder than the bull's rope. Images swirled in his mind: his dropout record, his father's disappointed face, society's sneer.
He clenched his fist. "I may have been nothing. But I choose to be more."
He raised his hand.
Inner Purge Amplified by Companion Support.
Meena had stepped forward, humming. A tune that resonated with peace.
The spirit cracked like porcelain and vanished.
Reflection Two Purified.
The third spirit floated silently.
Then it spoke.
Not aloud. But in his head.
"What will you do when the system turns on you?"
Dhruv's breath caught.
"What if the sages were not saviors, but tyrants? What if the karma you trust is someone else's lie?"
The words sank deep.
He didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, pressed his hand to his chest.
"Then I'll make my truth. I'll burn the lies with it if I must."
Light exploded outward.
The cavern calmed.
The altar glowed. The chains crumbled.
The axe floated upward.
It was massive, yet elegant, its blade etched with geometric yantras and flame motifs. It landed in Dhruv's outstretched hand, not heavy, but dense with purpose.
Relic Acquired: Axe of Jamadagni (2/7)
Ability Unlocked: Karmic Cleave – Cuts through lies, illusions, and bonds of spiritual oppression.
Karma Level Adjusted: Neutral Good → Rising.
Meena beamed. "You did it!"
Dhruv looked at the axe.
"No," he said softly. "We did."
Then the cave began to shake.
Alert: Sentry Detected. Unauthorized Relic Activity Attracting External Force.
From deep within the earth, something else began to stir.
Not spirit. Not memory.
Machine.