Prologue: Ashes of Lanka
The golden towers of Lanka had fallen. Smoke curled through the air like the last breath of a dying empire. Ravana the mighty lay broken, his ambition turned to ruin. Amid the flames and shattered stone, a lone figure moved—Sulochana, widow of Indrajit, daughter-in-law of the demon king.
Her eyes shimmered with tears and defiance as she made her way to the heart of the city, where the Temple of Sheshanaga had been hidden from even the gods. Beneath its ruined dome, under the glow of a blood moon, she gave birth to a child. The infant did not cry. His eyes glowed a deep crimson, and a crescent-shaped mark blazed on his forehead.
"You are my son," she whispered. "Asurya, flame of your father."
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Chapter 1: The Hidden Heir
To protect her child from the wrath of the gods and men, Sulochana fled. With the aid of the serpent sages, she descended into the depths of Patala—the underworld. There, the child was raised among the Nagas, taught the arts of illusion, war, and restraint. He grew strong, with the silent fury of his father and the wisdom of his mother.
The Nagas saw in him a being not of evil, but of balance. Asurya trained day and night, haunted by visions he did not understand. Flames danced at his fingertips, but it was the fire within that threatened to consume him.
"Your destiny lies above," said a serpent elder one day. "But beware—your blood is both curse and blessing