The steady sound of boots hitting dirt had become the rhythm of Vid's life. From morning until afternoon, the army marched — five hours straight under the burning sun, stopping only for short breaks in the middle of nowhere.
The Mighty Army moved like a single wave — strong, organized, unstoppable.
Except for him.
Vid felt like a stone caught in a river, standing still while everything rushed past.
That afternoon, Vick raised a hand and shouted, "Halt!" His voice echoed through the line of soldiers. The formation slowed and stopped, dust swirling around them. Some men dropped their gear with a groan, stretching their sore arms. Others gulped water from dented flasks. Horses snorted and pawed the ground, their bodies shining with sweat.
The air smelled of leather, iron, and faint wild grass — peaceful, but everyone knew this was the calm before another battle.
Vick turned to Vid. "We'll use the break. Sit. Focus. Find your presence."
Presence. That word haunted Vid. It was something every warrior here could sense — a kind of inner power that made them strong. For Vid, it was his first real test. It wasn't about swords or strength — it was about finding the spark inside him. But every time he tried, he found nothing but darkness.
He sat under a crooked tree and closed his eyes.
The world vanished.
And then, memories came.
His father's body on the dirt.
His mother's pale face.
Her weak voice — "Find Vishwa… he's the answer…"
His little brother reaching for him before the flames took everything.
They didn't come like memories — they came like storms, tearing through him.
His fists tightened. His breath quickened.
Somewhere, Vick's calm voice called, "Breathe slow. In through your nose. Let it rise."
Vid tried, but the storm inside him only grew louder.
A sudden laugh broke his focus.
When he opened his eyes, three soldiers were watching, smirking. One pretended to meditate and snored loudly, while another joked, "Careful, boy — sit too long and you'll grow roots!"
Their laughter echoed.
Vid looked away, face burning.
Vick's glare silenced them instantly. "Enough. Back to your posts."
But the laughter still rang in Vid's mind long after they left.
The next day was the same. And the one after that. And the one after that.
Five hours of marching. Short breaks. Vick telling him to "find his presence."
Every time, Vid failed.
Weeks passed. The army moved deeper into the land, their flags high against the sun. The soldiers spoke proudly of their victory at Dand Valley, saying the Rakshas would soon fall for good. But Vid?
He was still the boy who couldn't even touch his own power.
At night, around the campfires, soldiers shared stories of when they first felt their Presence — the warmth, the strength, the rush. Vid just stared at the fire, silent, wishing he could feel it too.
But all he felt was the weight of failure.
The Lesson
One night, nearly a month after Dand Valley, the camp was quiet. Only the fires crackled and the guards whispered in the distance. Vid sat alone, hugging his knees, staring at the stars. They looked cold and far away.
Vick walked over and sat beside him, handing him a waterskin.
"Drink," he said.
Vid took a sip.
"You've been trying," Vick said softly. "Every day. I've seen it."
Vid's voice came out small. "And every day, I fail."
"Not every battle is won quickly."
"This doesn't even feel like a battle," Vid muttered. "It's like… nothing. I don't feel anything. I don't even know what I'm looking for."
Vick leaned forward. "Presence isn't something you look for. It's something that's already there. You're trying to grab it, but you can't force it. It's the part of you that never changes — no matter the pain, no matter the loss."
Vid gave a bitter laugh. "That part of me died with my family."
Vick stared into the fire. "I lost people too. My brother. My daughter. I thought my strength died with them. But pain doesn't destroy who you are — it hides it. You just have to dig it out."
Vid didn't answer. His mother's words came back again — Find Vishwa… he's the solution. They used to comfort him. Now they only reminded him of how helpless he was.
Vick sighed. "I can't find it for you. Only you can. But remember — the real war isn't out there. It's inside you."
Then he stood and walked away, leaving Vid alone with his thoughts and the dying fire.
By the next morning, even the soldiers stopped mocking him. They didn't tease. They didn't laugh. They just ignored him completely.
And somehow, that hurt less.
