Harun's eyes slowly opened. For a moment everything around him felt blurry, as if the world had not fully decided to return yet. The ceiling above him looked unfamiliar, and his mind needed a few seconds to reconnect the scattered pieces of memory. Then the cold stone floor beneath his back reminded him exactly where he was.
The courtroom.
The pressure.
Rehman.
And the moment when his body had completely stopped responding.
Harun blinked once more and slowly pushed himself up, expecting the same crushing weight to slam down on him again. But to his surprise—
his body moved.
His arms responded normally. His legs bent easily beneath him as he sat up, and there was no invisible force holding him down anymore. No crushing pressure. No chains made of air locking his muscles in place.
He stared at his own hands.
"They… moved."
His fingers slowly opened and closed again, as if he was still testing whether his body truly belonged to him again.
"They actually moved."
Inside his mind another realization followed immediately.
That weird light…
The memory of the white glowing figure inside the dark space flashed through his thoughts. The voice that had spoken calmly while everything else felt like it was collapsing.
She was right.
"My body really did move."
But something else immediately bothered him. Harun looked down at his arms again. The blood that had been covering his face earlier was gone. The pain that had been tearing through his muscles had disappeared completely. Even the crushing pressure that had nearly shattered his bones now felt like a distant memory.
Harun frowned slightly.
"How did my body heal…?"
He rubbed the back of his neck slowly, trying to remember what had happened between collapsing and waking up again.
"…She must've done it."
There was no other explanation that made sense.
Before he could think further—
"Big bro!"
Aqsa suddenly ran forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him before he could even react. The force of the hug nearly pushed him backward again.
"You woke up!"
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
"Do you know how scared I was?"
Harun blinked in surprise as he felt her shoulders shaking slightly while she held him.
"You suddenly collapsed… and there was blood everywhere…"
Her grip tightened for a moment.
"I thought you were going to die…"
Harun gently placed his hand on her head and slowly patted it.
"It's okay."
His voice was calm, almost reassuring.
"Nothing's going to happen to me."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"At least not until I fix everything."
Aqsa slowly released him and wiped her eyes, trying to calm herself down.
Behind them, Rehman cleared his throat.
"Alright, alright."
His tone sounded mildly annoyed.
"If the emotional reunion is finished…"
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Come."
His voice became more serious.
"I will answer your questions."
Harun immediately stood up. The moment he stood fully, he glanced toward Rehman with a determined expression.
"So my body moved."
He stretched his arm slightly, testing the movement.
"See?"
There was a hint of pride in his voice now.
"Before I couldn't even move a finger in your court."
"But now I completed your challenge."
He looked directly at the judge.
"That means I can protect everyone."
Rehman simply stared at him silently. His expression did not change.
"Sit down," he said calmly.
A few minutes later Harun, Aqsa, and Rehman were sitting around a large wooden desk inside the courtroom. The atmosphere had changed slightly. The earlier tension was gone, but something heavier had taken its place.
Rehman folded his hands together and looked directly at Harun.
"Alright."
"Ask your questions."
Harun didn't hesitate. He leaned forward slightly, his expression serious.
"First question."
His eyes sharpened.
"Does Azaldera need a vessel and a sacrifice to be released?"
Rehman didn't answer immediately. He simply listened.
Harun continued.
"If that's true… how do we find out who the vessel is?"
"And how do we stop it?"
Rehman remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"Second thing."
"You probably know Kareena."
His tone turned slightly irritated.
"She's Gautam's general."
He sighed.
"She was a complete asshole."
Aqsa blinked slightly at his language but didn't interrupt.
Harun continued.
"She used some weird creatures. Vipers."
"They attacked us."
His voice grew more serious.
"My team… me… and Aqsa's brother Omair…"
He clenched his fists slightly.
"We all turned into stone."
Rehman's eyes narrowed slightly.
"But somehow…"
Harun continued slowly.
"I turned back to normal."
"I don't remember how."
