Kesari listened closely to the old sage's words, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. From the sage's prophetic lines, it seemed his newborn son was destined for greatness, a future full of promise and praise. However, he understood that this destiny could change. If the child wasn't guided well, the potential for destruction lay hidden beneath the promising future the sage spoke of.
The sage finally came back to his senses, his eyes returning to normal as he let out a weary breath. "I never expected such a powerful prediction to be so exhausting. This child is truly remarkable!" he exclaimed, still panting slightly.
Kesari nodded, pride and curiosity mixing in his gaze as he looked down at his son. "Yes, I can sense something extraordinary myself," he murmured, noticing the baby's calmness and unusual black hair. Driven by a hunch, he reached for his Rank B Body Appraisal essence stone, intending to check if his son held any special stones within him.
The moment he activated the stone, Kesari felt a jolt of shock. "What is this?" he gasped, stumbling back. "He...he's already awakened! And not only that—there are more than eight essence stones within his body and soul! That's...unheard of. To be born awakened is rare enough, but to have multiple stones—"
For a moment, Kesari was lost in disbelief, staring in awe at his son. Then, he steadied himself, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, a booming laugh filled the room. "Hahaha! What a precious gift the heavens have granted us!" he roared, his eyes alight with a newfound excitement and pride.
Being awakened at birth was a phenomenon that went beyond rare; even those who awakened at nine or ten were hailed as future geniuses. But Kesari's son was different—not only awakened from the very moment of birth but carrying more than eight essence stones within his tiny body. Such a combination was beyond extraordinary.
The existence of essence stones within one's body was a rarity in itself, often even surpassing the rarity of being awakened. Some non-awakened individuals were occasionally born with essence stones, but without the ability to use them, these stones became nothing more than unused potential. Tragically, if awakened individuals discovered these stones in others, they would often kill to retrieve them, seeing the stones as valuable resources. It was a misfortune for non-awakened people to bear such stones, marking them as targets. And yet, Kesari's son held more than eight—a chance so slim it could only happen once in tens of millions.
Excitement and pride swelled in Kesari's heart. Traditionally, his tribe named their children at the age of five, but today he was breaking that rule. This child, with his exceptional birthright, deserved a name immediately.
With a joyful laugh, he declared, "Your name... your name will be Maruti!" His words echoed proudly through the room. Although his wife Anjani had already fallen into an exhausted sleep, the old sage bore witness, nodding in quiet approval as Kesari's voice filled the air with the promise of a great destiny.
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As dawn broke over the Seraphine Kingdom, Seraphine prepared for a day of important revelations. She had summoned an appraiser. A expert represented the pinnacle of his field, but today's task was special, and the appraiser was there to evaluate her three children.
The appraiser was unlike anyone in the kingdom, possessing the rare ability to sense a person's elemental affinity through visions. In this age, there were no machines to measure such abilities, Instead a imagination falls into Appraisaler's mind and then he can identify the elements based on that.
As he inspected each child, his expression grew more serious. Finally, he turned to Seraphine, his voice uncertain. "My lady, I have never encountered anything like this before."
Seraphine stood up, a mix of anticipation and concern in her gaze. "Explain," she demanded.
The appraiser hesitated before responding. "Your eldest, Lord Lycaon, shows a natural affinity for wind and fire. This is quite remarkable, but not unusual. However, your other two children…" He gestured to the twins, Cain and Aurora, his eyes filled with both awe and puzzlement. "These two possess essence stones within them from birth, which is itself incredibly rare. But even more astonishing, I cannot fully identify the type of essence they carry."
Seraphine's eyes sparkled with a mixture of pride and astonishment. "Essence stones? And from birth?" She knew how valuable and powerful such a gift could be.
"Yes," the appraiser confirmed, "but the mystery deepens. Your middle child, Lord Cain, has affinities I have never seen. One is like a blood-red energy, another is a dark, spirit-linked element. Then, there's a pink aura that seems to enchant anyone near it, and finally, a vibrant purple light that suggests a form of gravity." He shook his head, still trying to comprehend.
Seraphine's expression turned to shock. "What? I understand the Dark element, but aren't there only nine elements—Light,Dark, Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Light, Nature, and Wood? What kind of elements are these?" she asked, her voice filled with rare uncertainty. In her six hundred years of experience, she had never encountered anything like this.
The appraiser raised a trembling hand. "I'm not done yet, my lady. Lord Aurora's case is even more peculiar. He has a single affinity, but it's unlike anything I've sensed. It feels like… a complete void, a force that consumes and nullifies all things. It's… it's pure chaos!" His voice grew louder, almost frantic, as he repeated, "Chaos! Pure chaos!"
Suddenly, the appraiser began to laugh, a crazed sound filling the room. The unsettling laughter echoed as Seraphine felt a chill run down her spine. Before she could react further, the appraiser gasped, his body seizing up. Blood trickled from his mouth, eyes, and ears as he coughed violently.
