The riverside stayed silent for a while after Parth's laughter faded.
Not awkward silence.
The peaceful kind.
The kind people forget exists during war.
The frozen world around them slowly began moving again. The river flowed once more. Wind brushed through the trees. Somewhere far away, birds resumed singing as if nothing extraordinary had happened.
But for Parth, everything had changed already.
Kalki stood up slowly from the riverside stone.
The moment he did, the atmosphere shifted again — not heavily, not threateningly, but like the valley itself had straightened its back in respect.
Neel stepped forward first.
"Hanuman ji sent us here," he said calmly. "He's staying in Puri with the remaining bhakts and refugees. He told us Sambhala would reveal itself when the time came."
At the mention of Hanuman, Kalki smiled warmly.
Not as an avatar.
Not as a destroyer.
Just… fondly.
"Mahaveer never changes," he said softly. "Even after all yugas, he still chooses devotion over rest."
Then the smile faded slightly.
Something heavier entered his eyes.
Parth noticed it immediately.
Kalki looked toward the horizon for a few moments before speaking again.
"Time is running out."
The line settled heavily over everyone.
Aarav visibly stiffened.
Kalki continued quietly,
"Kali and his minions will stop hiding soon. The last war will begin openly."
Meera swallowed nervously.
Avni unconsciously moved closer to Sia.
"The war this time," Kalki said, "will not be like Kurukshetra. Not kingdoms against kingdoms. Not brothers against brothers."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"This time humanity itself stands on one side."
Even the wind felt colder suddenly.
Parth frowned slightly.
Kalki's gaze became distant.
"And the enemy? The most terrifying rakshasa among all yugas."
A brief silence followed.
Then calmly—
"Ravana and Kansha were insignificant compared to what Kali has become now."
Nobody spoke after hearing that.
Not even Aarav.
Which itself felt wrong.
Kalki looked at all of them one by one.
"Me and the seven immortals will fight this war directly."
Even hearing it spoken aloud made the future feel terrifyingly real.
Ashwatthama.
Hanuman.
Parashurama.
Vyasa.
Kripa.
Mahabali.
Vibhishana.
And Kalki himself.
The final warriors of dying ages.
Kalki continued,
"During this time, many people will begin searching for refuge. Most will fail to find Sambhala. Only the purest hearts will reach here."
He looked toward the village behind them.
"This place will become humanity's final shelter."
Then his gaze shifted toward Sia, Avni, and Meera.
"You three will stay here with Padmavati and the people of Sambhala. Refugees will come wounded, starving, broken in spirit. They will need care more than weapons."
Sia nodded immediately.
Avni looked nervous but determined.
Meera looked like someone accidentally assigned responsibilities during the apocalypse.
Then Kalki turned toward Parth, Neel, and Aarav.
"But Sambhala has no warriors and instead of humans with impure hearts, some other species might attack."
The air grew still again.
"So I entrust its protection to you three."
Parth straightened unconsciously.
Neel lowered his gaze respectfully.
Aarav looked almost startled.
"You will protect this place from every danger," Kalki said calmly. "No matter what comes."
Then—
Kalki's eyes met Parth's directly.
And suddenly Parth heard his voice inside his mind instead of his ears.
> "As always, Nar and Narayan will fight for the same purpose, Parth. Only the battlefields are different this time."
Parth's breath caught.
> "I will face the greatest threat to civilization itself."
The voice softened slightly.
> "And you will protect the humans who deserve to witness the next sunrise."
Something inside Parth steadied hearing that.
Not comfort.
Purpose.
He slowly nodded once.
Kalki smiled faintly.
Then Parth's eyes moved toward Aarav—
and immediately his chest tightened.
Aarav was shaking.
Very slightly.
But enough to notice.
His hands were clenched tightly beside him, breathing uneven.
Parth knew immediately.
The visions.
Sahadeva knew something horrifying.
Neel noticed too.
"Aarav?" he asked quietly.
Aarav instantly forced a grin.
Kalki watched him silently for a second longer than the others.
But said nothing.
Sia finally broke the heaviness.
"So…" she sighed softly, "you're leaving already?"
Kalki looked toward her and smiled gently again.
"Yes."
That single word made the atmosphere unexpectedly emotional again.
Sia folded her arms.
