Rudra’s golden shield shattered into shards of light above Mount Kaashil. The slivers rained down on the refugees and soldiers as the protective barrier faded.

Everyone outside stared in stunned silence. In the courtyard, people huddled closer together. When the shield vanished, someone cried out, “They've won!”

Another shouted, “It’s over!”

Mount Kaashil resonated with cries of relief and celebration. From its base to the City of Aakaa, nestled high on its eastern slope, the refugees rang bells, sang hymns, and sounded conch shells.

The calamity had ended! Lord Rudra had promised the shield would only fall when it was safe to return to the three realms. No one could blame the refugees for believing that the day was won.

But for the four figures at the mountain’s gate, the shield’s disappearance felt like a foreboding sign. They sensed the magic ebb before seeing the golden shards rain through the dense canopy above. At any other time, they would have rejoiced in the beauty of the glinting lights fading before they hit the ground.

Dinan peered up through the branches, his expression tight with dread. Why would Lord Rudra awaken now with the Great Devourer still lying on the plains? He exchanged a look with Queen Chandika, who appeared equally troubled. But when they both turned to gauge Prince Ravindra's reaction, the Demon Prince merely scoffed.

Out of the group, only Ravindra had truly noticed the level of attachment and doting that Rudra had for his sister. For her sake, there was nothing Rudra was unwilling to do. So only Ravindra saw clearly.

He called for Sukanya. Leaning on his attendant, he began ascending the stairs.

“Prince Ravindra?” Dinan called out.

Without looking back, Ravindra replied, “He’s going after her. We need to be there when he leaves.”

Queen Chandika clenched her fists. Lord Rudra couldn’t abandon the mountain. If that immense beast outside truly was the Great Devourer, only one being could defeat it without destroying all three realms. The Lady of the Mountain should fulfill her duty. Good riddance to her. Perhaps then the proper balance of the realms could be restored.

Glowering at Ravindra’s retreating form, Queen Chandika swept up the stairs, leaving Dinan alone once more at his post.

The Bull Spirit gripped his mace handle, pacing back and forth. Serving as Rudra’s Keeper of the Gate was a unique form of helplessness. Within the mountain’s bounds, only Lord Rudra and Lady Ragini possessed greater magical power than he did. But beyond the entwined trees, Dinan's magic was no more potent than any other ascended animal spirit, which may be on par with Gods and Demons, but even those celestials were no match for the Great Devourer.

**

Rudra emerged from the tunnel entrance of his meditation cave. Leaving the shaded walkway, he stepped onto the lush grass of one of the many gardens of Kaashil Palace, bathed in sunlight.

The stormy skies overhead were absent, creating a false sense of peace because the worlds’ storms would quickly cover the mountain without his shield. But for the moment, he closed his eyes against the sun, allowing its warmth to chase the chill from his skin. The mountain’s depths were frigid, and without spiritual preparation, one would freeze. When he opened his amber eyes again, they blazed with determination.

He intended to join Ragini on the battlefield, but first, he had a duty to reassure the refugees and leave them in capable hands.

The celebration paused when someone spotted Rudra walking through the hall into the courtyard. Word spread quickly through the crowd, and people approached, hands clasped in reverence. They murmured greetings and praise, but no one dared to voice the question weighing on everyone’s mind.

Almost no one.

The tinkling of anklet bells filled the air as a small Godling girl pushed through the crowd, standing boldly before Rudra. She gazed up at him, her face a mix of relief and worry.

“Lord Rudra!” she called, then belatedly pressed her palms together in polite greeting. “Is it over? Will Lady Ragini, Papa, and the Demon King come back now?”

Princess Shanti of the Heavenly Realm had watched as soldiers fled the plains and climbed up the steps to the palatial grounds. She had done her duty, finding each a place to rest and recover.

The mountain was vast, so there was always room for the refugees. But the soldiers’ injuries and despair tested Shanti’s young resolve. No soldier returned unscathed, and she could do little to ease their suffering.

The last wave of soldiers spoke of their guilt for retreating, even though their kings had commanded it. They said the two kings were fighting a colossal beast alongside Lady Ragini—and because of that they were sure to win—but their voices lacked conviction, so Shanti did not believe them.

