Chapter 85: When Power Demands a Price
The battlefield was silent.
Not peaceful—
But empty.
Like something had been taken away.
Meera stood alone.
No movement.
No sound.
Only the faint echo of her own breathing.
Everything felt… distant.
As if the world itself had stepped back from her.
"…Why is it so quiet?" she whispered.
No answer came.
Her power—
Still there.
But different.
Heavier.
Not just energy anymore.
Something deeper.
Something… dangerous.
She looked at her hands.
They were trembling slightly.
Not from fear—
But from strain.
"…This power…"
"…It's changing me."
A cold wind passed through the battlefield.
Carrying a familiar presence.
"…Of course it is."
Meera's eyes lifted instantly.
The figure stood in the distance.
Unharmed.
Watching her.
"…Power like this always comes with a price," it continued.
Meera's expression hardened.
"I won't listen to you."
The figure tilted its head slightly.
"…You already are."
Silence.
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Meera clenched her fists.
"…I don't care about the price."
Her energy flared again—
But not as clean as before.
It flickered.
Unstable for just a moment.
The figure noticed.
"…That's the problem."
It took a step forward.
"…You should."
Meera didn't move.
But inside—
Something shifted.
A small doubt.
Barely there.
But growing.
"…Every time you use that power…"
"…you lose something."
Her breathing slowed.
"…That's not true."
"…Isn't it?"
The air grew colder.
Memories flashed—
Quick.
Sharp.
Moments she couldn't fully remember.
Pieces missing.
"…You didn't notice?"
The figure's voice softened.
"…You're forgetting things."
Meera froze.
Her heart skipped.
"…No…"
"…Important things."
"…People."
Her grip loosened slightly.
"…That's not possible…"
The figure smiled faintly.
"…Then tell me."
"…What was the first thing you protected?"
Silence.
Meera opened her mouth—
But nothing came out.
Her mind… blank.
Her eyes widened.
"…I…"
She tried again.
Nothing.
Just emptiness.
"…You see?"
The voice echoed softly.
"…That's the price."
Meera stepped back slightly.
Her breathing uneven now.
"…No… I wouldn't forget something like that…"
But deep inside—
She knew.
Something was missing.
Something important.
"…Every time you grow stronger…"
"…you lose a part of yourself."
The words hit harder than any attack.
Meera shook her head.
"…I don't care…"
Her voice weaker now.
"…I'll do whatever it takes."
The figure stepped closer.
"…Even if you forget who you are?"
Silence.
That question—
Cut deeper than anything else.
Meera didn't answer.
Because she couldn't.
For the first time—
She hesitated.
Not in battle.
But in herself.
Arjun's voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"…Power isn't everything."
Her eyes tightened.
"…Then what is…?" she whispered.
The battlefield remained silent.
But inside her—
A storm had begun.
Because now—
This wasn't just a fight against an enemy.
It was a fight against the cost of becoming stronger.
And for the first time—
Meera didn't know if she was ready to pay it.