 
### Genesis

Copyright 2014 Puspal Bagchi

Smashwords Edition

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### Table of Contents

Prologue

I. Coronation

II. Consolation

III. Desperation

IV. Resolution

V. Reaffirmation

VI. Creation

About The Author

Prologue

A young, fair-skinned child moved his big eyes all about, and tried hard to perceive the true extent of what seemed to be the most amazing sight ever. Amidst the lush green expanse that spread before him, three short, stubby pillars of ancient stone solemnly stood up, in the formation of a triangle. But that, was merely a distraction to him. He ran forward in delight, and clasped the soft grass beneath him, with all his might. He had never seen so much green before.

"Hey, wait... what are you doing?"

Despite of the seemingly anxious yell, his father actually enjoyed seeing his son's great wonder. He heartily laughed out.

This place has been a really important part of Shirsha's life, for the past few years. From an unknown, random archaeologist, to quite a celebrity — Shirsha would never have been what he was today, if not for the discovery of this place. The Shikro ruins, they called it. Eight years ago, after the strange meteor crash at the nearby city of Haldia, a group of climatologists had incidentally discovered the presence of some kind of historical remains beneath the ground. Shirsha, and a very dear friend of his, came to further investigate the scene, and eventually uncovered a goldmine of archaeological wealth that lay below. An ancient and forgotten religion, by the name 'Shikroism', was soon unveiled from the depths of the earth.

"Wow, Shirsha, your kid's really grown up!", Arthur cheerfully remarked.

"Yeah, but he's still as fussy though."

"Ha-ha, he's your son, after all!"

By this time, with the sound of a metallic screech, a shiny sedan stopped before them. A rather grim-looking, middle-aged Japanese man came out of the car. Tsubasa Nanba. He was a really significant person, in today's world of international politics.

"Nice to meet you, Nanba-sama!", both Shirsha and Arthur greeted him at once.

"Nice to meet you too... Hmm... you've built a really nice garden around the place."

"Yeah, the ruins have become really popular among the tourists, these days. We had to make it look good."

"Right... Let me ask you something."

Shirsha tried to guess, "About the ruins?"

"Kind of. Tell me, why do you think Shikroism has been so widely accepted by people all over the globe, that also in such a short time? No religion could ever make it so quick."

"Hmm... the principles of Shikroism, as we've deciphered, are really simplistic and straightforward. I'd say, it's rather geared towards the life and conflicts of today's man."

Arthur added, "But that's a great irony though. The religion itself dates back to thousands of years."

Nanba nodded. He suddenly seemed to notice the boy, who was still prancing all around.

"What's your name?"

The boy flustered at the sight of this stranger, and with difficulty, mumbled, "S-Shourish..."

"Your kid?", Nanba again turned towards Shirsha.

"Yeah."

"He's really sweet.", the man uncharacteristically smiled, in contrast to his usual nature.

***

A couple months later, that very year, a gory flame went ablaze all over the world. Merciless rioters took the lives of thousands of innocent people in what later came to be known as the 'Christmas Movement'. And at just another of the countless cursed evenings of that time, an angelic young girl, saw her whole world crumble away to pieces, in front of her.

An insane-looking man, broke into her house, and brutally shot her endeared father, right before her two sacred blue eyes.

"Die now, you traitor!"

She couldn't understand a single word spoken by the stranger; but what did appall her young senses, was the sight of the grisly crimson spurting out of her father's lifeless face. She couldn't figure out the reason behind the sudden storm that intensified inside her heart. In fact, she hardly could perceive the true ghastliness of the situation, with her naive senses.

But she knew something bad had happened. She was forced to tag along, as her mother feverishly dashed with her, across the fiery streets. The little girl tried running too, with all might in her little legs. But she kept feeling a strangely painful grief, trickling into, and searing her consciousness. A grief... that was to change her life... forever.

This girl was incidentally the same age as the big-eyed boy from before. But of course, that was just, a matter of fact, as physically, they were located thousands of miles apart. There was no way two such random lives could ever have any connection, right? Yet providence, was never so simplistic. An intangible thread had already tied these two souls, to an intriguing destiny... a destiny that was soon to make two apparently unrelated worlds collide — head-on!

I. Coronation

1

Yet another uneventful day. And painfully uneventful, rather. The feeling of boredom, though annoying, is never really 'painful', generally. But an overwhelming amount of it can actually numb one's senses, just like any other severe pulse of pain can — exactly what I felt then, that is. The teacher was continuing with his regular lessons on some chapter of physics, towards which I was completely indifferent. Yeah, with the entire class busy listening to and noting down the lecture, I was just idly looking outside the window. The sky outside was lit up by a regular summer sun. Even the weather seemed monotonous these days.

"So, Shourish, you tell me... how would you define luminous intensity?"

I was forced to restore my consciousness upon hearing my name. I stood up, and looked at the teacher, who wore somewhat of a disappointed frown on his face. All I could do in reply to that question, was but stammer, "I... uh..." A few scattered sounds of suppressed chuckles could be heard around the classroom. But to be honest, most of my classmates were already aware of my status as a chronic daydreamer.

"What's wrong with you? You used to be a good student once, Shourish."

"..."

I sat down, while seeing the colour of disappointment brighten on the teacher's face. Whatever... I couldn't really be bothered, for the situation was not a new one to me...

The classroom alarm went off, notifying the end of this class, along with today's school session. But technically, school was yet to be over. Actually, every Monday and Thursday, students here are supposed to spend an hour more, after school, for their sports and club activities. Encouraging extra-curricular interests and socialisation skills among the students — as proclaimed by the school authorities, that is. Being myself, I was never too good at the 'socialisation' part, and hence, my destination after school , for these two days of the week, was karate class, organised at a nearby dojo. Among the handful bunch of things from the past, to have still been alive in today's world — martial arts is one. I had been learning karate from when I was eight. It's been two years, that I got my red belt. But my progress since then has been pathetically stagnant. Progress, did I say? Well, would I be exaggerating if I were to substitute the word with 'life', instead? Maybe not, I think.

My regular sparring partner, as also one of my closest friends, was quite an ambitious martial artist. Although he was of the same rank as me, yet he had aims and expectations, far loftier than mine. He wished to compete internationally, at some point of his life. And, just for that reason, I would never be a match for him. Passion and zeal always outwit indifference — that's the rule of the world.

"Really, what's with that look in your face, Shourish?"

Archishman got himself ready in a fighting stance. I didn't have any satisfactory answer for that question.

"Heh... haven't I always been so, Archi?"

"Stop kidding..."

He advanced towards me, with two usually radiant eyes, shining even brighter then.

2

I took off my sweaty robe. Today's class felt really exhausting, somehow. But now that it was over, a great sense of relief was flowing through my body. Absolutely nothing in regular life seems more than daily drudgery to me. Karate class is no exception. And once the burden of a tiresome obligation is taken off successfully, you are bound to feel tranquility, at least for that day. I quickly ran the towel around my entire body, and picked up the school uniform, which lay in front of the mirror. Each of the changing rooms here, were fitted with a large central mirror. Fixing my glance upon that, I noticed the familiar scar. Scar, was it? Two pale black concentric circles, marked right at the middle of my chest, a few inches below the collarbone. I have had this strange mark on me ever since birth, or at least that's what Dad says. Back when I was younger, I used to feel a peculiar kind of curiosity about this mark. Actually, it was odd enough to arouse any normal person's interest. The texture and deeply engraved appearance of the mark made it look almost like a tattoo. But it's definitely not one...

Getting out of the school's main gate, I turned left, and started walking my way towards home. It was just a short five or ten minutes' walk from here. The western horizon had always been blocked away by the multitude of concrete towers — residential or otherwise. So there was no way I could possibly see the sun set. But the bright, rich yellow, splattered across the sky, signalled that it was about time for all daylight to recede. Good grief, I was daydreaming even while walking! I forced myself to focus my eyes in front, and a sudden sight kind of surprised me, as I did so. A tall, lanky figure was strolling away right ahead of me — head bent down, hands tucked within his pants. It couldn't be... no, I should trust myself on this one. That's unmistakably Richard. Richard Walker. Once our senior at school, he just graduated a few months ago. And, the strange part, he should be in Hyderabad now, as that's where he was supposed to leave for, after graduation. He used to be a really friendly guy at school, even with his juniors. He had especially good relations with me, as he was also, incidentally, the son of one very close friend and co-worker of Dad.

Should I then go up and try saying hi? Hmm... No, that would probably be just another bad idea. After all, it could turn out to be a completely different person altogether; there's no reason my eyes couldn't have made a mistake. And, as of today, at least, I don't have any energy left to deal with that kind of an awkward situation.

3

By the time I reached home, Dad was still not there. I sighed lightly. After staying away this whole week, for some important assignment, he was supposed to have returned earlier today. But he obviously lacked punctuality. I took out a piece of pizza left over from yesterday, and a carton of orange juice. Just the moment I was about to sit down with this quick meal, Dad arrived. I had heard that long ago, there used to be a thing called a 'doorbell'. You would have to press a switch outside the door, which would make an alert go off inside the house, allowing someone to open the door for you. But of course, the biometric technologies of these days, were a lot more convenient.

"Hey Shourish!"

"Hi Dad."

Talk about timing. I certainly hated the thought of having a chat with Dad now.

"So, how was your day at school?"

"Yeah, fine... you?"

"Guess what! We have fully deciphered that interesting bit from Shikro mythology; the one I told you about."

Shikro mythology, huh? Now this was one thing I couldn't be entirely indifferent about. Ever since Dad's archaeology team started working at the Shikro ruins, more and more knowledge about this ancient, mystical religion, and its associated mythology, has been unearthed. Ancient, yet the most widely accepted religion to date. Contrary to the fact that Shikroism was discovered only thirteen years ago, the religion, by now, has managed to find its place among an estimated eighty seven percent people of the world — a pace which never was achieved by any other religion. Though the exact reason behind such astounding popularity is still unknown, yet it is said that Shikroism has been able to answer various philosophical questions of modern man, in a way nothing or no one ever could. The Shikro ruins, located around the outskirts of this city, have become sort of an international pilgrimage.

But regardless of all this, the mythological tales of Shikroism have always kindled a certain flame of curiosity within myself. This flame, now, may not have been as blazing as the past, but it still did exist. I replied Dad with a mixed voice, "Oh really? So, what'd you find out?"

"Hmm... do you remember that part about two pure-coloured messengers of Horksh, kind of similar to the concept of 'Yin' and 'Yang' in Chinese dualism? Delving further into that topic, we found that the Shikro creator, Horksh, is said to have sent two fragments of itself to Earth, in order to keep watch over its creation. These fragments embody the shades of pure black and pure white, and representing themselves as the two 'Holy Dragons', they maintain the grey shade of life, that is, preserve the co-existence of black and white. Quite an interesting idea, eh?"

Co-existence of black and white? Really, can one colour never exist independently?

"'Itself', huh? So you still haven't found anything about Horksh's gender?"

Dad thought for a moment.

"Not really. We think Horksh is meant to be portrayed as a genderless deity, anyway. Now there's more to what I said lastly. The Holy Dragons, are bound by one rule of Horksh, which is, they can't possibly meet each other physically — until the time of what appears to be the Shikro version of apocalypse. It's been mentioned that when the 'seals' are unearthed, the world will be destroyed, as the two Holy Dragons will encounter each other, and join forces to rise against Horksh."

"Seals?"

"Well, Arthur is of the opinion that this 'seal' is the Shikro ruin itself. All evidences, including the strange location of the ruins, suggest that it was intentionally hidden away from human discovery. Something like that could definitely have been done, had the ruins been originally imagined as a seal, by the ancient Shikroists. So I do agree with Arthur on this..."

"But, that'd mean..."

"Yeah, if you were to go with the Shikroists... apocalypse is right on us, ha-ha!"

4

Her eyes were blue — a beautifully vibrant shade of azure. The texture and colour of her wavy, flowing hair reminded me of the finest varieties of rich, dark chocolate. A graceful smiled adorned her pale, yet rosy cheeks, as a sweet voice rang across the class, "Nice to meet you all!"