The only person she trusted to be honest with her was Lord Rudra.

Rudra gazed gently at the Godling and knelt to meet her eyes. He placed a comforting hand on her head. “It is not over, dear one,” he said softly.

**

Ragini flew over the plains, her long dark hair streaming behind her. She landed in the crater near the head of the Great Devourer. The land was scorched and cracked; most of the floodwaters had drained into the chasm when it opened.

She scanned the landscape, searching for any sign of the kings. At first, she saw only dried grass and sparse, leafless shrubs.

Then, she spotted a glint of gold in the distance, hidden among the brush. Ragini ran toward it and found King Venkata and King Ananda lying side by side.

Their helmets were gone, but they still wore their armor — one in deep obsidian, the other in gleaming opal and gold. They had clasped hands when they had transformed into the Celestial Chakram, and they still clung to one another. Their eyes were closed, their faces drained of all vitality.

Here, far from the mountain and anyone’s prying eyes, Ragini fell to her knees at their feet, her trembling hands covering her mouth as sobs tore from her. Tears blurred her vision and ran hot down her cheeks.

Bowing her head to the ground, she mourned not only the loss of her father but also two shining leaders of the Heavens and the Underworld. Their deaths would diminish all three realms.

She didn't know how long she sat in the dry grass, curled into herself, but she knew she couldn't weep forever. Still sniffling, Ragini wiped her face and moved toward them on her knees. She placed her hands atop her father’s feet, as if asking for a blessing from his silent form, but never again would she hear his deep, warm voice murmur with boons for her well-being and happiness. Even so, it felt like the right thing to do. She would finish the work that they had began.

So with a shuddering breath, Ragini forced herself to her feet.

She raised a hand and whispered a prayer for Venkata and Ananda’s souls. Threads of gold light radiated from her palm, wrapping around the two kings. She couldn't leave them on this bloodstained battlefield.

The golden threads wove into a casket, lifting the two men who had made their sacrifice together. The casket rose into the air, flying toward the mountain. Ragini swallowed hard as it became a distant gleam in the sky.

A cold wind swept across the plains, tossing her loose hair. Ragini turned to face it and approached the Great Devourer.

**

Murmurs rippled through the crowd in the courtyard of Mount Kaashil as they overheard Lord Rudra’s answer to the small Godling girl.

Not over? Surely, they had misheard. If the calamity wasn’t over, why had Lord Rudra emerged? Anxiety spread like wildfire.

“Make way!” a commanding voice rang out from the far end of the courtyard.

Sukanya, helping Ravindra up the final steps, had called to the crowd. Queen Chandika appeared behind them. From Ravindra’s grim expression to Chandika’s fierce glare, the people parted to make a corridor for the celestial leadership.

Queen Chandika hurried past Ravindra when she saw Rudra speaking softly to Shanti. She stopped behind her daughter, and Rudra rose to his feet, bowing his head in greeting.

“My Lord.” The queen barely remembered to greet him before launching into her questions. “Why have you left your meditation chamber? I don’t dare question your wisdom, but the battle is not won. Your shield is all that stands between us and the Great Devourer!”

Gasps came from the nearby refugees. The Great Devourer? That monstrous Primordial Beast? Everyone knew the legend.

Rudra didn’t answer immediately, but the sternness in his eyes was unmistakable despite his mild expression.

Chandika, feeling chastised, glanced at the nervous crowd and bowed her head. She placed her hands on Shanti’s shoulders, pulling her close.

Shanti craned her neck to look up at her mother. “Lord Rudra is going to fight the Devourer with Lady Ragini,” she said. “It’s the only way.”

Before Chandika could reply, a voice cried out from the crowd, “What is that?”

All eyes turned skyward, where a golden light grew brighter. It swelled with every second until they could see it was a glowing casket.

Rudra stepped back, allowing it to land. The casket floated down silently, settling at his feet. The golden threads unraveled, revealing the bodies of King Venkata and King Ananda.

“Papa!” Shanti’s piercing scream filled the air as she tore herself from her mother’s arms and stumbled to her father’s side.