*Boom*
At the certain mountain top amidst the Himalayan Range covered with knee deep snow untouched by any impurities. The sky engulfed by thunder clouds rumbling like wrath of gods.
Rudra walked forward climbing the mountain at a steady pace. He was a little over 6 feet having a lean body and well chiseled muscles, the only thing visible about him was his blood red eyes filled with tiredness, disappointment and lastly anger, rest covered in black Shawl hood.
*Swoosh*
A continuous gust of relentless wind finally managed to uncover the mysterious man from his hood and the mountains saw.
A man whose red eyes showed signs of tiredness which has come from all the disappointment and failure he had faced throughout his life of 35 years. His long black hair tied at the back waving in the rhythm of the wind.
"Ugh, all this time the answers were buried deep within these mountains."
Rudra Malik stood tall with a gleam of hope, a sense of achievement in his eyes. He was a little over 6 feet, his body hidden under the cloak but his lean physique and well chiseled muscles were noticeable as they were the sign of his relentless pursuit of answers in ancient ruins all over the world. His face covered in thick beard had a sharp jawline but huge sags under his eyes made him look like a lost wanderer.
"This map points towards the very center of the Dhruv Tara (The Polaris) and the Pulara Tara (The Merak) under the Ursa Minor, but all I see is a ravine god knows how deep."
Rudra mumbles while taking out a worn out page which looked like it had survived centuries before coming into his hands. Analyzing the map whose ink was barely visible at this point he takes his compass hanging around his neck to confirm the stars position Dhruva Tara in his front shining vigorously guiding the long lost souls and Pulara Tara behind him, he stood at the very center.
Rudra came to stop as the way forward was cut short and a huge ravine came to his view. The huge ravine was looking like a crack formed at the mountain top deep enough making the mountain split into two.
"Screw it, I am dead anyways."
With a look of determination Rudra unhooks a rope hanging on his waist and ties it on a sturdy rock tugging it continuously checking the knot and starts climbing down the ravine.
*Huff*
*Huff*
*Huff*
"Intresting, this ravine is not naturally made it seems."
After climbing down a few meters the snowy and rocky terrain becomes a smooth black crystal rock. The spacing of terrain looked like someone had slashed the mountain into two with the proper symmetry and intent.
*Om* *Om* *Om*
With the start of the man-made terrain rhythmic vibrations were felt by him.
"The more I climb down the intensity of the vibrations are increasing as if I am nearing the source of these chants."
The vibrations were turning into chants of a monk deep in his meditation when suddenly sharp gusts of winds started attacking Rudra. With every blade of wind it got harder for Rudra to climb or even to maintain firm grip on the rope.
"I really hoped not to use it anymore…. Ugh!"
Rudra faced the blade of wind with high difficulty and closed his eyes. With a sharp burst of pain in his whole body a light red shade of energy moved from Rudra's belly towards his hands and eyes firming his grip on the rope he managed to stabilize himself on the sharp and slippery black rock.
"Ugh every time I use Panch-Tatva Shakti my body fails. *Huff* *Huff*"
Rudra in immense pain from the transfer of this mystical energy curses out. This is the Panch-Tatva Shakti (Energy of the five elements) that is said to be found in every being, all you have to do is harness it and the world shall be yours.
Rudra continues to climb down the ravine in pain but his relentless drive and surge of adrenaline kept him in focus. The chanting sound increases with every foot down calming Rudra in his focused state when suddenly a high speed gust of wind strikes Rudra managing to throw him sideways.
"Shit"
Rudra's grip loosened and the rope slipped out from his hand and rest was the work of gravity.
Rudra starts falling with a high speed and with all the gust of winds hitting him he curls himself into fetal position to reduce the impact of winds and his imminent fall on the ground.
After falling for a few minutes, Rudra saw the floor with the same pristine black crystal rock from the side.
"Come on, come on, I need you please make it as painless as possible."
To outsiders it looked like Rudra was begging for a painless death falling into the ground, but with a determined look on his face Rudra coats his whole body in the same red Panch-Tatva Shakti to dampen the impact of him hitting the ground.
*Boom*
"F**k, it hurts like hell." With a boom Panch-Tatva Shakti shattered the ground on the fall. Rudra landed on his right side to prevent his vital organs from being shattered by the impact, but in doing so bones of his right arm and his right leg shattered making him curse out loud in severe pain.
Breathing heavily Rudra lays on the cold ground for a few minutes to let the pain pass as quickly as possible. Adjusting to his aching body he tries to stand on the ground limping.
His whole body was covered in tattered black robes; the shawl hood had already fallen from his body at some point in his fall.
*Cough* *Cough* *Cough*
With whole body bleeding from his head to toe due to cuts from the wind and the impact of his fall he started coughing blood continuously. Rudra observed his battered body first and started applying first aid bandaging his cuts with the tattered robes and fixing his arm and leg with the help of a wooden stick.
"Now I am sure this ravine was made with purpose. But why?"
Rudra observed the surroundings next to the wall he was climbing on stood high; looking up he had fallen down a couple hundred of meters. The ground was made up of the same material as the wall. The whole surroundings were engulfed in pitch black darkness without a sliver of light. As he looked upward he saw fog had covered the whole mountain hiding the sky above.
"I still have some Panch-Tatva Shakti left."
After observing his body Rudra still had some Panch-Tatva Shakti left in his tank. Without haste he guided that from his belly to his eyes. Rudra was now able to see the surroundings more clearly than before.
Turning himself around from the wall he had climbed he saw the ceiling of the place was very high. Higher than what he had fallen down from.
"How is this possible? This seems to be a separate space on the other side of the ravine."
Rudra was shocked as this was beyond any science he had learned before. In his view there was a single path way narrow enough only for a single person, there was nothing but pitch black abyss on the side if fallen nothing will remain, not even the cries of help. The path was made up of gray marble untouched by the passage of time. There was only fog shrouding the whole path.
"I don't have a good feeling about this. This feels very ominous."
With uncertainty in his eyes Rudra starts treading on the path limping but at a steady pace. While walking he noticed a strange phenomenon. The abyss below looked alive with darkness moving beneath.
"I think I am still dizzy after the fall. I am starting to see the darkness move below me and hearing cries from it. Strange."
Rudra took it as the after effects of the fall dicombulating him, making him hear things as if his ears were buzzing.
Meanwhile the path forward was getting covered in thick fog coming from down below, directly from the abyss.
"Nice, visibility zero and the path on a narrow path. One mis-step and down we go."
Limping forward on the path Rudra mumbled again and again analyzing the situation and to keep him sane.
When suddenly he felt a touch on his back, as if someone was calling onto him.
"Rudra, my boy"
"Impossible…" Suddenly Rudra felt his heart ache in longing as his already limping feet faltered, Beads of sweat formed on his head. With eyes tearing a little he started turning around.
To be continued…