The teacher introduced her to us, by the name Alicia. A transfer student from the distant city of Oxford, she was supposed to be. Ashmita, who sat right behind me, suddenly giggled, in a rather hushed voice, "Hey Shourish, just look at how all the boys are staring at her!" I didn't know whether I was supposed to laugh on that, as I myself was no exception at that 'staring' part. The girl, who, by then, had inevitably become the focus of the entire class's attention, now started moving her eyes around. After getting a good glimpse of her to-be fellow students, her eyes suddenly halted at me. I couldn't hold her gaze for long, and after getting all flustered, was forced to look down at my desk. Was that rude of me? But why would she decide to look at someone of the likes of me, anyway?

Afterwards, much to everybody's dismay, the teacher stated that Alicia would actually join us from tomorrow, as she had an appointment with the Principal today. At lunch break, she was our primary topic of discussion. Nolan, the self-proclaimed player of our class, declared the new girl to be his next project.

"Yeah man, she's so my type! Just watch and learn, she's gonna be all over me very soon!"

"Was that a joke?"

Ashmita's undaunted reply really triggered a flurry of laughs. This girl, Ash, we called her, had known me and Archi since middle school. We were quite of a trio back then. Also, ever since I had known her, she always had a crush on Archi. Now in high school, that trio had ceased to exist, but I wonder if Ash still had feelings for him. But anyway, I don't really understand why she continues being all friendly to _me_ , like those old days... Being friendly with my present self is actually a great loss for anyone, as they would probably never get a single nice gesture in return...

5

Though I didn't have karate class that day, I somehow managed to stumble upon Archi, on my way home. I saw him, by the school gate, calmly waiting for someone, as if. Archishman. That short, skinny introvert from middle school. How he had changed in all these years! The Archi of now, was miles apart from his older self. Standing over six feet tall, he also sported a well-built, muscular physique. After having noticed, he waved at me.

"Hey, Shourish! I heard a cute girl joined your class today — is that true?"

But Archi's most drastic change had been about his personality. Aggressive, passionate, straightforward — sometimes I think he had been like this ever since. Maybe the past I remembered, was nothing but a bunch of fake memories.

"Yeah, you've heard right..."

"She's cute, you mean?"

"Well... wait, I've something to ask you."

Archi slightly frowned in reply, "And that is?"

"Umm... do you talk to Ash these days?"

"Oh, I'm actually waiting for her now.

"What?"

"She told me to meet her after school. God knows what's the great surprise, ha-ha!"

Okay, so Archi and Ash do talk. Have they become a couple even? I tried to reciprocate Archi's smile and replied, "Heh... maybe she'll confess to you — who knows!" But this unexpectedly weighed down the atmosphere. The smile vanished from Archi's lips, and he looked away, with a strange neutrality hanging over his face.

Just at this moment, a terrifying scream, from somewhere nearby, pierced through my ears, and then, continued echoing across the nearly deserted school campus.

6

Archi was well-known for his reflexes in karate class. In the current situation also, he displayed extreme alertness, and instantly dashed towards the source of the sound. I followed him, anticipating some more trouble for today...

When we arrived at the scene, we saw a senior, having lifted up another boy by the collar, who on the other hand, seemed to be a freshman. The former was a rather tall and fierce looking guy, while the latter appeared to be nothing more than a helpless, weak lad. The senior started jerking the other boy's collar, and violently swore, "Cocky brat! How dare you argue with your seniors, huh? I'll really make you pay for what you did." He clenched his right fist, and was about to punch the freshman, when Archi intercepted. He swiftly got close to the senior, who didn't seem to notice us yet, and planted a lightning-fast kick right hard on his chin. Devastated by the extent of this sudden attack, the guy lost grip of his prey, and himself fell back on the ground. The other guy also collapsed on the floor, and looked at Archi with a bewildered face. The senior, after getting over the shock of the attack, covered his mouth in pain, and then spit out three broken teeth, smeared with blood. But he still managed to stand up, and fixed his gaze on Archi, his eyes blazing with rage, "Why, you... I'm gonna kick your guts out, mister hero!"

Realising the danger of the situation, I called out to Archi, "This guy looks tough. Should I join you?" Archi turned his head towards me, and with a blood-curdling coldness exuding from his tightened jaws, replied, "Stand back. Protecting the weak, is my instinct, and I don't need partners for that."

"What?"

"I'm a lone wolf, Shourish. I don't fight in packs."

Archi pounced on his target, and with amazing agility, ended the fight in moments. I stood back, perplexed and wounded by those words of his. Was this the Archi I knew? That arrogance — what did he think of himself? Some kind of demigod, beyond human ties? Or was he now to desert me entirely, after having called me unworthy of a partner? I had started learning karate years before him, and now _he_ was the heroic one? Anguish throbbed inside my veins, as I felt a stinging pain on my chest. This pain grew, and a strange, piercing sensation cloaked the exact spot where I knew that mark of mine was.

Puzzled by this new, intense pain, I undid the first three buttons of my shirt, and fixing my eyes on my chest, gasped at what I saw. The mark there had completely changed in appearance. Both the concentric circles were now thicker, and dyed with the deepest shade of black. Also, from the edge of the outer circle, four lines pointing outwards, had appeared out of nowhere, making the symbol look like an 'X', with two circles at its centre.

Just... what... was happening? I started feeling dizzy, and closed my eyes. After I opened them again, I found nothing but a sea of darkness around me. Everything had turned pitch-black. I was terrified. Suddenly, I heard the thundering of a sinister, deep voice, as it reverberated all around, "Blessed you are, creature, for you have been bestowed with the divine selection of being the vessel of Holy Dragon Ourokroschen. Fulfill your vows to me, the creator, and hesitate not to plunge your enigmatic sword into the hearts of the whitest shades of black, that dare stand ahead of you."

My feet trembled. Holy Dragon? Vessel? W-What was all this? I felt like I was sinking deep into the darkness that enveloped me. And just then, my eyes noticed a bright object far away. A humanoid silhouette, it was, painted with the colour of a bright white, with tinges of grey admixed. I went closer, and the figure gradually became clearer and clearer, and finally assumed the form of Archishman. Engulfed in a solitary white radiance amidst all this black, Archi was looking at me; overwhelming fear bursting through his countenance. And under that very light, I looked at my right arm. The arm itself has somehow turned black, just like the surroundings. But what surprised me more, was that I appeared to hold a long, slender sword within my clasp. The jet-black metallic blade was sleek, sharp and slightly curved at the tapered end. Some intricate silvery patterns laced along the central part, and edges of it. The hilt, of a glistening golden shade, had a pitch-dark sphere embedded at its centre. Enigmatic sword! Is that it? Then what am I supposed to 'plunge' this into? Oddly enough, one glance at the sword, had apparently started clearing away all puzzles in my mind. I looked up at the static frame of Archi, and my instincts told me what to do. I advanced towards him with solemn footsteps.

Archi, seemingly immobilised somehow, now gasped in fear, perhaps after being able to see me. He spoke up, with trembling lips, "W-Who are you?" By that time, an otherworldly consciousness had started taking over me. I forgot everything I had felt only a few moments ago. All my senses now concentrated on one thing — to brutally pierce Archi with the sword that clung to my arm. I gripped the hilt with both hands, and pointing it towards him, mechanically spoke, "Mortal being, you shall not be allowed to wield such a dangerous level of whiteness. Therefore, to annihilate you, is the only option I have!" Archi cried out hysterically, "No, please don't... nooo!"

I didn't know what I was doing; I had completely lost control of my own body. I stepped back, and then leapt forward with incredible speed; and within a fraction of a second, I perceived myself in mid-air. As I firmly held the hilt of the sword, its blade touched Archi's chest. Not hesitating a moment, I thrust the dark iron deep into Archi's body, as he let out a deafening screech. I turned away my face in disgust, hoping to see blood. But that didn't happen. And instead, I saw the aura around Archi drastically brighten. At the same time, a blinding stream of white energy, similar to the radiance surrounding him, pulsated out of the wound, where I had apparently ruptured his skin. An intense, dazzling light shrouded, and dissipated the dreary darkness, as I closed my eyes.

II. Consolation

7

By the time I opened my eyes again, I saw the familiar prussian blue walls of my room around me. I was lying on my bed. I rubbed my eyes for a while, and then heaved a sigh of relief. Gosh, so all that was a dream! I tried remembering the dream more distinctly. But the penetrating sharpness of my memories made them appear more like reality. I tried convincing myself; it had to be a dream, for the things that seemed to have occurred, were completely implausible. Obtaining those crazy super-powers? Killing Archi? Nah, it was inevitably my gone unruly. But if only there was some way to verify...

Just then, an idea came upon me. The mark at my chest. If what I thought was real, then it should have changed in appearance, right? I took off my T-shirt, and stood in front of the little mirror beside the wardrobe. But a cold chill sparked through my spine, as I saw the mark — it looked exactly the same as I remembered it from last evening. A thick, black 'X', with its central part overridden by two dark concentric circles. So all those events... had really occurred? But how did I end up here in my home? Just then, a knock sounded on the other side of the door. But the moment I heard it, a strange reflex activated within me, and I instantaneously jumped back a few metres, landing right at the edge of my bed. For heaven's sake, since when did I have such amazing agility? As I began wondering, Dad entered the room, with a bowl of soup in his hands.

"Oh good, you're awake. Do you feel okay now?"

"... Yeah... W-What happened?"

"Well, last evening, you were found unconscious at the school grounds, along with that friend of yours; Archishman, I think. Did you get into a fight or what?"

"I don't know... I can't remember much."

Dad seemed worried. He put down the bowl, and sat beside me. He spoke with a caring tone, "Drink this up. There weren't any injuries on you, as far as I remember. But the other boy did have a few bruises on him — not anything major though... I wonder what could have happened..." Just a few bruises? But if I remembered correctly, then he should be dead by now! I clearly stabbed him with that sword. Another thought suddenly crossed my mind.

"Hey Dad, have you found out anything more on those Holy Dragons?"

"Hmm? Well... we did figure out their names, and got some information on their powers."

"Oh... and that is?"

"You see, the White Dragon is called 'Ivragschor', and the black one's 'Ourokroschen'."

Ourokroschen? That was the very name I was told by some mysterious voice. So all of that was _definitely_ true... Dad continued, "Their powers are to, well, prevent the emergence of pure shades. This part's somewhat tricky."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that theory about the co-existence black and white? Ideally, Horksh had intended humans to be nothing but grey — that is, a proportionate mix of both evil and good qualities. But the eventual rise of purely evil, and absolutely good individuals, posed the risk of threatening balance in the world. And so, Ourokroschen was created to inject malice into, and convert brighter shades of grey again to a neutral point, and Ivragschor would 'purify' darker shades of grey to make them neutral as well. I've gotta say, the ancient Shikroists sure put a lot of thinking into this, isn't it?"

And all that fancy thinking is now on my shoulders, huh? Even if I had become some super-powered holy vessel, my role was but to fill good people with malice, and create new potentially evil creatures? How insane was that? Who even needs such cursed powers? I bit my lips. I didn't even know how much suffering I might have inflicted upon Archi — and all of that just because he had firm ideals and stood morally upright? Harming innocent people — that's a nasty villain's power, not a superhero's...

"Hey, Shourish, what's wrong, really? Why did you ask all that stuff, out of the blue?"

"Nothing..."

"Hmm... you are not injured or anything. Won't you go to school?"

I thought for a while. With all sorts of suffocating thoughts clogging my brain already, it would be a pretty bad idea to stay home. I might as well go... I replied Dad in the affirmative.

8

At school, everyone was in a festive mood, as Alicia had joined our class on that day. The teacher made her sit at quite a distance from my bench. So, of all people, I was rejected the opportunity of being able to talk to her. The girl, still visibly unused to this new bunch of acquaintances, began to be continually pestered by her classmates with all sorts of questions. But I couldn't have cared less. I was already burdened with a strange trouble, and therefore, didn't feel any need to immerse myself in these petty distractions. Even at lunch break, I deliberately passed the chance of introducing myself to this new girl, and getting out of the classroom, started passively walking along the corridor. By the time I reached the washrooms, the alarm sounded the end of the break. Nevertheless, I continued strolling, and at last, arrived at the male section.

Once I was out, I found myself to be completely alone. Actually, the washrooms in our school, are located at both ends of a long passage; with the rooms at the northern side for the girls, and the southern side for boys. From where I stood, the female section was only faintly visible. So technically, there could still be people inside there, but it seemed as if the whole place was deserted anyway. Everyone had returned to their classes, I guess. I started tracing my way towards class as well, when I heard the sound of footsteps behind. Yet again, I responded with great spontaneity, like earlier today, and turned back with extreme swiftness. But there was no one. Seriously, who would even try stalking _me_? I must have been hearing things.

