Shan and Tamaya had journeyed across the passage of time, but nothing could prepare them for the surreal realm they had just entered. The caves stretched endlessly, filled with echoes of distant wars, ravaging droughts, and unrelenting floods. The air was thick with the weight of history, as though the very walls carried the burden of forgotten battles.
Hours passed in eerie silence, and Shan suddenly jolted awake, his mind clouded with confusion. His surroundings were unfamiliar. Disoriented, he realized he had lost his consciousness somewhere along the way. As his eyes scanned the cave, the darkness swallowed everything, and he could feel a growing sense of dread. Where was Tamaya?
He called out her name, his voice echoing off the walls, "Tamaya! Where are you?"
Then, he heard it-her desperate scream. "Help!" It pierced the stillness, raw and filled with terror.
Shan's heart raced as he sprinted toward the sound. The deeper he ventured, the more oppressive the atmosphere grew. The walls seemed to pulse with an ancient energy. His breath quickened, but he finally found her-standing in front of a towering statue of Narayana, the Hindu god, holding a torch of fire that flickered ominously in the shadows.
"Hey, why are you shouting?" Shan called out, his voice trembling with urgency.
Tamaya pointed to the right, her eyes wide with horror. Shan turned to follow her gaze, and his blood ran cold. A massive lion stood before him, its eyes glowing with a predatory gleam.
"What... What is this? Are we in a zoo?" Shan stammered, attempting to pinpoint their location through the maddychip, but to his shock, it failed to register anything.
Tamaya's cries grew louder, and Shan fought to steady his breath. Fear clutched at his chest, but he couldn't let panic consume him
The lion roared, the ground shaking under its power. Shan stepped forward, his voice bold yet laced with fear, "Come here if you want to eat us!"
The lion turned its gaze toward him, its immense power radiating into the cave. Without hesitation, Shan dashed toward the statue, grabbing the torch. "Tamaya, follow me!" he shouted.
The lion charged.
In a split second, Shan hurled the torch at the beast, the fire flickering through the air. The lion leapt toward him, but Shan grabbed the sword from the smaller statue beside the god and threw it with all his strength. The sword pierced the lion's heart, and with a final roar, the beast fell to the ground, engulfed in flames.
Silence fell once more.
Shan and Tamaya stood, breathless and shaken, as they watched the statue and the fallen lion. Tamaya trembled, her voice barely a whisper, "That was dangerous."
Shan's expression softened, determination flashing in his eyes. "I'd do anything to protect you."
Tamaya stepped closer to the statue, reaching out to place the sword back into its hands. But the moment her fingers touched the blade, a wave of disorientation swept over her. She gasped, her vision blurring, and with a cry, she stumbled back. "No, it can't be!"
Shan rushed to her side, his heart pounding. "Tamaya, what happened? Are you okay?"
She nodded, but fear still gripped her. Trembling, she fell into his arms. "I don't understand..." she whispered.
Before Shan could comfort her further, a figure emerged from the shadows-a monk, his presence calm but unsettling.
"I apologize for disturbing you," the monk said, he further added "But you are not in the right timeline."
Shan and Tamaya froze, staring at the monk in stunned silence...