In a place, seemingly a river of darkness, all alone. Shreiyas continued to drift away aimlessly, resembling almost the carcass of a great sea beast, carried by the waves for its immense valour in the face of several tribulations and depression.
The scarred body was submerged halfway into the dark waters, as he laid in an eternal bliss, without showing even a hint of urgency.
There was no sign of rigidity present on his face, nor were there any creases or wrinkles left by the weight of the old memories in his mind, for he had no worries left.
Shreiyas was finally at peace, after so-so long....
His thoughts were devoid of its usual chaotic plans, and his soul which usually radiated the heat of a thousand stars, was now just serene and cool.
There was nothing around, just him. Floating all alone. No land, no civilization, no sign of life. Truly! Being alone is a peace unparalleled.
But unfortunately, it was only momentary.
After all, he still had to serve a divine purpose left incomplete, no man can escape his destiny and that was exceptionally true in regards to his matter.
Bubbles and steam, all aroused from the depths of the sea which was boundless in everything– length both horizontal and vertical. Floating around Shreiyas, like bees who had just found the perfect flower for themselves.
The mane of black that reached till his hips, started to turn into a slight gold, and his muscles started to bulge with veins starting to become eerily prominent.
His brows furrowed in irritation as the heat continued to increase and finally, the eyes snapped open! Revealing a glint of bright yellow, covering both the iris and the sclera.
It was as if, instead of eyes, Shreiyas had two suns all radiating celestial energy in a symphony.
But then, once again! Everything went into a state of comatose, and now greeting the recently awakened Shreiyas was a couple of oil-lamps and candles– all present near the corners of the unknown chamber– decorated with beautiful flowers in vases and other accessories— some luxurious and most mundane.
Such as portraits of some kind of a royal family, wooden swords and bows, along with quills on a wooden table just to the right and on top were different parchments all containing texts with words that seemed alien to him.
"What in the holy heavens?" He muttered faintly to himself and squinted his eyes, as he slowly removed the red blanket off his body– which felt really weak and shackled at the current moment.
Then he stood straight up, and strided some distance away from the bed, gazing down at his legs– long and slender, with a smooth pale complexion that instinctively made him think, as if he was suffering from continuous blood loss!
"I am..... alive?"
Confusion was clear as he extended both of his arms out, gazing at it with curiosity, rotating the wrist and lifting the cream-colored sleeves of the top robe to stare more at himself.
"Where are my scars? Where the fuck is my hard earned muscles?!! Most importantly, how the fuck did I become short!?" He thought with eyes as wide as saucers.
A mirror was required, and fortunately, there was a small dark and sleek hand-held mirror present on the same table containing all the quills and parchments.
Shreiyas went to the table, his steps small and weak, holding a cork over his steaming emotions, threating to burst out and roar as if they were a pack of wild lions.
And as he came closer, so increased the beating of his heart.
Picking the small mirror up by its hard handle– curved at the end like the hilt of a sword, and right after, Shreiyas turned it so that it would show the face he was most accustomed to.
Yet it didn't.
The eyes that glared with shock, were not his. The face that became more pale was not his. The locks that draped over his forehead was not at all his!
The person in the mirror was a different person all together.
Shreiyas took a deep breath and with hands trembling, he placed the mirror down. Then he went slowly back, trying to maintain his breathing and fell backwards on the soft mattress.
-Plop-
Shiva greeted him, looking at him with half lidded eyes, and a small smile clear on the blue face covered with the ashes taken from sacred pyres.
Shreiyas finally got a good grip on himself, and relaxed as much as one could be when forced into such a peculiar stage.
"Even the painting of the lord, can calm me down....Om Namah Shivaay!
Now that I think about it. I was dead and now I am suddenly alive in a new body. This can only mean, one thing... reincarnation!!
Though unlike many, most probably, due to my divine blood I can still remember my old life as an ascended."
He muttered softly to himself, as he continued to stare at the ceiling with the Lord Shiva painting. Finally, his erratic thoughts have turned into rational ones. Perks of living through war, one becomes calm even in the most dangerous and unpredictable situations.
Once again, he stood up and went over to the desk. Then at the next moment, he grabbed the small mirror, and gazed at his new face.
"Hmm....I mean not as handsome as my old appearance but still more than enough to attract or charm anyone who comes in front of me. Though thank the heavens, that I still carry the same regal look with myself.
The hair is still the same black but with some faint golden locks, and the eyes? They have changed, no longer are they amber, in this body they're black like the everlasting void that consumes all those who dare to gaze at it, not with humility but overconfidence.
At least those scars which once affected my ego about my appearance, are gone now.
But really?!
