The Secrets of the Elements

To Another Dimension

"Why are you here?" Daksh questioned, his voice filled with confusion, as Advika untied the cloth that had been gagging her.

"This guy is insane," Advika whispered to Rishi, gesturing towards Daksh, and then briskly walked toward the dungeon's exit. As she neared the opening, she caught a glimpse of the radiant sky stretching above another desolate landscape, adorned with nothing but rocks and scattered skeletons. Hastily, she covered her mouth with a mask, her attention briefly drawn to the sight of the two boys engaged in a quarrel. With a sigh, she picked up a small pebble from the ground, taking aim and launching it toward Daksh.

"We have more urgent matters to attend to now," Rishi stated, releasing his hold on Daksh's collar. "We'll talk later."

Rishi quickly jogged towards Advika, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, no thanks to your-" she stopped mid-sentence. "However did you end up here? And what about the four and Rutuja?"

"Everyone is alright. We summoned the black book. They have it," she replied.

Daksh kept his hands on Rishi's shoulders and pulled his arm. "What do you think you are doing here abandoning my dad? Weren't you supposed to be with him?"

"Dad, I mean, master Indra is with Devansh right now," revealed Rishi. 

"Why? What's the plan?" asked Daksh. 

"Devansh asked us to find some mirror and replace it with this," Advika produced a small, rusted iron key from her jeans' pocket.

Rishi glanced at the key and swivelled. "Did you tell her?"

Advika's eyes darted between Rishi and Daksh, her heart pounding in her ears as anxiety started to consume her. She blinked rapidly, trying to regain her composure, and took several deep breaths, attempting to steady herself.

"The reason why they could not see us back-"

"They could not see us. Oh so," said Advika and looked at Daksh.

"Daksh and I can make ourselves invisible," continued Rishi. "And unnoticeable. We can also extend the shield to anyone."

"But are those people humans?" questioned Advika and kept the key back in her pocket.

"That's not important," stepped in Daksh and kept his hand on Rishi's shoulder. "Why did dad go to Devansh? How did you know where I was?"

"I have some powers, and that is not important right now," said Rishi and advanced towards the vast barren land in front of them.

As they stood surrounded by mud and scattered pebbles, their gazes turned to the expansive, brilliant blue sky above. Advika turned her attention to Rishi, curiosity evident in her expression.

"So, what's the secret?" she inquired, facing him directly.

He pursed his lips and let out a sigh. "What you see before you are-"

"This is not a good time for storytelling," said Daksh and crossed his arms. "Listen," he turned to look at Advika. "We have to go into our head, and only our souls can enter into the other dimension where the mirror is kept."

"And?" said Advika.

"Chances are that we may not enter the same dimension," said Rishi. "As there is no way we can..."

"I know about that," interrupted Advika. "But we have one key."

Rishi shielded his eyes from the intense sunlight as he explained the situation to Advika. The vast expanse before them was adorned with multiple mirrors, reflecting the bright rays of the sun.

"Each mirror represents a different path," Rishi began, his voice filled with determination. "The key will manifest in front of the person who stands before the true mirror at the right moment."

Advika's eyes widened with intrigue as she processed Rishi's words, contemplating the significance of their next move.

"And how exactly do we identify this mirror?" questioned Advika; her heart thumping against her chest making it difficult to breathe.

"Legend has it, only the blood of those chosen make other mirrors disappear. We, both Daksh and I have magic in our blood, as for you, you were chosen by Grantha herself. You are a supernatural being now."

Advika knew for a fact that they were now what she would call superhumans, supernatural. But hearing it from someone born supernatural was weird. 

"The dimension mirror will have an energy that matches ours, check for negative energy, ask for help, recite the mantras, and when you find the mirror cut your wrists and shed some blood on the mirror, summon the key, and place it there, the end," said Daksh and sighed. "You're welcome," he glanced at Rishi who nodded his head and rolled his eyes. 

Rishi removed a small blade from his pocket and handed it to Advika. "Slight press against your finger would do," he said and stepped behind. 

Daksh settled himself into a comfortable cross-legged position, his companions circling around him with focused expressions. 

"Place the key at the center of our circle," Rishi said, his eyes closed in deep concentration. Advika carefully positioned the key in the designated spot, her hands coming together as she closed her eyes, joining in the collective meditation. The atmosphere grew still as they synchronized their energies, ready to embark on their shared journey.

~~~~~~

"Dad," Devansh's voice trembled as tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision.

Indra stood before him, a mixture of sadness and determination in his gaze. His dark blue overcoat billowed in the wind, mirroring the storm brewing within him. Clenching the sword tightly in his hand, he took purposeful strides towards his son.

Unable to contain his emotions any longer, Devansh dashed towards his father, wrapping his arms tightly around him in a desperate embrace. Indra closed his eyes, his grip on the sword loosening as he returned the embrace, silently conveying his love and understanding.

But amidst their reunion, Indra's voice broke the silence. "You owe me an explanation," he spoke, his tone firm but filled with a sense of urgency.

"Dad, I..." Devansh's words caught in his throat, choked with the weight of the past.

Indra interrupted him, his grip on Devansh's arm firm yet gentle. "We need to proceed with the plan," he stated resolutely. "There's no time for lengthy conversations now."

~~~~~