Chapter 9: A Mother's Arms, A Father's Eyes
The days were peaceful in the humble charioteer's home.
Karna—now just a growing child no older than two—lived surrounded by warmth.
His golden armor no longer glowed. It stayed hidden within him, responding only to danger or his will.
His divine memories, sealed by the system, had made him like any other child his age. He stumbled as he walked, babbled in joy, and cried in confusion when things didn't go his way.
But there was something different about him—something quiet and gentle in his eyes. A strange strength that showed even in the way he stood or watched the sunrise.
Unseen by all, a sun symbol gently glowed between his eyebrows—but no one could see it. Not even the gods.
Only the Trimurtis and Tridevis—the supreme deities—were capable of perceiving it.
Until the day Surya Deva himself acknowledged Karna as his son, that symbol would remain hidden from the eyes of all creation.
---
Every morning, Adhiratha would rise early and pray to Surya Deva as he always had, now with Karna in his lap.
> "O Sun God… you've blessed me with a son brighter than your light. Let me be worthy of him."
Karna would clap his hands at the rising sun, giggling. It was as if the fire in the sky responded with warmth just for him.
Radha would stand beside them, a soft smile on her lips.
> "He loves the sun," she whispered one morning.
Adhiratha chuckled.
> "He was born for it."
---
Radha was a mother in all ways—gentle, patient, and protective. She would rock Karna in her arms after every meal.
> "My Karna… my golden boy," she whispered again and again.
In those moments, nothing else existed.
---
Days turned to weeks.
Karna crawled across the stone floors, chasing after birds, slipping in water bowls, and laughing when Radha picked him up.
He would stare long at the sky, especially when clouds blocked the sun.
Sometimes… he'd cry without knowing why.
And Radha would hold him tighter, humming lullabies, whispering promises that she'd always be there.
---
The people of the town began to notice the boy with soft skin, golden hue, and eyes that seemed far older than his body.
> "He's not just any child," some whispered.
"A gift from the heavens," said others.
But Adhiratha and Radha never spoke of where he came from.
To them, he was their son. No more, no less.
They continued to live in their modest home, just as they always had.
Though the king had once announced in court that Karna would one day be King of Anga, only a few trusted ministers, the king, the queen, and the court elites were aware of it.
To the village, he was just Karna—charioteer's child.
---
One afternoon, Radha took Karna to the riverbank.
She showed him how to throw little stones into the water, how to watch the ripples spread.
Suddenly, Karna's hands brushed the water, and it glowed faintly for a moment.
Radha blinked.
> "Strange…" she whispered. "It's like the river blessed you."
But Karna only laughed and reached for another pebble.
Far beyond the current, hidden in divine mist, Ganga Devi watched with soft eyes.
> "He's growing well… just like I hoped."
---
One evening, as Karna curled into Radha's lap to sleep, the sky turned orange.
Adhiratha entered the hut with a bundle of wood.
> "He's already dozing?"
"Yes. He played all day."
Adhiratha smiled and sat beside them.
Karna let out a sleepy sigh and then murmured something no one understood.
The moment his eyes closed, a faint golden glow passed over his forehead—where the sun symbol briefly shimmered, unseen.
[System Notification:]
› Soul-Seal active. Divine memory locked.
› Memories will return at age 3.
› Until then: behave, think, and feel like a normal human child.
And just like that, the light faded.
---
Outside, the stars began to appear one by one.
Inside, Radha and Adhiratha both leaned against each other, their child between them, safe and dreaming.
They did not know what Karna would become.
They did not know of gods or curses or destinies.
They only knew one truth:
He was their son.
And they loved him with all their hearts.