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Chapter 7 - THE SEVEN STAGES

The light faded. The sound of reality itself dissolved into whispers. When Prabhas opened his eyes, the world was no longer the Institute. A crimson sun floated above endless fields of golden reeds. The air shimmered,heavy with warmth and the scent of something ancient. Then, from the horizon, came a melody. Soft. Familiar. A woman's voice carried by the wind. He turned, and saw her.

Seraphina.

Her dark hair flowed in the wind, her feet bare against the glowing earth. Though she wore a simple linen dress, light clung to her skin like the remnants of forgotten divinity. And her eyes , blue like twilight , were filled with tears. "Troy…" she whispered.

The name echoed through Prabhas's soul like a forgotten prayer. He stepped closer. "Seraphina." For a moment, neither spoke. The silence between them was centuries long, the pause between Heaven's first breath and Hell's first flame. Then he reached for her hand. She didn't vanish. She was warm. Real. They had found each other again, after seven lifetimes of wandering through pain and memory. The stages of seven lives were came in front of Prabhas as if he is watching the ancient movie played in the white screen.

🌑 Stage One: Recognition

A sudden shimmer appeared between them, a silver book, its pages turning on their own. Ancient words blazed across the surface: "Seven stages of mortal trial.Born from sin, redeemed through love. Pass them all, and be free." Seraphina's lips trembled. "Seven stages… That's what binds us." Prabhas nodded slowly. "Then we face them together." The first trial began. They fell into a city of glass and neon, the Year 2091, a place where people sold memories to survive. Both woke as strangers with no past, no names, no memories.

For days, they wandered , she sang on the streets for food, and he repaired broken androids in exchange for shelter. Yet every time their paths crossed, their hearts stuttered, as if remembering something the mind could not. One night, it rained , acid and light mixed across the rooftops. Seraphina sang softly to herself, a melody of forgotten skies.That song pierced through his mind like lightning. He found her. And when their eyes met, the memories returned. Troy and Seraphina. Heaven and Hell. The curse. The love.Everything. The silver book glowed in his mind, and the first seal shattered into light.

🔥 Stage Two: The Trial of Fire

They awoke again , this time in a city burning to ashes. The air reeked of gunpowder and fear. Soldiers hunted rebels through smoke and dust. A voice echoed above them, thunderous and cold: "To love across realms is to suffer for both. Walk through the fire and prove your hearts unbroken." They were separated by walls of steel and flame.Prabhas could hear her crying out his name. Without hesitation, he ran through the inferno.Flames seared his body, yet his heart did not falter. He found her trapped beneath a collapsed tower and lifted her free. As he carried Seraphina through the fire, the blaze bowed to his will, turning to light.This is the time when war between Russia and America Year 2061 World war III The second seal shattered.

💧 Stage Three: The Age of Doubt

This time, they woke in a tranquil riverside village. Peaceful. Ordinary.They were husband and wife, living in a small clay house surrounded by wheat fields. This was the year before World war III Years of peace 2050 to 2060. Years passed like a dream. They laughed. They built. They loved. But soon, whispers began to spread among the villagers. "She's cursed," they said. "She doesn't age." "She isn't one of us."

Doubt crept into Prabhas's heart. One night, he saw her by the river, faint light glowing behind her shoulders , ghostly wings. "Who are you?" he asked. Her eyes filled with pain. "Even you have forgotten me?" That night, the river rose in rage, washing away their home.He searched for her for days. When he found only her reflection in the water, something inside him broke. Kneeling on the riverbank, he whispered, "I believe you. I remember."The river shimmered, forming her image once more. She smiled through tears. "Then we are forgiven." The third seal dissolved.

🌫 Stage Four: The Mirror of Sins

Darkness. They awoke in a realm of glass, mirrors stretching endlessly. Each mirror showed a past life , every mistake, every betrayal, every death. Prabhas saw himself as Troy, the demon lord who burned cities in rage. Seraphina saw herself as the angel who disobeyed Heaven's command, letting thousands die. A voice whispered: "Only forgiveness can end the mirror." They fought, not with weapons, but with truth.

"You were the reason I fell!" she cried. "And you were the reason I was cursed!" he roared. The mirrors cracked. But beneath anger was grief — and beneath grief, love. Prabhas knelt before her. "Then let this be our redemption." She touched his forehead. "I forgive you." The mirrors shattered into light. The fourth seal broke.

🌌 Stage Five: The World of Silence

Now, they entered a world with no sound. No voices. No footsteps. No wind.Only endless silence. They tried to speak but no words came.They tried to write but the ink vanished. Days turned into months. They forgot what laughter sounded like. But love found a way. Prabhas began carving marks into stones, small symbols of memory. Seraphina followed his path, leaving her own symbols beside his. Through silence, they built a language. When they finally found each other again, they didn't need words. Their hands met. A single sound, a laugh, pure and free, echoed through the void. The fifth seal broke.

🌑 Stage Six: The Kingdom of Shadows

They awoke in the ruins of Earth, 1939 to 1945. The cities had fallen. The sky was red. The ground was ash. No gods ruled this place anymore. Only survivors.Together, they wandered, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, burying the forgotten. Through pain, they learned humility. And for the first time, they understood mortality. But one night, a shadow emerged from the mist, tall, armored, eyes burning with cold fire.

Drone. The same brother who had once cursed them both.Now fallen, stripped of light. "I was punished for your love," he hissed. "Set me free, or I will destroy you." He attacked. His blade pierced Prabhas's chest. Seraphina screamed, holding him close as the light dimmed in his eyes. Drone faltered. "Why do you still love him?""Because love," she whispered, "is not given. It is chosen." Her tears fell upon the blade, turning it to light. Drone dropped to his knees as his wings were restored, white once more.

The sixth seal broke.

⚡ Stage Seven: The Rebirth

The world dissolved into blinding light. They stood at the edge of existence — where Heaven met the Netherworld. A bridge of silver floated before them, broken in half, torn apart by the curse of old. The voice of Fate thundered one final time: "Restore what was lost. Rebuild the bridge. Or fall into eternal night." They stepped forward hand in hand.Every step replayed their lifetimes, love, loss, rebirth, death. Prabhas faltered, falling to his knees. "Maybe this is what we deserve, endless sorrow."

Seraphina bent beside him, her touch soft against his cheek. "No, Troy. We were meant to prove that love can rewrite Heaven's law." Her wings burst forth, radiant, alive, reborn from her faith. She pressed her hand to his heart, and darkness turned to light. Together, they stepped into the chasm. The bridge fused behind them, Heaven and the Netherworld merging as one. The sky trembled. The curse shattered. And when the light faded, they stood in a new dawn , no longer angel or demon, no longer punished or divided.Simply human.

🌅 Epilogue: The Return of the Book

Far away, in the quiet halls of the Institute, the Book of Silver glowed softly on Prabhas's desk. The cracked glass orb beside it pulsed with new light. The pages fluttered open on their own. Two symbols appeared, one of shadow, one of light, intertwined like lovers in eternity. Golden words formed below: The bridge is restored. The curse is undone.Love has rewritten the law of realms. Ramakanth smiled faintly, whispering,"You did it, my son." And somewhere beyond space and time, Prabhas and Seraphina watched the sunrise , reborn, free, and infinite.

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