Episode 4: The Legend Before Time

Battlefield aag mein jal raha tha.

Hazaaron saalon se khade pavitra jungle aag ki lapton mein sama rahe the. Crystal towers lagataar hamlon se toot rahe the, aur unke chamakte hue tukde aasman se toote sitaron ki tarah gir rahe the.

Jo Indriya kabhi shanti ka prateek tha, aaj dhuein, khoon aur darr ki zameen ban chuka tha.

Kaale baadal aasman mein saanpon ki tarah lipat rahe the.

Baingani bijli crystal pahadon par gir rahi thi.

Tez hawayein gaon ke gaon ujaad rahi thi.

Har taraf cheekhein goonj rahi thi.

Warriors apne ghar ko bachane ke liye jaan laga kar lad rahe the.

Maaein apne bachchon ko seene se lagakar bachane ki koshish kar rahi thi.

Healers ghayalon ko bachane ke liye daud rahe the.

Lekin andhera rukne ka naam nahi le raha tha.

Aur us tabahi ke beech khada tha ek hi aadmi.

King Arthurel.

The Black King.

Second Kingdom ka shasak.

Woh rakshas jiske baare mein sirf kahaniyan suni jaati thi.

Uska kaala armor jalte hue aasman ke neeche chamak raha tha.

Uske sharir se nikalti dark energy zinda saayon ki tarah hil rahi thi.

Uski vishaal talwar zameen ko cheerti hui chal rahi thi, peeche pighle hue paththar ki lakeer chhodte hue.

Har kadam maut ka sandesh lag raha tha.

THUD.

Dharti phat gayi.

THUD.

Ek crystal deewar gir gayi.

THUD.

Poora soldier squad darr kar peeche hat gaya.

Crystal Palace ki seedhiyon par khada Aryamaan sab dekh raha tha.

Uska dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha.

Yeh koi aam raja nahi tha.

Yeh chalti phirti tabahi thi.

Ek aisi shakti jo sab kuch mita sakti thi.

Lekin Indriya ke paas abhi bhi apne rakshak the.

Chakra ke sabse mahaan warriors.

The Champions of Indriya.

Sabse pehle battlefield par aaye—

Master Rudraka.

Guardian of the Earth Core.

Lagbhag aath foot lamba.

Uska crystal armor aisa lagta tha jaise pahadon se tarasha gaya ho.

Uske sharir par sunehre praacheen symbols chamak rahe the.

Saalon tak usne Indriya ki seemaon ki raksha ki thi.

Poore-poore sainya uske naam se kaapte the.

Rudraka ne dono haath aasman ki taraf uthaye.

Dharti kaanp uthi.

Pahad hilne lage.

Battlefield mein daraarein phail gayin.

Aur phir—

Zameen ke neeche se vishaal crystal pillars nikle.

Ek nahi.

Do nahi.

Sainkadon.

Har pillar ek mahal se bhi bada tha.

Woh Arthurel ki taraf devtaon ke bhalon ki tarah daude.

Indriya ke soldiers khushi se cheekh uthe.

Lekin Arthurel sirf muskuraya.

Usne apni talwar ghumaayi.

Bas ek vaar.

Aur sab kuch khatam.

Saare crystal pillars pal bhar mein phat gaye.

Aasman crystal ke tukdon se bhar gaya.

Shockwave poore battlefield mein phail gayi.

Rudraka hawa mein uchhal kar door ja gira.

Uska vishaal sharir kai imaraton ko todta hua malbe mein gaayab ho gaya.

Khamoshi chha gayi.

Indriya ka sabse shaktishaali Earth Warrior haar chuka tha.

Tab battlefield par aayi—

Lady Vaishnavi.

Mistress of the Water Core.

Uske aas-paas neeli energy nadiyon ki tarah beh rahi thi.

Usne aankhen band ki.

Aasman aur andhera ho gaya.

Kingdom ke aas-paas ki saari nadiyan hawa mein uthne lagi.

Log hairan reh gaye.

Poora samundar battlefield ke upar nazar aane laga.

Paani ghoomne laga.

Aur usme se nikla ek dragon.

Phir doosra.

Phir darjanon aur.

Paani ke bane vishaal dragons aasman mein garajne lage.

Vaishnavi ne Arthurel ki taraf ishara kiya.

Aur saare dragons hamla kar gaye.

Laga jaise poora aasman tabahi ki lehron se bhar gaya ho.

Logon ke dilon mein phir umeed jaag uthi.

Lekin phir...

Andhera phat pada.

BOOOOOM!

Arthurel ke sharir se nikli black aura ne sab kuch mita diya.

Samundar gaayab.

Dragons gaayab.

Baadal gaayab.

Jaise kuch hua hi na ho.

Vaishnavi ghutnon par gir gayi.

Uske honton se khoon tapakne laga.

Uski sabse shaktishaali technique bhi bekaar ho gayi thi.

Ab darr poore kingdom mein phail raha tha.

Ek-ek karke champions girte ja rahe the.

Aur tab battlefield par aaya sabse mahaan warrior.

General Agnivar.

Master of the Fire Core.

Royal Guardians ka commander.

Uska poora sharir sunehri aag se dhaka hua tha.

Uski maujoodgi hi battlefield ko garam kar rahi thi.

Hawa kaanp rahi thi.

Uske kadmon ke neeche zameen pighal rahi thi.

