Not looking back, but hearing the heavy footsteps of the titanious bull coming closer as they ran, ensured Amara that she should continue to run. A light broke through the dark hallway, and the moist scent of water hit Amara’s nose.

With a shrill yell, she jumped to the first platform in the clock like set of platforms, The sun lit through the waterfall, illuminating the room. She jumped out of the way from the incoming bull by jumping to the second platform, looking back, hoping to see the bull fall down. Though it was big, it wouldn’t be able to reach them from that height.

The bull did fall over the edge, not stopping in its rage. With a ferouscious moo, the bull started to run in the air as it fell and to Amara’s horror cloud like mist erupted from the bulls leg, making it slow down to finally making it run on air.

“That is no cow!” shouted Amara.

“No, that is a bull,” Vihaan replied.

“Smartass.”

Vihaan didn’t reply, he just pulled out his gun, shooting at the beast flying toward them. The bullets bounced of the bull who just seemed annoyed by it. With a scream, Amara threw herself off the platform and down into the pool bellow, praying it wasn’t as shallow as it seemed. Feeling the waterfall push her down, making her gulp in the water through her nose and mouth, Amara finally pushed to the surface to coughting water.

“Vihaan?!”

Vihaan had not been so lucky, the bull slammed into the floating platform, making it topple over. Vihaan clung at the edge of the platform, kicking in the air as he tried to pull himself up. The bull was running wildly around the room, not targeting anything in pacticular. When it turned around to aim its attention Vihaan again, who successfully been able to push his upper body onto the platform, Amara let out a shout of warning.

She tried to push herself out of the pool only to slip and fall back again. Looking up in horror, she stared as the bull came closer, not noticing the shape rushing towards them. The bull let out a fierce cry as someone jumped from a platform onto its back, grabbing it by the horns and pulling.

Silas successfully diverted the bull, allowing Vihaan to pull himself up, before jumping off on the top platform. He quickly tied a rope around a pillar, throwing down the rope to Amara. “Climb!”

Amara didn’t hesistate, climbing out of the pool and rushing towards the rope. The bull noticed Amara as she started to climb. Feeling her body go rigid as her eyes met the bulls dark ones, Amara froze midair. The bull seemed for a minute to turn around to go towards her, bullets from both Vihaan’s and Silas’s gun bouncing of its thick skin, but then a light shaped like a spear hit the bull who roared. Golden blood came out of its side.

Amara looked down to see Prahlada stand there chanting a mantra, sending shockwaves through the room.

“Om Vishnave Namah.”

The bull huffed, throwing a fit as the first shockwave hit it before fading into an array of lights.

“Om Lakshmi Pathaye Namah”

The second shock wave almost sent Vihaan of the platform, he held tight onto it.

“Om Krishnaya Namah”

Amara could feel her strength slowly coming back to her for each shockwave hitting her and she started to climb.

“Om Vaikuntaaya Namah.”

Almost being by the top, she noticed Silas looking pale. His eyes focusing on the bull with his gun aimed, only glancing at the chanting boy in between. His hand was shaking, grimacing as the fourth shockwave hit him.

“Om Garuda Dhvajaya Namah.”

As the fifth shockwave hit him, Silas fell to his knees, clutching his hands to brace himself for the fifth one.

“Om Parah Brahmane Namah.”

This shockwave caused the ground to cave in, making the floor one gaping one ready to devour them in darkness. Amara let out a shout in fear, hardly noticing when Silas tried to pull her up.

“Om Jagannathaya Namah.”

Amara heard a shout, looking around to see the platforms tremble as the sixth shockwave hit them.

“Om Vaasudevaya Namah.”

The rope holding Amara cut, sending her falling only for Silas to grab onto her arm. “Hold on!” he shouted, but his eyes were on Vihaan who was holding onto the platform, readying himself to jump to the next one to get to safety.

“Om Trivikramaya Namah.”

The platforms started to drop, Amara looked over towards Vihaan, yelling at him to get to safety, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking in horror at something beside her.

