Kael stood frozen, his mind swirling with confusion, disbelief tightening around him.
His eyes darted back to the golden statue, its gaze still heavy and piercing, as if it knew far more than he did. The entire room pulsed with a quiet, unsettling energy, and Kael couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
He swallowed hard. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked, incredulous, his words breaking the silence.
"Breathe life into her, Kael," the voice responded, calm and certain, as if what it was suggesting was the most natural thing in the world.
Kael's heart skipped a beat, his mind reeling.
Breathe life into her?
Was this some kind of joke? He blinked rapidly, trying to process the absurdity of the command. There was no way in hell that voice was being serious.
"I think that falls under your agenda," Kael muttered, his voice quieter, almost a whisper, as though raising it would shatter the fragile calm that permeated the air. The soft glow of the statue's gold shimmered in the dim light, and it made him uneasy. "Considering the fact that you're, you know, a deity and all."
There was no immediate reply, only a faint hum of tension in the air.
Kael shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the heavy sensation of being watched. It wasn't just the statue. It was the very walls, the shadows — everything in this place felt alive, waiting for something.
"You know what to do," the voice finally replied, its tone smooth and unwavering, offering no explanation, no clarity, just more of the same infuriating calm.
Kael threw up his hands in frustration. "No, I don't!" His voice rose, his frustration spilling over. "I don't know what to do. I think you're forgetting that this is my first time seeing all of this — this insanity! I don't even know what's happening! I was supposed to be at university!" His words tumbled out in an exasperated rush, his disbelief giving way to frustration.
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing a few steps as his mind struggled to catch up.
None of it made sense.
None of it could be real.
His gaze flickered back to the statue — majestic and foreboding — and something deep inside him stirred, something primal, as if the very core of his being recognized the enormity of the task before him.
The voice cut through his spiraling thoughts like a knife. "Knowledge in this world is earned, Kael, and you, too, have to earn it. She was not always a statue. She is the sage of the times. She has been cursed for many, many years. She was protecting an ancient —"
Kael froze, his heart pounding in his ears as confusion deepened. "What curse?" he interrupted, his tone sharp and disbelieving.
The voice continued, steady and unyielding. "Sage Nagasth misjudged the ruler of this land. She believed her to be a monster and punished her with a curse — the worst kind of curse ever to exist."
Kael's eyes widened. "She was punished just because of a misunderstanding?"
"Her curse was grave, Kael. The ruler's punishment was inevitable. She reaped what she sowed. That is the nature of life — if you do not pay for your actions in this life, you remain restlessly in this world until you find your salvation."
Kael stared at the statue, his thoughts whirling. "And you can't help me?" he asked quietly, his voice thick with desperation.
"I brought you to her. You can do what needs to be done. In your world, knowledge comes with a price — whether it's money, pride, or sacrifices. Show her that what you seek from her is more than greed. Show her your purpose."
Kael's breath hitched. His heart clenched painfully in his chest as a question he had been holding back finally slipped past his lips. "Is saving the woman I love not purpose enough?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The voice was silent, leaving Kael to wrestle with the overwhelming emotions flooding him.
He sank to the ground, his back pressed against the cold wall, his thoughts racing. The statue, still and golden, loomed diagonally from where he sat, watching him — watching.
But this time, Kael didn't feel its oppressive gaze. His mind was somewhere else entirely, lost in the voice's words.
It was the first time he truly gave thought to what the voice had said. Everything came with a price, he thought bitterly. Nothing in this world was free. Not advice, not knowledge, not love. Everything was bartered, negotiated, weighed against something else.
The system he had accepted came at a cost, too — his very soul, his peace of mind. It had cost him everything.
And now, to show this statue that he was driven by purpose rather than greed, he had to confront the truth of his desires. His love for his grandmother, the desperate need to keep her by his side, was that truly purpose? Or was it selfishness, the kind of greed that blinded him to the realities of life?
Kael had always understood the textbook definitions of these things — purpose, greed, sacrifice. But this… this was something else.
Something deeper.
Something unspoken, not written by humans but carved into the divine fabric of the world. The answer was not material, not something he could find in this house. It was within him, just as the voice had said. He had to look inward to understand.
Kael leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. A shiver ran through his spine as, in the darkness behind his eyelids, a vision of his grandmother came into view. Memories of her flooded him, each one a vivid recollection of the only family he had left.