My 12 ft height.... It's gone. I want to cry, my height in this body is only half of my original. Along with that, my hard earned rock hard muscles too? Curse you reincarnation cycle!! Still, can't complain for some muscles are present at least, giving me more of a lean yet strong look. Asthetic as shit.
Shreiyas thought with a small smile and twitching right eye, he was irritated yes but also amused by the changes which would seem slightly feminine in his old world.
Very high expectations they carried for men, though the women would probably get attracted pretty quickly at his cute looks which showcased an innocent nature hiding the maturity underneath.
The mirror was placed back into its original position, and then he turned his attention towards the parchment.
The black letters upon the sheet seemed alien to him, actually not alien, but like a foreign language such as Mandarin or something which he has never learned.
"What to do, what to do? Hmm. Wait do I still have my old boons in this body? If yes, then it can help me to learn more about this world."
Shreiyas sat on the floor, assuming the lotus position and then he formed the Gyan Mudra, placing both of his hands on the knees.
"Om...."
He closed his eyes, and inhaled the fresh clean air which was a rarity in his time, due to the destructions caused by him and Yamini alongside the forces of the lord of the darkest nights aka Kaalpurush.
Then he exhaled, clearing out his mind. And in place of thoughts, he imagined himself, then he used his strong visualization to imagine further within himself.
And there it was, his soul. Thank god, at least his soul was still radiant as ever.
But floating around his star-like soul, was a lotus and on top of it was the humane figure of Goddess Saraswati– Mother of Knowledge and Languages, beautiful as a fairy and she was playing the Veena, producing sweet music pleasant to the ears.
"So I only carried one boon in this new body of mine? Hmm. Oh well, at least the blessing is quite useful, so I definetly can't complain. Otherwise I would seem like a brat. Haaaa..."
And right at the next moment, the mist of trance surrounding him disappeared. He was back into the real world.
Shreiyas yawned as he opened his eyes, and complained to himself silently, about how this new body was weak in the department of spirit, getting exhausted in an instant just by viewing the inner consciousness or you can even say the soul, around which the boons would spin continuously like the planets present within the solar system.
He stood up, placing his hands on his hips and turned his gaze towards the parchment, and then he activated the boon of Devi Saraswati– Language Spectrum.
The knowledge of the text and the language used, entered his mind and he faintly grunted. It felt as if a hammer had struck his cranium yet he stood composed.
Hi, Shreiyas.
I know you must be confused, for you've awakened into a new body, and if you are capable of reading this, then it means you still have a boon with you.
You must be thinking, how do I know about you? Well the body you are currently inhabit....That is mine.
I know, shocking right?!
Yeah. I felt that too when the Devtas came in my dreams and told me all about the world I inhabit.
At first I was skeptical and wrathful at the fact that my soul would be kicked from my own body yet.... You serve a far grander purpose than I ever could.
After all, I am the disappointment to the Taorn family. The only one who had weak Prana Centres or Chakras in our entire bloodline.
Destiny wanted me to be trash and rather than lamenting, it is much better to just...cease my pointless self-belief.
Oh shit! I am getting lost in my own pain. Sorry, hehe. Anyways, you are currently the 25th son of Taorn family, the youngest and the weakest son born from the main blood.
My parents or now your parents are Patriarch Devansh Taorn and Matriarch Devirup Taorn.
You have in total twenty five siblings and many more from the other wives of my father.
And I won't write anything about my siblings, that the divine guide will help you with, as the ink is slowly finishing.
Anyways, I will just say this. You are in your favorite novel world– The Surge Of The Divine Throne, and yes as you might have guessed I am a background character (imagine my shock).
Only my clan is mentioned due to its high power in the kingdom, but I am sure you can recall.
Ps- Ink is almost at the end, the divine guide will probably awaken the dormant memories.
Signed Shankara Taorn.
Finally the word spree finished, and Shreiyas now Shankara started to remember the memories of this life.
After a few minutes, the memories that shifted like the clicks of a movie halted and Shankara smiled.
"Damn. This boy really had a bad past with all the imbalances and taint poisoning the Nadis and Chakras. I feel as if we would be great friends, if we meet in another life. But I can only promise you one thing, as an atonement for the takeover which ultimately led to your death, I will rise and your name will be the one to echo around the cosmos.
The era of Shreiyas has long ended, but Shankara's era has just begun.
Anyways, what was the divine guide he mentioned in the letters?"
[He was talking about me]
"Oh hell nah. A fucking parasite?!"
[What the fuck did you just call me, you bitch!]
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Author's note: This chapter was really boring to write and didn't come out that great, like I expected honest to god. But whatever. The next chapters will come out great, that I know, for those chapters will be written with a peace of mind. That I am lacking right now, at this very moment.
Anyways have a great day you all! Remember to hydrate yourself or whatever.
Har Har Mahadev!!