Feeling a scolding presence, Amara looked to the other side only to meet the scorching sight of the demon woman, climbing the walls with her claws towards her. The wide jaws wide open, and eyes hungrily glaring at her.

Silas tried to pull her up, but grimaced when the monster held his arm, the smell of burnt flesh reaching Amara. The monster reached down to grab hold of Amara, but screamed as a bullet hit her, making her stagger.

Amara turned around to see Vihaan stand there, gun raised high, eyes determined. The platform shook, ready to fall on command. Amara shouted for Vihaan to run, get to safety, but he stood still as he continue to shoot at the monster who tumbled back into the abyss.

Vihaan lowered his gun, his eyes meet hers and she felt tears well up as the words she feared echoed.

”Om Dhydhyaanthakaaya Namah.”

The platform crumbled, and Vihaan fell, looking up at her with a smile while a piercing scream erupted from Amara’s throat as the sight vanished into the darkness with no return.

Amara didn’t even notice Silas pulling her up, or that he dragged her away. She didn’t notice the mantra fading away, leaving only a deadly frigid silence that seemed to engulf her in sadness. Reminding her of what wasn’t there.

Tears ran down her face, not allowing her to see where Silas pulled her to, or allowing her to hear his comforting words. All she could do was allow them to drain her, until she was little more a husk as she fell asleep.

*****

Waking nightmares haunted her. Vihaan’s face smiling at her before it was engulfed into darkness. The soothing mantra who should have given her comfort but now was the gong of her childhood friends death.

“Why didn’t he get to safety?” whispered Amara into the darkness, looking down at her feet. Her body numb from the sorrow.

Two clean feet walked infront of her. Bare and glowing. Looking up, she saw the mournful face of the boy looking down upon her with deep eyes that seemed to see all. “Because he gave you a promise.”

Heat flared up in her, as she rose grabbing onto the boy,” He promised me to take care of me. He can’t do that when he is dead!”

The boy didn’t answer, he didn’t need to. The answer was already given. Vihaan had taken care of her, but given his life to do it.

“Why him?” Amara asked, her voice thick as tears once again filled her eyes. “I… I pulled him into the temple. He didn’t want to go but I-“

“I pulled you into this world,” the boy said, cutting her off before guilt drowned her. Amara shivered as the feeling of a cold bucket of water washed over her, leaving her cold.

“What?”

“I needed help and sensed the reincarnation of a deva outside the gates. I reached out but found two karmas intertwined with eachother. You were to close for me to determine which one was the deva, so I pulled you both in with the intention of protecting the mortal but… I miscalculated.”

“What are you saying?” Amara gritted her teeth, trying not to hit him.

“I found out that the deva was someone who shouldn’t exist, Shiva was killed by his wife Kali, or Parvati if you use her Devi name. Devas has a tendency to reincarnate with the same gender, it has happen that they don’t but not often so…”

“You guessed Vihaan was Shiva,” whispered Amara.

“Yes, Shiva has a natural protection and despite his powers being weakened in the mortal realm. He is still a deva, and his power should have manifested in this place. I protected you, leaving him unprotected but too late I realized my error.”

“What-“

“The bull is called Nandi. The mount of Shiva is guarding the place of Shiva’s death and would never attack its master. I assumed it attacked you, and when it started the purification ritual-“

“Purification ritual?”

“It was throwing out all foreign beings. It would have destroyed any mortals or asuras in the vicinity. I tried to protect you by that mantra but it was countered by Holika, who intended to devour Shiva to release her from the curse Vishnu put over her, making her burn for an eternity.”

“She went after me,” Amara said.

“Yes, that’s when I realized that you where Shiva’s reincarnation. Not your friend. I stopped myself too late,” the boy said, bowing his head. “I apologize.”

“What is this place? For that matter, who the hell are you?” Amara asked, her voice sharp as she spoke.

“That is a long story, one that is needed to be told for you to understand the danger you are in,” the boy finally smiled, his eyes still sad but the warmth seemed to reach them, giving Amara comfort. “But first I should tell you who I am.”

“My name is Prahlada.”