"You appear after centuries, emotionally destroy everyone, assign apocalypse duties, and now you're leaving?"
Kalki chuckled softly.
"Sounds accurate."
"How long this time?" she asked quietly.
Kalki looked upward toward the darkening sky.
"As long as the universe decides."
There was no sadness in his voice.
Which somehow made it sadder.
Sia exhaled slowly.
"Don't worry, bhaiya," she said softly. "We'll protect this place."
Parth stepped beside her instinctively.
"No one will touch Sambhala while we're alive."
Kalki looked at all six of them quietly.
And smiled.
"I know."
Then softly—
"I believe all of you will fight till your final breath for what you love."
The words settled deeply inside all of them.
Kalki slowly raised one hand in blessing.
"Vijay bhava."
May victory be yours.
The wind moved gently through the valley.
Then suddenly—
his expression lightened again.
"Now," he said casually, "let's eat dinner before the universe becomes dramatic again."
That earned the first actual laugh from Meera in hours.
Kalki turned and began walking toward the house beside the river.
But before entering—
he glanced back once.
Just once.
And something about that expression troubled Parth deeply.
Not fear.
Not doubt.
It looked almost like…
farewell.
Parth frowned slightly but said nothing.
—
Dinner felt unreal.
The wooden house glowed warmly under oil lamps while cool night wind drifted through open windows. Outside, crickets chirped softly and somewhere distant someone played a flute.
Padmavati herself served everyone food.
Warm rice.
Dal rich with actual flavor.
Vegetables cooked in spices they had almost forgotten existed.
For a few moments nobody even spoke.
They just ate.
And nearly died emotionally because after surviving futuristic apocalypse food for weeks, this tasted divine.
Aarav stared at his plate dramatically.
"I'm actually going to cry over dal."
"You already cried over mango juice once," Neel reminded him calmly.
"That was emotional mango juice."
Padmavati laughed softly hearing that.
Even Kalki looked amused.
Sia smiled while eating quietly.
Then after a long silence she spoke softly,
"After so many years…"
Everyone looked towards her.
She looked around the table slowly.
"It finally feels like I'm with family again, bhaiya."
Her voice softened.
"My mind refuses to believe there's an apocalypse outside while we're sitting here."
Kalki suddenly smiled.
Not the calm Kalki smile.
The mischievous one.
The dangerous Krishna smile.
Sia immediately narrowed her eyes.
"No."
Kalki ignored her completely.
"By family," he said thoughtfully, "do you mean the time you brought your future husband into Dwarka along with you for the first time?"
Parth choked instantly.
Actually choked.
Aarav nearly fell sideways laughing.
Neel covered his mouth but absolutely failed hiding his smile.
Sia looked horrified.
Kalki continued peacefully while eating.
"You were definitely planning something suspicious that day."
Parth grabbed the nearest glass of water violently while coughing.
Sia's face turned completely red.
"I hate everyone here," she declared immediately.
Then angrily shoved the glass properly toward Parth.
"Stop dying and drink water."
Now even Padmavati laughed.
Meera looked between all of them helplessly.
"I feel like I accidentally joined season two of a show without watching previous episodes."
"That's exactly what happened," Aarav assured her.
Sia glared at everyone equally.
Which somehow made the entire situation funnier.
But beneath all the laughter—
Parth understood something important.
This.
This warmth.
This ridiculous dinner.
This peace.
This was what they were fighting for.
Not kingdoms.
Not glory.
Not destiny.
Just this simple human happiness.
And suddenly his determination became unshakable.
—
The next morning felt colder.
Parth woke slowly.
Something felt different immediately.
Quieter.
He stepped outside the wooden house.
The valley looked peaceful as always.
But—
Kalki was gone.
Near the entrance of Sambhala, dozens of unfamiliar people rested beneath trees and beside small homes.
Refugees.
Old men.
Women carrying children.
Exhausted families.
People from Puri.
Parth immediately understood.
Hanuman ji had sent them here.
Which meant—
Hanuman himself had left.
For war.
Behind him, Aarav stepped outside silently.
His face immediately darkened after seeing the refugees.
Neel appeared moments later too.
Nobody needed to explain anything.
The war had begun moving.
Rapidly.
Inevitably.
Somewhere far beyond Sambhala, Kali was gathering darkness.
And somewhere upon the earth—
the final destruction had already taking it's place.