I tried coming back to my senses, when I felt a sudden feathery touch on my back. But a soothing sensation exuding from that touch, suppressed my reflexes, and I slowly looked back. Alicia was there, standing behind. Why was she here? Before my lips would have opened to materialise the thoughts which now took shape in my head, she extended her right hand, and covering my mouth with her slender index finger, sweetly smiled at me.

"You're Shourish, right?"

I was beyond astonished, to have heard my name in that enticing voice of hers. A spell seemed to render me incapable of offering resistance, as she now pushed me over, and made me lean back on the wall. Her right hand went down from my face and rested upon my shoulder, as she herself moved closer, and pressed me against the wall with her body. Her other hand went up and started undoing the buttons of my shirt. At such an intimate distance, I now took a closer look at her. Her whole face seemed to shine with a strange delight, and her deep eyes radiated a captivating sensuality. The pronounced softness of her delicate body tightly brushed against me, and I felt her tender warmth flowing into, and arousing every single cell of mine. She tiptoed up, and her mouth drew closer to mine.

I could hear my heart thumping on like an engine at full throttle. Droplets of sweat dampened my face. All kinds of reasoning, as to why something like this was happening in the first place, had completely disappeared from my mind. Now I felt an intoxicating ecstasy cloaking my senses. Meanwhile, Alicia had opened up half of my shirt, and staring at the mark at my chest, she exclaimed, "Wow, is that a tattoo?"

"No... it's, like a birth-mark."

"That's so cool... know what..."

She threw both of her arms around my neck, and placing her scarlet lips only inches away from my face, whispered, "I've been interested in you, since the moment I saw you for the first time. Say... don't you want me too?"

"I... I..."

I stumbled. This was the chance. Amidst all of life's despair, _this_ was my chance to break free. I felt that I would be able to force my way through any and all kinds of miseries thrown at me, as long as I would have her; and that's why... that's why... All of a sudden, I knew exactly what to do. I took her hand within mine. "A-Alicia, I like you a lot as well, and so, could you, please, go out with me?", I finished the whole sentence in one breath. In reply, she again rewarded me with that tranquillising smile of hers, "Yes, Shourish, I will." Her words sounded like pleasant music to my ears.

9

Pleasantly bright lights, shining all across the city, seemed to lighten up my path, as I walked on. Everything appears so perfect today. The temperature was slightly warm, yet a refreshing, cool breeze flowed by, and soothed any possible discomfort. What season was it? Late-spring? My bad; the concept of seasons, nowadays, wasn't really the same as that of just ten years ago. With thousands of Weather Towers having been established all over the globe, even the seasonal cycles were now at man's full command. So a certain equability of temperature was essentially maintained throughout the year. I didn't know if it was just me, but today's weather felt uniquely idyllic, somehow.

I glanced at my watch. A glowing neon-blue display read the time as 7:21 PM. Which meant, I still had almost half an hour in hand. The streets were quite busy already . People of various nationalities and races travelled along, each headed for some unknown destination. Or maybe some didn't have any destination whatsoever. The presence of the Shikro ruins had transformed the once little town of Walkroy into quite an international hotspot of today. I had heard that the metropolis of Kolkata once held such a position in this state. But the 'XPansor' incident had long since changed the whole world, in a way mankind could never have dreamt of.

I reached the café an exact five minutes before the designated time. I walked in through the semi-transparent glass doors, fitted with biometric sensors, which were programmed to instantaneously detect the presence of any human. Once inside, I moved my eyeballs around, and upon noticing her, waved my hand in delight. I went up to her table, and sat down opposite to her. And wow, did she look adorable! Alicia wore a vibrant pink tank top over turquoise denim shorts.

"Wow Shourish, you're right on time!"

"Yeah, still... sorry for making you wait."

She replied with her enchanting smile, "No problem!" I managed to muster up the courage, and finally spoke out what I was actually meaning to tell her all the while, "Y-You look really cute today, Alicia." She clapped her hands, and replied like a joyous little child, "Oh, thanks! Thanks a lot!" I smiled back at her and asked her what she would like to eat.

"Umm... you're a frequent customer here, right? Buy me your favourite dish then."

"Sure."

I ordered two cups of coffee, and two plates of turkey sandwich, their specialty here. I sipped my coffee, and began talking to her.

"Well, uh... what are your hobbies like?"

"Hobbies? Hmm... I really like reading. Back in UK, I had a great collection of mystery novels."

"That sounds cool. So, why did you shift here anyway?

This particular question exhibited a rather strange effect on her. The vivacious radiance of her face vanished within seconds, and her dainty eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, "You see, we moved first to India, after Dad was killed in the Christmas Movement. Back then, we lived in Kolkata, my Mom's hometown; it was only when Mom remarried, that we shifted here." I was startled by the reply, and quickly tried consoling her, "Oh... I'm sorry..."

"No, don't... it's OK."

Christmas Movement? If I remembered correctly, five years ago, a few weeks before 25th December 2038, a group of staunch Catholics launched worldwide demonstrations against the rising popularity of Shikroism, fearing that their own religion was on the verge of complete annihilation. At Christmas Eve, the originally non-violent protest parades transformed into atrocious riots, and hundreds of Shikroist families all over the globe were brutally slaughtered. I had only read about the brutality of the Christmas Movement, but never actually faced it, as the people of Walkroy, at that time, were comparatively unaffected, as the Christians didn't really have any organisational power here, and Shikroists were the vast religious majority.

So Alicia's father was murdered in that incident. I wondered what sort of a traumatic childhood she had gone through. But I dared not magnify her visible anguish with further queries, and decided to change the topic. But all was in vain, as she herself, with quite difficulty though, again started talking on that subject.

"My Dad was, by birth, a Catholic as well. But he was a very liberal person, nevertheless. He even married Mom, a Bengali, by descent..."

Her mother was a Bengali? In that case, she had totally taken after her father, for, judging by her appearance, anyone could mistake her as a pure-blooded European. But again, who was I to speak of all this? Both of my parents were from Kolkata, yet look at me — I didn't know a single bit of my apparent vernacular language. Though situated in a mostly Bengali-speaking state, the common mode of communication in the city of Walkroy, amidst the wide spectrum of people from all over the world, has always been English. So having grown up in this city, I never really learnt any language other than English.

Alicia continued, "...Dad was never against Shikroism, or any other religion. So he refused to join his fellow Christians in their movement; but he'd actually dug his own grave... On 27th December, a ferocious mob forced their way into our home, and calling Dad a traitor, shot him dead, right in front of me..." She covered her mouth, and tried to suppress a sob, as two drops of silvery tears rolled down her darkened cheeks. I bit my lips, and cursed myself for ever having asked her the question that had initiated this grim response. Reaching out for her hands, I tried taking her fingers within mine, but before I could do anything, Alicia stood up.

"Sorry Shourish... I-I need to go now..."

Like a swift gush of wind, she dashed out of the place.

I sat there, dumbfounded. She hadn't even finished her sandwich. There were at least a dozen more couples around me, tittering and chatting. Why then, should I always be the odd one out? Just when I thought I had found joy in life...

10

After having paid the bills, I wearily came out of the café. The environs of the place, which felt so cheerful when I had arrived, now appeared to have changed into a suffocating, morose ambience. But everything else was just the same, and, if anything, the crowd on the street had thickened even more. I was about to start dragging myself towards home, when a certain thought crossed my mind. Where could Alicia have gone to, so suddenly? As far as I knew, her home was on the same way as mine. Therefore, had she headed there, I should have seen her walking right ahead. Or did she catch one of the streetcars? I tried remembering which way she had turned, after exiting the café. Hmm... it probably was... I looked at my left and found a narrow lane, creeping through the gap between two high-rise buildings.

My intuition told me to follow that trail. I went through the dark passage, and coming out, found myself at the sidewalk of another street. But right at the opposite side, a certain constricted alley caught my attention. Far inside the alley, an uncharacteristically bright light, was radiating out of some unknown source. I clumsily evaded the traffic, and within moments, arrived at the very spot of that strange occurrence, where yet another bewitching surprise awaited me.

At first, I couldn't see a thing amidst the dazzling rays which cloaked the place. But once my eyes returned to their original state, I distinguished her form. Alicia was standing there. The long, wavy strands of her hair were now wildly flying all across. Her whole body was engulfed in a blinding white light, and a white mark, apparent right below the junction of her collarbones, shined through her top. But there was the presence of yet another colour in that scene. A few metres away from her, a shadowy figure stood leaning against one of the walls. Though indiscernible within the bright radiance all around, the humanoid shadow emitted a wicked dark aura. A single word flashed through my mind. Iv-rag-schor!

So Alicia, was then... the... White Dragon? She gathered her arms in front of her chest, and a sphere of light slowly formed between her palms. The orb grew larger, as she launched it into the air. "Begone!!", a solemn feminine voice rang across the place.

After hovering right above the dark stranger, the sphere descended, and with an explosive release of concentrated energy, it dissipated an overwhelming amount of light, that forced me to shut my eyes. Soon, a loud groan was heard, accompanied by the sound of someone collapsing to the ground. Once the bewildering brightness receded, I opened them again. And the first thing I saw, was a pair of blue eyes peering into me. Alicia extended her arms and embraced me. But I didn't respond, and stood there, lifeless as stone.

"I'm sorry, Shourish, I'm really sorry..."

"Why... you..."

I couldn't maintain my unresponsive stance any longer, and as an intense gush of emotions stirred my heart, I hugged her back.

11

None of us made any sound, and in the middle of such a strange silence, we tried comforting each of our grief, and held ourselves tighter against one another. But a piercing laughter devastated the serenity of the scene. I let go of Alicia and looked back. A tall structure stood at the entrance of the passage, and insanely burst out in a flurry of laughs. I recognised him at once. It was Richard. So he was definitely here in Walkroy. But why?

"I've found you now!", Richard pointed out his right index finger towards Alicia. But before I could respond, the same tingling pain, from back when I fought against Archi , again seized my chest, and my head began to feel heavy and dizzy. The world turned around me for a few times, and when I regained balance, Richard had changed in appearance. The vile smile in his face had now transformed into a fearful frown, and a whitish light emanated from him. But this was different than Archi's radiance. Richard's aura was of a rather dirty, greyish white, compared to him.

I also felt a metallic object within my right hand's grip. Had I then changed into the Black Dragon again? But something did not seem right, The surroundings... they weren't totally pitch-black like before, and my vision was almost unrestricted. Could it be... I glanced behind and saw Alicia, whose entire frame now glowed in a soothing white light, a lot more tender than the blinding brightness from before, and illuminated everything around. I went towards Richard, who now feverishly cried out, "D-Don't come near me, you monster!" Fiery rage pulsated through my veins, and I lunged forward, slashing at him with my sword, "Why the heck are you here?"

But Richard somehow dodged the full extent of the strike, and took the blow to his left shoulder, as a result of which, he sat down, crippled in pain. He tightly grabbed his injured arm, as greyish light leaked through. I proceeded to finish him off, but Alicia grappled me from behind, and pulled me back. She fervently shouted, "That's enough already! Stop, Shourish!"

Richard took the opportunity, and getting up from his previous position, hastily fled, while some of his last words echoed throughout the place, "Don't think you can fool Nanba-sama now, you muggers!" The vehement fury within me subsided, as I stared at my own reflection at a nearby glass window, visible with Alicia's radiance. What an abhorrent creature I had become! My face and hands had turned completely black, and disgusting reddish veins peeped out of the skin, at places on my forearms. The shirt tore at my chest, and the black symbol glowed through. The usually flipped back taupe black hair of mine, now became an unruly mess, and parts of it were somehow dyed with a crimson hue. And most loathsome of all, the darkened irises of my eyes now possessed ghastly red pupils as their sole adornment. Monster, was I?

III. Desperation

12

We walked. Not a single sound from the outside world could perforate into our senses, and absolute silence reigned. But I felt my head throb with unbearable angst, and I desperately desired to give form to those overflowing emotions storming through my brain. And therefore, I couldn't control my urges anymore, and words burst through.

"Why... am I... like this, Alicia?"

