(Book 4) Hayden Mackay and The Fest of Vrindahina

5.2 Vengeance Unraveled

I gaped at him leaning back. I began breathing heavily, a sea of anxiety taking over my body when he mentioned that piece of information.

"Magical fire?" Leena asked, when I couldn't, "You mean Hayden's fire?"

"The first Cornelian Samagraha," said Doctor, still looking at me with concern, "and Lady Chandrika, together invented Yajna. But unfortunately Shaytan Rup was born, who created hurdles in finishing this invention without any flaws."

"Doctor can you please answer my question, straightforwardly?" I asked, everything I have been hearing awakening an eager curiosity, "What has this got..."

"Hayden, you are not the first person to be called as The Fire of Vengeance. You are the third. And the one who named the Cornelian user as such, is Shaytan Rup himself."

"Why?"

"Whatever it was, it happened a thousand years ago. All I came to know from Naag, is that the fire that created the invisible man, is the only fire that has the potential to destroy him and make Yajna an absolute."

"You mean, it's me," I said, finding my voice extremely sever, "Only I can kill him."

My stone in pocket was burning so fiercely, that I couldn't handle it anymore. I took it out slowly out of my pocket, and held it my hand feeling its warmth thoroughly. Pruthvi and Leena sitting beside him, were too quiet. I didn't even had to ask them what was going on inside their minds. They seemed to be more worried than I was.

"Shaytan Rup knows it very well," said Doctor, "he knows what can destroy him. He named Cornelian users as such because of the challenge that was first set up between him and the First Cornelian User."

I blinked. "What challenge?"

Doctor opened his drawer and removed a white sheet and a pencil. He placed the paper in front of me and began drawing a long spiral, with a huge inappropriate circle at the center.

"Hayden, listen to me very carefully," he said, when he was done drawing, "This is how the Parallel Universe looks like. There are exactly twelve curves (he ran his hands around the winding), with each curve named as the Realm of the Constellia. And Naag's Realm is exactly the center one called Arena, (he pointed at the circle in the middle). Whenever  we call our Constellia out, for example take Makara, (he pointed at the fifth curve, which certainly didn't make any sense) he has to pass through each one of the realms located before his own (he pointed at the first five curves), finally reaching Arena, and it is from Arena they travel out of their universe, immediately emerging at the spot where their Masters are."

"Okay," I said looking keenly down at the paper, and yet not understanding why he was explaining me this, "So?"  

"Shaytan Rup is the only person who can travel in and out of the Parallel Universe at his free will. Tentatively for a month, for every alternative years, that is from Mid August to Mid September, he has been occupying Arena all to himself, making it impossible for the Constellia to come out. And believe me, this has been happening since the Shaytan Rup challenged the First Cornelian Samagraha for this death game."

"Game?" I asked, my heart pounding beneath my chest.

"Shaytan Rup developed twelve challenges, that shall happen between the Samagraha and the Constellia. Every time a Constellia is defeated in the challenge, a Gate to travel to the next realm is automatically opened. After all the twelve Constellia are defeated, the Samagraha, and I am speaking about you Hayden, you finally reach the Arena where Shaytan Rup dwells. You fight him, defeat him and free the Constellia to travel in and out of the Arena even in this month."

My stomach knotted and I felt nauseated.

"What if I fail?" I gasped, tightening my fist holding my burning stone, "What if I fail to win a challenge?"