The morning in Gota Village did not bring the comforting warmth of golden sunlight. Instead, when Rudra opened his eyes and stepped out onto his wooden porch, he was greeted by an uncanny, oppressive gloom.
The entire canopy of the heavens was dyed a violent, unnatural shade of deep crimson. The sun was utterly obscured, replaced by a swirling void of scarlet mist that stretched from horizon to horizon.
Rudra gripped the carved railing of his porch, his heart sinking as a cold chill ran down his spine. "Isha!" he called out into the house, his voice echoing with sharp concern. "Isha, come outside! Why has the sky turned so red?"
Isha stepped through the doorway, her silk robes fluttering in the strangely warm wind. She raised her head, staring up at the blood-colored sky with solemn eyes.
"The atmospheric spiritual barriers are thinning, Rudra," Isha murmured quietly, her expression darkening with every passing second. "This crimson light... it is an omen. The seal hanging over our world is breaking. It could shatter completely at any given moment."
Before Rudra could respond, an eerie, trembling voice rasped out from the dirt pathway outside their courtyard.
"Rudra! Rudra, please help us!"
Rudra turned to see an elderly woman from Gota Village hobbling toward the house, her hands trembling as she leaned heavily on her bamboo walking stick. Panic was etched deeply into every line on her aged face.
Rudra immediately rushed down the wooden steps to support her. "Grandma! Calm down. What's the problem? What has happened?"
"There is great calamity in our village, Rudra!" the old woman gasped, clutching his arm with surprising strength. "It's the holy river... near the ancient shrine! You must go see it!"
"What happened to the river, grandma?" Rudra asked, his brow furrowing.
"It is boiling!" the old woman cried out, pointing a shaking finger toward the forest paths. "The river water is churning and boiling like oil over a furnace! The fish are dying, and steam is rising into the trees!"
"The river is boiling?" Rudra repeated in disbelief. "How is that even possible without a flame beneath it? What are you talking about?"
He knew there was no time to lose. Turning back toward the house, Rudra raised his voice, summoning the core of his household. "Isha! Keerthi! Aadhya! Gather your gear and come with me right now! We are heading directly to the river near the Goddess Kali temple!"
Within minutes, Rudra and his wives—Isha, Keerthi, and Aadhya—were sprinting along the overgrown dirt trail leading into the sacred grove. The air grew progressively hotter, thick with the heavy scent of sulfur and scalding steam.
When they broke through the tree line, the sight made them freeze in their tracks.
The holy river, which usually flowed clear and serene around the base of the ancient Goddess Kali temple, was churning violently. Scalding white steam billowed into the blood-red air as huge bubbles erupted across the surface. The floodwaters had already overflown the stone banks, submerging the outer courtyards and marble steps of the sacred temple.
"The temple is completely flooded," Keerthi observed, drawing her weapon and eyeing the bubbling water nervously. "The heat radiating off this river is immense."
"We must reach the main shrine," Rudra said firmly, scanning the surrounding area. "The anomaly is originating from within the temple ground. Follow me!"
As they splashed through the shallow, scalding waters on the temple's upper causeway, a quiet sob echoed from inside the flooded courtyard.
Rudra stopped, gesturing for the others to halt. Nestled under the overhang of a stone pillar was a young, drenched boy, hugging his knees tightly as tears streamed down his dirt-streaked face.
Rudra quickly approached the boy, lowering himself to one knee to avoid frightening him. "Hey kid... what are you doing here in a place like this? It's dangerous!"
The boy looked up, wiping his wet eyes with his soaked sleeve. "M-My name is Deepak," he sobbed, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "I... I came here earlier today to swim with my friends... but the water suddenly turned hot and red. Everyone ran away..."
Deepak buried his face in his hands, weeping heavily. "They left me behind! I am so alone... I couldn't cross the flooded river to get home!"
Aadhya stepped forward, her expression softening with compassion as she gently rested a hand on the boy's head. "Don't cry, Deepak. You're safe now."
Rudra glanced back at the boiling waters cutting off the path back to the village. "Deepak, you cannot go outside right now. The river is far too dangerous, and something bad is coming from above. Do you trust us?"
Deepak nodded timidly, wiping his tears. "Y-Yes..."
"Alright then," Rudra said, helping the boy to his feet. "Deepak, come with us. Stay close behind Isha and Aadhya."
"Okay," Deepak whispered, gripping Aadhya's robe tightly.
No sooner had Deepak joined them than the blood-red sky above the temple began to ripple like distorted water. Heavy, oppressive spiritual pressure descended upon the grove, causing the trees to groan and snap under the weight.
"Rudra, look up!" Keerthi warned, raising her blade into a guard stance.
Screaming down from the scarlet clouds came dark, grotesque shapes—flying low-tier demonic entities with leathery wings, crimson eyes, and razor-sharp talons. They let out ear-piercing shrieks as they dived straight toward the group!
"Demons from the sky!" Rudra roared, drawing his weapon and parrying the first diving beast with a surge of aura, sending it crashing into the boiling water. "They're launching a full assault! Fall back into the main temple structure—NOW!"
Surrounded by diving creatures, Rudra, Isha, Keerthi, Aadhya, and young Deepak retreated up the stone steps toward the grand entrance of the Goddess Kali temple. They slipped through the heavy outer threshold just as several demons slammed against the outer walls.
BANG!
The massive double doors of the temple slammed shut behind them with a deafening thud, locking automatically.
Safe inside the shadowy grand hall, the group caught their breath. But as they turned to move deeper into the sanctuary, they found their path blocked by an enormous inner gate made of black obsidian metal.
The gate was completely seamless, lacking any lock or handle. Instead, complex, glowing red runes were etched deeply into its surface—symbols that didn't belong to any human language.
"It's locked tight," Keerthi said, pushing against the stone frame. "We're trapped in the foyer!"
Isha leaned in close, inspecting the glowing runes carefully. "These aren't holy scriptures or human seals, Rudra. This is the ancient Demon God Language."
Rudra stepped forward, feeling a strange, resonant pulse echoing in his chest. His eyes gleamed as he raised his right hand and pressed his palm directly against the glowing obsidian gate.
As his skin touched the cold metal, ancient knowledge flooded his mind. His voice altered slightly, echoing with a deep, resonant power as he began to chant the dark incantation inscribed on the door:
"𐍈 𐌗 𐌴 𐌵 𐌷..."
The moment the demonic words left his lips, the dark runes flared with brilliant crimson light. The ground trembled as ancient gears shifted deep within the temple structures. With a heavy, grinding sound, the massive obsidian gates slowly parted, sliding back into the stone walls to reveal a glowing hallway leading deep into the temple's subterranean chambers.
Rudra lowered his hand and turned back to his companions with a determined nod.
"The gate is open," Rudra said, his voice firm as he looked toward his wives and the frightened child. "Isha, Keerthi, Aadhya... let's go inside."