"It's not just you...", she replied, with her eyes still angled at the ground below. Yes, it wasn't just me; she was indeed bound to a strange destiny as well. But for one thing, she was not a monster. Her power was light — a radiance that illuminated darkness, a radiance that symbolised the sacred benevolence of an angel. Yet I, was the wielder of darkness, and the very embodiment of pandemonium. What, then, was my consolation?

"But I'm different than you... Tell me, just why should I, of all people, be the doomed vessel of darkness? WHY ME?"

"That's how we're supposed to be, Shourish. It's a divine selection."

"Darn that selection! I don't want to be the wretched perpetrator of carnage. Heck, I don't want such gory powers!"

My lips trembled as I spoke the last words. But for an instance, I noticed a ripple in Alicia's eyes, as she now looked up to me.

"Let me tell you something... The very night Dad was killed, Mom decided to flee the country with me. She took me with her, and we rushed for our lives. But on the way, one armed rioter found us, and proceeded to shoot us as well. That's when I first unleashed my powers. With the memory of my Dad's murder still afresh, a scorching feeling of vengeance consumed my young soul, and I swore to annihilate all evil from the face of the earth, with my newfound powers. Yet I soon realised that my role as the White Dragon was but a great mockery of my naive oath. As Ivragschor, I was given the ironic ability of 'purifying' the very evil I loathed. I was now supposed to transform the dark shades, whose existence I'd rather like to erase, into new grey ones..."

"...I was defeated by my own destiny. I hated myself for failing to keep the promise I'd made to myself. Inside my heart, I strongly felt — that every single bit of malignant darkness needs to be eradicated from this world, that no evil deserves a second chance. But I'd been perpetually rejected the capability of ever being able to act upon my thoughts. After the invention of the Elixir Vaccine, the average lifespan of human beings is said to have dramatically increased to a hundred years; and for me, that only means more time for a grey consciousness to eventually turn black, and spread the poison to the rest of the world. I shuddered, every single time I thought of this. But alas, I was but a mere puppet in the hands of an irresolute providence."

Alicia's words resonated with my very thoughts. I said, "You're right. We don't deserve to be this way. We don't deserve... to be held against our dreams..."

I marvelled at the realisation that this girl shared the very same grief as me, and condemned myself for having thought she was somehow better off than myself. The Elixir Vaccine, eh? It was actually considered as quite a miracle that essentially revived mankind from utter mayhem. After the radioactive cataclysm of the XPansor incident, more than half of the world's population was left crippled and devastated. All technology, utilising principles of radiation, including basic wireless communication, was internationally withdrawn, and the world fell into what was known as the 'Black Decade'. Eventually, it would have sunk into absolute oblivion, if not for that invention.

The Elixir Vaccine genetically enhanced human beings and rendered them completely immune to the effects of radioactivity. This is why, it is unanimously sought upon as a boon, all over the world. But I had never considered an alternative outlook, like Alicia's. A longer life was indeed a curse, in that respect.

Alicia suddenly grabbed my hands, and stared deep into my eyes, "Yes, we don't deserve this. You do think that way, isn't it? Then let's defy our so-called destiny."

"...Alicia..."

"Shourish, I knew you were the one I was searching for, the moment I saw that mark of yours."

"That means... you ambushed me at school, just for that?'

"I did. I sensed your absolute dark aura, when I glanced at you for the very first time. But I wanted to verify..."

She took a deep breath, and said, "And now that I see the same pain as mine, reflected in your eyes, I know that I can finally realise my dream. With your powers, NO ONE can stop us. This world is just a rusty, old place, born out of an ignorant creator's whim. It's not worth living in. Let's change this world, and create a new one; one without any trace of darkness. Shall we?"

I didn't know what to say. I had never anticipated something along the lines of this. An array of conflicting emotions tore my mind, as I struggled to hold her gaze anymore.

13

What time was it? Amidst the seemingly endless bustle in the city, there was no possible way to get any idea about what hour of the night it was. But that didn't matter to me, did it? No one was there to worry for me, or wait for me. The only person in my life, to have ever played that role, was gone for long. My petty existence, among the crowds of thousands of people now enshrouding me, was quite indiscernible, right? Or was it not? For I was tangled up in a destiny, shared by none.

Alicia, right before I dropped her at her home, told me something interesting. Our senses, as destroyers of pure colours, were supposed to be geared towards detecting any deviation from the neutrality of grey. And once our instincts did perceive such deviation, we were forced to change into our alternate forms. But over time, even we, the vessels of the Holy Dragons, were able to leash these instincts.

In this world, darker shades are drastically more prevalent than white existences. And hence, Alicia, as the White Dragon, always has to fight her senses, so that she doesn't end up pitted against random black souls every other second. Although she was quite used to this, yet she failed to suppress her instincts, whenever she was somehow emotionally agitated. Just like when she talked about her father's death, back at the café. At that time, she was forced to run away, or she could have transformed into her other self, then and there. But alas, she was indeed caught up in a fight, eventually.

In spite of the fact that I lacked experience on controlling my instinctual actions, my life as Ourokroschen was apparently easier than her. Considering the rarity of white shades, I was a lot less likely to get into a skirmish. But were things really so simple?

She said that only Ourokroschen, among the two dragons, wielded the power of causing actual harm to foes, as that sword of mine was technically capable of sucking out life-force, and injecting malice into people. She herself only had the power of purification, and could never wage a war against Horksh, unless I would assist her, that is. But my powers were more of a double-edged weapon — as the ability to inflict harm on, and malign untainted souls, came with a great recoil. The darkness I bore within me, was to eventually leech away my very own vitality. That way, I would gradually descend into sheer desolation, if not for Horksh, the creator itself. It was Horksh's white energy that kept replenishing the life-force seeped away by my dark powers. How was I then going to stand against this deity, whom I virtually depended on for my existence? But again, I also could not endure the colossal burden of guilt, associated with accepting my fate the way it was. I had arrived at a crossroads — the ultimate crossroads of my life.

14

Things seemed just as normal at school. Everyone was laughing, chatting, and fooling around, to their heart's content. Life, at times, seems like just a big, fat irony, isn't it? The first person I ran across, as I entered into the campus that day, was Ashmita. I had anticipated an encounter with Alicia, but that was not the case. I felt somewhat relieved, being able to temporarily procrastinate a train of thoughts that had kept trampling upon my head.

Ash was in her usual cheerful self. But her lips arched down, after she took a good look at me.

"Has something happened, Shourish?"

A _lot_ had happened, to be precise. But there was no I way I could tell her about all that. And so, I tried hard to give as much of a neutral reply as possible, "No... why?"

"It's just... you seem kinda down these days."

I tried laughing in reply. I had no idea how that looked, but Ash's eyebrows widened, and then returned to their usual appearance.

"See you at class!", I waved to her clumsily, and pulled myself away from the scene.

But I couldn't remain contended for long. The same restlessness seized me again, as I saw Alicia. Yet, she was as calm as ever. There was no way you could get any idea about her inner world from outside. I managed to avoid her for the first few classes. But she deliberately started talking to me at lunch break.

"Hey Shourish... Did you think over it?"

I felt every single nerve fibre of mine, tearing to shreds, as I tried to contain my emotions. Should I make the choice now? But the paths that lay below me, were both equally repulsive. What if I were to choose none?

"N-No... please... please leave me alone...", I uttered feebly.

Alicia stepped back. Was she disappointed? But she was the one to be blamed for randomly entrusting some treacherous plot of hers on me, and then expecting me to comply. She replied in a compassionate voice, "It's OK. Take your time."

I had karate class today. And I knew I was going to encounter yet another unpleasant sighting. After that day, I had been avoiding Archi for long. I even skipped karate class once. But now, I would inevitably get to know the true extent of my dreadful powers.

I saw Archi, standing ready in his stance. But he lacked the usual ferocity. The fire in his eyes appeared to have been completely extinguished. He began the fight with an ill-paced, clumsy punch, which I evaded easily. And in retaliation, I launched a fierce kick, swift as a thunderbolt. Archi miserably fell back, and our sensei shouted out the end of the match. I had won. Against an opponent I never thought I could beat. My powers, then, weren't as bad, right? A devilish euphoria agitated my senses, as I looked at my defeated friend... and rival.

15

After I had changed into my uniform, and was about to leave, I found Archi, still in his karate robes, standing amidst the desolate dojo. The ghastly paleness in his face made him appear almost like a lifeless spectre. He came up to me and said, "S-Something has happened to me, Shourish! I don't remember from when... but I feel like a pathetic wreck... as if I had always been so."

Was that so? Well, as a friend, he does deserve to suffer a little fraction of the great pain _I_ was going through. I silently jeered at his pitiful condition and said, "Oh, don't be such a sore loser now. You're just thinking too much."

He didn't seem to anticipate such a reply from the likes of me. And neither did I know how such cruel words slipped through my tongue.

"What do you mean?"

Archi suddenly clutched my shoulders with both arms, as a despondent quiver animated his lips.

"S-Shourish, you know, back in middle school, I really liked Ash. But I never dared confess to her, as I hated myself, for the I was then."

"Hmm..."

"But for once, I promised myself, that I would change, at least for her... and so I did. But in high school, when I finally let her know of my feelings, all I got was blunt rejection. She said my older self was better off. I tried forgetting that sting, through my passion for karate; yet now..."

He let go of me and looked down. But he couldn't hide the sparkling watery sphere, that descended on the ground.

"...Yet now, even that dream is shattered. I feel miserable.. just like I was in middle school..."

The wicked delight vanished from my mind, and I now understood what I had been transformed into. I possessed the satanic powers of a devil, and was capable of obliterating the most endeared dreams of people, with the blink of an eye. If I didn't stop now, the rest of humanity in me would soon metamorphose into demonic malevolence. Bitter anguish overwhelmed me, and right at that moment, a thought dawned on my mind. Alicia. Ever since I met her, my life had been gradually turning into a terrible nightmare. She... was the reason... for all this. I shuddered at the very thought of ever fulfilling the quest she had entreated me to join. I must forget her, for my own sake. I would carve out my own fate, separate from the two roads I was presented with.

I put my hand around Archi's back, and tried consoling his grief, "You're wrong. The pathetic Archi is long gone. Don't be too hard on yourself. Stand strong, like you used to!"

He returned me a grateful smile, "Thanks." And right then, I saw the flame rekindle within his eyes.

16

Striding across the road, I thought about that day at the café, and the strange events that had followed. Most striking of all, was the sudden appearance of Richard. Why was he there in the first place? And if I remembered correctly, he said something about some 'Nanba-sama', as he fled from the scene. Nanba-sama? Wait... Nanba, or Tsubasa Nanba, was the founder and current CEO of the Reincarnation Association of Genetic Engineering. More popularly termed as 'R.A.G.E'. They were the very inventors of the Elixir Vaccine. And also, wasn't it at the R.A.G.E headquarters at Hyderabad, that Richard was supposed to start his higher studies at? Just what could have happened — I wondered.

Life sure is full of strange coincidences. The moment I was about to step into the street that led to my home, I saw him. A part of Richard's face peeped through the walls of a gift shop right ahead. This was the chance. I entered into the small, but neat-looking store, and went up to him. He hadn't noticed my presence yet, it seemed. I gave him a light prod on his back. Turning around in response, his face grew pale, as he caught a glimpse of me.

"S-Shourish? Why... I didn't think of meeting you here."

I threw a solemn reply back at him, "So didn't I. Back at that alley, I mean."

"Oh, that was just..."

He tried to force a smile. But that just turned out crassly desperate, as a flustered tint spread all over his face.

"I want answers."

"I don't... get it."

"Oh, you do. You surely do."

"Well, uh... let's talk outside."

We went out, with several pairs of inquisitive eyes transfixed on us. Why was I doing this? Squeezing out information from someone as unwilling as Richard, was quite a tedious task, especially for the likes of me. But still, a weird curiosity purged me on.

"So? Tell me, why are you here?"

"I'm... on a mission. And that's how I bumped into you the other day."

"A mission? Why, aren't you supposed to be studying at Hyderabad?"

A weary sigh made its way out of Richard's throat, as he continued speaking, "You're right... you're absolutely right. And I'm here, just for that."

"What?"

"A few days after I entered the R.A.G.E university, Nanba-sama called for me. That was the very day, uncle Shirsha and my Dad made that global press conference on the newly discovered aspects of Shikro mythology, related to those 'Holy Dragons'. Nanba-sama told me to go back to Walkroy, and get him more details of this discovery, as he knew who my Dad was. Of course, there was no way I could turn down that request..."

