The First Awakening.
🌑 Chapter 6: The First Test
The sun had fully risen, but the air around the mountain still felt cold.
The old man stood silently, watching Aarav. There was no kindness in his expression now, only seriousness.
"Every seeker must be tested," the old man said. "Not by the world, but by himself."
Aarav listened carefully.
"Come," the old man said, and began walking along a narrow path that curved around the mountain.
Aarav followed.
The path led them away from the village, deeper into the mountain's shadow. The trees grew thicker, and the light grew weaker. Soon, they reached the entrance of a small cave.
It was dark inside. Darker than natural darkness. It felt heavy.
The old man stopped.
"You must enter alone."
Aarav felt fear rise inside him.
"What is inside?" he asked.
The old man looked at him calmly.
"Only what you carry within you."
Aarav did not fully understand, but he could feel the truth in those words.
"This is your first test," the old man continued. "Sit inside. Close your eyes. Do not run. No matter what you see. No matter what you feel."
Aarav's throat went dry.
Every part of him wanted to refuse. To turn back. To return to the safety of his old life.
But something stronger held him there.
Faith.
He stepped into the cave.
The darkness swallowed him.
He walked slowly until he could no longer see the entrance. Then he sat down, just as the old man had instructed.
His heart pounded loudly.
He closed his eyes.
At first, there was nothing.
Then, the thoughts came.
Faster than ever.
Memories of his failures. His regrets. His fears. Every moment of pain he had tried to forget returned.
He saw himself as a child, feeling alone.
He saw himself as a man, feeling lost.
Then the darkness changed.
It became heavier. Colder.
He felt as if something was watching him.
His breathing became faster.
A voice whispered inside him.
"You are weak."
His body tensed.
"You are lost."
Fear spread through his chest.
"You are nothing."
Aarav wanted to open his eyes. To run out of the cave. To escape.
But he remembered the old man's words.
Do not run.
The voice grew louder.
"You will fail."
His heart pounded harder.
Then, from somewhere deeper within him, another voice appeared.
Quiet.
But steady.
"I am here."
The darkness did not disappear.
The fear did not vanish.
But Aarav did not run.
He stayed.
He watched.
He faced it.
Slowly, the whispers began to fade.
The darkness became lighter.
The fear lost its power.
And in its place, there was silence.
Peaceful.
Endless.
Outside the cave, the old man stood waiting.
Hours passed.
Then Aarav walked out.
He looked exhausted. But his eyes were different.
Stronger.
Calmer.
The old man looked at him and nodded once.
"You did not run," he said.
Aarav shook his head.
"No."
For the first time, he understood.
The greatest enemy had never been the world.
It had been his own fear.
And he had taken his first step toward conquering it.
Far above them, the Silent Mountain remained still.
But it was watching.
Waiting for the next step