January 1, 2030 – Evening
Arjun blinked awake to the sound of honking rickshaws and the distant hum of Mumbai's evening traffic.
The Disorienting Return
His clothes were dust-free, as if the explosion never happenedThe dig site looked untouched, no crater, no blue fire—just ordinary dirtTom and Praveen waved from a distance, chatting as if nothing unusual had occurred
The Only Proof
The Blue Diamond pulsed gently in his palm, its glow fading to a soft humHis birthmark itched faintly, now shaped like a dragon's claw clutching a controller
The Walk Home
Unnoticed Changes
Animals Reacted Differently Stray dogs followed him silentlyinstead of barking Pigeons took flight before he passed, as if avoiding him Technology Glitched Streetlights flickered as he walked beneath them His phone screen showed Ram's old Orkut profilefor a split second The Diamond's Whisper When he tightened his grip, a voice murmured:
"He thinks you're dead. Good."
Back in His Room
The First Test
He placed the diamond on his desk—it rolled back to himHis reflection in the mirror blinked a second too lateThe newspaper on his bed had a circled date:
July 7, 2030
The Realization
Whatever happened at the dig site was erased from everyone's memory… except hisThe diamond chose him—but for what?
WHISPERS IN THE DARK
January 1, 2030 – Midnight
The moment Arjun's head touched the pillow, his ceiling fan stuttered to a stop. The silence that followed was worse—a thick, humming quiet that made his teeth ache.
The Haunting Begins
First Sign A sound like scales dragging across concretebeneath his bed His Nokia (long dead) suddenly lit up with "D7"in pixelated letters The Revelation The Blue Diamond rolled off his desk—against gravity His reflection in the darkened window showed a dragon perched on his shoulderThe Fainting Spell A burst of sapphire flameerupted from the diamond The last thing he saw: Tiny clawsgripping his wrist Slit-pupiled eyesblinking slowly A voice that wasn't a voice: "See. Remember."
The Dreamscape Visions
Shambala's Memories
The Fall Seraphina's last moments before the coma, her wings shattering like stained glass Kai's laughter echoing through time itselfThe Heir's Prison The baby dragon's soul trapped in the bottle, watching helplesslyas Kai slaughtered her family Her tiny roars making no soundThe Prophecy A glimpse of Arjun himself, standing before the frozen pool, holding the Blue Diamond aloft A whisper: "You were never supposed to be alone."
Arjun's Resistance
Why He Fights the Visions
Grief Manifest The dragon's whimpers sound too much like Ram's last breaths Shambala's beauty mirrors his dead family's smiles—it hurts Fear of Madness He claws at his own arms upon waking, checking for scales His notes app shows pages of "D7" typed unconsciouslyThe Dragon's Frustration Her attempts to soothe him (nuzzling his cheek in dreams) backfire The more she shows him, the harder he resists
THE PROPHECY REVEALED
January 8, 2030 – The Grand Taj Hotel, Mumbai
The hotel room's sterile silence was a relief. No whispering scales, no phantom PlayStation startup sounds—just the hum of AC and distant traffic. Arjun slept for twelve hours straight, the Blue Diamond tucked under his pillow where it glowed faintly but harmlessly.
Temporary Peace
First Normal Morning Shaved without his reflection holding a dragon Ate room service idli that tasted like idli, not nostalgia His birthmark didn't itch once The Catch The hotel TV switched to static every 7 minutes Housekeeping left an extra towel folded into an odd wing-like shape His phone's autocorrect changed "Hyderabad" to "Shambala"three times
Dr. K's Discovery
Geneva Laboratory – Same Day
The ancient Shambala book finally yielded its last secret after 40 years:
The Prophecy Page Written in dragon's blood ink that only became visible under UV light Text:
"When the thief walks in seven skins,
The diamond-child will rise again.