Richard's Dad, Arthur Walker was, along with my Dad, one of the trailblazers in uncovering the vast archaeological wealth buried inside the deep underground of the Shikro ruins. In fact, the first part of this city's name had actually been derived from his last name. And so, it would obviously not be unknown to anyone, who Richard's father was.

"...This errand had absolutely no relation whatsoever with my studies, but I still went with it. I dug out some more information from Dad, and when Nanba-sama came to know of the powers of those so-called dragons, and the facet about the Shikro apocalypse, he went insane. He asked me to find out the White Dragon's vessel. I knew he was kind of a firm believer of Shikroism — but to think of some silly fairy tale as reality, was just too much! I was confused, and didn't know what to do. But that's when I stumbled into you guys, and that girl. I hardly could believe my eyes, and the very next day, informed Nanba-sama. And that's when..."

Suddenly, a repressed moan sounded across, as Richard pinched his temples with his left hand. I was startled at this unanticipated development, and said, "What's the matter?" He didn't seem to hear me, and continued with his tale, with a broken voice, "...Nanba-sama... now threatened me to capture that girl, and bring her to him, or else... or else, my career should be destroyed for... ever. I-I don't care about some old man's mania, but I can never afford to lose my place at that famed university. Ever since I was a kid, Dad wanted me to be as accomplished as him, and I myself, dreamed of being so. It's better off to die, than to be the loser unworthy of his own dreams!"

"I didn't know..."

"With you around, there's no way I can seize that girl. Please... help me, Shourish. Or just slit my throat open with that sharp blade of yours. I can't live on, like this..."

His plight moved me. If it is in my power to save this one desolate soul, I _would_ do so. There's no way I could harm anyone unconditionally, anymore.

Next Thursday, I remembered, was Alicia's birthday. _She_ is the key to all this, right? Well, this would be the opportunity then... for my ultimate atonement... and salvation.

17

A grim furrow hung over his brows, as Dad sat down beside me. Though still exhausted by today's hassles, my attention directed towards him.

"Things will become really tough for us, if we agree to that devious Nanba's proposal."

Apparently, the R.A.G.E enterprises had proposed to buy the Walker & Roy Archaeological Corporation. They also did pledge an enticing amount of money in return. But that was hardly enough to persuade Dad. In fact, _nothing_ could ever convince him to hand over this endeared organisation of his.

"Arthur's against this as well. But I wonder if we can drive Nanba away. He is quite the stubborn man..."

Uncle Arthur and Dad had worked, and were still working, in collaboration, on the Shikro project. The Walkroy Corp, as it was called, was eventually created by them, for keeping record of their consecutive groundbreaking discoveries. What a disgrace it would be, to sell it away. Dad sighed, "Once we're under him, we'd be reduced to nothing but mere pawns, restrained to his whim."

Dad must be going through a lot. But little was I bothered. I remained oblivious, and only focused my thoughts on the day after tomorrow — the 16th of April. I must succeed in the project I was to undertake; failure... was not an option.

18

"Hey, happy birthday!"

Alicia was overjoyed at this sudden jolly tone in my voice. Just yesterday, she should have seen me seemingly immersed in a dull melancholy.

"Thanks! So, how are you now?"

"Great, actually."

"Gosh, I'm so relieved."

I spent every drop of my mental vigour, to continue with this enactment. Her pleasant voice sounded through the phone, "So, want to take me somewhere?"

"Yeah, surely. I'll get you something from the gift shop near my house."

"Okay, I'll be waiting at my home."

"I'll see you then.", I hung up the phone, and then went out, half-reluctantly strolling across the street.

The sun was still tender. Serene rays shone across, and illuminated the world around. The forest of tall skyscrapers around, sparkled in a golden lustre. The roads were scarcely populated now, as only a handful bunch of people would get out of their nests so early. The throbbing city life, that was active at night, now rested peacefully. I yawned.

I had told Richard to wait at the little blind alley beside the gift shop, with his men. If all was well, they would arrive just an hour from now. The plan was apparently flawless. But that didn't help me much. I couldn't sleep last night, and even now, my mind remained strangled by the rock-hard grip of anxiety. Just an hour more... I tried to reassure myself.

I didn't have to go all the way to her house. I saw Alicia waiting for me, a good few metres ahead. She wore a olive green turtleneck and dark leggings. She had also tied her hair back in a cute ponytail, different from her usual style. She jovially waved at me, "Hey!!"

She came close, and coiled her soft fingers around my left forearm. A delicious fragrance flowed into my lungs, and caressed my senses. But no... this delight was not for me. I must stop being charmed by these enchanting spells of her, as I would soon have to lose her, forever... in exchange of my own emancipation, from the debilitating fate I was sealed with.

I asked her a certain odd question that had been poking inside my mind for a while, "By the way, you said Ourokroschen replenishes its life-force through Horksh. But, what about Ivragschor? Where do you restore your used powers from?"

Obviously, she didn't expect this weird query, but nevertheless, she answered, "Well, my powers don't need to be restored. Malice chips away at the hosts life, but benevolent white energy, actually heals one's soul, and recovers lost vitality."

"You mean you're also like some kind of, uh, healer?"

"Ha-ha, yeah. In fact, the vessel of Ivragschor can technically live forever, if not for the fragility of the human form itself."

"Wow..."

"Also, when in my dragon form, I actually have a rather pacifying presence, compared to you. I mean, the very sight of your dark aura, is said to induce fear into your targets. Many people can't even withstand that, and faint, or lose their memories."

Now that was something new to me. So... that's why Archi didn't seem to remember anything.

19

We arrived at the gift shop just a few minutes before the planned time. Inside the store, I scanned the whole place for a while, and finally found him. A broad-shouldered, muscular man, wearing a black T-shirt and faded jeans. So Richard was here. I tapped the floor exactly thrice with my left foot. This was the agreed signal. The man from before, casually went out of the place, in response. But of course, Alicia didn't know about any of this. I began browsing through the various shelves of plush toys, cards, books, and stuff like that. She followed me, and delightfully pranced around.

All of a sudden, I feigned a startled expression, and leaned on to her ears, "Hey... I think I just heard something outside."

"Huh?"

"Wait..."

I trotted outside the store in an apparent haste. And just as I had thought, she retraced my steps and stopped beside me. This sudden occurrence had astonished her, indeed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just..."

I quickly grabbed one of her hands, and pointed my other arm towards the dark lane ahead of us.

"Come with me... there's definitely someone there..."

I pulled her towards there, and she was forced to tag along. Within moments, we were inside the narrow, shady gap. She stood a few steps ahead, with her back facing against me. Her eyes moved along the place, hoping to find the cause for this unexpected chain of events. This... would be... the last time.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I focused all my consciousness into the mark at my chest, and tried to awaken the powers within. Soon, I felt an overwhelming darkness surging through my body, and my eyelids turned heavy as stone. A stinging pain seared my chest, and I perceived the darkness seeping into every inch of my existence. With difficulty, I opened my eyes, and saw a black cloud enshrouding me. But in a while, parts of the cloud dissipated all about, and drenched the whole place in an impenetrable lightlessness. The remaining fraction of the cloud collected around my right arm, and took the shape of a slender blade.

Yet, one very strong light lit up, and illumined the black. I squinted my eyebrows, and looked through the numbing brightness. A human figure lay beneath, and soon revealed itself as Alicia.

Alicia, perplexed beyond doubt, turned back and spoke in a rather shrill voice, "What are you doing, Shourish?" I didn't reply, and instead raised my hand up in the air. I tried remembering the technique Alicia had used that day. In accordance of what I was able to recall, I clenched my fist hard, and attempted to gather all my energy into it. As I opened my palm again, a small orb of concentrated darkness formed inside it. I thrust forward my right foot, and hurled the sphere at her, with all my strength.

"Sorry, Alicia!"

The orb tore through the air, and eventually grew large enough, just before it hit her. Caught amidst the strange unpredictability of the situation, she couldn't react effectively enough. The sphere clashed into her, and exploded like a bomb, releasing a great multitude of shadowy energy, which coiled around, and brutally suppressed her light. She fell back, cloaked in a thick void of darkness. That would be enough to incapacitate her for a while.

I whistled out loud. Richard entered the alley, accompanied by several men, similar in appearance to the one I saw at the store. They lifted Alicia up, and carried her away. Richard walked towards me, trying to say something, perhaps. But a wild fury seized my brain, and I violently lifted up the sword, pointing the lustrous tip at him. I maniacally howled, "Aargh! Just get the hell out of here!"

He fearfully moved back, and then dashed, climbing right into the van that waited outside.

IV. Resolution

20

Something seemed wrong. Is this the way I am supposed to feel now? I had got rid of the source of all bitterness in life, yet...

Ashmita appeared remarkably cheerful and bubbly today. She said, "Come on now, you're still as miserable..."

"Not a bit! Believe me."

She folded her hands behind her back, "Don't tell me..."

"Hmm?"

"I read that Alicia went missing yesterday. Is that why you're all sulky?"

So the news was out? There's no way the police could track me, anyway. But I somehow didn't like the idea of talking on this subject now.

"...Oh, really?... Anyway, how's Archi now? I saw him all depressed at karate class."

"Yeah... I wonder why he, of all people, became like that, all of a sudden. But he's better now. I saw him quite in his usual self the other day."

That's good. I was able to undo at least one of my misdeeds. I smiled at Ash, "Great!" Yet in response, she looked away, and spoke in a rather dull tone, "Good for him... But really, tell me the truth — why are YOU still like this? Of course, you were never as outgoing as Archi, but I did like the older version of you. Something happened, right from the day that new girl joined our class. Don't ever say we're friends, if you're gonna hide things from me..."

What in the world? Did she just blush? No, there's no mistaking that faint red, glowing through her cheeks. I desperately tried to find an answer, convincing enough.

"I-I am not... hiding anything..."

"Liar!!", She angrily strode out of the classroom. I sighed.

21

I couldn't remember when I came here for the last time. And I regretted not being able to do so. For the divine spectacle that lay in front of me, filled my eyes with mesmeric wonder. The school building, was one of the tallest ones in the city. A detailed, panoramic view of a great expanse of the city, was visible from here. Far away, along the edges of the western horizon, a scarlet orb, speckled with tints of radiant yellow, lit up the world in a magical lustre. The sky above, shone in a vivid hue of orange, and golden masses of clouds floated by.

What does the setting sun symbolise? Hope? Hope for another bright morning, after the long hours of strangling lightlessness? Human beings never let go of hope easily, do they? Just thirty years ago, would anyone ever have thought of being able to get through the apocalyptic events, that plunged the very existence of humankind into an apparently unfathomable oblivion? But people still didn't lose hope, did they?

A month after the start of the new year of 2015, a new technology of wireless communication was invented by a mysterious Japanese company. The networking system, named as the 'XPansor-079', offered incredible speeds of transferring data through the air, all with the help of a central transmission tower built at Yokohama. It soon earned great global popularity, and the network began to be widely used by cell phone carriers and worldwide servers. But all of this was but a great fallacy, and the whole thing was nothing but an insanely vile plot of some kind of abhorrent, grisly entity. Very soon, the source of the unbelievable connectivity of the network, was revealed to be a new form of radiation technology, utilising never before seen ionising particles. Before any action could be taken, the intensity of this radiation was suddenly amplified to devastating levels, by the central controls inside the tower at Japan.

A radioactive pandemic broke out all over the world. Millions of people died nearly instant deaths, as a result of extreme radiation toxicity. Almost whole of the global population underwent irreparable genetic damage, and a great number of people contracted the most terrible forms of cancer. A maniacally desperate faction, burst out in revolt, and demanded withdrawal of all forms of technology, that utilised radiation, including seemingly harmless electromagnetic emissions, like that of the cell phones of earlier days. Standing face-to-face with their own obliteration, people went mad. They could trust none.

But hope, would never be lost. After a decade, with the discovery of the Elixir Vaccine, mankind was finally salvaged. People found new hope, to cling on to, and live with.

But did the fading twilight, only signify hope? Was it not also a premonition of the ominous shadows of the night to come? Or is it only me who interprets such an exquisite beauty, so mournfully? Yet, feeling that way wasn't my fault... Even after I worked so hard to vanquish my misery, why did I still feel such a painful emptiness within? It was just like... just like when Mom left us.

