Shanti knelt beside King Ananda, her voice breaking as she called for her father. She placed her hands on his armor, shaking him as if to wake him from a deep slumber.

"Shanti," Queen Chandika said, swallowing back her tears as she fell to her knees beside her daughter. She tried to wrap her arms around Shanti, but the Godling resisted. Shanti pushed against her mother’s arms, her words a blur of cries and sobs. Her feet dug against the stone tiles, trying to claw her way back to Ananda’s body.

"Shanti, stop," Chandika pleaded, tightening her embrace. Her voice quivered with grief, but she forced herself to stay composed. Her daughter needed her. Her people needed her. Inexorably, she coaxed Shanti away from Ananda's body. Shanti turned and buried her face in her mother's chest, inconsolable.

Ravindra pulled himself away from Sukanya and limped to his father's side. His attendant followed, grasping Ravindra's arm as his legs faltered, helping him to the ground before stepping back. He gazed at his father’s face, eyes closed, complexion ashen.

He clasped his father's hand. Venkata's skin felt cold, and though he wanted to let go, he tightened his grip and bowed his head until it rested on his father’s chest. He heard no heartbeat, felt no movement.

As children, he and Ragini would snuggle against Venkata's chest from either side, demanding a bedtime story. Venkata always indulged them, and they'd drift off before the tale ended. Ravindra remembered waking in his bed with no memory of how he got there, just fragments of his father's voice and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Now, Venkata lay still, forever.

The Demon Prince's stillness masked the turmoil within him. After a few moments, he lifted his head slowly and looked at Rudra.

"Where is my sister?" he asked hoarsely.

**

The Great Devourer's head, resembling that of a massive lizard, was splayed against the ground. Its scales shifted like black plates of rock floating lazily atop molten lava. Rivers of magma glowed dimly in the cracks between its scales. Its mouth hung slightly open, revealing jagged diamond teeth, each taller than Ragini.

The Lady of the Mountain scrutinized the Primordial Beast, focusing on the edges of its head. Was it slowly dissipating? Even the faintest sign would set her heart at ease. But with every step, the black dread in her stomach grew. The Devourer looked as solid as a dormant volcano.

Scalding heat radiated from the Devourer's head, but that did little to deter Ragini. She was a Demon of light and fire, born with a blessing: no flame could ever burn her. As Ragini approached close enough to touch it, a gust of heated air nearly sent her flying. Bracing herself, Ragini dug her feet into the ground and managed to remain standing. She stared at the beast in horror.

It had exhaled, and now it was rumbling. The ground shook as it shifted its head, righting itself from its lopsided fall. Its jaw closed and nostrils flared as it took in a great breath.

Two enormous, glowing eyes finally opened and fixed their gaze on Ragini.

**

Cries of terror spread up the mountain as those with far sight reported dreadful news: the Great Devourer had risen and fully emerged from the chasm.

The courtyard erupted in panic, voices growing louder as they begged Rudra to restore the shield around the mountain.

Calmly, Rudra raised a hand and waited for the courtyard to quiet.

Ravindra stood at attention while Chandika remained seated beside her fallen husband, cradling Shanti.

Once silence fell, Rudra spoke, "I am going to join my wife on the battlefield."

Immediately, hundreds of gods and demons alike pleaded with Rudra to stay. He couldn't abandon them.

Rudra only intervened in worldly affairs in dire emergencies. While this situation was indeed dire, it was also unique. According to legend, if undefeated by all others, the Great Devourer would meet Rudra in battle. There, Rudra was destined to pierce it with his Celestial Trishul, or trident, vanquishing the Devourer once and for all. But their fight would destroy the three realms, and Rudra would have no choice but to end this universe and begin another, reincarnating and forgetting all he knew of the past world.

They insisted Rudra could not leave. The Lady of the Mountain still lived, which meant she could fulfill her duty according to the prophecies that foretold the realms' survival beyond the Great Devourer. Rudra's departure was unnecessary.

