《Kalyug:The last legacy》 Chapter 1: A utopia The world is abuzz with groundbreaking news: The World Bank has officially declared that humanity has triumphed over poverty and hunger by the year 2160. In the aftermath of the catastrophic nuclear war of 2080, India and China emerged as the sole superpowers. United by shared devastation, the nations of the world pledged to dismantle all nuclear weapons. Under the leadership of a single democratic government formed through the United Nations, humanity turned its focus toward healing and progress. In this transformed world, a young Raj, fresh out of high school, felt a burning pride. Determined to serve both his nation and humanity, he committed himself to the civil services. By the age of 24, his dedication paid off¡ªRaj successfully cleared the prestigious UPSC exam. But his journey didn¡¯t end there. Offered a position in India¡¯s elite intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), Raj accepted without hesitation. His new identity was sealed with a codename: ¡®Yam,¡¯ after the Hindu god of death, symbolizing his covert mission to protect the nation. Under the mentorship of the enigmatic Commander L, the second-highest-ranking officer in RAW, Raj¡¯s life took a dramatic turn. Yet, what began as a noble pursuit soon revealed a darker truth. Project Kali, a covert government operation, unveiled itself as something far more sinister than Raj could have ever imagined.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. One day, Raj stormed into Commander L¡¯s office. The commander, engrossed in a digital treatise on warfare strategy, barely looked up. Raj slammed his fists on the desk. ¡°This mission¡­ this isn¡¯t what I signed up for, Commander!¡± he shouted at him Commander L leaned back, unfazed. ¡°Take it easy, officer. You¡¯ve barely been here a month.¡± Raj¡¯s voice trembled with anger. ¡°I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t be a part of this! God¡¯s there for us¡ªhow could you twist Him into something so evil?¡± Commander L¡¯s calm demeanour shattered. ¡°Officer!¡± he barked. ¡°I¡¯ve spent forty years in this hellhole! Don¡¯t preach to me about what you don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°Then tell me why!¡± Raj demanded, his eyes blazing. The commander sighed, his tone heavy with resignation. ¡°You don¡¯t know this world, boy. Not the real one. What has your so-called God done for us? Division. Hatred. War. Colour, ethnicity, language¡ªthese are the scars of His creation.¡± Raj¡¯s resolve hardened. ¡°I¡¯ll expose this. I¡¯ll tell the world everything!¡± Commander L¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°what an idiot,¡± he muttered, ordering his Ai assistant. ¡°Track him down. Eliminate him.¡± Overhearing the chilling command, Raj grabbed a seemingly innocuous pin from the desk and bolted. Speeding away in his ageing car, he raced against time. But his escape ended abruptly at the banks of the sacred Ganga River. Cornered and outnumbered, Raj made a desperate choice. With bullets raining down, he leapt into the river¡¯s depths, clutching the pin tightly in his hand. Time marched on. The once-mighty Ganga, the last surviving river on Earth, had succumbed to the relentless grip of global warming, leaving only a barren wasteland in its wake. Seventeen-year-old Shan wandered the dried riverbed, accustomed to the skeletal remains that littered the ground. But something unusual caught his eye¡ªa skull, pierced by a strange metallic pin. ¡°Shan! Who¡¯s there?¡± his friend called out nervously. Shan turned, clutching the pin. His voice echoed with a strange certainty: ¡°It¡¯s me. Shan.¡± Chapter 2:Dinoland His friend sneered, ¡°Idiot, let¡¯s move.¡± Shan crouched beside the ancient skeleton, its skeletal fingers clutching a pin that seemed to pulse faintly with a strange, cold energy. Hesitating for just a moment, he snatched the pin, feeling its weight pull at him in a way he couldn¡¯t explain. The eerie sensation lingered as he tucked it into his jacket. As they drove through the shimmering city, the world outside passed by¡ªa world of towering skyscrapers and endless luxury. Shan barely noticed until the car screeched to a halt, crashing into the modest house¡ªan oddity among the gleaming glass and steel structures. ¡°Damn it!¡± Shan growled, stepping out, eyes locked on the house. ¡°Who the hell allowed this shack in the middle of the city?¡± An elderly man emerged from the house, bowing low. ¡°Forgive me, my lord,¡± he pleaded, trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend. Please¡­ spare me.¡± Shan¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his anger flared. ¡°Last chance,¡± he spat, kicking the man aside before storming back to the car. Tamaya stayed silent, sensing his internal struggle. ¡°Finally, we¡¯re here,¡± Shan muttered as they arrived at the building. ¡°What a miserable journey.¡± They ascended to the sixth floor of a shadowy skyscraper. Shan stood before the heavy steel door, raising his hand, his psychic power effortlessly opening it. On the other side stood his father, a stern expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he said with a sharp tone, his eyes cutting through Shan¡¯s. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out causing trouble. The Maddychip is already straining you. You¡¯re too young to handle its full power.¡± Shan avoided his father¡¯s gaze, his mind drifting to the pin burning a cold hole in his jacket. His father knew nothing of it, and Shan decided it was best to keep it that way for now. Hours later, Tamaya suggested visiting Dinoland, the newly opened theme park, to take their minds off things. The park was an incredible sight¡ªtowering animatronic dinosaurs roaring in life, their massive forms moving with lifelike precision. They paused before a massive T. Rex, its teeth bared in a terrifying grin. ¡°Look at this beast. Absolute badass,¡± Tamaya said, her voice filled with awe.