Seek the lord of scars and controllers,
ARJUN of the blue flame." The Clincher A holographic map pinpointed Hyderabad's Ward D7 Faded text beneath: "The heir walks where the sparrows circle thrice at dawn" The Hunt Begins K's AI cross-referenced: 2008 Hyderabad massacre reportsRecent "blue light" incidents in MumbaiArjun's published archaeology papers on dragon iconography His private jet took off within the hour, carrying: A vial of liquid diamond(extracted from Kai's coma chamber) The Brown Diamond(stolen from a Zurich vault) A photo of Arjun from Ward D7's survivor records
THE AWAKENING
Hyderabad – A Rain-Soaked Night
Dr. K intercepted Arjun outside his apartment, thrusting a worn journal into his hands—pages filled with photographs of the 2008 massacre, blueprints of a mythical city, and a child's hospital bracelet labeled "D7".
"Your brother knew," Dr. K said, rain dripping from his brow. "He died protecting this truth."
Arjun scoffed, tossing the journal back. "Fantasy. My family died in a robbery, not some... dragon war."
But that night, the dreams changed.
The Dragon's Revelation
Arjun's Dreamscape
The baby dragon unspooled his life like a scroll:
The Hidden Past Showed Dr. K as a young researcher present at Ram's birthin Ward D7 Revealed his parents' true deaths—not random violence, but Kai's assassins silencing them The Prophecy Unfolds A glimpse of Arjun's past life: a Shambalan scholarwho hid the Blue Diamond's location The baby dragon's voice, clear now: "You chose this rebirth. To finish what we started." The Diamonds' Call The vision ended with nine glowing points on a map—eight under Kai's control, one pulsing in Arjun's chest
The Second Meeting
Dr. K's Proof
Over chai at a dimly lit café, the scientist revealed:
Security footage of Kai's coma chamber in 3122 BCE, where the walls bore Arjun's nameRam's encrypted hard drive, containing a child's drawings of "big brother with dragon wings"A live feed of Taison's forces excavating the Himalayas—"They've found Shambala's gates."
Arjun's hands shook as he touched the hospital bracelet—it burned blue at his touch.
The Acceptance
That Night's Dream
The baby dragon finally spoke plainly:
"Kai thinks he's won. He's wrong.
You are Lord Arjun—the scholar, the warrior, the heir.
The diamonds remember... even if you don't."
Arjun woke with:
Dragon-scale patterns glowing on his skinThe Blue Diamond embedded in his birthmarkOne phrase ringing in his mind: "July 7, 2030—the reckoning."
THE GATHERING STORM
Hyderabad Safehouse – February 2030
The walls were papered with maps, scribbled equations, and decades of Dr. K's research—now cross-referenced with Arjun's fragmented memories and the baby dragon's whispered guidance.
The Trio's Dynamic
The Scholar (Dr. K) Deciphered Kai's temporal weak points using ancient Shambalan algebra Modified ordinary tech into weapons: Diamond-resonance trackers from old smartphones Spectral goggles to see through Kai's illusions The Heir (Arjun) Trained by the dragon in dreamscapes to: Summon blue fire (burned his bedsheets twice) Sense diamond energy (found the lost White Diamond shard in Dr. K's coffee mug) His birthmark now projected holograms of Shambala's layout The Dragon Perched on Arjun's shoulder as a sapphire-winged lizard by day At night, her spirit grew to full size in shared dream-training Taught them the "Seven Syllables of Unmaking"—the only words Kai feared
Kai & Taison's Moves
Intel Gathered:
Taison had six diamonds embedded in a cybernetic gauntletTheir forces were tunneling into the Himalayas from seven global sitesKai's coma-body in 3122 BCE had vanished—only a lead diamond shard remained
The Clock Ticked
Satellite images showed the frozen Pool of a Thousand Dawns melting prematurelyEvery diamond Arjun touched whispered the same date:
"7.7.2030"
The Plan
Phase One: Distraction K's AI clones would hack Taison's diamond network Trigger fake energy spikes at decoy sites Phase Two: Infiltration Arjun and the dragon would enter Shambala through the D7 Ward mirror (Ram's old hospital) Use the Blue Diamond to unfreeze Seraphina Phase Three: The Sacrifice If all else failed, the dragon heir would merge with Arjun Become a living weapon—but erase her consciousness forever