The Mysterious Sage.
🌿 Chapter 5: The Mysterious Sage
Aarav did not sleep that night.
He sat near the small window of the room the villagers had given him, watching the outline of the mountain beneath the moonlight. The old man's words echoed in his mind.
"Come to the mountain at sunrise."
He did not know what would happen. But he knew he had to go.
Before the sun appeared, Aarav began walking toward the mountain. The air was cold, and the earth beneath his feet was damp with morning dew. The world was quiet, as if everything was waiting.
When he reached the base of the mountain, he saw him.
The old man was already there.
He sat on a flat stone, his eyes closed, his body completely still. He looked like part of the mountain itself—ancient, unmoving, eternal.
Aarav approached slowly.
The old man spoke without opening his eyes.
"You came."
It was not a question.
"Yes," Aarav replied softly.
The old man opened his eyes and looked at him. That same calm. That same depth.
"Why?"
Aarav hesitated. He had asked himself this question many times, but the answer was never clear.
"I feel empty," Aarav said finally. "I have everything, but nothing feels real. I saw this mountain in my dreams. I heard a voice. I don't understand it. But I know… I was meant to come here."
The old man listened silently.
Then he asked, "What is it that you seek?"
Aarav thought for a long moment.
"The truth," he said.
The old man's eyes softened slightly.
"Truth is not something you find," he said. "It is something you become."
The wind moved gently around them.
"Sit," the old man said.
Aarav sat on the cold ground in front of him.
"Close your eyes."
Aarav obeyed.
At first, he heard only the wind. The distant cry of a bird. The sound of his own breathing.
Then the old man's voice spoke again.
"Do not chase your thoughts. Do not fight them. Simply watch."
Aarav tried.
His mind filled with images. Memories. Fears. Questions.
But this time, he did not run from them.
He watched.
Slowly, the thoughts began to fade.
The noise became quieter.
Deeper.
And then—
Nothing.
Only silence.
In that silence, Aarav felt it again.
The presence.
Stronger now.
Closer.
His heart began to beat faster, but his body remained calm.
A sudden warmth spread through his chest, like a small flame had been lit inside him.
His breathing deepened.
For a moment, he felt as if he was no longer just his body. He was something more. Something vast. Something peaceful.
Then the old man's voice returned.
"Open your eyes."
Aarav did.
The world looked the same.
But he felt different.
The old man studied him carefully.
"The door has opened," he said quietly.
Aarav did not fully understand.
But deep inside, he knew something had changed forever.
The old man stood.
"This is only the beginning," he said. "If you continue, there will be no turning back."
Aarav stood as well.
For the first time in his life, he felt no doubt.
"I am ready."
The old man nodded.
Far above them, hidden within the silent mountain, something unseen had begun to awaken.
And Aarav had taken his first true step toward becoming more than he had ever imagined