He barely remembered his father except for the day he left. He had only a year of memories with his mother before she, too, was gone. But his grandmother had been there, always — through every silent night, through every struggle and joy. She had been his anchor, his safe harbor. She had taught him everything that mattered.
And now she was slipping away.
A flash of memory hit him like a wave, transporting him back in time.
***
They were at home, preparing for the festival Kael loved most — the festival of lights, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, of peace, of love. His mother and grandmother had been bustling around the house, preparing the decorations and food.
Kael had been learning the traditional dance his grandmother had taught him, the same one they had performed every year.
"You know, Grandma," Kael said suddenly, as he watched her tie their sacred thread around his arm, "I told Savanna to come learn our dance from you, but her father refused. He sent her to some fancy class instead. They charge seventeen thousand altars!"
His grandmother smiled, her face serene, the corners of her eyes crinkling with warmth. "It wasn't always like this, Kael," she said softly, running a hand through his hair with the kind of tenderness that only a grandmother possessed. "There was a time when the only thing teachers sought in return was respect and a passion for learning."
Kael's brow furrowed, his curiosity piqued. "How did they show respect back then?"
His grandmother's smile deepened, and she paused, looking at him as though the answer was already within him. "What's the very first thing you do when I teach you something, Kael?"
"Uh… warm-up?" he guessed.
His grandmother laughed, her eyes twinkling with affection, and Kael couldn't help but join her. She looked at him like he was her world, though he was still too young to understand the depth of her love. "No, not the warm-up, my dear. The very first thing."
Kael's expression shifted as he thought about it. Then his eyes lit up, the memory dawning on him. "I touch your feet and take your blessings!"
His grandmother's smile widened as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "That's right, Kael. That's how we showed respect in our culture. It was all that the sages needed in return for sharing their knowledge. A simple, heartfelt gesture of gratitude. But now…"
Her smile faltered slightly, and her voice softened with a sadness Kael hated to hear. "Now everything has changed. Everything is a transaction. People have forgotten the value of simple respect. Everything comes with a price."
Kael's heart clenched at the sorrow in her voice, the way her face dimmed with the weight of that thought. He hated seeing her sad, hated the shift in her expression, as if the world she had known was slipping away, out of her control.
He reached out and grasped her hand, holding it tightly in his small fingers. "One day, Grandma," he declared with certainty, "I'm going to write a book. A book that will restore everything that's been lost. I'll make sure people remember how things used to be — how they should be."
His grandmother smiled again, her eyes misty but filled with pride. She bent down and kissed his forehead, a gesture filled with silent blessing. "You are meant for greater things, my son," she whispered, her voice steady with faith. "I know you will always choose the right path."
With that, he took her finger in his hand, and together they left the house, stepping out to enjoy the golden festival.
***
Now, Kael's eyes fluttered open, the memory cutting deep into his heart. Tears rolled silently down his face, his chest rising and falling with the weight of his emotions.
He stood slowly and approached the statue, his knees buckling as he knelt in front of it. His hands joined together in prayer, his voice breaking as he whispered to the golden figure towering above him.
"I don't know if it's purpose or greed that's driving me," he whispered, his voice shaking. "I don't know what it even means to have a purpose anymore. My life is my grandmother. I need her. She can't leave me. Not like this. I've prayed for her in every breath, and now I have a chance to bring her back."
He bowed his head, his forehead touching the cold feet of the statue. His breath hitched as more tears escaped him, and the words tumbled from his lips in a desperate plea. "Please… I need your help."
For a moment, there was only silence.
He stayed there, knelt at the feet of the sage, his body trembling as his tears poured out. He didn't know how much time passed, but the weight in his chest seemed to ease, the tears slowing as he let go of the emotions he had been holding inside for so long.
He felt lighter, somehow, as though something had shifted inside him. Then, suddenly, he felt a hand on his head.
Kael gasped, his entire body jerking as the floodgates of emotion opened once again. His heart raced, and though there was no sound, his breaths were uneven, his body shaking uncontrollably.
The touch was gentle, yet it released every burden he had been carrying, every grief, every fear.
"Jñānaṃ dīpyatām, satyaḥ śreyān bhavatu."
The voice commanded the silence and Kael felt a shiver run up his spine. When he finally lifted his gaze, his vision blurred from tears, the golden statue was gone.
Instead, a woman stood before him.