The Body Before the Mind
The moonlight painted the plains in silver. Fires flickered across the camp, glowing like tiny stars on the ground. The smell of food and smoke filled the air. Vid sat alone again, staring at the dirt. His palms were raw from failed meditation.
Every time he closed his eyes, the same images came — his mother's body, his father's blood, his brother's scream. And always, those words: Find Vishwa… he is the solution…
He didn't even know who Vishwa was. Or how to find him. Or how to stop the storm inside his chest.
Vick appeared beside him again. His voice was calm but firm. "Vid, you're chasing the wrong enemy."
Vid frowned. "What?"
"You want to fight the Rakshas, but you're not even fighting yourself yet. Your mind's buried in grief. You can't sense Presence if your body is weak."
"Then what do I do?"
"Build the body first," Vick said, standing. "The mind will follow."
That night, Vid started a new kind of training.
While others slept or joked around, he worked — push-ups in the cold dirt, squats until his legs shook, running until he couldn't breathe.
At first, his body gave up quickly. His arms trembled, his chest burned. The soldiers laughed again.
"Look at him," one said. "Future hero can't even carry water."
"Maybe he'll scare the Rakshas by crying!" another joked.
Vid ignored them. Every insult became fuel.
He trained harder.
Every night, the nightmares came. But now, instead of watching the fire take his family, he fought back. He swung a sword at shadows. He ran toward the flames.
He still woke up shaking — but not from fear. From energy.
Vick saw the change. The boy's push-ups went from five to fifty. His steps grew firm. His eyes stopped looking down.
Two weeks later, Vid collapsed during a run.
"I can't…" he gasped.
Vick stood over him. "You can."
"I'm not like you!" Vid yelled. "I'm not a commander. I'm just a boy who's lost everything!"
Vick knelt, meeting his eyes. "Then use that pain. Don't run from it — turn it into strength. I wasn't born strong either. I bled, I failed, I fell. But I kept getting back up. You want to fight for your family? Then get up."
Vid trembled — then pushed himself to his knees. And he got up.
By the end of the month, he was different. His frame was still thin, but there was power in it now. His stance was steady. His eyes no longer hid.
He still couldn't feel Presence. But Vick noticed something — when Vid fought through the pain, he grew calm. His breathing slowed. His focus sharpened.
The Crossings of Fate
"The wind here feels different," Vid thought as they reached Vigo Crossings. It carried a strange weight — cold, clean, but filled with stories from faraway places. The sky was gray, the land cracked and dry.
Vick stood on the ridge, arms crossed, staring at the horizon. Somewhere ahead stood the Temple of Lord Vishwa — once a place of peace, now surrounded by dark rumors. Something monstrous was said to haunt its grounds.
The Emperor's order was clear: Investigate. Destroy it if it's real.
For the first time, Vid saw something in Vick's eyes — worry.
The Departure
"Rouch!" Vick called out.
His second-in-command stepped forward — tall, lean, sharp-eyed.
"You'll lead the men to Gangi Valley," Vick said. "Take the east route and avoid the low passes. Scouts might be waiting there. You should reach in three days."
Rouch nodded. "And you?"
Vick looked toward the horizon. "Vid and I have a detour. A direct order from the Emperor."
A murmur spread through the soldiers. Everyone knew going alone this far out was risky.
Rouch's gaze flicked to Vid, then back to Vick. He didn't question it. "Understood. We'll wait in Gangi."
They clasped forearms — a silent promise between soldiers.
Then the army moved out, leaving only Vick and Vid standing against the wind, staring toward the lands where gods and monsters were said to walk.Why Gangi Valley Matters
As the rest of the army marched out, Vid turned to Vick.
"Why is Gangi Valley so important?" he asked. The question had been on his mind for days.
Vick adjusted the strap of his sword before answering. "Every part of our empire matters, Vid. But Gangi Valley…" He looked out at the horizon for a moment. "It's the heart of our prosperity. Thousands of cities depend on it. That's where all our trade routes meet — where farms grow the best crops, and rivers carry grain, silk, and stone to every corner of the empire. It's not just for us either; other kingdoms under our rule live because of what comes from that valley."
