DHARMA TRIALS: THE SUTRA'S CHOSEN

The moonlight painted the forest silver as Aryan and his companions trudged away from the ruins of the Temple of Whispers. The betrayal had left an unspoken tension in the air. Each step seemed heavier, burdened with the weight of unanswered questions. Aryan could feel the doubt creeping in, but he knew this wasn't the time to falter.

Vaanya walked beside him, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger, her movements sharp and defensive. Dev trailed behind, his fiery sigil casting faint glows on the trees, while Kiran, ever vigilant, kept scanning their surroundings.

"We need to rest," Aryan said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was firm but strained. "We've been moving nonstop since the temple collapsed. Everyone's exhausted."

Vaanya glanced at him, her brows furrowing. "Rest? With Alina out there, plotting who knows what? We should keep moving."

Dev scoffed. "And walk straight into another trap? That woman's probably watching us right now, waiting for us to make a mistake."

"I agree with Aryan," Kiran interjected. "We're no good to anyone if we're too tired to fight. A few hours won't make a difference."

Vaanya hesitated, but finally relented. "Fine. But we take turns keeping watch."

---

### Around the Campfire

The group set up a small camp in a clearing surrounded by towering banyan trees. The crackle of the fire was the only sound, a small comfort in the oppressive silence of the night.

Aryan sat cross-legged, staring into the flames. His thoughts churned, replaying the moment Alina had turned on them.

"She said some truths are better hidden," Aryan muttered under his breath. "What did she mean by that?"

Vaanya, sharpening her dagger nearby, looked up. "Who cares? She's a liar. Anything she says is meant to confuse us."

"But what if she wasn't lying?" Kiran said, his voice calm but pointed. "What if there's something about the Sutras she didn't want us to know?"

Dev snorted. "Does it matter? We're chasing these Sutras to stop the balance from collapsing. Whatever she's hiding, it doesn't change our goal."

Vaanya's gaze hardened. "It matters if it puts us in danger. We can't fight an enemy we don't understand."

Aryan looked around at his companions. They were right—both of them. But the uncertainty gnawed at him. If Alina had been working against them from the start, what else might they be blind to?

---

### Dreams of the Past

That night, Aryan's sleep was restless. He dreamed of the temple—its shifting walls and the whispers that had felt like they were burrowing into his very soul. But this time, the whispers weren't vague. They were clear.

*"You carry more than a Sutra. You carry the weight of the worlds."*

Aryan spun around in the dreamscape, searching for the source of the voice. The shadows around him twisted and morphed, forming a figure cloaked in darkness.

"Who are you?" Aryan demanded.

The figure chuckled, a deep, resonant sound. "You already know me, Aryan. I am the shadow that follows every light. The balance you seek to restore cannot exist without me."

Aryan clenched his fists. "The Sutras will restore the balance. You can't stop us."

"Restore the balance?" the figure repeated mockingly. "Child, do you even know what balance truly is? You chase fragments of a broken truth, blind to the greater picture. The Sutras are not salvation. They are chains."

Before Aryan could respond, the figure lunged at him, its form dissolving into darkness that wrapped around him. He gasped for air, feeling as though the shadows were suffocating him—

---

### Morning Revelations

"Aryan! Wake up!"

Vaanya's voice snapped him back to reality. He sat up, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding. The fire had burned down to embers, and the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees.

"You were thrashing in your sleep," Vaanya said, her expression a mix of concern and irritation. "Bad dream?"

Aryan nodded, still catching his breath. "I… I think it was more than that."

Kiran crouched beside him. "What did you see?"

Aryan hesitated. The figure's words echoed in his mind. *"The Sutras are not salvation. They are chains."*

"I'm not sure," he lied. "Just shadows and whispers. Probably a leftover from the temple."

Vaanya's eyes narrowed, but she didn't press further. "We should get moving. The longer we stay in one place, the easier it is for Alina to find us."

---

### A New Ally

As the group prepared to leave, they heard a rustling in the bushes. Everyone tensed, weapons drawn.

"Show yourself!" Vaanya commanded.

A figure emerged from the undergrowth, their hands raised in a gesture of peace. It was a young man, no older than Aryan, with a lean build and piercing amber eyes. He wore simple robes, but a faint golden glow surrounded him.

"Wait," Aryan said, stepping forward. "Who are you?"

The stranger bowed slightly. "My name is Suraj. I've been sent to guide you."

"Guide us?" Vaanya said skeptically. "By who?"

"By the Ascended Council," Suraj replied. "They have been watching your journey. They believe I can be of assistance."

"The Council?" Dev spat. "The same Council that let the balance fall apart in the first place? Forgive me if I'm not eager to trust one of their lackeys."

Suraj's expression didn't falter. "I understand your mistrust. But I'm not here to serve the Council. I'm here to serve the balance. And to do that, I need to help you."

Aryan studied him carefully. There was something about Suraj that felt genuine, but after Alina's betrayal, trust didn't come easily. "If you're here to help, prove it."

Suraj nodded. "Very well. I know where you need to go next. The Sutra of Flames lies within the Cavern of Embers, but reaching it will require more than just strength. It will require unity—a bond stronger than the doubts that plague you."

---

### The Path Ahead

The group set out again, with Suraj leading the way. As they walked, Aryan couldn't shake the feeling that the dream and Suraj's sudden appearance were connected. The stranger seemed to know more than he let on, and Aryan was determined to uncover the truth.

Vaanya, meanwhile, kept her distance from Suraj, her distrust evident in every glance she cast his way. Dev was no better, muttering under his breath about "meddling outsiders." Only Kiran seemed willing to give the newcomer a chance.

As they neared the edge of the forest, Suraj turned to them. "Before we enter the Cavern of Embers, there is something you must understand. The trials ahead will not only test your strength but your loyalty to one another. The Sutra will sense any cracks in your bond and exploit them."

Aryan glanced at his companions. They had fought side by side, faced death together, but the events of the temple had left scars. Trust was fragile, and the road ahead would only make it more so.

Suraj's gaze met Aryan's. "You are the anchor, Aryan. If you falter, the others will follow. The Sutras chose you for a reason. Remember that."

Aryan nodded, determination flaring within him. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear—he couldn't let doubt consume him. The fate of the worlds depended on it.

---

*To be continued…*