Jab woh aage badha, soldiers phir se cheer karne lage.

Unki umeed laut aayi.

Agnivar ne talwar uthayi.

Poore battlefield mein aag phail gayi.

Zameen se aag ki nadiyan nikalne lagi.

Aasman laal ho gaya.

"Face me, Black King!" Agnivar garja.

Pehli baar Arthurel ruk gaya.

Pehli baar uski aankhon mein dilchaspi dikhi.

Dono warriors ek doosre ki taraf daude.

CLAAANG!

Talwarein takraayin.

Poora kingdom hil gaya.

Har vaar bijli ki garaj jaisa lag raha tha.

Har takraav se dharti toot rahi thi.

Aryamaan hairani se dekh raha tha.

Ab woh insaan nahi lag rahe the.

Jaise do praacheen devta srishti ki taqdeer ke liye lad rahe hon.

Ladai chalti rahi.

Minute ghanton jaise lagne lage.

Phir achanak—

Sab kuch ruk gaya.

Arthurel ne Agnivar ki talwar ek haath se pakad li.

Battlefield khamosh ho gaya.

General ki aankhen phail gayin.

Kisi ne kabhi uski talwar nahi roki thi.

Arthurel ne pakad mazboot ki.

CRACK!

Legendary talwar tukdon mein toot gayi.

Aur phir Arthurel ne vaar kiya.

Agnivar aasman ke paar ja gira.

Indriya ka sabse mahaan warrior bhi haar gaya.

Ab koi nahi bacha tha.

Koi bhi nahi...

Siwaye Aryamaan ke.

Tabhi achanak...

Hawayein ruk gayin.

Aag jam gayi.

Battle ki awaazein gaayab ho gayin.

Jaise waqt khud ruk gaya ho.

Aur phir ek awaaz goonji.

Praacheen.

Anant.

Srishti se bhi purani.

Aryamaan ki nazar dhundhli ho gayi.

Aur woh ek alag jagah pahunch gaya.

Ek aisi jagah jo waqt se pare thi.

Jahan na sitare the.

Na grah.

Na jeevan.

Sirf andhera.

Aur us andhere mein khade the teen mahaan astitva.

The First Ones.

Sabse pehle thi Indriya.

Sitaaron ki roshni se bani ek devi.

Uske aas-paas hazaaron aankhen tair rahi thi.

Har aankh ek alag bhavishya dekh rahi thi.

Usse koi sach ya jhooth chhupa nahi sakta tha.

Uske paas khada tha Chakra.

Ek vishaal warrior jiske sharir mein poori galaxies basi hui thi.

Uske seene mein sooraj jal rahe the.

Uske kadmon se naye worlds paida ho rahe the.

Aur phir Aryamaan ne dekha—

Shunya.

Void ka Raja.

The Forgotten One.

The Shadow Beyond Reality.

Kabhi woh aadmi lagta.

Kabhi andhere mein tairta hua taaj.

Kabhi kuch bhi nahi.

Lekin uski maujoodgi anant thi.

Akeli.

Tooti hui.

Vision ne srishti ki shuruaat dikhayi.

Chakra ne duniyaan banayi.

Indriya ne sabhyataon ko gyaan diya.

Jeevan poore universe mein phail gaya.

Lekin Shunya akela reh gaya.

Bhula diya gaya.

Aur ek din usne kaha—

"Creation sirf suffering laati hai."

Lekin kisi ne nahi suna.

Aur phir shuru hui maha-yudh.

Lakhon saalon tak chalne wali jung.

Galaxies jal gayin.

Sitare mar gaye.

Reality tootne lagi.

Ant mein Chakra saat divine fragments mein toot gaya.

Indriya ne apna sharirik roop balidaan kar diya.

Aur Shunya ko reality ke bahar seal kar diya gaya.

Lekin jaane se pehle usne ek vaada kiya.

"Main wapas aaunga."

Vision toot gaya.

Aryamaan zor se saans lete hue wapas aaya.

Uske seene se sunehri roshni phoot nikli.

Uske dil ke upar ek divine symbol chamak utha.

The Heart Fragment of Chakra.

Uski daayi aankh chandi ki tarah chamakne lagi.

The Last Eye of Indriya.

King Viraat ka chehra safed pad gaya.

Prophecy sach thi.

Aryamaan sirf Delta ka prince nahi tha.

Woh First Beings ki shakti ka vaaris tha.

Wahi ek vyakti tha jo aane wale andhere ka saamna kar sakta tha.

Battlefield ke doosri taraf Arthurel chupchaap dekh raha tha.

Aur pehli baar...

Uske chehre par hairani nazar aayi.

Phir woh muskuraya.

Jaise usne aakhirkaar us insaan ko dhoond liya ho jiska intezaar tha.

"Awakening shuru ho chuki hai," Arthurel bola.

Uski laal aankhen chamak uthi.

"Void wapas aa raha hai."

Aasman aur kaala ho gaya.

Sitare gaayab ho gaye.

Aur phir Arthurel ne woh shabd kahe jinse har rooh kaanp uthi.

"Jab Shunya lautega..."

Uski muskaan aur gehri ho gayi.

"...tab tumhe pata chalega ki asal villain kaun tha."

Aur kahin reality ke paar...

Waqt se bhi purani ek kaid mein...

Kisi cheez ne apni aankhen khol di.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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