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Later, they entered an auditorium for a 3D history show. The lights dimmed, and the narrator¡¯s voice filled the room, carrying an eerie weight. ¡°Long ago, giants ruled this earth¡ªthe dinosaurs, the masters of their age. Their reign ended in fire, and meteors fell from the sky, ending their dominance. What was once¡­ powerful¡­ was obliterated.¡± The screen flickered with scenes of meteors crashing into the earth, fire and ash filling the skies as the Dinosaurs vanished into the void of time. ¡°But remember,¡± the narrator continued, his voice lowering with a gravitas that made the air feel thick. ¡°An end is a new beginning.¡± The imagery on the screen shifted, showing the end of the dinosaurs¡ªa world consumed by chaos, fire raining from the heavens, and the earth itself trembling. But even as the dinosaurs perished, the world began to heal, as humanity¡¯s rise began. When the show ended, they made their way back to the car. But suddenly, Shan¡¯s father was stabbed and he later collapsed. He chased the culprit as fast he could but the oxygen cylinder didn''t let him go through He saw his dad calling him ¡°Dad?!¡± Shan cried, rushing to his side. His father gasped for breath, clutching his chest. Despite their efforts, he died before help could arrive. The funeral was bleak, the only mourners being Shan, Tamaya, his mother and the cremator. The man adjusted his oxygen mask and spoke solemnly. ¡°Fifty years,¡± he muttered. ¡°A good life for a semi-elite in this day and age.¡± After the ceremony, the cremator handed Shan a weathered book written in Sanskrit. ¡°This is tradition,¡± he said, his voice unwavering. ¡°Your son and his future fianc¨¦e must read this. What''s the reason is beyond my understanding.¡± Shan stared at the book, frustration boiling inside him. ¡°Why not just upload it to my Maddychip? What¡¯s the point of this ancient ritual?¡± The cremator shook his head. ¡°The ritual must be done as it was written earlier. It¡¯s the only way.¡± Reluctantly, Shan and Tamaya opened the book and began reading the first stanza aloud. The moment the words left their mouths, the air around them shifted. A heavy force gripped them, and their surroundings dissolved into nothingness. Before them, a portal appeared¡ªan eerie, glowing window into the past. Through it, they saw the history of the earth unfold, the cycles of rise and fall: ancient empires, blood-soaked battlefields, and forgotten civilizations, all in vivid detail. As the portal shifted, Shan saw the eruption of a massive volcano, followed by the construction of great pyramids, and then¡­ the end of the dinosaurs. The meteors fell, the world was consumed by fire and darkness. And yet, within that destruction, a new beginning had begun. The portal flickered once more, showing a future far darker. Skyscrapers¡ªmuch like the ones that defined Shan¡¯s city¡ªlay in ruins. The world he knew was on the brink of collapse. The ritual had not been just a passage through time. It was the catalyst for something much, much more dangerous. And it was just the beginning... Chapter 3: Wrong Timeline Shan and Tamaya had journeyed across the passage of time, but nothing could prepare them for the surreal realm they had just entered. The caves stretched endlessly, filled with echoes of distant wars, ravaging droughts, and unrelenting floods. The air was thick with the weight of history, as though the very walls carried the burden of forgotten battles. Hours passed in eerie silence, and Shan suddenly jolted awake, his mind clouded with confusion. His surroundings were unfamiliar. Disoriented, he realized he had lost his consciousness somewhere along the way. As his eyes scanned the cave, the darkness swallowed everything, and he could feel a growing sense of dread. Where was Tamaya? He called out her name, his voice echoing off the walls, "Tamaya! Where are you?" Then, he heard it-her desperate scream. "Help!" It pierced the stillness, raw and filled with terror. Shan''s heart raced as he sprinted toward the sound. The deeper he ventured, the more oppressive the atmosphere grew. The walls seemed to pulse with an ancient energy. His breath quickened, but he finally found her-standing in front of a towering statue of Narayana, the Hindu god, holding a torch of fire that flickered ominously in the shadows. "Hey, why are you shouting?" Shan called out, his voice trembling with urgency. Tamaya pointed to the right, her eyes wide with horror. Shan turned to follow her gaze, and his blood ran cold. A massive lion stood before him, its eyes glowing with a predatory gleam.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "What... What is this? Are we in a zoo?" Shan stammered, attempting to pinpoint their location through the maddychip, but to his shock, it failed to register anything. Tamaya''s cries grew louder, and Shan fought to steady his breath. Fear clutched at his chest, but he couldn''t let panic consume him The lion roared, the ground shaking under its power. Shan stepped forward, his voice bold yet laced with fear, "Come here if you want to eat us!" The lion turned its gaze toward him, its immense power radiating into the cave. Without hesitation, Shan dashed toward the statue, grabbing the torch. "Tamaya, follow me!" he shouted. The lion charged. In a split second, Shan hurled the torch at the beast, the fire flickering through the air. The lion leapt toward him, but Shan grabbed the sword from the smaller statue