So what is it, then? An illusion? Yuvans’s voice echoed inside him.
Maybe. An opportunity.
For a few moments, they were both silent. Their hearts were pounding. His body hurt. The touch of the cold earth was real.
Yuvans slowly opened his eyes. He saw the roof of the ruined mansion. The moon was hidden behind the clouds.
He tried to sit up—and a wave of pain swept through him.
Ah… he groaned.
Yogesh felt that pain. He was connected to the body now.
Why did you come here to die? Yogesh asked.
Yuvans’s consciousness hardened. What’s it to you?
Because I’m in this too now.
A long silence followed.
Then Yuvans spoke in a broken voice. “They all left me behind. I fought for them, and they were the very ones who turned their backs on me. I’m tired.”
Compassion stirred within Yogesh. I was tired too. But death wasn’t the answer.
You’ve seen it? Yuvans asked.
Yes.
And?
There’s a trial there too.
Yuvans laughed—a bitter laugh. So it’s here and there. Where can a person find rest?
Yogesh answered softly, Maybe you’re not meant to find rest. Maybe you’re meant to find meaning.
Yuvans fell silent.
Wind moaned from inside the mansion. A curtain fluttered through a broken window.
Yuvans whispered, This place isn’t right. Someone is watching us.
Yogesh felt that presence too. The darkness outside was not still. Something shifted faintly within it.
We have to leave, Yogesh said.
We? Yuvans repeated.
Yes. We’re together now.
Yuvans spoke quietly. I don’t know you.
I’m getting to know myself again too.
Slowly, Yuvans sat up. The pain was still there, but so was a new determination inside him. Two consciousnesses—one that had seen death, and one that had given up on life—now inhabited one body.
If you’re inside me, Yuvans asked, will you control me?
No, Yogesh replied. I’ll suggest the path. You’ll have to walk it.
And what if I refuse?
Then I’ll fade away again. And you may end up back at that same edge.
Yuvans drew a long breath.
He spoke slowly. All right. But on one condition.
What?
No lies.
A faint smile formed within Yogesh. What good would lying do after death?
A shadow moved across the walls of the mansion, as if someone had stepped back.
Yuvans stood. His steps wobbled, but he did not fall.
Let’s go, he said.
Yes, Yogesh answered from within.
The night was deep. But a faint flame had already begun to burn inside them.
This was not rebirth—it was coexistence. A shared struggle. A shared question.
And far away, in the darkness, that presence was still there—but they were no longer alone.
Yogesh made a vow within himself. This time, he would not merely survive. He would understand. Together with this young man, he would face the darkness that had brought them both here.
Yuvans looked toward the sky. If there’s anyone up there, listen to me. I won’t lose.
Yogesh said softly, We won’t lose now.
The night wind blew. A long echo rose through the mansion’s broken windows—as if the future had accepted them.
And in that moment, the dying flame steadied slightly.
As if an invisible vortex had pulled it in, everything sank into darkness. At first, that darkness was cold. Then a hazy light emerged within it. Yogesh found himself in a strange realm—not heaven, not hell. A narrow path stretched ahead, with countless souls moving forward, their eyes blank. Strange, colorful flowers bloomed on either side of the path, their fragrance hypnotic. The longer the souls gazed at them, the dimmer their consciousness became.
Then several supernaturally beautiful women appeared. Captivated by their allure, Yogesh strayed from the path. He reached a pool, where a faceless female figure rose from the water. In that instant, his illusion shattered. A silent struggle took place, and everything dissolved into smoke. The scent of the flowers vanished. Then some unknown force hurled him out of that place.
He returned to Earth—but not alive. He was neither body nor breath, only a faint consciousness. He drifted above the city, watching people but unable to connect with them. An old man sensed his presence for a moment. A child stared into empty space—but no one could recognize him. Fear of oblivion took root inside him. If no one could see or hear him, did he truly exist?
What had happened in Yuvans’s past to bring him to the mansion? Was it merely betrayal? Or was some deeper secret hidden beneath it?
Was this rebirth? Or the first link in an ancient prophecy?
What would happen next?