The room settled into a hushed calm after the storm of emotions that had gripped Vikram. The echoes of his vulnerability lingered like distant thunder, gradually fading into the recesses of his consciousness.
As the silence embraced him, he found himself in the aftermath of a tempestuous revelation, grappling with the events that had unfolded.
The words of the malevolent presence echoed incessantly in his mind, a haunting refrain that refused to be silenced.
"You don't think I will give everything for free, do you?"
The intent behind those words lingered in the air, an ominous reminder that Vikram had stumbled into a realm where the rules defied the natural order. The broken glass embedded within him served as a physical manifestation of the disturbance that now permeated his very being.
In the quiet aftermath, Vikram began to sift through the fragments of his shattered understanding. The paranormal encounters had left an indelible mark on his psyche, and he couldn't escape the feeling that these words held a deeper meaning for him. Yet, confusion gripped him. What had the entity ever given him except torturous pain?
As he contemplated the surreal events, Vikram's fingers explored his body, half-expecting remnants of the otherworldly encounter to linger. To his astonishment, his physical form felt rejuvenated, a stark contrast to the weariness that had clung to him just moments before. A surge of vitality coursed through him, and he couldn't resist a subtle jump, reveling in the unexpected renewal.
Yet, the elation was short-lived as a sobering realization seized him. His mind raced back to the harsh reality – the grim diagnosis of advanced-stage heart cancer. The medical certainty of his condition clashed with the inexplicable rejuvenation, creating a dissonance that reverberated within him.
Smacking himself in frustration, Vikram shook off the fixation on his diseases. He scolded himself for focusing on these trivial matters when a profound mystery enveloped him. The arcane act of removing his heart, inscribing it with runes and glyphs, posed a deeper question that begged to be unraveled.
Vikram sank into the plush cushions of his sofa, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and contemplation. The room, now draped in a quiet calm, offered a temporary respite from the storm of emotions that had gripped him moments ago. Clutching his temples, he attempted to make sense of the enigmatic events that had unfolded, the malevolent entity's words echoing incessantly in his mind.
In an attempt to regain control, Vikram rose from the sofa and moved toward the kitchen. He needed a distraction, something to ground him in the tangible reality of his surroundings. His fingers traced the cool surface of a glass as he reached for it, and the hiss of a soda can punctuated the silence.
Vikram poured himself a glass of cold Coke, the effervescence offering a slight distraction from the weight of the revelations that had happened inside the room.
He took a sip.
The coke seemed to ease his worry as a cool sensation passed through his throat. Placing the glass on the table, he took a moment to collect himself. But he noticed an unexpected disturbance.
The Coke within the glass trembled, sending ripples across its surface. Vikram furrowed his brow, scrutinizing the trembling liquid. Earthquake? The thought flickered in his mind, but the notion was quickly dismissed. Earthquakes were unheard of in Kerala.
Setting the glass down, Vikram's gaze shifted to the window. The people outside were staring at the sky, their expressions a mix of awe and terror. Intrigued, Vikram joined them, his eyes following their collective gaze upward.
A woman nearby screeched, her voice cutting through the stunned silence.
Vikram agreed with her.
His breath caught in his throat as he witnessed a colossal statue descending from the heavens.
The figure, reminiscent of Mother Mary, was descending towards Earth. The statue didn't have a face, more accurately, she had a blank face without features.
The enormity of the scene left Vikram in numbing shock.
The figure, reminiscent of Mother Mary, stretched its arms in a welcoming gesture...
Welcoming them to what?
Vikram had an ominous feeling rising in his heart. The events that had unfolded within the confines of his room now seemed to manifest on a grand scale.
The statue continued its descent, casting an ethereal glow that illuminated the surroundings. His heart was ripped apart, the strange encounter with the malevolent entity, and now the colossal statue in the sky – all connected in an intricate dance of the supernatural.
The colossal statue, having descended from the sky, came to an abrupt stop mid-air, as if suspended by unseen forces. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd below, their faces painted with a mix of awe and trepidation. Vikram, too, stood transfixed, his eyes locked on the gigantic figure that defied the laws of gravity.
Then, a stillness settled over the scene, and an ethereal glow began to emanate from the statue. The light started as a small flicker began to envelop every mortal present, casting a warm luminance. Vikram felt the gentle touch of the light, a comforting embrace that seemed to cradle his very essence.
It was as though he was being held close by a motherly force, a sensation foreign to him yet undeniably comforting. The ethereal glow wrapped around him, creating a sense of security and reassurance. Despite the strangeness of the situation, Vikram found himself momentarily lost in the warmth of this cosmic embrace.
However, his instincts kicked in, making him instinctively revolt against such an affection. The surreal experience, the rejuvenation, the entity's cryptic words – all faded into the background. Vikram understood that no matter the circumstances, he needed to stay vigilant and navigate the uncharted waters with a clear mind.
Even as the ethereal light held him, Vikram's focus remained sharp. His priorities were clear – to know what was happening and to understand the hell was going on. He owed it to himself more than anyone, to live, to be relevant, and to be one that would be reminded for time immemorial.
He knew that the truths that he wanted were far away from him. So he set his priorities straight.
First, to survive. Then...