"Kashyap Kao, this is your last chance, give us the Heart Time Dand. We can spare your life."
A soft and sorrowful voice echoed, "Husband Kashyap, for the sake of our child, give them what they want."
The sounds of shouting and arguing filled the air. "Demon, you cannot escape now. The only way out is to hand over the Heart Time Dand! Our Dand Master can save you."
The large hall was crowded with people. Senior officials sat on the stage. The crowd was growing agitated, shouting "Kill him, kill him!" Some were throwing stones, rotten vegetables, and other objects to express their anger.
All the Dand Masters were on high alert. The final attack could happen at any moment. Some clenched their fists in excitement, while others trembled with fear. A few had light in their eyes.
At a large execution post, with a half-sphere at the bottom, Kashyap Kao's neck rested against it. Above, a heavy, jagged iron rod hung.
He was dressed in black, his condition worse than death. His nails had been removed, and his body was covered in massive bruises. His eyes had a strange, burnt look, as though something heated had pierced through them. His body had lost all its flesh; only the skeletal remains were visible beneath a thin layer of skin.
"In the end, I lost." He whispered, but his voice was barely audible, for he had no more Dands, and his tongue had been cut off.
In a single moment, all his thoughts turned chaotic. He saw his life, from start to finish, flash before him in an instant.
He had been an ordinary citizen of Earth, who had sacrificed his life to religious duties. Later, he found an opportunity in the Dand World. This was the result of 200 years of hardship.
"If the legends of Heart Time Dand are true, then maybe I can heal with the remaining strength in my heart, or deliver final attack to spread chaos and try to run away." His voice lacked strength and clarity, but his expression was calm.
Kashyap needed Dand essence to activate the Heart Time Dand. He was ready to burn his soul and body for one last chance. Then, every bone in his body started to break, his soul was in torment. It felt as though someone was wringing him out, draining him dry.
Slowly, the pain from his body and bones reached his chest. His chest and hips began to crush, and a seal on his body broke. The seal was an intricate design, covered with otherworldly text. The seal vanished from his heart and absorbed into him, gathering the final energy.
Suddenly, Kashyap felt Dand essence flooding into his chakras. It was like a thirsty man drinking water. He tried to activate the Heart Time Dand once again. From his spine, a four-foot-long, spear-like shape formed, its tip pointed like a leaf, with some red substance flowing out from the lower end.
"Heart Time Dand."
All the high-ranking officials rose from their seats, hurriedly shouting, "Bring it here, give it to us."
Before they could act, the Heart Time Dand pierced through Kashyap Kao's heart. Blood splattered everywhere, the warm, sticky fluid spreading across the floor and walls, staining the surroundings. His body jerked, and his breath stopped in an agonizing gasp.
"Stop him!" But it was too late. The execution rod fell from its hanging position, crashing down with a sickening thud. In that instant, Kashyap Kao's head was severed. It rolled away from his body, blood spurting from the stump of his neck, painting the floor in a crimson shower. Silence enveloped the room, thick and suffocating.
———
Kao Village
Normally, at dusk, Kao Village would be bustling, but for some time now, an eerie silence had taken over. It felt as if everyone was in shock.
In the center of the village, the Village Leader sat on his throne, surrounded by some elders.
In a hesitant voice, the village healer spoke up, "The Village Leader, Kashyap Kao, is no longer in danger."
The Village Leader, a tall man with white hair, sharp eyes, and a short white beard, had an aura so imposing that it felt like death was near whenever he stood.
"Fine," the Village Leader responded with a concerned tone. Then, someone from the crowd sarcastically remarked, "Kashyap, Kao is ruining the village's reputation." Whispers began spreading throughout the crowd.
Memories flooded the Village Leader's mind. "Once, I saved my wife, but she died after discovering that our unborn child had passed away, and the village's fate turned grim. Then, on that day, a woman in black clothes handed me a child, saying, 'This is your son, take care of him.'"
Since then, he had raised Kashyap as his own. Despite the leader's position, he had to take care of the village and its resources. Today, his own son was ruining the family's name. Though Kashyap wasn't his biological child, he had never treated him differently, and to the world, they were father and son. Today, the Village Leader had to make a decision, heavy with the weight of his heart.
"Silence!" The Village Leader's voice rose. The surroundings fell quiet.
With a heavy heart, the leader continued, "Until Kashyap finishes his studies, he must remain in the Gurukul. From now on, Kashyap will not return here. Kao Village will no longer provide resources for him."
The villagers began to murmur in discontent.
Kashyap was often troubled and humiliated at the Gurukul because of his weakness. This time, it had gone too far. "A female student caught him entering the women's bathhouse, and a few others joined in to beat him."
On the other side, Kashyap stood up. He looked out the window. The cool breeze was making his black hair flutter. His pupils, larger than those of an ordinary human, seemed as deep as the darkest depths of the universe.
"This is Kao Village," he said, his voice excited for a moment, but soon turning calm again. "I have returned to my old path."
"The skies will cry now, the seas will dry up.
Heavens will be plundered, and mortals will die."
He murmured softly.