I withdrew the envelope with care from her hand, feeling its weight and texture. It was old—clearly aged from the progression of time and the multitude of secrets it bore—its once brilliant white surface worn down to a soft pale yellow, reminiscent of memories which stubbornly held on. Its edges were dry and brittle, softened by the inevitable passage of time, as if it held its breath and waited with expectation for this precise moment to finally arrive. The instant my gaze landed on the name hastily scribbled upon the front, a rush of shock engulfed me, making my face completely blank and expressionless.
The letter was written specifically to me.
For an instant, all around me grew cloudy and indistinct, as if I had been wrapped in a thick veil of mist. Sounds dissolved into nothing, and my thoughts no longer flowed, and I found myself in complete distraction. There was only a single, overriding urge that rang within the bounds of my mind—the frantic desire to tear it open with my bare hands. And without further ado, that is exactly what I proceeded to do. My fingers, slightly shaky and quivering with excitement, gingerly slipped under the flap, and with a forceful motion, I tore it wide open.
Within was a creased-up parchment, its feel the same as the envelope—old, brittle, but containing something unmistakably potent inside. I carefully unfolded the paper, my heart beating faster with each passing second. The writing on the inside was recognizable in a way I couldn't explain. Neat but hasty. Urgent, but loving.
The letter contained:
"Dear Vikram and Sahasra,"
If you are reading this letter at this time, then certainly the first part of the prophecy has been fulfilled. and, oh, we do not exist any longer.
Now you must understand that the destiny of the world is in both your hands.
Vikram, you have to finish the Blood Dragon Trial on the day following your eighteenth birthday. You will only learn about your powers in that case. This is non-negotiable—time cannot be lost.
Also, ensure you inform our parents about this. They must be informed, and they will help you.
I imagine you both found a silver watch and a gold watch, each with a disc lying next to them. The second page will inform you of how to use these watches and how to position the disc. Whatever you do, do not do it until after your birthdays. The timing is more important than you can possibly imagine.
Yours sincerely
Your older brother,
Vikram and Sahasra's older sister,
"Sahasra."
I simply stood there holding the letter, reading the words but not necessarily hearing them. My brother… her sister… both lost. The prophecy… powers… destiny of the world?
I looked up at Sahasra, and to my astonishment, I discovered that she was already staring back at me. Her eyes were wide open, full of an expression of shock that was almost precisely mirrored by my own emotions at the time. No words were necessary to exchange between us—we instantly comprehended that our lives had just been irrevocably changed. Completely and utterly. In the flash of a moment, we transitioned from coping with the mundane mess of our mundane lives to the edge of something much greater, something much more strange and out-of-the-ordinary than we could have ever imagined.
Though, time. time had absolutely no sympathy at all.
Sahasra got me out of daydreaming by pointing out the wall clock behind me. "It's 7:30," she told me in sharp tones.
"Damn it," I softly muttered to myself, cursing in a low tone.
Dinner. My mom would be waiting for me.
"Do you happen to have some food at home?" I asked quickly, remembering that her mother had left town for two days.
Yes," she said with a toss of her head, though it was clear her thoughts were still very much wrapped up in the dense and heavy burden of the letter she had just read.
"Very well, then," I said, struggling to sound calm in spite of the turmoil of emotions roiling about inside me. I didn't particularly want to leave this moment, not when there was so much unspoken tension and naked emotion suspended between us. But I knew I also had no choice but to go. At least for the moment.
I guided her gently to the door, taking extra care to be with her step for step. The air outside was invigoratingly cool, a strong contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside my breast, which was far from serene.
"Take care," I said softly.
"You too."
There was this odd silence between us—one we had never experienced before. It wasn't uncomfortable, though, but with something more. Responsibility. Destiny. Perhaps even fear.
As the door closed softly behind her with a click, I was rooted to the spot for a brief moment, staring intently at the door. The envelope, now hollow of its contents and thus hollow, still held onto my hand, while the letter—our letter—was neatly folded and safely tucked away inside the folds of my jacket pocket. My thoughts began to run in all directions. So many questions tore at my brain mercilessly, but through all the chaos, one indubitable fact stood tall above the rest.
All had changed drastically.
Our birthdays were approaching. The trial. The watches. The disc. And powers—real powers. It sounded crazy. It was crazy. But the writing on that letter… the details… the sensation in my stomach—it told me none of this was fabricated.
I was unaware of what the Blood Dragon Trial was, but that they named it after something already made me realize that it must be something incredibly dangerous and deadly. Whatever this trial was, I could feel in my heart that it would be the start of an adventure or test that would be so much greater and grander than anything that I could ever possibly do alone.
Much larger than us.
I breathed deeply and walked away from the door. I had a lot to consider. But first, I had to go home. Tomorrow would have to wait.
Tonight, I just needed to breathe.