Chapter 1: A World Torn Apart
The deity in the sky and Karan's stared each other down, one trying to assess his opponent, the other hoping he could intimidate the other into leaving.
'Of all the cities to start with, why did the first one have to have a legacy wielder…? I thought we got rid of them.' The deity lamented before shouting "You insolent mortal, Die!"
The ball of energy shot forward catching Karan off-guard; it hit him square in the chest causing a huge explosion.
For a moment there was silence, the dust settled in the aftermath of the divine confrontation; on could faintly make out Karan's silhouette glowing in radiant light.
But soon the light that had surged from Karan's wrist slowly faded, the warm feeling however lingered in his veins- It had changed something within him.
The deity, momentarily stunned was hesitant, as if unsure how to proceed and for a brief moment, there was silence.
"Impossible..." the god muttered, feeling frustration set in, the veins on his forehead were visibly bulging "The Legacies were supposed to have vanished with time. Nothing's going according to plan."
Karan, was still reeling from the surge of energy. However something seemed to have possessed him, his breathing became heavy.
"Leave this place!" Karan said, his voice different, stronger than he expected and sounded like multiple people talking at once. "You don't belong here."
The deity's face twisted in anger, its divine arrogance returned in full force. "You fool; you speak like you understand the balance of this world. You mortals have corrupted it. I will—"
Before the god could finish its sentence, a loud crash echoed from outside the dojo, followed by the sound of terrified screams. The sky above the city of Varanasi had turned a fiery red, and the distant silhouette of monstrous figures could be seen moving between the temples and alleyways, hunting the helpless civilians below.
Meera ran to the entrance, her face pale with shock as she watched the chaos unfold. "Karan, it's not just one. There are more of them."
Raghav, a hot-tempered former soldier, barged through the crowd of disciples, his eyes fierce as his years of training kicked in.
"We can't just stand here and wait for them to destroy everything!" he yelled, already gripping a staff as if it were his rifle.
Guruji Vasant, still composed despite the escalating danger, stepped forward. "Raghav this is no ordinary battle; these are beings beyond our understanding. But yes we must fight to protect the innocent."
He turned to Karan's direction, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and sorrow. "Karan, the legacy you carry is more important than any of us. You are the one who needs to lead the charge. But you cannot do it alone."
Karan nodded, he felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. "I know," Karan said quietly.
'We need to find others like me… others with legacies.' He thought, while the deity in the sky couldn't be any less bothered- other than Karan everyone else was an actual mortal, so as long as he could get rid of him, then everything else will fall into place.
As the made its calculations, Raghav became impatient. "Alright let's stop talking and start fighting. If there are more of these gods out there, we're going to need every ounce of strength we can muster."
Before Karan could reply him, the deity in the dojo sneered, regaining its composure. "You think your legacy will protect you? Well then I'll just crush you all before you have a chance to realize its true power."
With a roar, the god lunged forward, its hand crackling with divine energy. Karan barely had time to react. He braced himself for the impact, but before the strike could land, Guruji Vasant moved with lightning speed, intercepting the blow with his own staff. The impact sent a shockwave through the room, shattering the windows and knocking several students to the ground.
"Go!" Guruji shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "I will hold him off. You must gather the others and prepare for the battle ahead."
Karan's chest tightened. "But Guruji—"
"There's no time!" Vasant interrupted; his expression was resolute. "The legacies are the only way we can stop this madness. You must find and protect them, Karan. Now go!"
Reluctantly, Karan turned and grabbed Meera's arm. "We have to move. Now."
Raghav, already ahead of them, barked out orders to the students, directing them toward the safer rooms beneath the dojo. "There are monsters outside, get underground! Don't come out until it's safe!" he shouted, his voice booming over the chaos.
The three of them—Karan, Meera, and Raghav—pushed through the fleeing students and out into the city streets, where the full extent of the devastation became clear. The gods had descended upon Varanasi, their massive forms weaving through the narrow alleys, tearing down buildings with ease. Flames licked the sky, and the screams of terrified people filled the air.
Meera gasped as they ran through the streets, she had grabbed the first aid kit in the dojo thinking they'd need it, but now it seemed difficult to carry as her hands were trembling. But even that was least of her concerns. "These people, do you think we can save them…?"
But even though she asked that, she knew the answer to that question herself. "We can't save everyone, can we?"
Karan's jaw tightened. "Not yet. But we can still fight back."
Raghav, who was ran the fastest looked back with a Karan. "We need weapons, something that can hurt these things. Karan, you've got some magic powers; you took that energy ball like it was nothing. If you have anything else you can do, now would be a good time to figure them out."
"I don't know how it works!" Karan shouted back, his frustration mounting. The mark on his wrist still glowed faintly, but whatever power it had given him earlier was gone, leaving him feeling vulnerable.
They ducked into a side alley, the roar of another deity shaking the ground behind them. Karan leaned against a wall, breathing hard. "We can't stay here. Maybe we should get to higher ground and figure out our next move."
Meera, trying to catch her breath, looked up at him. "But Karan, the legacies—how are we supposed to find the others? We don't even know where to start."
Karan clenched his fists, his mind racing. "We start with what we know. The gods are probably targeting us, and if my legacy awakened, then others must have too. We need to find them before the gods do."
Raghav slammed his fist against the wall, his temper flaring. "Then what are we waiting for? We're not going to let these monsters destroy our world without a fight."
As they regrouped, Karan's thoughts swirled. The gods had returned, and humanity was on the edge of collapse.
But… there was still a flicker of hope, he looked at the faintly glowing mark on his wrist — this ancient power that had lain dormant for centuries. It was a power they would need to survive.