Ravindra closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. It was easy for them to demand their heroes sacrifice for their safety, forgetting that those heroes were people too. These were the same people who despised each other so intensely that it had led their realms to war and calamity. If he had the strength, he'd tell the crowd—

"Enough!" A booming voice resounded from the top of the grand staircase.

The crowd flinched, their protests dimming to a murmur as they turned and saw the Bull Spirit Dinan towering over them from the top of the great staircase. His gleaming horns appeared longer and sharper, and his usually gentle, dark eyes were rimmed with red.

Dinan slowly swept his gaze over the crowd, locking eyes with each of them. He took a deep breath and bellowed, “Shame on you! Demanding anything of Lord Rudra. There is never a time when you can command the Lord of the Mountain."

He began walking through the crowd, and they shrank back. He moved steadily toward his master. When he was a few paces away, he knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "Forgive me, Lord," he said. "I couldn't contain my anger."

Rudra didn't look upon him with disapproval. Instead, he seemed to suppress a smile. He stepped forward and bent to place a hand on Dinan's head, silently forgiving him.

When he straightened, he addressed the crowd. “If your loved one was on the battlefield,” he asked, “and you were able to fight beside them, would you remain hiding behind a shield? If it were your partner, your sibling, your parent, your friend?”

Rudra gazed over the crowd with compassion. “I will not leave you defenseless.” He turned to Dinan. “Rise, Keeper of the Mountain.”

Dinan stood.

Rudra placed a hand on Dinan’s arm and gazed across the huddled masses, all eyes and ears on him. “Dinan will safeguard the mountain while I am gone. As long as you stay here, the Keeper of the Gate shall be Steward of the mountain. He will ensure your safety.”

Against this, the crowd could not argue. They stayed silent as Rudra looked around for some reply. Instead, they parted to let Rudra walk to the grand staircase.

Before he finally turned to leave, Rudra turned to meet Ravindra's gaze. A silent understanding passed between them. Rudra began descending the stairs while the Demon Prince returned to his father's side.

**

Ragini turned and fled from the slowly rising Primordial Beast. It let out a guttural growl as she gained distance.

Laboriously, the Great Devourer lifted its head, releasing a weak cry as giant slabs of rock fell from its skin. The Celestial Chakram had inflicted immense damage. Despite this, the Devourer braced its claws on the ground and began crawling out of the chasm. Its long body heaved with exertion, but soon its hind legs and a massive tail, nearly as long as its body, emerged. When it finally stood on all fours, it unleashed a hideous screech.

At first, Ragini was grateful for the time it took to climb out of the ravine. She needed a moment to shift into her Ascended form.

As she ran her limbs elongated, and sharp claws sprouted from her nails. The whites of her eyes, along with her teeth and nails, turned black. Two horns grew from her temples, curving like crescent moons. A bright, seven-pointed star emblazoned itself on her forehead.

Gods, Demons, and Nature Spirits were not born into their power. It had to be cultivated. They could reach adulthood, but not all achieved spiritual maturity. Through learning, training, and reflection, immortal beings could reach Ascension, transforming into a powerful new form that amplified their natural abilities. Ascended Nature Spirits had forms unique to their species, but Gods and Demons were remarkably similar, growing claws, fangs, and horns, with a celestial mark between their brows.

Ragini had reached Ascension long before meeting Rudra, at a remarkably young age. The Demonling Princess became the jewel of the Underworld as a result.

Rudra, however, never exhibited an Ascended form. He remained so constant that popular belief held he emerged into the universe in an Enlightened state, something even rarer than Ascension. For all they knew, it was true. A being in an Enlightened state appeared unchanged, not needing a new form to unlock extraordinary powers.

Fully transformed, Ragini halted and faced the Great Devourer. It lifted its head high, glaring down at her with hate-filled eyes. Ragini posed the greatest threat to its goal of consuming the three realms. It could not leave her alive.