The Forgotten Manuscript

Chapter 14: The Unwritten Path

Aarav lunged, his muscles moving before his brain could catch up.

The figure didn’t flinch. Instead, it raised a skeletal hand, and Aarav felt an invisible force wrap around his body, yanking him mid-air like a ragdoll.

"Achha, toh tu telekinesis bhi karta hai. Matlab unfair battle shuru ho gayi hai. (Oh great, so you do telekinesis too. This battle is officially unfair.)," Aarav groaned, flailing uselessly.

Meera, ever the quick thinker, grabbed a broken piece of stone and hurled it straight at the figure’s head.

It stopped inches away, hovering midair. Then, with a flick of the figure’s fingers, the stone reversed its trajectory and rocketed back toward Meera.

"s**t—"

Aarav twisted his body, channeling whatever instinct his glowing mark had awakened. The moment he focused, the mark pulsed, and the rock stopped.

It just… froze in mid-air.

Meera blinked. "Okay. Yeh naya hai. (Okay. That’s new.)"

Aarav didn’t have time to process it. The figure clenched its fist, and Aarav felt his lungs tighten, the air being sucked out of him.

"तव बलं परीक्षितं। (Your strength is being tested.)," the figure intoned.

Aarav gritted his teeth. "Bhai, test dene ka mood nahi hai! (Dude, I’m not in the mood for a test!)"

The manuscript in his hands vibrated violently. The mark on his palm burned, and suddenly, words—glowing, shifting, incomprehensible—began to etch themselves onto the pages.

Then, as if something inside him snapped into place, Aarav understood.

The manuscript wasn’t just a text—it was a weapon.

His fingers curled around the parchment, and instinct took over.

The air around him rippled. A force surged from his palm, and in the blink of an eye, the unseen grip around him shattered. He dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch.

The figure took a step back. "Ah… जागृतः। (Ah… you are awakening.)"

Aarav straightened, rolling his shoulders. "Bhai, warning toh de dete ki mujhe yeh superpowers bhi milne wale hai. (You could’ve at least warned me that I was getting superpowers.)"

Meera raised a brow. "Matlab ab tu officially ek superhero hai? (So you’re officially a superhero now?)"

Aarav smirked. "Superhero nahi… bas ek banda jo ab thoda kam pitnewala hai. (Not a superhero… just a guy who’s now less likely to get beaten up.)"

The figure let out a hollow chuckle. "यदि ज्ञानं तव अस्ति, तर्हि प्रदर्शय। (If you have knowledge, then show me.)"

Aarav exhaled sharply. "Fine. Tujhe test pasand hai na? Toh dekh, main bhi pass karne ka try karta hoon. (Fine. You like tests, right? Then watch—I’ll try passing too.)"

With a flick of his wrist, he raised the manuscript. The symbols on the page flared, and the energy surged toward the figure.

The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the temple ruins. Dust exploded in all directions, and for the first time—the figure staggered.

Meera’s jaw dropped. "Bhai, tu serious tha? Yeh toh full-on Avengers level fight ho rahi hai. (Dude, you were serious? This is turning into a full-on Avengers fight.)"

Aarav grinned, flexing his fingers. "Mujhe bhi nahi pata tha. Par lagta hai, ab main bhi rules likh sakta hoon. (I didn’t know either. But looks like… now I can write the rules.)"

The Shadow Breaks

The figure recovered quickly, straightening. "अभी इतस्तः दूरेषु अस्मि। परंतु आगामिष्यामि। (For now, I am distant. But I will return.)"

And just like that, it melted into the shadows, vanishing as if it had never been there.

Silence stretched between Aarav and Meera. The only sound was their heavy breathing.

Then—

Meera smacked Aarav’s arm. "Tu kya soch raha tha, haan?! Attack kar diya bina plan ke?! (What were you thinking, huh?! Attacking without a plan?!)"

Aarav winced. "Ow! Tu support kar rahi thi ya dushman ke side thi? (Ow! Were you supporting me or siding with the enemy?)"

Meera exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "Mujhe laga tu mar jaayega. (I thought you were going to die.)"

Aarav hesitated. The anger in her voice wasn’t just frustration. It was fear.

He softened. "Meera… main thik hoon. (Meera… I’m okay.)"

She huffed, looking away. "Tu hamesha keh deta hai, par ek din… (You always say that, but one day…)"

Aarav chuckled, nudging her shoulder. "Ek din kya? Tu meri jaan bachane aa jaayegi, jaise hamesha karti hai. (One day what? You’ll come save my life, like you always do.)"

Meera’s glare wavered, but she didn’t reply.

Instead, she shook her head. "Bas ek promise kar. (Just make one promise.)"

Aarav tilted his head. "Kya?"

Meera met his eyes. "Agar kabhi aisa moment aaye… jahaan tujhe yeh power chhodni pade… tu mere liye chhod dega? (If there ever comes a moment where you have to leave this power behind… will you do it for me?)"

Aarav stared at her. He knew this was more than just a question.

She was asking if he’d choose her over this madness.

His fingers tightened around the manuscript. The pulsing energy still thrummed through his veins.

But he smiled.

"Agar moment aaya… toh sochenge. (If that moment comes… we’ll think about it then.)"

Meera scoffed. "Coward."

Aarav grinned. "Yeh coward abhi tak zinda hai, bas itna kaafi hai. (This coward is still alive—that’s enough.)"

As the dust settled around them, one thing was clear—this was far from over.

But for now, with Meera beside him, Aarav allowed himself to breathe.