I had spent all my childhood years, looking up to my parents as quite the perfect couple. They were friendly and nice to each other, and never stopped teasing and picking on one another. But all my faith broke apart, when two years ago, at an otherwise fine morning, Dad told me that Mom was now to walk away from our lives. I couldn't believe my ears, and failed to judge the grimness of the situation with my naive perception. But truth was heartless.

I always thought that she loved me, that she cared for me like none; but I still remember the anguish bursting through her usually warm, loving eyes, as she bade goodbye to me... for... ever...

And now, I was again as despondent. Was I then, never to find light in life?

22

"Wake up, Shourish! Wake up!", a fervent cry disturbed my peaceful torpor. With much annoyance, I crept out of bed, and saw Dad, feverishly trotting up and down the length of the dining room. Once he saw me wake up, he called me from where he was, "Come here, Shourish! Something terrible has happened." I couldn't really make out what this sudden fuss was all about, but I reluctantly went to the dining room. The TV, switched on at such an early hour, for some reason, attracted my attention. I transfixed my eyes on the large sleek display, and shuddered at what I saw.

"Greatest global coup d'état in history! Tsubasa Nanba, inventor of the famed Elixir Vaccine, and present CEO of R.A.G.E, has forcibly assumed all international administrative power. He has effectively shunned any form of resistance to this devious plot, by claiming himself as the sole mastermind behind the XPansor-079 incident. Issuing a worldwide threat, he has stated that any kind of opposition shall be mercilessly rewarded with a much fiercer resurrection of the devastating pandemic that took place twenty eight years ago."

I looked at Dad with utmost terror, "B-But how can he resurrect something like that? Hasn't the Elixir Vaccine already made us immune to the effects of radioactivity?"

Dad stared at me for a while, and then replied, "He'd planned this all along. He threatens to let loose a specific intensity of radiation from the R.A.G.E HQ at Hyderabad, which, though unable to affect us normally, will trigger a certain hidden function within the genetic coding of the X-Cells. This will enable them to maniacally produce large numbers of unneeded mutant stem cells, which are then, to grow into malignant tissue..."

What? The Elixir Vaccine was said to dramatically strengthen the chemical bonding within the human DNA, and reprogram it to synthesise special types of supervisory leukocytes, termed as 'X-Cells'. These cells were capable of instantly detecting, and thereby destroying mutant cells, and eventually replacing each of them with a new stem cell, which was to grow into the exact kind of cell killed. That way, any and all effects of harmful ionisation, could be easily nullified. But who knew, that this miraculous vaccine was actually such a grave trap.

Dad bent his head, and looked at the ground. He clenched his fists for a while, and then spoke in a rather determined voice, "No... I can't let this happen. If this were to go on, all of us would end up as disposable tools, at the mercy of that evil man..."

He smiled at me.

"Take care while I'm away, Shourish."

"What?"

"I'll join the protest rally, that's going to be held at the Town Square. That Nanba is really getting on my nerves now!"

I never expected such heroism from Dad. He was always this typical self-centred man, who didn't bother much about others. But now...

My head felt dizzy, and my vision darkened. All of a sudden, my eyes could peer right into Dad's heart. And inside, I saw a bright white light glowing through. This shade of white within him, was never known to me. My instincts as Ourokroschen tingled, and told me to extinguish that light. But I fought myself. No, I would never let that abhorrent shadow take over my consciousness again... _never_ , _ever_... The curtain of darkness was alleviated, as I finally repressed myself. I smiled back at Dad, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Good luck for you!" When had I last felt such great reverence for him? I didn't know... and neither did I want to, for the present seemed more crucial to me than any past memories.

23

Panic had coloured everyone's face dull. All of my usually cheerful classmates were seized by a dumb silence, as if some kind of black magic had been cast upon them. Hours passed, but no teacher came to our class. Ashmita asked me, "Has your Dad gone to work?"

"Nope... He'll be at the protest rally."

"Hmm... same as my parents. But hey, will they be alright?"

"Can't say. That Nanba said that he won't tolerate any opposition."

Ash spoke in a shivering voice, "Oh God! What'd I do if anything happened to them!"

I thought for a while. What exactly would Nanba do to these protesters? He can't activate the radiation, just for this! And, would he not also be affected by this catastrophe, if it were to be triggered? Just how evil can a person be?

I tried to assure her, "I don't think he'll turn on the XPansor tower, just for this. Don't worry."

And just that very moment, we heard an announcement sound through the speakers in our class.

"Due to certain unfavourable circumstances, the school will be over for today, right now. In relation to the safety concern of the students, everyone is requested to return home without further delay. Repeat..."

Right upon hearing this, the affright in everyone's eye's, materialised into actions. A frantic rush seized the classroom, and within seconds, the room was almost deserted. We waited in indecision for a while. But there wasn't any other option whatsoever. Ashmita and I slowly dragged ourselves out.

24

Not a single soul seemed to be there in the otherwise lively and crowded school campus. It seemed just like a war-torn wasteland now. Ashmita walked close to me.

"Hey... could you, uh, drop me home?"

"Huh?"

"I'm somehow... getting a bad feeling..."

But why me? I was definitely not a person to be thought of as so reliable! On top of that, her house was quite the distance from here. Well... I couldn't turn her down though.

"...Ok."

"Thanks."

After going a few steps ahead, I looked back and found her to have paused at the same spot. I traced my steps back, and inquired of her, "What's wrong?"

"We... will be fine... right?"

"Yeah..."

Ash suddenly jumped right into me, and tightly grasped my body against her. I felt my shirt dampen, as her face, buried in my chest, convulsed in hushed sobs.

"I-I thought I'd keep from telling you, ever. But now... all of a sudden, I feel like I'd never see you again... I'm too scared to hide it away anymore..."

"Hide away what?"

"You never understood, did you? I love you, Shourish! I love you more than anything in the world!"

She cried out louder. And there was I, dumbstricken beyond expectation. Is that why... she rejected Archi? But why did she conceal her feelings from me, then? But wait... wasn't I the very first one to lock away _my_ feelings, from my very own self? A storm started brewing, deep inside my consciousness...

I looked around, and far away, near the gate, spotted Archi's figure. He was here? Did he still care so much for her then — even after she turned him down? And what a miserable wreck I was, compared to him... I tried to be heroic, by trying to flip over my own fate, but I actually ended up losing the only one gift — the _only_ one gift, life had bestowed me with, to protect, and fight for. Look at Archi; even after all his hopes were destroyed, he didn't give up on his determination, did he? Life isn't worth living, unless there's something you can keep fighting for... that's what gives your existence meaning...

Yet I remained a loser... But no, I couldn't afford to be one anymore. The storm intensified, and soon gave form to a steel pillar of transcendent resolve.

I took Ash's tearful face within my hands, and lightly held it up. I descended my lips, and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. I whispered to her, "Sorry, Ash. I already have someone else."

Although I let go of her, and moved away, she still remained in that very spot.

"And that someone is..."

Archi seemed to have noticed us, and hurriedly ran towards here. I softly smiled at him, and said, "You always wanted to protect her, didn't you? Well, here you go." I again looked back at her, "Go home with Archi for today, OK? I have certain thing to do."

"What do you mean?", Archi asked.

I didn't reply, and instead, taking back a few steps, closed my eyes. I tightened every muscle in my body, and focused on uncovering the dark powers within, just like I had previously done. I eventually transformed, and looked at Archi and Ash, with my black eyes. They were visible amidst the surrounding darkness, only because of Archi's beckoning light, which had regained the sparkle I once took away.

Both of them were frightened at first. Ash let out a appalled yelp, and Archi muttered, "S-Shourish, is that you?" But I curbed any and all of my devilish traits, and again made that soft smile reappear on my otherwise dreary countenance.

"Don't worry. It's me — just a different version."

The horror in their eyes now seemed to fade away, little by little. I continued speaking in as much of a calm voice as possible, "I'll be off for a while. Alicia — I need to save her. Archi, please take care of Ash. And Ash, you guessed right. That 'someone', is indeed the one I'm going after now."

At these words, normal expressions reappeared on Archi and Ash's faces. They jointly said, "Best of luck!"

"Thanks!"

I leaped up in the air, and the moment I did so, a pair of black, feathery projections sprang out of my back, and suspended my body in mid-air. Just as I thought. I gave a quick thrust with my whole body, and these newfound wings carried me even upwards. My friends stared at me from below, with amazed eyes, as I now ascended higher and higher.

25

But the higher I went, the more the dark clouds reappeared in front of my eyes, as Archi's radiance grew fainter and fainter. Very soon, the great black surrounding me, rendered me incapable of navigation. Wait... I reckoned a certain idea. I gripped the sword, within my right hand, tighter than ever, as if to crush it completely within my grasp. And suddenly, the sword broke away into smoky black energy, which thereby escaped into the air. Just then, the dark fog around me began to clear away, and I regained normal vision. But the shadowy wings were still there on my back. So... my vision changed only when I wielded that sword, huh?

I didn't know where to fly to. Richard didn't tell me where Nanba would keep Alicia hostage. How then, should I save her? I shut my eyelids for another time, and concentrated my thoughts on finding Alicia. Like a mantra, I chanted out to myself — I need to find her... I need to find her... I _need_ to find her! Within my inner view, I saw a white flicker light up, far away still. And upon opening my eyes again, I drove myself forward in the very direction of that sparkle. This light... must be her.

After a few minutes, my wings accelerated to an incredible speed, and propelled me forward, as my whole body sliced through the air like a knife.

Here... I... come!

26

So this was it. The famous R.A.G.E complex. An extensive piece of lush greenery spread like a mat below me, with occasional buildings and towers. Far to the east, the highest structure in the area could be spotted. A tall, metallic tower, with a single large antenna fitted at the top. Thick cables, emerging from a variety of machines that lay beneath, converged just a little below the apex of the antenna, and made it look like a central knot of wires, from my position. I stealthily descended from mid-air, and began scanning the whole place. At the roof of a flat-topped, short building around the north-eastern corner, I spotted him. Richard, to be specific. This must be the student dormitory then, for he studied at the university, which was located somewhere inside this campus as well. Hmm... he might be of some help to me, I guess. I sailed through the light breeze that was coursing across, and flew towards him.

Richard stood in an idle stance, along the edge of the roof. But the moment he saw me, he flung himself backwards, and attempted to escape from the scene right away. But I rooted him to a static pose, with a commanding roar, "STOP!!" I landed on the roof, and almost instantly, the wings again vanished into thin air. I walked up to him.

"I just need to ask you something. Don't panic."

"Why... can't you just leave me alone?"

He pitifully begged me, "Please... please, let me go!"

"Don't give me that crap! Just answer me, and you'll be done. Where's Alicia?"

"I don't know..."

I felt like kicking him right across his stubborn face. But I restrained myself. I shouldn't start a fight right here.

"Obviously you know. Now don't make such a fuss. Tell me, and I'll leave you, once and for all."

Richard appeared to be caught up in a dilemma. But after a while, he finally submitted.

"That building... I handed over that girl to Nanba-sama, right there.", his index finger indicated towards a rather high, fortified structure. Several well-armed men, shielded with tough-looking armours, stood at its roof. So this was Nanba's lair. Good thing to have found it. After skimming through the air for half an hour, I had lost track of the light I was headed towards. And right then, as I stopped, I found myself above this complex.

It would have taken quite some time, and lots of random guessing, to locate Alicia within this vast place. But now I had some clue, at least. I neutrally thanked Richard, and took off once again — my nerves throbbing in anticipation.

27

The main entrance was really packed with security. Six guards stood there, each with a sleek machine-gun in hand. Sleek, yet formidable enough — these weapons boasted of an electronic aiming system and in-built radar, capable of locking on a multitude of targets at once. One round of fire, and a couple thousands of specially tempered bullets, would literally grate you to pieces. When I was younger, I used to be quite an enthusiast about guns, and much of a self-proclaimed authority on the subject.

I went forward, and introduced myself as the son of Dr. Shirsha Roy, and requested an urgent appointment with Tsubasa Nanba. My Dad's name appeared to induce a certain amount of reverence within them. Still, one of the guards asked me to prove my claimed identity.

"Well, Nanba-sama knows me more than you guys. He'd be surely able to verify my identity."

I was still in my school uniform, and the badge of the 'Walkroy Institute of Global Education', gave assured the fact that I wasn't just some random fraudster. Besides, my apparent age was enough to convince these people to let their guard down.