"I woke up and Raj and Kareena were already gone."
"My team was still statues."
His voice lowered.
"How do I fix that?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"How do I bring them back?"
The courtroom remained quiet.
But Harun still wasn't finished.
"And one more thing."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"The masked man."
Rehman's gaze sharpened.
"He attacked the village where Aqsa lives."
Harun continued.
"He kept talking about something called evaluation."
"And when I fought him…"
Harun paused for a moment.
"I didn't feel killing intent from him."
He frowned.
"It felt like he was searching for someone."
Harun looked directly at Rehman.
"Like he was looking for someone connected to Azaldera."
Silence filled the courtroom.
Harun leaned back slightly.
"That's it."
Rehman blinked slowly.
"That's it?"
Harun nodded.
"Yes."
Rehman tilted his head slightly.
"No more questions?"
Harun shook his head.
"No."
"That's all I need right now."
Rehman stared at him for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
"You call that 'all'?"
Harun leaned forward impatiently.
"Just answer them."
"We don't have time."
Rehman sighed and stood up from his chair. He walked toward a tall wooden bookshelf behind the desk.
"I believe I once read something about Azaldera…"
He muttered while scanning the shelves.
"Let's see…"
He pulled out an old black leather book. The cover looked ancient, and strange symbols were carved across it like scars in the leather.
Rehman opened it slowly.
Harun leaned forward in anticipation.
But a moment later.
Rehman's expression changed.
"What?"
He flipped the pages again.
Then again.
Suddenly he slammed the book closed in frustration.
"Damn it!"
Harun stood up instantly.
"What happened?"
Rehman turned the book toward him. The middle section of the pages had been torn out. Entire parts of the information were missing.
Harun's face fell.
"No"
Rehman cursed under his breath.
"This book had everything."
Harun stepped closer.
"Don't do this."
His voice sounded desperate now.
"Please find something."
"Anything."
Rehman sighed again and rubbed his forehead.
"Wait."
"There should be another version."
"A rewritten copy."
"It might still be in the court archive."
Without another word he left the room.
Minutes passed.
Harun paced back and forth nervously while Aqsa watched him quietly.
Finally
The door opened again.
Rehman returned holding another book. This one had brown leather covering instead of black.
He placed it on the desk.
"Let's see if this one still has the section."
He flipped through the pages slowly.
Page after page.
Until—
He stopped.
"…Found it."
Harun leaned closer immediately.
Rehman began reading slowly.
The language sounded ancient and strange.
"Azalderalu tuh en arrowlam markelyt ina shoulderre…"
Harun blinked.
"Hey."
He raised his hand.
"Wait."
"What are you even saying?"
He looked completely confused.
"Explain properly."
"I don't understand a single word you just said."
The room fell silent again.
And the answer to Azaldera's mystery was finally about to begin.
Harun leaned forward over the desk, staring at the strange lines written across the old brown pages. The symbols looked ancient, almost unnatural, the letters curved and twisted in ways that didn't resemble any language he had ever seen before. It almost felt like the words had been carved into the page instead of written normally.
Rehman's finger slowly traced the line again.
"Azalderalu tuh en arrowlam markelyt ina shoulderre"
Harun blinked.
"Yeah."
He pointed directly at the page.
"That."
"What the hell does that even mean?"
Rehman sighed quietly and leaned back in his chair.
"It's not a modern language," he said calmly, his eyes still focused on the book. "This is an old dialect. Something used centuries ago."
Harun crossed his arms impatiently.
"So translate it."
"We don't have time for language lessons."
Rehman ignored the irritation in his voice and began reading the line again, this time slowly translating the meaning piece by piece.
"The line says"
He paused briefly, making sure he understood the sentence properly.
"'The mark of Azaldera will appear upon the shoulder of the chosen vessel.'"
For a moment—
no one spoke.
Harun stared at him.
"Shoulder?"
Almost instinctively his hand moved toward his right shoulder, the place where the Dravillian stone rested beneath his skin. The faint warmth there suddenly felt heavier than before.
