LEGACY OF THE FALLEN

LEGACY OF THE FALLEN

Chapter 21

"Hahaha… I was right to choose you as my legacy. You managed to sense the Demonic Tejas inside your heart without even reaching a single star," the voice echoed.

"Now, try to control that flame. Make it follow your will."

Aksh's eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the flickering flame.

"How am I supposed to control this?" he muttered, concentrating for minutes. But the flame didn't even budge.

"Think of it as a part of your body," the voice instructed. "Calm your mind. Forget your limbs, your breath, everything. Think as if you are the flame."

Aksh locked his consciousness onto the flame. "My body is flame… my body is flame…" he repeated like a mantra.

"Your body won't become flame just because you keep preaching it inside your head, you idiotic brat!" the voice snapped. "Empty your thoughts. Calm your chaotic mind. Make your consciousness believe that you are the flame."

Aksh dove deeper, completely still. The sound of his heartbeat vanished. The entire world turned silent. The flame finally flickered.

"Good. Now move it," the voice said, excited.

Aksh tried. But his heart suddenly felt heavy. The flame raged, spinning violently.

Blood burst from his mouth. He collapsed, clutching his chest, eyes wide.

"Ugh... you rushed it," the voice muttered. "And look what happened."

"But… you were the one… cough cough… rushing me," Aksh growled, spitting blood.

"Don't argue with me. And don't be a pussy. Sit in lotus position. Try again."

"What if it goes out of control again? My chest feels like it's going to explode, and you want me to go again? I don't want to die just trying to learn some stupid technique."

"Yo—you brat! How dare you call the technique of the Great Demon God 'stupid'? You're the stupid one who can't even learn a simple trick! And what's this—you don't want to try again? Are you that scared? Oh, right. You are just a kid. Want me to call your mommy? She can hug you to sleep. Should I ask her to bring diapers, too? Just in case you wet—"

"I'LL DO IT! I'LL DO IT! Just stop spewing poison from your mouth, you old fossil!" Aksh shouted, wiping blood from his lips with his thumb.

"Old fossil?! What did you just—?!" the voice growled.

But Aksh had already taken lotus position again.

"I have to do it this time," he thought. "If I mess up again, that demonic fossil won't shut up."

His consciousness dove deep. "There it is—the flame. This time, I'll control you."

He tried again. The flame roared in resistance. He coughed, slightly.

"Focus, brat. Or you'll end up worse than last time," the voice barked.

Aksh pushed his consciousness harder.

"Submit," he ordered.

"That won't work! You can't command Demonic Tejas like—wait… what the actual fuck…?"

The voice suddenly sounded stunned.

The flame spun rapidly… under Aksh's will.

"…I think I've seen everything now," it sighed.

"Now what, old fossil? I controlled it," Aksh spoke in a taunting voice.

"Don't get cocky, brat. You're only halfway there. Look at those glowing dots—that's the path I made. You need to shape the flame into a beam of light and connect your heart to your mind like a wire."

"Got it."

A thin crimson thread of flame stretched from his heart, following the dotted path. But the path grew increasingly complex.

Outside, Aksh's entire body was drenched in sweat.

"Make sure the thread connects to all the dots. Miss even one, and you'll get lost in your own consciousness. You'll become a mindless idiot," the voice warned.

After hours of weaving the thread through countless dots, Aksh finally reached the end—a massive beam of light awaited him.

As the thread connected, a burning sensation struck his forehead and chest.

He groaned, and slowly opened his eyes.

He was floating… in a void. Darkness stretched in every direction.

"You've finally entered your Mind World," the voice echoed. "This is your world. Here, you are God. You can control everything."

"But there's nothing here. Just darkness," Aksh said softly.

"Then create something. Think of the training ground where you sparred with that girl."

The moment the thought formed, the darkness trembled. Suddenly, he stood in the familiar training area.

His eyes widened.

"I'm… actually here? In the training ground?" he whispered.

"Not the real one. It's a replica—created by the Demonic Tejas. It pulls from your memories, recreating anything you've seen. Your Tejas is linked to your mind—it searches through your thoughts like a library."

"Now think of the battle you had with that girl. Recall all the moves she used, and try to summon her here," the voice ordered.

As Aksh focused on the memories, a faint, crimson-colored translucent figure appeared in front of him—sitting calmly on an inverted floating hat.

"I-Is this... the replica of Avni?" Aksh asked, eyes wide.

"Exactly," the voice replied. "Now you can train here for as long as you want. Time flows faster in your Mind World. The mind is always quick, after all."

"Alright then." He stepped forward toward Avni's clone, and a shield appeared in his hand from thin air.

"I'm going to beat you today... right here," he said, his voice was calm but the look on his face was determined.

He began sprinting toward her, muscles tensing as he closed the distance—but just as he was about to reach her, she floated upward, easily dodging him.

Aksh jumped after her, determined not to let her escape. But the moment he rose into the air, four branches shot out from different directions. With a casual wave of her hand, the replica made them wrap around his limbs, stretching them outward like a trapped animal.

"Arghhh!" he screamed in pain. "Stop—Stop!" he shouted.

The branches loosened, letting him fall. He landed with a grunt, gasping as he freed himself and dropped back to the ground.

"What the hell is this…? This replica's even stronger than her!" he muttered, clutching his shoulder as he stood up.

"Idiot," the voice echoed. "She's not stronger than the real one.

 It's just that the real girl never used her full power against you."