"OK, kid. Come with me. You'll have to wait inside for a while though."

"I'm telling you, it's urgent!"

"Hmm..."

One of the guards guided me inside the building. The ground floor had a reception counter right next to the entrance, and a big waiting lobby across the middle of the place. An elevator could be spotted at the farthest end. Overall, it just seemed like the ground floor of your average office. There weren't any guards here, other than the one accompanying me. He pointed at one of the empty seats in the lobby, and told me to wait there. He was about to walk off towards the receptionist, when I gave him a light prod from behind.

"Hey..."

The moment he turned back, I crouched down, and swung my right leg across the ground, kicking him hard on his knee-cap. He folded his legs, and was about to sit down, when I launched yet another strike, this time zapping his jaws with an explosive thrust of my shin bone. He was attacked beyond any plausible anticipation, and dropped his gun on the floor, falling back in pain.

"Argh..."

I picked up the gun, and fired a roaring fusillade of bullets towards the ceiling. At first, I thought I would be miserably afflicted by the recoil of operating a gun, that also a machine-gun. But my body readily absorbed the shock, and I felt like I had known to shoot guns, right from birth. I growled out fiercely, "Don't get in my way, if you all don't wanna be dead meat!"

Terror seized the people inside, yet they couldn't move from their spots, as that, perhaps, seemed equally dangerous to them. Someone let out a frantic yelp. And just then, the rest of the guards rushed in from outside. But before they could even perceive the situation, a flurry of devastating projectiles penetrated into, and severed their bodies to the tiniest of bits. They were absolutely no match for my superhuman reactive capabilities. These amazing reflexes, coupled with fast, effective combat skills, were really helpful side-benefits of being the Black Dragon — at least in this situation.

I dashed into the elevator, as the two metallic doors slowly closed away in a mechanical motion.

28

Which floor would it be? Within the range of choices from 1 to 47, I was really confused about which button to press. I made a wild guess, and hit the highest floor number. But even before the metallic cabinet could reach the thirtieth floor, it abruptly paused, with a short jerk. A red light engulfed the elevator, and a loud buzzer began ringing all across. Damn, the security breach had been detected.

The doors opened, as I stepped out. The same buzzer was echoing through here as well. What lay ahead, seemed to be a long corridor, with several shut doors, arranged across two opposite walls. I took light, wary steps, and went ahead. No security mechanism, other than the annoying buzzer, could be spotted here. At the end of the passage, the corridor was further diverged into two directions. I wondered which route to take, when a flurry of mechanical noises sounded around. Several rectangular slits opened up in the walls surrounding me, and a number of conical apparatuses, with reflective coverings at the tapered ends, projected out of those openings. Laser guns?

Instantly, I jumped up, and unfolded my black wings, even within that constricted space. I dodged any and all of the searing beams of light aimed at me, and zipped through the place like a thunderbolt. I soon stopped at a landing, safe from the automated guns, from where a set of stairs appeared to swirl upward. Footsteps were heard from above, and I crouched down, ready for action at any moment.

I expected a guard, but the person who came down, was a timid-looking man in a lab-coat, flustered by an apparent rush. I didn't want to do this, but I reluctantly held him at gunpoint, and yelled, "Where's Nanba?" He shrieked at the menacing weapon facing him, and mumbled, "T-There...that's his room...". His fingers pointed at a lustrous golden door, located right ahead of me.

So, I was exactly at the right floor, eh? I ordered him to go, and he clumsily ran back, along the very stairs he had come down from. I positioned myself right in front of the door, and took a deep breath. All tension built up inside me, now desperately awaited an extreme climactic release. It was... about time.

V. Reaffirmation

29

I didn't have to go through the trouble of breaking into the room. With one kick, the door automatically slid open, as if waiting for my arrival. I went in. All four walls, and the roof, were painted with a shiny black colour. Several large machines were positioned all across, and a giant screen adorned the central position of the room. A solitary man, of average height, and a rather slim build, stood right below, with his back facing me. There was no one else inside, other than him, and myself, of course.

The stranger turned around, and revealed his appearance. He was a middle-aged man, with a short, stubby face, and typical Asian features. He had long, greyish hair, that fell all over his temples in sharp bangs. He wore almost the same clothes as the man I encountered earlier — except that his coat seemed a bit oversized and baggy. To be honest, he appeared miles apart from the nasty, demonic entity he was deemed to be.

The man greeted me with a quick bow, and spoke in a Japanese accent, "You must be Shourish Roy, right? Nice to meet you."

I didn't return him a fraction of the cordiality he offered me, and I shouted, "Where've you kept her? Where's Alicia?"

He seemed to be astonished at the question, and said, "Oh, I thought you had come to me, for hearing about your Dad."

"What?"

"My, my — your Dad was killed earlier today, didn't you know? Sorry, but I really can't stand people who are blind to my noble ambitions."

"What in the world!", I tried my best to hold back the scorching fury bursting inside me, after I had heard his outrageous words.

"Just... give Alicia back."

"I'm really sorry, but I need her powers to continue with my dreams. Oh, I'll tell you why — have you ever wondered why no single king has been able to completely dominate the world, and get the whole globe under his absolute grip?"

"..."

"It's because of mortality! No ruler can preserve his conquests, if he himself dies away, at some point of time. But you don't have to worry; I'm not like that. I WILL surpass that human defect, with that girl's powers..."

"Stop... blabbering... crap!", I couldn't control myself anymore, and pointed the gun at him, "Give her back, RIGHT NOW!"

He laughed out in reply, "No worries! Your princess is safe, right here in this building. Just that, I'd be keeping her for a while. Oh, and that toy of yours won't really work here. You see, this place is filled with high-powered ionising radio-transmitters. Look, the circuit must already have been damaged."

I curiously looked at the small LED display of the gun, and found nothing but a grainy screen. Darn... the thing is entirely wrecked, without the aiming mechanisms.

"What a pity!", Nanba took out a nifty handgun, the purely mechanical ones which were used at least a decade ago, "These are a lot more reliable, to be honest. So, what was I saying? Immortality, yes..."

I was in quite a pinch then. There didn't seem any option left for me, but too...

I thundered out, "I said already, STOP spouting gibberish!" Extreme loathing against the lowly creature that stood before me, combined with a flaming thirst for vengeance, coiled around my heart, and gave way to the unfathomable darkness buried inside me. The transformation occurred more rapidly than ever, and I found myself amidst that familiar black ocean. I clutched the hilt of my sword, and violently swung it forward, at the very spot that man stood. But the razor-sharp blade only sliced through fine air, and I abruptly halted, looking all around for him. But there was only darkness. Nanba was nowhere to be seen.

His voice soon rang across, in a drastically fiercer tone than before, "How dare you interrupt me? None of your tricks will work here, kid. Without your cute princess's light, you can never see me. The Black Dragon can never even put a single scratch on a soul as dark as mine, idiot!"

I shuddered. So his heart was painted in the purest shade of satanic black? Surely then, I could never see a thing within this darkness. Without the smallest tinge of white, I was but entirely blind.

"You want her back, right? Well, you can't. Never. I'll be eternally using her powers, as Ivragschor, to purify, and restore my life-force. That way, I'll be practically immortal — and will reign over my kingdom FOR EVER. She can't resist as well — her instincts would always trigger, the moment she'd perceive my great darkness. And, scum like you, who dare oppose, shall continue to be crushed to death — just like that stupid father of yours."

"You lowlife...", my blood steamed with hatred, and an intense fit of rage propelled my body forward, as I blindly slashed at every direction around me, hoping to brutally tear the devil into bloody bits of flesh and bone. But a deafening blast echoed within a few metres, and I felt a burning metal digging into my right shoulder. Overwhelming pain made me trip over, and I sensed a warm stream of blood spilling out of my arm. I groaned out in agony, and desperately clasped the wound. My fingers dampened with hot blood, as I could feel all of my strength, and determination, draining away, along with the very crimson liquid that leaked out.

"Die!", a metallic click sounded right in front.

It's over, then. Well, at least I tried my best... I closed my eyes in despair. And just then, I saw it.

30

I saw it. The bright sparkle I had lost — reappeared in my inner vision. I sensed the familiar pacifying white radiance, very close to me. Was I so near to her then? Well, in that case, I cannot afford to die yet. I still need... to fight.

I stood up, forcefully contracting every muscle and tendon inside me. My voice broke, as I said,, "I'll say again — Don't... stand... in my way. Get lost from in front of my eyes!"

"Aargh!! Just.. get... LOST!!", black flickers set my body aflame, as I released every drop of dark energy stored within me. A violent tremor was set off all across the place, and a colossal pulse of darkness radiated out of my body, devastating anything, and everything, to pieces. I heard all walls around me crumble, as chunks of rubble descended from the ceiling. And then, with my open eyes, I saw light, a certain distance away. I instantly unfolded my wings, and rapidly jolted towards her. As I neared her, my vision cleared away, and very soon, I could see her divinely beautiful form right before my eyes.

"Found you!", I hugged her, as if I had rediscovered a lost treasure. She remained stiff for a while, and then shoved me back. An angry frown appeared across her weary-looking face.

"What are you here for? How can you even show up so shamelessly, after what you did to me?"

"Please, forgive me for that. And as of now..."

I took hold of her, and gently pressed on to her fingers. I glanced deep into her eyes, and said, "...As of now, I badly need your powers. Entrust yourself to me." She didn't expect such straightforwardness from me, and uncontrollably blushed, lowering her eyes.

"Why..."

"Please, Alicia."

Her reluctance faded away, and she pressed back into my hand, with her sweet, tender fingers. Suddenly, I felt a numbing sensation cloaking my wound, and within moments, the dull pain in my shoulder was magically gone.

"OK, Shourish... I'm all yours..."

A warm gush of tranquilising energy flowed into me, and I focused on drawing out more of her angelic radiance... more... more. A bright light kindled, and coiled around my sword, giving the shiny metal a new silvery lustre.

I heard a number of footsteps, and saw Nanba, frantically wading through the pile of debris, and gradually advancing towards us. His gun was still within his grip, and he slowly lifted it up, and pointed it at me.

"You darn fool, don't even think you can defeat me!"

He fired an ill-aimed shot from his handgun, which I gracefully dodged, and then leapt across a short length, landing right in front of him.

"Actually, you're the real fool here, for thinking you could hide her away from my eyes — just by setting up a couple of walls."

I aggressively jabbed him across his chin, and his whole body swung back in effect of the blow.

"Surely, my sword can't touch you in its usual form. But with Alicia's powers, you'll now see the true power of the Oblivion Thruster!", I lifted up my sword, or the 'Oblivion Thruster', as I had named it, and plunged it deep into the evil being's filthy heart, utilising all my force. The blade sparkled in contrasting hues of black and white, as its glistening edge went right inside, and seared the nefarious creature's life-force.

"Gwaargh! You're not a hero... argh... you just... ruined the whole world's fate..."

He collapsed on the floor, but still resisting the apparent agony, gnashed his teeth, as he spoke, "A world... I can't rule over... doesn't deserve... to exist..." He somehow put his hand inside a pocket of his coat, and pressed some kind of switch hidden within, as I head a strange mechanical click.

Immediately afterwards, a dull buzzing noise started somewhere nearby, and gradually increased in intensity. The building, inside which we stood, continued crumbling apart, resulting from the great shock it had sustained.

"Let's get out of here!", Alicia ran to me, and with a big translucent orb of light, shielded both of us from the slabs of concrete falling all around. She revealed her feathery wings, which were obviously a lot brighter than mine, and we both proceeded to escape, through a large crack in one of the windows.

31

"Thanks for coming to save me.", she leaned up and affectionately kissed my cheek, as both of us hovered atop the complex. I smiled at her.

"No problem."

But a certain thought was greatly disturbing my ability to rejoice the eventual success of the quest I had embarked on. Just what did that man mean by those strange words? And what really was that switch? The eerie buzzing sound was now louder than ever, apparently came from the high tower, which I had seen earlier. What was this about?

"So, are you OK? I mean, did they do anything to you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. That creepy man tried using my powers once, but I stubbornly resisted both his threats, and my own instincts."

"That's good. Umm... did he tell you anything about his so-called world domination plans?"

"That stuff about resurrecting the XPansor incident, you mean? Well, not more than you already know, I guess. That tower you see over there? Actually that's supposed to be the new XPansor radiator."