Aqsa noticed the movement immediately.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Big bro?"
But Rehman continued reading before either of them could say anything.
"There is more."
He turned the page slightly and kept translating.
"'When the vessel awakens, the mark will begin to respond to the power around it.'"
Harun frowned.
"Respond?"
Rehman continued reading without looking up.
"'Once the mark fully awakens, the path to Azaldera's release will begin.'"
Silence fell across the room again.
Harun slowly lowered his hand from his shoulder and leaned back slightly in his chair.
"This is about the vessel," he muttered. "But it doesn't say who the vessel actually is."
Rehman nodded.
"That part of the text was likely written somewhere else."
He flipped the page again.
"The book mentions the vessel, but it does not identify them directly."
Harun frowned.
"That's useless."
Rehman ignored the comment and continued reading.
"'The release of Azaldera requires three conditions.'"
Harun immediately leaned forward again.
"Three?"
Rehman nodded slowly and lifted three fingers.
"First."
"A vessel."
He lowered one finger.
"Second."
"A sacrifice."
Another finger lowered.
"And third…"
He paused slightly.
"a catalyst."
Harun's eyebrows pulled together.
"What's a catalyst supposed to be?"
Rehman closed the book halfway.
"The text does not explain that clearly."
He tapped the page with his finger.
"But it does say something important."
Harun waited.
Rehman continued.
"'The catalyst will appear when the vessel begins to awaken.'"
Harun leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead.
"Great."
"That clears up absolutely nothing."
Aqsa suddenly spoke.
"Wait."
Both men turned toward her.
She pointed toward the book.
"If the vessel has a mark on their shoulder…"
Her eyes slowly moved toward Harun again.
"then wouldn't the masked man also be looking for that?"
The room became quiet again.
Harun's mind replayed the fight in the village.
The masked man.
His movements.
The way he had scanned the battlefield with his eyes as if he was searching for something.
Or someone.
Harun muttered quietly.
"That's why he was there."
Rehman raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Harun looked directly at him.
"He wasn't trying to kill people."
"He was searching."
"For the vessel."
Rehman's expression darkened slightly.
"That is possible."
Aqsa's voice grew smaller.
"But if that's true…"
"then the vessel must be somewhere in Bhouldera."
Harun rubbed his forehead slowly.
"Perfect."
"That means whoever it is"
"they're already in danger."
Rehman suddenly spoke again.
"There is another section."
Harun looked up immediately.
"What does it say?"
Rehman flipped another page carefully. The writing on this part looked even older than the previous one, but after studying it for a moment he slowly translated the line.
"'When the vessel's power begins to change the mark will respond.'"
Harun froze.
Change.
His mind instantly flashed back to the fight in the village.
The moment his power had shifted.
The moment the strange dark lines had appeared inside his white light.
His hand slowly moved toward his shoulder again.
But before he could say anything—
Rehman continued reading.
"'When the time comes the vessel will be hunted.'"
The air in the room suddenly felt heavier.
Harun spoke quietly.
"Hunted."
Rehman nodded.
"Yes."
"By those who want Azaldera released."
Aqsa looked frightened now.
"But then…"
"that means the masked man will come back."
Harun exhaled slowly.
"Yeah."
He looked toward the courtroom door.
"And next time…"
"he probably won't be alone."
Rehman slowly closed the book.
"That is not the only problem."
Harun frowned.
"What now?"
Rehman looked directly at him.
"If the vessel is inside Bhouldera"
"then Gautam will come eventually."
The room fell silent again.
Harun leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
"That's fantastic."
Aqsa whispered quietly.
"But we still don't know who the vessel is"
Harun stared at the floor for a long moment before muttering quietly.
"Yeah."
"But someone is about to find out."
Because far away, deep inside a dark chamber hidden from the world, Gautam slowly opened his eyes.
Beside him, a glowing timer floated in the air.
24:32:41
Time was running out.