She wore the red vastra of a sage, her long hair braided and tied into a bun atop her head. Her arms were covered in runes, like a spell that was alive, swirling around her skin and her eyes were a piercing brown, sharp and lethal, as though she had seen the weight of many lifetimes.
She looked at Kael with the authority of a being who had lived through ages, her presence overwhelming.
Kael bowed his head deeply in respect, his heart pounding.
Sage Nagasth's sharp eyes softened for a moment, her lips curling into the faintest smile. "Your grandmother raised you right."
Kael swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. He nodded, unable to speak, his chest heavy with grief and hope.
"Victory will be yours, Kael," Sage Nagasth said, her voice strong, filled with certainty. "Let truth guide you."
Kael's eyes met hers, his heart pounding as he gulped. "How do you know my name?"
The sage's lips twitched into a smile as she shook her head, holding a book securely in her hand. "Prophecies are not written overnight."
With that, she turned, and the dim, shadowed room began to change.
Light flooded the space as she moved gracefully toward the door. The once cold, dark air now felt warm, alive.
Kael followed the sage out of the room, his heart racing. The voice that had guided him so far was silent now, and for the first time, Kael felt the enormity of the path ahead of him.
"I will teach you everything there is to know," Sage Nagasth said as they walked. "I will guide you to the path of righteousness."
Kael's chest tightened as he thought of his grandmother. "Can my grandma come back?"
The sage paused, turning to face him. Her eyes were steady, and her voice softened, just slightly. "I do not know the future, Kael. I am here to guide your present."
Kael sighed, his shoulders slumping as disappointment washed over him. He nodded slowly.
The sage placed her palm on his head, and Kael immediately looked down as fresh tears welled in his eyes.
"You are angry, Kael. You are hurt. But what you seek comes from the deepest, purest part of your soul. The deities are kind to such desires. You hold the power to shape this prophecy, to turn it into either your greatest boon or your undoing. It is human to have a purpose, but it is your karma that will determine the fruit of your actions."
Kael wiped away his tears, his emotions a tangled mess of grief and determination. He nodded again.
"I am with you," Sage Nagasth said, her hand leaving his head. "And so is the Pantheon."
Kael nodded again, but doubt still gnawed at him. He wasn't sure he believed her entirely. The sage's knowing gaze rested on him for a moment, as if she could sense his doubts, before she turned away and began walking once more.
The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow across the landscape. The air was cool, filled with the scent of fresh flowers.
"You may return home," Sage Nagasth said.
"Where are you going?" Kael asked hesitantly, watching her retreating figure.
As her bare feet touched the soil of Altara, the transformation was immediate and undeniable — plants that had been dull and withered grew vibrant and green, flowers bloomed in places Kael had never seen before.
It was as if nature itself bent to her presence, welcoming her with a grace that left him speechless.
The Sage paused for a moment, joining her hands together in reverence to the life around them. She bowed her head toward the lush surroundings, a gesture of respect.
Then, she turned to meet Kael's gaze, her sharp eyes holding a depth he couldn't quite fathom. "I believe you will not accompany me to the Temple of Zarae," she said, her tone matter-of-fact, yet carrying a subtle challenge.
Kael shook his head, his voice firm. "I won't."
The sage laughed softly, her sharp eyes softening ever so slightly. "I will come to you," she said with finality before turning and walking away.
In every step she took, a trail of flowers bloomed at her feet, soft petals unfolding from the ground as if nature itself bent to her presence. She moved gracefully, her bare feet making no sound, yet the earth responded as if in reverence, vibrant blooms sprouting in her wake.
Wherever her presence graced the earth, life followed.
"Let's go home," the voice inside him finally said.
Kael jumped at the suddenness of it. "At least warn me before you speak!" he muttered, his heart racing.
The voice's tone held a hint of humor. "You'd still be startled."
Kael clenched his jaw, unwilling to admit the truth in the voice's words.
He made his way home, the weight of everything that had happened pressing heavily on his shoulders.
When he arrived, the house was silent. No warm laughter greeted him. No gentle caress. Nothing.
He went straight to his grandmother's room and knelt by her bed, his fingers gently caressing the sheets. He wished, more than anything, that she was healthy and safe wherever she was.
Resting his head on the bed, exhaustion washed over him. He didn't know when or how he fell asleep, but for the first time in weeks, his dreams were peaceful.
No nightmares haunted him. No voices disturbed his rest. He slept deeply, without fear, without the weight of the temples invading his dreams.
For the first time in a long time, Kael found peace at night.