beside the god and threw it with all his strength. The sword pierced the lion''s heart, and with a final roar, the beast fell to the ground, engulfed in flames. Silence fell once more. Shan and Tamaya stood, breathless and shaken, as they watched the statue and the fallen lion. Tamaya trembled, her voice barely a whisper, "That was dangerous." Shan''s expression softened, determination flashing in his eyes. "I''d do anything to protect you." Tamaya stepped closer to the statue, reaching out to place the sword back into its hands. But the moment her fingers touched the blade, a wave of disorientation swept over her. She gasped, her vision blurring, and with a cry, she stumbled back. "No, it can''t be!" Shan rushed to her side, his heart pounding. "Tamaya, what happened? Are you okay?" She nodded, but fear still gripped her. Trembling, she fell into his arms. "I don''t understand..." she whispered. Before Shan could comfort her further, a figure emerged from the shadows-a monk, his presence calm but unsettling. "I apologize for disturbing you," the monk said, he further added "But you are not in the right timeline." Shan and Tamaya froze, staring at the monk in stunned silence... Chapter 4:Fireball Shan and Tamaya stood, staring at the Saint with puzzled eyes, struggling to understand the monk''s cryptic words. What was he saying? Was this some kind of game? Shan''s mind clicked. It must be a VR game, he thought, a smirk tugging at his lips. He glanced at Tamaya and, in a mocking tone, said, "Ah, when did we enter the game? Anyway, looks like we''re going to fight this old guy." The Saint smiled faintly, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling calmness. He turned to Shan and, in a low voice, commanded, "Attack." Without warning, a sword materialized out of thin air, falling into Shan''s hands. The monk chanted something under his breath, and Shan gripped the weapon, his heart racing. He lunged forward, striking swiftly, but the monk moved with a strange grace, dodging the blow effortlessly. Shan followed with a spinning backflip, but the monk avoided that too. In a moment of desperation, Shan slid low, aiming to slice through the monk''s legs, but the Saint leapt high into the air, evading him again. With every strike, Shan felt like he was fighting a ghost. The monk danced through the air, leaping from rock to rock within the dark cave, mocking his every move. Frustrated, Shan charged forward again, but the monk''s voice rang out, calm and powerful as he uttered a chant. A fireball erupted from the monk''s palm, soaring toward them. It slammed into Shan''s sword, shattering it into pieces. Tamaya gasped, but Shan''s focus never wavered. He ran as fast as he could, desperation pushing him to the limit. With the jagged remnants of his broken sword, he used all his strength to tear the canine tooth from the dead lion''s jaw. He wasn''t done yet. The monk smirked, his voice dripping with disdain. "Is that all you''ve got?" Shan''s heart raced, his breath coming in ragged gasps. With a primal scream, he charged once more, sweat dripping from his brow. He swung the shard of broken sword, but the monk was already preparing another attack.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Tamaya, frantic, grabbed a nearby torch, hoping to help. In the oppressive darkness of the cave, the torch seemed like a mere flicker in the vast emptiness. But as the monk chanted again, something strange happened. The air around them grew heavy, like an unseen force was pressing in from all sides. Then the temperature spiked. The cave, once cold and dark, now felt as if it were basking under the heat of a thousand suns. The light from the torch couldn''t compete with the intense warmth. The world spun. Shan stumbled, blood staining his clothes. Tamaya rushed to his side, tossing the torch aside. But it was no use. Her efforts were futile. They weren''t in a game anymore. The pain was real. Every breath, every heartbeat, every cut-it was all too real. The world around them seemed to shift. The wind howled, but it wasn''t a cold breeze. No, it was the kind of wind that made you feel alive... and terrified. Shan looked at Tamaya, her silky black hair whipping around her face. Her skin glowed in the strange light, and for a brief moment, everything felt peaceful, warm. But that peace was fleeting. It was as if time had stopped. Their final moments, together, were filled with an overwhelming sense of finality. They were crying now, hiding their faces from each other in a futile attempt to escape the inevitable. Shan, trembling, sank to his knees and collapsed into her lap. They were both crying, feeling the weight of their doom close in. But then, something shifted. They were no longer standing on solid ground. They looked down in horror and saw that they were floating high above the ground. Panic set in. The ground was far below, and they were weightless, suspended in air, screaming in fear. The monk''s voice broke the silence. "I won''t kill you," he said softly, his words sending a chill through them. "But do you still think all of this is just a game?" Silence enveloped them, heavy and suffocating. Neither of them could speak. They were staring at the void below, disoriented and terrified. The monk spoke again, his voice carrying an eerie calmness. "I know what you''re thinking. How did you get here? But that is one thing I cannot tell." Both Shan and Tamaya, hearts racing, managed to choke out a question. "Where are we? What year is it?" The monk''s answer sent a shiver down their spines. "708 AD." Then, with an almost serene finality, he motioned to the large statue that was in the cave. "Bow before the god''s statue first," he politely exclaimed..