Wait... it couldn't be... That switch he pressed — it wasn't for turning on the tower, right? And this buzzing sound... Hey, his last words _do_ make sense that way... what the heck!

"Alicia, Nanba fooled us. That loser's already activated the radiator!"

"Well, you don't need to worry. I'll instantly heal any radioactive damage — in case that happens to you. Just stay within my shield."

"Are you crazy? Heal ME? And what about the rest of the world out there? Damn..."

"..."

I lunged towards the tower, with as much speed as physically possible. If I am not quick enough...

"Wait, Shourish!"

I sliced through the solitary antenna at the top of the tower, with the Oblivion Thruster, and a great explosion ensued. Alicia's shield cloaked me like a bubble of light, and protected me from the blitz. The blinding buzz receded, and almost all of the machinery tore away, under the sheer weight of the giant antenna, as it collapsed above them. I vigorously panted, overwhelmed by these successive toils. Alicia flew towards me, and gently placed her hand on my back.

"You alright?"

"Yeah..."

But a variety of human screams, exuding some form of great despair, echoed through the place, one after another. No...

"Alicia, let's go back to Walkroy. I'm getting a bad feeling, a really bad feeling..."

"Oh... Umm... we can teleport there, if you want."

"Really, can we?"

"Yeah. Here we go."

With a snap of her fingers, a dazzling cloud of light engulfed us, and the whole world started rapidly spinning around me. But a single afflictive thought, slowly crept into my consciousness — was I too late?

32

I flew all across, and maniacally scanned all around the city. But alas, not a single person was to be found in the streets. A grim desolation shadowed over the ever-lively city. Just what had happened here?

Alicia followed me around, with a rather striking reluctance. After a while, we arrived at the junction right past our school. And there, just there, I finally spotted them. Archi and Ash, seated on the sidewalk, for some reason. I hurried towards them, as my heart throbbed in anticipation.

But I gasped in grisly horror, at what I saw. Archi weakly leaned on the wall behind him, as Ash's deathly pale face gently rested on his lap. Yet, that wasn't all there was to the scene. Horrendous yellowish lesions were splattered all across her face, hands, and feet. Despite of that, the long, dark eyelashes atop her closed eyelids, radiated a greatly pacifying quietness — a lifeless quietness, rather.

I insanely grabbed Archi's collar, and gave him a violent shove against the wall, "What the hell happened to her?" His eyes, were also shut, like Ash's. But this sudden jerk mildly animated them, and he opened them with great difficulty.

"S-Shourish? Ah, good grief..."

His throat convulsed in a jerky motion, and he coughed out some blood.

"Sorry... I couldn't keep my promise. I-I failed to protect... her...", his eyes again returned to their original state, and he feebly placed the whole weight of his limp body upon my arms. I thrust him back.

"WHY?!?"

My knees gave in, and I fell to the ground myself. Tremendous despair crushed my head, and for the first time ever, I cried. An incessant gush of tears flooded my cheeks, and I feverishly punched the ground before me. Is this what I what I fought for? Is this... the ultimate conclusion I struggled so hard to arrive at? Or is it all destiny — the ruthless work of some invisible providence. Well, curse that providence!

I am a failure. I was never supposed to become a hero. All of them suffered the grimmest of torments, just because of my recklessness — even she... Did she even know why she had to die like this?

I felt like stabbing myself to death, with the very sword I carried. It's not worth... living in this hopeless world...

And right then, I felt a warm touch. I looked up with blurry, damp eyes, and saw a long, slender hand extended towards me.

"I know exactly how you feel... But as of now, you've transcended all anchors to this disgusting world — just like me. I had been a loner all my childhood, and my dearest companion, playmate, and friend, used to be my Dad. But then..."

I wiped my tears.

"I tried filling the missing spot in my life, with Mom. Yet, all I got was cruel betrayal. After shifting here, she remarried, and began living with another man — something I could never even dream of. There never could be... a substitute for him; not for me at least. And, since then, I lost all faith, and loathed this world with every particle of my existence. You feel the same way now, don't you? Now that you're also free from all ties — let's change the world — together."

An angelic smile shone across her face, and her extended arm seemed like the sole opportunity for my final salvation. She was right — she had _always_ been right. It's better off to destroy the creator, the pitiful creator who can't even watch over its creations.

I grasped her hand, and got up. Her luscious scarlet lips, embellished on that seraphic countenance, wildly animated my senses. Yes, I was wrong all the time... She, is my _one and only_ destiny. I pulled her close to me, and lustfully immersed my lips deep into hers. She didn't expect this, out of the blue. But she soon overcame the primary hesitation, and kissed me back. I felt a rich ecstasy trickle through every single vein — as I slowly got drenched in her entrancing warmth.

VI. Creation

33

This was the so-called Shikro 'Overworld', then? The peaceful resting place of the creator. We stood atop an endless expanse of vibrant white clouds. A tranquil blue sky spread over us, like a tender blanket. This was the place we were supposed to encounter, and destroy, Horksh at.

"So basically, this is heaven, right?"

"Kind of... but there's nothing related to afterlife here, though."

Yeah... if only the dreary earth below, was as serene... Both of us were in our alternate forms. But everything was clearly visible to me, thanks to Alicia's light.

"Now what?"

"Wait, Horksh will appear at any moment."

A blood-curdling roar sounded somewhere nearby, and the whole firmament shook with the impact of heavy footsteps. I now noticed it. Far away, a gigantic structure was slowly progressing towards us.

Our foe was of rather monstrous proportions. A draconian creature, standing at least a hundred feet tall, towered over us. The beast was symmetrically differentiated into two shades. The left half of its body was purely black, and the other half , was coloured in an absolute white. The being had a pointed, reptilian face, located at the end of a slender neck. Two folded, membranous wings, were attached at the back of its rather short arms, each of a different colour. A long, tapering tail projected out of its back, and its giant spine was decorated with conical, spiky appendages, along its entire length. At the centre of its chest, seemed to be engraved a deep blue metallic sphere, which glowed with a strange lustre. This whole frame stood upon two colossal feet, adorned with claws — each similar in stature to a formidable sword.

Horksh. So _this_ was the great creator? Such a monster? The creature squinted its red eyes, devoid of pupils, and stared at us.

"Ourokroschen, Ivragschor — why do you appear here?" Not a single word was articulated from the dragon's mouth, but a strange voice started reverberating around my head, much like when I first discovered my powers.

Alicia remained undaunted, and whispered to me, "Break that blue sphere with your sword. That's the 'Orb of Genesis' — the very thing that maintains life in the world below."

I boldly stepped forward, "You see, we're basically here to destroy you, and create a new world for ourselves. Please move out of our way."

"I cannot allow your dastardly quest, unless I should verify, for myself, that you are indeed capable of recreating the world."

As if I cared. I sprang up into the air, spreading about my wings, and dashed right towards the sparkling orb, as Alicia had said.

"Damn your verification! If you can't even protect your own creation, you're better off dead, ugly monster!"

But I couldn't progress far. Horksh breathed out a scorching jet of white flames, which burned my skin like paper, and I was yet again pinned back to the ground. A million knifes pricked into my body, as I writhed about in pain.

"Go back, to where you belong!"

The dragon opened its wings, and vigorously fanned up a violent whirlwind. Simultaneously, it ejected yet another fiery breath, which, combined with the swirling gust, took the form of a blazing tempest, which engulfed us.

"Nooo..."

Alicia cast her shield above us, and tried her best to keep away the incoming assault. The hurricane subsided after a while, but she fell to the ground, visibly burned out after this extreme exhaustion. I took her into my arms, and told, "Don't push yourself too hard." I looked up, as my jaws instinctively tightened in resolve.

34

The mighty dragon stood, without a single scratch on its frame. But no, I couldn't give up. Not a chance. This, was probably the last ever ray of hope to be cast upon my life. And I can do nothing but resiliently cling on to it — no matter what it takes!

I let all of my hatred, against this worthless creator, and the equally worthless world created by its whim, take over my senses. And at that very moment, I reckoned a fact I had once heard.

"Enough... enough of this nonsense! You're not even close to subduing us. And know what, Horksh, you just forgot a crucial thing — that I, the Black Dragon, unlike Ivragschor, actually get my powers, by directly feeding off you..."

I again absorbed Alicia's powers, and reignited the white sparkle around my sword. And now, I exerted myself to the fullest, trying to bring out the same pulse of extreme darkness I had summoned before. Or rather, more than that. I lightly put Alicia down.

"...And so, if I keep limitlessly drawing my powers — there has to be a point, when I can totally drain away your energy. And then, you'll just be a total wreck — ready to be obliterated!"

I pushed myself further, and could feel an ever-growing colossus of dark energy piling up on my body. I couldn't withstand it anymore — but I had no choice. I partly crouched down under pressure, yet still continued. My sword now glowed with great contrasting flames of black and white — ready to severe any obstacle.

All of a sudden, the monster let out a painful roar, and squatted down. The white half of its body slowly disintegrated, and broke away into several tiny orbs of light. Alicia was so right! Horksh's white part was bound to replenish the vitality I would lose, through wielding the powers of darkness. But that just meant, there would be a point of time, when I could simply overpower the creature...

"Go, Shourish — this is your chance!", Alicia yelled to me. I rose, and then flew off. My wings painfully arched back, and I struggled to go forward. A seemingly invincible rope held me to the ground, and pulled me back with great might. I was at my threshold, yet I pushed further — all of this darkness, _must_ be channelled into that blue sphere; and I couldn't give in to the burden, before that. No matter how great of a force tugged me back! I _just, couldn't_!

I pounced forward with unstoppable tenacity, and then, drove the Oblivion Thruster into the lustrous crystal. It shattered like fragile glass, and the monster released a deafening scream. The solemn, yet agitated, voice again sounded inside my head, "Blasphemous mortal! How dare you!"

"SHUT UP, you bastard!'

With a massive blast, the gigantic structure decomposed, and all of its broken particles converged into a large beam of grey light, that went up high into the azure sky above. The whole place began shaking in a tremendous quake. A faint noise of destructive explosions came off, from the world that lay far beneath.

I had succeeded, at last. I fell among the clouds. My body became totally devoid of any strength, and both my sword and wings, crumbled away into fragments, right before my eyes. Of course, I no longer had any form of resource to help me sustain the great darkness I bore. The very darkness that now slowly leeched away the remnants of my vigour. Was this my ultimate deliverance then? From all pain? All suffering?

35

"Well, done, Shourish. Get up, now!", bleary-eyed and exhausted, I somehow heard that sweet voice of hers enter into my ears.

"W-What? Isn't my time... over already?"

"Of course not."

Alicia bent over, and caringly supported my body, as I got up, with great difficulty.

"I don't... get it. A dark being like me, can't really exist... this way."

"Ha-ha, you're just wrong. You'll no longer be a dark being. Come to me — I'll help transcend your blackness into the purest of white, just like me."

She threw her arms around me, and kissed my feeble lips, with the warmest affection. I could feel it now. My whole frame burned in an invisible flame, as I simultaneously sensed a serene stream of energy flowing into, and rejuvenating all of my lost vitality. This tantalising euphoria elevated my consciousness into a grand tranquility, as I flung my arms around her dainty waist, and pressed my lips back into her. All black inside me doused into her overflowing light, and gradually wore away, as our warm tongues now entangled, and passionately fondled with each other. We cuddled up further, and shared the heat emanating from each of our thirsty hearts — hearts which were now of the exact same shade.

"Let's... create the new world we dreamt of — an untainted, white abode of life!", I heard her kind voice once again; the only voice to have ever shown me, and led me towards — hope.

###

Thank you for reading my book! Did you enjoy it? Please let me know, by leaving a review at your favourite retailer. Your opinion is really valuable to me.

Thanks again!

~ Puspal

About The Author

Puspal Bagchi is a little different than your average youngster, and likes to live the off-stream way. Currently, he is a sophomore at high school, and generally prefers to think about the present more than spending time planning his future. He has his own take on the various epiphanies of life, and is willing to explore, and delve further into the deepest nooks of the human nature.

In his regular self, he is a rather chronic daydreamer, and likes to spend hours, immersed in reflection. He likes reading, and is an avid watcher of anime, the thing which first gifted him with a keen insight into the bonds in life, that paint one's world. And of course, he absolutely loves giving form to his thoughts, through writing.

Check out his Smashwords interview here.

Have feedback? Contact Puspal at: _pu.ba99@gmail.com_.
