บท 2: 2. Hidden Mechanism of the Golden Lotus Bowl

"You have every right to be angry with me for killing him. But if you dare to challenge me, Chandra, I won't hesitate to end you too."

Chandra stayed silent, devastation written across his face. His eyes shifted from the ashes to his younger brother, filled with sadness. "Kiran Arkatama—"

"Don't say that name again. I don't want it anymore!" Kiran snapped. Then, he said more quietly, "I thought you were different from Father..."

Chandra's expression softened, guilt flashing across his face. "I didn't hide the truth. I only found out recently, Bro."

Kiran didn't reply. His fists clenched tightly as he struggled to control his anger. He sheathed his sword and turned to leave. But before he could take another step, Chandra grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"I'm not trying to stop you from leaving," Chandra said softly. "Go wherever you want after this... But please, help me free that person... I'm scared..."

Kiran shot him a fierce look. "What could a person who's neither dead nor alive possibly do to scare you?"

"I'm afraid Father's men will find him and take his blood again," Chandra replied, his voice trembling.

Kiran's expression turned cold. "Then I'll kill them all before that happens."

Chandra quickly shook his head. "No! Don't waste your time hunting them down!" he snapped. "They've scattered. They're hiding across the islands through the portals."

Kiran paused, considering his brother's words. With a sharp motion, he pulled his arm free from Chandra's grip. "I'll deal with the undead. But after that, it's your problem. I'm done."

Without another word, Kiran turned and walked away. He kept moving, even as he heard his brother's voice calling after him, "Promise me, Bro! After this, stay away from here for good. Don't let their greed hurt you again!"

With his mind swirling, Kiran made his way toward the western part of the palace, heading for a hidden cave behind the waterfall.

Kiran stopped by the edge of a slow-moving stream. From here, he could see the waterfall, with the mouth of a cave faintly visible behind the rushing water. With a firm step, he leapt towards the entrance, landing between the cliffs and stepping into the cave.

It was damp and cold inside. The only sounds were the occasional droplets of water falling from the cave's ceiling. The ceiling itself stood about 8 feet high.

On either side of the entrance, dozens of granite statues lined the walls like sentries. They were no taller than 6 feet and shaped like pillars, each with a crowned dragon serpent coiled around it. At the top of each pillar, the dragon held a golden lotus-shaped bowl above its head, inside which was a wick soaked in kerosene.

With a flick of his index finger, Kiran lit the wicks. The cave, once pitch black, was now bathed in a flickering light as the fire spread from bowl to bowl.

Kiran's sharp eyes scanned the statues. Nothing appeared unusual or dangerous, so he continued down the narrow path, passing by the granite figures in silence.

But unknown to him, several of the dragon serpent statues seemed to stir. Their carved eyes, sharp and menacing, followed his movements. Their gaping mouths, lined with fangs, exuded an eerie presence.

Suddenly, Kiran paused, alert to a subtle, unfamiliar sound amidst the natural background of dripping water, crackling fire, and the distant rush of the waterfall. He concentrated, closing his eyes, listening carefully.

Among these sounds, one stood out—the faint, metallic clash of something hitting together.

Sensing danger, Kiran's eyes shot open, and at that very moment, dozens of arrows flew from the mouths of the dragon serpent statues, heading straight for him.

Swoosh ... Swoosh ... Swoosh ....

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Kiran realized his misstep had triggered the cave's hidden defense mechanism. Now, he had to fend off a barrage of arrows aimed directly at him. With expert precision, he slashed at the arrows with his sword, his body moving swiftly to dodge and deflect each one. His martial arts skills allowed him to avoid every arrow, their tips coated with dragon serpent blood, which could have spelled his doom.

He leapt and maneuvered, kicking arrows aside when necessary and swinging his sword relentlessly. At one point, his blade sliced through a puddle beneath his feet, sending a large splash of water across the cave.

By chance, some of the water hit one of the golden lotus bowls, extinguishing its flame. Kiran noticed the dragon serpent statue supporting that bowl immediately ceased firing arrows. In that instant, he understood how the mechanism worked: the statues only attacked when the fire in the golden bowls above them was lit, drawing energy from the heat.

With this realization, Kiran stomped the ground with force. The puddle beneath him exploded, sending water splashing in all directions. He swung his sword, directing the water toward the remaining golden bowls.

Splat!

In an instant, the flames in the bowls were snuffed out, and the rain of arrows came to an abrupt halt.

Kiran conjured a fireball in his palm to light his way, walking calmly past the scattered arrows littering the cave floor. Time passed, and the silence around him grew heavier as he ventured deeper into the cave. Finally, he reached a large stone at the cave's core and stopped.

Without hesitation, Kiran tossed the fireball toward the cave's ceiling. The ball of flame expanded in mid-air, growing in size until it lit up the entire cave with a bright orange glow—Sunfire Gaze.

His sharp black eyes scanned the scene, revealing a lake with murky green water beneath him, its stillness hiding potential danger. With caution, he prepared for the inevitable, knowing there was likely a trap lurking beneath the surface.

Kiran summoned another fireball, this time much larger, and hurled it into the center of the lake—Fireball Eruption

Boom!

A massive wave erupted from the lake's center, shooting water up to the cave ceiling like a geyser. The explosion coincided with the emergence of a giant creature from the depths, its furious roar shaking the cavern.

Roarrr!