Vid tried to picture it — a place where the empire's lifeblood flowed like a great river. "So if we lose it…"
Vick's jaw tightened. "Then the empire starts to fall apart. That's why the Emperor's orders to protect it are absolute. If the Rakshas break through our borders, Gangi Valley will be their first target."
Vid nodded quietly, a cold shiver running through him.
The Borderlands
By noon, they left the main roads behind. The hills gave way to rocky cliffs and deep ravines. The forests grew darker and more tangled with every mile.
Here, near the northeast border of the Boomi Empire, the air felt thinner. Even the birds stayed quiet, their calls few and distant.
They passed an old watchtower, its walls blackened by fire. Grass grew between the cracks, and the empire's banner hung in tatters, barely fluttering in the cold wind. Vid slowed to look at it.
"This is what happens when the front lines fall," Vick said softly, without stopping.
Campfire Talk
That night, they stopped near a frozen stream. Vick lit a small fire and shielded it with rocks to keep it hidden. The flames flickered weakly in the wind.
Vid rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Vick," he said hesitantly, "if the Emperor believes something dangerous is here, why send the others to Gangi Valley instead?"
Vick poked at the fire. "Because if the creature exists, it's a small threat compared to what could happen if the enemy takes the valley. One monster can kill a few people, maybe more. But if Gangi falls, our entire empire could starve. This mission is about balance. Rouch handles the known danger. We deal with the unknown."
Vid frowned. "And if this thing is stronger than we think?"
Vick met his eyes. "Then we fight. Or we fall trying. That's how soldiers live."
The Temple from Afar
Two days later, they climbed a high ridge — and finally saw it.
The Temple of Lord Vishwa stood in the distance, its tall spires reaching into the gray sky. But the land around it looked wrong. The once-sacred fields were covered in black weeds, and the wind carried a faint hum, like endless whispering that never stopped.
Vid's chest tightened. "It doesn't… feel holy."
"It hasn't been for a long time," Vick replied. "The temple was built ages before the empire even existed. People say the god Vishwa came down there to bless the earth. But when holy places are forgotten, other things always come to claim them."
They camped about a mile away. Vick didn't rush. "We go in at dawn," he said. "If there's a creature, I want to face it in daylight."
A Quiet Confession
That evening, as the sun sank behind the hills, Vid spoke softly. "Back at Dand Valley… when I couldn't sense my presence, when I failed again and again… I thought maybe my mother was wrong about me."
Vick was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "She wasn't."
Vid looked at him. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because people who are truly lost never question themselves," Vick said. "They just walk blindly through life. You keep questioning, and that means you're awake. You haven't found your way yet, but you will."
Vid stared into the fire until his eyes blurred. He didn't reply, but a small weight in his chest seemed to lift.
The Plan
Before sleeping, Vick drew lines in the dirt with a stick.
"Tomorrow, we approach from the east," he explained. "There's a ridge we can use for cover. If nothing happens, we go inside the temple. If something does, we fight only if we have to."
Vid nodded, though his palms were already sweating at the thought of what might be waiting for them.
Dawn at Vigo Crossings
At dawn, the world was silent — not peaceful, but watchful. Every sound felt too loud, every breath too heavy.
They crept toward the temple, boots crunching softly on frozen ground. When they reached the ridge, Vick raised his hand to stop. Vid crouched beside him and looked over.
Something moved in the courtyard.
It wasn't human.
It was tall — so tall its shoulders nearly reached the temple roof. Its limbs were long and bent in ways bones shouldn't bend. Its face kept shifting, blurry and shapeless, as if it refused to be seen clearly.
Vid's breath caught. "What is that?"
Vick's voice was barely a whisper. "Not a Rakshas… something else."
The creature moved silently, pacing the courtyard like a sentry. Every few moments, it stopped, lifted its head toward the sky, and froze — like a statue made of smoke.
Vid's hand went to his sword, but Vick shook his head. "Not yet."
For the first time since leaving Dand Valley, Vid felt something stir deep in his chest — not fear, but a strange pull. Whatever that thing was, it felt tied to the path his mother had told him to follow.
And he knew — tomorrow, he would have to face it.