"Someone get the healer!" Seraphine shouted, rushing forward, her tone urgent. But by the time the healer arrived, it was too late. Seraphine touched his neck, feeling for a pulse. She drew her hand back, her face solemn. "He… he's dead."
The shocking news spread quickly through the kingdom. In the short time since Seraphine's children were born, two people had already died under strange circumstances. Rumors began to swirl, and whispers spread that Seraphine might be hiding something dangerous. Yet, who dared confront the ruler directly? The people could only wait in suspense, wondering what these ominous events meant for the future.
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Three years flowed by like a gentle river, and Maruti, now three years old, was growing up happily in the Vanara tribe. It was the end of the summer season, and the mango trees were heavy with ripe, juicy fruit. One warm afternoon, Anjani, his mother, placed a large, golden mango in Maruti's small hands. The mango was almost too big for his tiny hands to hold, and it felt heavy and cool.
Anjani beamed, her eyes shining with joy. "It's our little lord's first time trying a mango, right? Go ahead, have a taste! You'll remember this for the rest of your life!" she encouraged him with a cheerful smile.
Hearing her words, Maruti took a bite of the mango. His eyes widened, and a look of pure delight spread across his face. "Woah… mango… very sweet… very like it!" he exclaimed. Though his words were clumsy, his expression was full of innocent wonder.
From that day on, Maruti didn't want anything else to eat. Morning, noon, and night, he only wanted mangos. Anjani couldn't help but laugh at first, but soon, she started regretting her decision to give him the fruit.
But as with all things in nature, the season eventually changed, and mango season came to an end. Maruti grew sadder by the day when he realized he couldn't have his beloved fruit anymore. Soon, he became so disappointed that he refused to leave his room or eat anything at all.
Seeing him this way, Anjani felt worried. She came to him with a gentle smile and sat beside him, trying to comfort him. "Maruti, it's the rule of nature. Mangos can only grow during their season. You can have them again next year! But until then, please don't worry your mother like this. Eat something else for now," she pleaded, holding out a plate of food to him.
Maruti looked down, sighed, and finally agreed, "Kay… I'll wait!" He took a small bite, and Anjani's face lit up. After three long days, her son was eating again, and she, too, finally felt she could eat. She had gone without food herself, hoping it would encourage Maruti to break his fast.
As they ate together, Anjani felt a deep sense of relief, grateful that her little one was happy again, even if he would be waiting eagerly for the next mango season.
No one could have known, but the following year brought a crisis not just to the Vanara tribe, but to the entire world.
The sun's heat became unbearable, rising to levels that no one had ever experienced before. The lakes and rivers dried up, turning once-vibrant forests into barren landscapes. Trees turned brown and brittle, their leaves shriveled under the fierce sun, and the air felt dry and lifeless. People everywhere struggled under the relentless heat, and over three million souls were lost to heatstroke. Animals, plants, and every living creature suffered as if the world itself was nearing its end.
At the Seraphine Kingdom, on the palace balcony, Savitri stood in a flowing golden gown, her golden eyes reflecting the blazing sun above. She gazed up, troubled and pensive. "Only three years have passed, and already a crisis has begun? Is this truly because of my children? Will I fail to change their fate?" Her voice, usually calm, now held a note of doubt and sorrow.
Deep inside, she couldn't help but feel responsible, but she knew the cause wasn't her children. Instead, it was the work of one powerful figure—the Sun God, Surya.
Far away, within the very heart of the sun, Surya sat upon a grand throne of lava and fire, his laughter echoing through his palace of molten flames. "Hahaha… I am the greatest, the one true god!" His prideful voice boomed, his laughter filled with arrogance.
Surya wore a full suit of bright orange armor that glowed like the fire itself, and atop his head rested a long, blazing crown. His throne room, forged from the sun's essence, shimmered and crackled around him. Though the sun was his true form, this armored figure was like his avatar—a body through which he could freely experience the world without ever leaving his eternal place in the sky.
"My Liege, is this truly the right thing to do? Look down at that planet—the people there, they're suffering, barely clinging to life!" a voice said with a tinge of worry. The speaker was a being of pure lava and flame, a creature whose body glowed and rippled like a man made of living fire. He was from a unique race, known as the Lava Men—the fierce inhabitants of the sun.
Surya sneered, dismissing the concern with a wave of his hand. "And what of it? Look at them! They're on their knees, praying to me, begging me to ease the heat. The more they pray, the stronger my power grows! Soon, I'll melt all the icebergs on that world, and then they'll have endless water. They won't need to look to the rain or other gods for help. Instead, they'll worship me alone!"
A smile curled on his face as he leaned back on his throne, his pride almost tangible. "Ha! Who are Indra and Zeus to me? They're nothing. They're beneath me. I am the one true god, greater than any of them!" His laughter echoed through his throne room, the sound like a crackling fire, full of arrogance and delight.
The Lava Man shifted uncomfortably, his gaze lingering below, "My Liege was not like this, He was used to be very calm and respect other gods/star constellations, Just what the hell happened in one night? He thought in his heart.