After the Last Divine War, a new era dawned—an age where humanity began to evolve, awakening powers once reserved for the divine.
Clans were born, some blessed with unique abilities. Some rose to greatness. Some faded into obscurity. And then there were those who could not evolve at all—left behind by fate itself.
Among them stood the feared and mysterious Black Eye Clan.
They were strong in body, yes—but unable to evolve.
Unchanging.
Until something strange occurred—something that hadn't been written in stars.
Twenty-Seven years earlier…
In a quiet healing chamber, the scent of herbs hung gently in the air. The walls echoed with soft murmurs and joyful cries.
"Oh, thank the gods…" the midwife breathed, her voice bright with relief.
She turned, smiling warmly as she cradled a small bundle wrapped in blue.
"Congratulation, madam. Congratulation, sir—he's healthy… a beautiful baby boy!"
Lavani gently cradled their newborn in her arms, her eyes shimmering with tears of joy as she looked up at her husband.
"Oh, Neel… just look at him. He's so tiny… so perfect."
Her voice trembled as she gently brushed a finger over her son's tiny hand.
"He's ours."
"He looks just like you," she whispered, glancing up at her husband.
Neelesh leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"And his eyes… they look like yours." A soft smile spread across his face.
"And his little nose, those cheeks… Lava, he has your face. It's like holding a smaller, softer version of you."
Lava laughed thought her tears, her heart swelling with a warmth she had never known.
Neel watched them both, a smile forming—one only a new father could wear.
"Lava," he said softly, his voice thick with emotion, "today, we became a complete family."
Nearby, the midwife smiled fondly.
"I'm so happy for both of you. Mr. and Mrs. Gray."
Back at home, preparation was already underway.
Neel had invited the priest to bless their newborn, and the house carried a quiet warmth—soft lamps glowing, incense burning faintly in the air.
"Lava…you should rest now," Neel said softly, adjusting the cloth around their child. "There's still some time before Panditji arrives."
Lava nodded, cradling the baby close, her exhaustion softened by happiness.
Not long after that, A knock come at the door.
"Neelesh? Are you home?" came a familiar voice.
Neel opened the door with a bright smile.
"Ah, Pandit ji! Come in, come in, Lava, Pandit ji is here!"
The priest stepped inside, offering a respectful nod. His eyes soon settled on the small bundle in Lava's arms.
"He looks strong… healthy," the priest observed, peering gently at the child wrapped in cloth.
"He's very active too," Lava added, smiling with quiet pride.
"Namaste, pandit ji," she said, bowing slightly.
"Lavani, how are you?" the priest replied warmly. "You look well—glowing, even. Congratulation to both of you."
After settling down, the priest unrolled his scroll and took a clam breath.
"Alright then," he said softly. "Let us begin."
Neel provided the date and exact time of birth, his voice carrying barely contained excitement.
"So… Pandit ji," he asked with a hopeful smile, "which alphabet be auspicious for my son's name?"
The priest closed his eyes, murmuring a quiet prayer as his fingers traced the markings on the scroll.
Then—he stopped.
His brows slowly furrowed.
His eyes, which had scanned hundreds of newborn stars, stopped.
Neel frowned.
"Is… something wrong, Pandit ji?"
"Usually," the priest said slowly, unease creeping into his voice, "I see an alphabet. A… B… C… or more, a symbol of fate tied to a child's class, power, or destiny.
He paused.
"But this time… I didn't see any alphabet."
He looked up at them, his expression strangely tense.
"This time… I saw a Name."
Lava instinctively pulled her child closer, her heart tightening. "What… what name, Pandit ji?"
The priest's voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Name of death…"
"Kaal."
After listening to the priest's words, Neel and Lava stood frozen.
Shock rooted them in place, their hands trembling without them even realizing it.
"But… Pandit ji," Lava whispered, holding her newborn son a little tighter.
"Kaal?"
The priest's face remained still, carved in calm, but his voice softened.
"Yes… it's a name that means Death."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. Then he exhaled slowly, as though trying to ease the heavy air pressing down on them.
"Neelesh, listen to me," he said gently. "Sometimes, a name does not decide the person. A name's meaning does not always define who someone becomes."
His gaze fell upon the child once more.
"What matters most… is what this child will become."
Neelesh frowned. Unease clouding his face. "So… you're saying it's, okay? You don't think we should change it?"
The priest looked down at the baby's face—so peaceful, yet filled with something unspoken.
"For most, the stars show me an alphabet," he thought to himself, "from that alphabet, the name of the child is born. It is sacred… a key to unlock their truest self, their path in this life."
He paused, his gaze tightening, as if troubled by something unseen.
"But this time… it was different."
The priest slowly lifted his eyes, as if expecting the heavens themselves to respond.
"The stars did not reveal what they usually did. They showed me a name. A name that did not rise from the heavens… but from something older."
"Something deeper."
He looked at Neel and lava once more.
"As I said before," he continued quietly, "a names meaning isn't always important."
The priest's calm steadiness slowly eased the tightness in their chests, his words setting like quiet embers in the dark.
"Then so be it," she said softly.
"My son's name… is Kaal Gray."
The priest's lips parted slightly.
"This child," he whispered, "will bring change. Great change."
He lowered his head. "Whether the world will tremble… or rise-I cannot say." He kept that thought to himself, too heavy to speak.
And so, the air within the Black Eye Clan shifted that day.
Whispers spread.
Curiosity grew.
The clan that had never changed…
began to move.
To be continue...