The City of Bells wasn't on any map.
And yet, it stood — half-buried in mist, the bones of its towers twisting upward like broken flutes. Thousands of rusted bells hung from every wall, tree, and corpse-pole.
They didn't chime.
They screamed.
Every gust of wind carried a new cry. Some were joyous. Most were dying. A few were… whispering Ravi's name.
The Entrance Toll
The trio reached the stone gate, carved with runes warped by soundwaves.
A warning etched above:
"He who steps forward must bleed silence.He who speaks will feed the song."
Ravi exhaled, then pressed his fingers to his throat — muting his voice with a seal of Shunyam Hasta.Kiran followed suit, grumbling as he tightened a silence-wrap over his mouth.
Meera hesitated. Her fingers trembled.
"Meera?" Ravi signed.
She forced a smile and nodded.
But inside her mind, the other voice laughed.
"Mute your mouth all you want.I'm already inside."
Into the Sound
The city streets pulsed like the throat of a beast. Every step triggered a chorus of whispers — memories, regrets, buried guilt.
Ravi heard the cry of the Sleeper.Kiran heard his brother screaming for help.And Meera… heard her own voice… healing Bhargtanaya.
"No!" she mouthed.
But the vision remained.Her hands glowed. Bhargtanaya laughed. Ravi bled. Kiran fell.
She snapped out of it — only to find herself alone.
Ravi vs. the Invisible Choir
Far ahead, Ravi reached the city center — a sound chamber where air shimmered like water. Bells floated, unmoving. The Seventh Limb pulsed from within the heart of an ancient harp — no strings, just pure sound.
The air vibrated.A voice emerged — his own, repeating his worst failures.Every memory spoken aloud.Every hidden shame weaponized.
He fell to his knees.
But then… he embraced it.
"Yes," he mouthed."I have failed. I will again.But I will not be ruled by echoes."
He rose.The Seventh Seal formed:Nada Pratapa — The Roar of Stillness.
A pulse spread, not destroying the sound — but absorbing it, turning screams to silence, and silence to peace.
The harp cracked. The Limb was his.
Meera's Fracture
Elsewhere, Meera stumbled through the ghost streets — her vision splitting.
The real city… and a false one.
In the illusion, Ravi blamed her. Kiran called her a traitor. The other Meera whispered,
"Let me carry the guilt.You deserve peace."
Tears filled Meera's eyes.
"Maybe I do…"
She raised her hand — and for a split second, healing energy turned black.
But just as she faltered — Ravi's pulse of silence reached her.
The illusion shattered.
She fell to her knees, sobbing — and real hands caught her.
Ravi.
He didn't speak. Just held her.
And she whispered, "Don't let me become her…"
Bhargtanaya Waits
In the hollow temple, the flame flickered.
Bhargtanaya frowned.
"She resists longer than expected."
The false Meera curled beside him, whispering. "But not forever."
The Sage of Hollow Flame smiled coldly.
"Good. The eighth trial shall be love."