The city of Delhi was alive in every way – buzzing, chaotic, unpredictable. Its streets, the labyrinth of history and ambitions, seemed to pulse like nerves under a restless sky. For most people, it was chaos home, a cozy cacophony of life.
But not Arjun Mehta.
Standing near a dilapidated tea shop, he felt the world around him, but did not relate to it. The steam rising from the tea pot mingled with the smoke of passing cars while the vendor hummed an old Bollywood tune. Arjun barely listened to her. She looked up at the horizon where the buildings of Connaught Place, some dazzling and modern, others seasoned and relaxed, stood before a blazing evening sky.
"Extra masala, bhaiya?" said the salesman, breaking Arjun's glare.
Arjun got back to reality and nodded. "Yes, yes. Extra seasoning.
The salesman said with a laugh. "Always early, Arjun. One day, this life will teach you to slow down.
Arjun smiled but didn't answer. What can this old man know about deadlines, about trying to keep the power on while job applications pile up like unpaid bills? His gaze wandered again, distracted by the faint hint of color in fiery orange with an edge of sky-fiery orange-purple, like a painting losing its frame. Something felt, but he couldn't place it.
She tapped her fingers impatiently at the counter. His fingers stopped.
A glimpse of uneasiness
There was silence in the street. Not silent, but suppressed.
The familiar voices of Delhi – the horn of auto-rickshaws, the bark of dogs, the distant laughter of children playing cricket in the street – faded into an awkward silence. Arjuna blinked, turned his head to take it in the street and carefully.
A flock of pigeons burst into the air from a nearby rooftop. The chaiwala paused intermittently, staring at the same horizon that had fixed Arjuna a few moments earlier. His hand trembled slightly.
"Bad weather is coming," muttered the salesman, almost to himself.
Arjuna frowned. The sky was cloudless, the air was heavy with the heat of summer, but the air had a peculiar taste - metallic and sharp. A prick of uneasiness crept over his skin.
Over the years, Arjun had trained himself to ignore his gut feelings. The practicality was safe, he had learned. The bills themselves didn't pay off. The city didn't care about intuition.
But this time, his gut won't calm down.
A tear in the sky
"Here's your tea. The salesman gave him the steaming cup, but Arjun barely noticed.
Above them, the first wave appeared. It was faint at first, a shimmer in the air like the heat rising from a summer road. Then came the voice - a low humming, almost imperceptible at first, growing louder. It resonated in his chest, not entirely unpleasant, but undeniably unnatural.
"What's that?" someone muttered behind him.
Arjuna turned like a wave turned into a tear.
The sky seemed to split itself apart, a jagged crack cutting through the twilight. Light was spilling out of it, not as golden as the sun, but white-hot, pure, and blinding. A deep roar followed, echoing through the streets, shaking windows, and sending birds scattering in all directions.
The ground beneath Arjuna's feet was trembling, a subtle tremor that was getting stronger with every passing second. The world around him exploded into chaos.
People kept running, screaming, pushing. The tea stall overturned, spilling boiling tea into the gutter. One child screamed, lost in the crowd, before his mother snatched them and ran away.
Arjuna stood frozen, the cup slipped from his hand and shattered on the pavement.
It wasn't fear that held him in place. It was awe-inspiring – a terrifying, unbelievable awe.
Through the crack, something went.
First Arrival
The creature emerged like a shadow stepping into the light. Its appearance was huge, humane but wrong. Its skin shimmers with an oily blackness, smoke curls it into thin tendrils. The muscles of his body vibrated unnaturally, as if there was something more monstrous barely within him.
His eyes sparkled - no, like burnt lava, scanning the frightened crowd with the appetite of a predator.
Another roar broke out of his throat, shaking the air. The beast stepped into the world perfectly, its clawed feet breaking asphalt like dry earth. Behind it, another creature appeared, smaller but faster. It was scattered on four legs, its body low to the ground, its long tail whipping like a serpent.
Arjuna's mind raced. However, his body refused to move.
He had previously seen horror movies, the way ordinary people face extraordinary monsters. They were always screaming, always running, but Arjun now understood why some people were standing there helplessly.
"What the is this?" someone shouted, breaking the trance.
The creatures responded with action.
The larger one went first, swinging his huge arm and slamming it into a parked car. The vehicle crumbled like paper, overturning on its side. The second creature sprang up, its claws ripped off as easily as tearing the cloth through a pile of fruit crates.
The crowd grew, and Arjuna felt himself pushed backwards by a panicked mass of people. But even as they scattered, he remained fixed on the cracks, on the creatures, the feeling in his chest an overwhelming certainty that it was not random.
It was connected to him.
Call to Medal
Medals.
Arjun's fingers were hitting the bottom of his shirt. He stared at the chains that had been nothing more than a family heir until now.
Now, it fluttered against his palm, glowing faintly.
"What—" she began, but her voice stuck in her throat.
The medal became hot, the symbols engraved its surface flared with light. It felt alive, almost sensitive, and it was pulling on it—not physically, but spiritually, as if something deep inside was awakening.
Then came the voice.
"You have been elected.
It was soft but powerful, not heard with his ears but in the depths of his mind. It revealed a truth that frightened him.
The creature turned into one, their glowing eyes locking on it. They seemed to hear it too, their snarls deepening.
"Run," whispered Arjun to himself, but his feet remained rooted.
The little creature jumped, claws spread.
At that moment the medal ignited and Arjuna's vision was filled with light.
Please read it now on Google Books:.https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=7zc-EQAAQBAJ