Trying to ease the tension, Om broke the silence.
"The coffee is good," he said, forcing a small smile.
Mark chuckled lightly. "Thanks," he replied.
Silence settled again between them, heavier this time. Om slowly reached into his pocket, pulling out the letter left behind by Viranth. He placed it carefully on the table between them.
Mark glanced at the letter but showed no surprise. Instead, he simply nodded, a knowing gesture that sent a chill down Om's spine.
He knows what's in it... but how?
Om was tempted to ask, but he remembered the one thing his father had made clear in the letter: trust Mark. Suppressing his questions, Om quietly slid the letter back into his pocket.
Mark leaned back in his chair. "So," he said casually, "tell me, why did you come here?"
Om hesitated for a moment, then asked directly, "Who killed my father?"
Mark gave a short, almost resigned laugh. "The man who killed Viranth is a Transcendent Stage cultivator. His brother is part of the Inner Circle of Vijayin."
Om's eyes narrowed. Transcendent Stage — a level few ever reached. His father's killer wasn't just strong — he was a monster.
"Do you know his name?" Om asked.
"I do," Mark said, his expression firm. "But I won't tell you. Not until you're ready."
Om clenched his jaw but nodded. He could see it in Mark's eyes — no amount of pressing would change his mind.
"Fine," Om muttered. "But when I'm ready, you must tell me."
Mark gave a slow, deliberate nod. "I will."
For a moment, they simply drank their coffee in silence. Om's mind raced with questions. He knew Mark wasn't an ordinary soldier. His knowledge, his connections — they ran deeper than Om could yet comprehend.
Then, Om remembered something else — Mark's words during the final ritual.
"You mentioned the 'test' is coming," Om said. "What did you mean?"
Mark set his cup down. "The elemental affinity test. It's coming soon. You need to be prepared for it."
Om nodded slowly. He knew about the test — it was scheduled on his birthday. It would determine his elemental affinity and, by extension, his path in life.
"But how can I prepare for something that's not even in my control?" Om asked, frustrated.
Mark smiled faintly, but there was a weight to his words when he spoke. "I'm not telling you to prepare for the test itself. I'm telling you to prepare for what happens after the test. Your life will change, Om. Drastically."
Om tried to keep a stoic expression, but inside, his heart pounded.
"You know what's going to happen?" he asked.
"I know many things," Mark replied enigmatically. "But you don't need to hear them from me. When the time comes, you'll understand yourself."
Om leaned back, letting out a slow breath. Clearly, Mark wasn't going to give him easy answers.
Still, one question gnawed at Om's mind — Vijayin.
Who was he really? How was he still alive after centuries of bloodshed?
"Who is Vijayin?" Om finally asked, his voice steady.
Mark's expression grew serious.
"He was once part of the Shiranga clan," Mark began. "One of the Rakshakas clans member. He lost a succession war to his brother and, consumed by rage and ambition, left his home. Years later, he returned — not as a man seeking peace, but as a conqueror."
Mark's voice turned colder. "He began his conquest from Lanka, and today, he controls more than half the world."
Om blinked in shock. "The Shiranga clan... they were part of the Rakshakas?"
"Yes," Mark confirmed. "But now, none remain."
Om frowned. "What happened to them?"
Mark looked him dead in the eyes.
"Vijayin happened. He slaughtered his entire clan — his own blood. Wiped them all out. That's why no one speaks of them today."
Om felt a chill settle in his chest.
To kill your own family... for power?
The conversation was growing heavier, but Om pressed forward, asking the question that had lingered in his mind for years.
"Who are the Rakshakas, really?"
Mark gave a small smile, as though he had been expecting this.
"The Rakshakas," Mark said slowly, "are ancient clans tasked with guarding Earth against supernatural threats. Their mastery over the elements, spells, body arts, and chakra knowledge is unparalleled. Much of the power systems that exist today — they originated with them."
Mark continued, his tone grave. "For yugs, they suppressed this knowledge, keeping it within their clans. They feared that if the general public accessed it, it would lead to disaster. But when Vijayin began spreading his knowledge among his army, they were forced to act. They had no choice but to reveal their secrets — slowly, cautiously — to the public."
Om sat frozen, processing the weight of the history being shared with him and asked another question
"How many Rakshakas clans are there?" he asked.
Mark didn't hesitate.
"There are six clans originally," he said. "But after one was destroyed, only five remain."
He began listing them:
Vrishni ClanVaran ClanBhargava ClanSurya ClanDalpathi Clan
"The heads of these clans," Mark added, "are all Soul Stage cultivators, and their leadership changes every hundred years."
Mark then named them:
Vrishni Clan – Varun VrishniVaran Clan – Arun VaranBhargava Clan – Bharat BhargavaSurya Clan – Aditya SuryaDalpathi Clan – Drishti Dalpathi
"There are sub-branches too," he said, "but these five are the main ones."
Mark paused, letting the heavy words sink in.
"This," he added, "is considered basic knowledge for any Rakshaka. You would have received this briefing during your first day at Gurukul."
Om was with lot of questions today but he still wanted to ask and asked Mark "How did they gain the knowledge and How did they grow this powerful
Mark finished with a quiet, almost reverent tone.
"The Rakshakas were appointed by Sri Krishna, an avatar of the Almighty himself, during the Dwapara Yuga."
Om had always known about the Rakshakas
He had heard the stories — whispered legends about powerful clans that had once appeared out of nowhere, seizing key positions in India's government in a matter of days. They had claimed that a great evil was rising and that they had been forced to step out of the shadows.
But he never truly understood who they were.
As Mark finished explaining about god appointing them