That night, in Rajat's hostel room full of boys, the stone remained on his table. The texture on it seemed to change on its own. The sounds of traffic outside the window and the chirping of bats from the college garden seemed inexplicably clearer and more distinct.
Rajat touched the stone again. This time, the flash did not flicker. Instead, a beautiful, calm wave of light filled the room. And then, near his bed, the air became something thick and shiny. A figure took shape.
It looked like an animal, but not any animal Rajat had ever seen. Its body was that of a deer, but shiny, translucent wings fluttered on its back. Its eyes were pure gold and had no black coating. It uttered the name Rajat in a beautiful, musical tone, but its mouth did not move. The voice went straight to Rajat's mind.
"Don't be confused. I am Lumine. I am not here to harm you."
Rajat drew back, struggling to speak. "You... who are you? What are you?"
My world is the same as yours, Lumine's thoughts were calm and clear. "But on a different frequency. The stone you have discovered is the 'Bridge Stone'. It thins the wall between our two worlds. You are one of the few humans who can see it and use it."
Your world? A different frequency? Rajat's mind began to wander.
Yes. We are 'Lumine'. We live on the energy of light, goodness, and protection. We help keep your world stable and safe. But there is another world... that lives on the energy of 'shadow'. And they want that stone.
Why? Rajat asked.
Care filled Lumin's beautiful eyes. Because with him, they could open rifts. They could absorb the energy of every world and... destroy everything.
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped. The curtains on the windows began to flutter, yet there was no wind outside. Lumin was immediately alert, his wings flapping.
They are here. They know now. You must be alert, Rajat. They must be waiting for your steps outside in the shadows of the night.
And then, as quickly as it had come, Lumin's form vanished. The light faded. Aryan was left alone, the stone in his hand and a terrible truth in his mind: the world he understood was only half of it. And the other half, now, was searching for him.