In a desolate, shadowy chamber, the air was thick with an ominous tension. A masked man, draped in black, stood motionless, his cold eyes gleaming through the slits of his mask. The room was barely lit, with only the flicker of a dying candle casting long, sinister shadows on the walls. The silence was deafening until the soft, deliberate footsteps of someone approaching echoed through the space.
A woman clad in black, her face hidden beneath a dark hood, emerged from the shadows. Her presence was sharp, almost as if the darkness itself followed her.
"Boss," she called softly, her voice holding a sharp edge of fear and respect.
The mysterious figure turned slightly, acknowledging her. "Ah, Shanti Joshi, you're here."
"Yes, I've come," Shanti replied, her voice firm though there was a hint of unease. She stood before the masked figure, the silence between them heavy with unspoken intentions.
The man tilted his head slightly, his voice growing cold and impatient. "What is it? Speak quickly."
Shanti's eyes flickered with uncertainty as she shifted her stance, her voice steady as she spoke. "The US Hunter Association has caught wind of us. They're after us. What are your orders?"
A low chuckle escaped from behind the mask, echoing off the stone walls. "The US Hunters? Fools." He paused, then added with a mocking tone, "Why don't you use your Satta Agacchati? Oh, right... you're not strong enough, are you?"
Shanti's face darkened with frustration at his condescending words, but she remained composed. "I understand, Boss. I will work on increasing my power."
The masked figure dismissed her efforts with a wave of his hand. "You better. You're no use to me in your current state. Anything else?" His voice was clipped, his patience wearing thin.
Shanti hesitated, her gaze momentarily downcast. "Yes, I have another question." She looked up, meeting his icy gaze with a flicker of determination.
The masked figure turned fully to face her, his presence overwhelming in the dimly lit room. "Speak, then."
"Have you found the vessel for Lord Zalaxar?" Shanti asked, her voice trembling slightly with the weight of the question. "And if so, where is he?"
There was a deadly pause. The masked figure's aura darkened, and for a moment, the air felt suffocating. When he spoke, his voice was low and dangerous. "If anyone else had dared ask me that question, they'd be dead where they stand." He took a step forward, the menace in his tone unmistakable. "But since it's you, Shanti, I will answer. Yes, I have found the vessel."
Shanti's heart skipped a beat, her pulse quickening. "Where is he?"
A wicked smile curved behind the mask. "In India. The boy is in India." He let the words linger before adding, "And, interestingly, your sister is there as well, isn't she?"
The mention of her sister sent a chill down Shanti's spine. "Maya Joshi," she whispered, her eyes widening. "She's part of the Indian Hunter Association… She's only 21."
The masked man chuckled, a sinister sound that echoed through the room. "Ah, so you *do* keep tabs on your family. How quaint. But didn't you abandon them for power, Shanti?"
Shanti's face hardened as old memories resurfaced, painful and bitter. "Yes, I left them. Power is the only thing that matters to me now."
"Good," the masked figure said, his voice dripping with approval. "Family is a weakness. Power is what will make you unstoppable." He took a slow, deliberate step toward her. "Now, what else do you wish to ask?"
Shanti's eyes glinted with dark curiosity. "How do we bring back Lord Zalaxar?"
The masked man's eyes gleamed with excitement. He extended his hand, revealing a small, jagged stone pulsing faintly with dark energy. "This," he said, holding the stone before her, "is the key. You've heard the stories—the lies they tell about Lord Zalaxar's death in 1992, haven't you? They say he was destroyed. But that's not the truth."
Shanti's gaze was locked on the stone, her breath shallow. "What really happened?"
"Lord Zalaxar's body was destroyed, yes," the masked man said, his voice now almost reverent. "But his soul? His soul was too powerful to be eradicated. It was imprisoned inside this stone, sealed away by the Hunters. They thought they had won. But we stole it from them, and now the time has come to restore him."
Shanti's eyes widened with understanding. "And how do we do that?"
The masked man's voice grew darker, his words filled with malice. "We need the vessel—the boy. All we must do is shatter this stone in his presence, and Lord Zalaxar's soul will take over his body. The vessel will cease to exist, and Lord Zalaxar will be reborn."
Shanti swallowed, her mind racing. "When will we execute this plan?"
The masked man's eyes gleamed with malevolent anticipation. "Soon. Very soon. The world will fall to its knees before Lord Zalaxar, the King of Monsters. He will reshape the world in his image. And those who stand in our way… will perish."
A wicked laugh erupted from the masked man, filling the chamber with a sense of dread. Shanti bowed her head slightly, though her thoughts were a whirlwind of dark ambitions and suppressed fears.
"Be ready," the masked man said in a low growl. "The time is near."
Shanti nodded, her mind clouded with the weight of the mission ahead. She had sacrificed everything for power—her family, her past. Now, she stood on the brink of something much larger, much darker. And there was no turning back.
As she left the chamber, the shadows seemed to cling to her like a cloak, her thoughts consumed by the coming storm. Somewhere far away, in India, her sister Maya was blissfully unaware of the horrors that were soon to be unleashed. And the boy—the vessel—was walking unknowingly toward his doom.
The masked man remained alone in the chamber, his laughter echoing long after Shanti had gone. The stone pulsed with dark energy in his hand, the promise of destruction and chaos radiating from it. Soon, very soon, the world would know the true terror of Lord Zalaxar.