CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
Ekalavya
Current Role: B-Rank Hunter, master archer with flawless precision.
Personality: Quiet, disciplined, humble yet confident. Prefers solitude, speaks only when needed. Respects tradition and shuns flashy tech.
Appearance: Lean, tall, sharp steel-grey eyes, long black hair tied back, carries an ancient wooden bow.
Past Life:
Once the legendary archer Ekalavya from the Mahābhārata, who sacrificed his thumb as a sign of devotion and lost recognition he deserved. Though unaware of this past, the spirit of sacrifice and silent defiance guides his skill and resolve. Driven by an unspoken quest for mastery and redemption, his archery transcends ordinary limits, hinting at a greatness buried deep within.
URBAN TRAINING FACILITY – DUSK
A private outdoor range lies at the edge of the Bureau's city sector. Shielded by shimmering containment fields, the air is thick with quiet tension. Tall buildings rise in the distance, but here—silence reigns. It's as if the world is holding its breath.
Ekalavya stands alone at the far end of the archery track.
A B-rank Hunter—barely—but his arrows fly faster than A-ranks dare attempt. He wears a black training vest, his lean arms pulsing slightly from repetition. Sweat beads at his brow, but his gaze remains sharp… impossibly focused.
A set of ten automated drones zigzag across the sky above, programmed to change speed and trajectory every 0.3 seconds.
AI VOICE (flat, from the system terminal):
"Target randomness increased. Probability of successful consecutive hits: 2.8%."
Ekalavya doesn't react.
He breathes in—slow. His right hand brushes over his bow. It's not ordinary—it's ancient.
Crafted of dark sandalwood and black metal veins, it hums faintly when drawn.
But he doesn't know why.
No one told him where it came from.
Only that he "chose it" on instinct during his Awakening.
SWOOSH!
He moves like water.
Arrows fly. One after another—perfectly timed.
One strike. Two. Three. Six. Eight.
A pause—his fingers twitch.
A flicker in his mind: a shadow of a forest, a voice calling him "child", and the sound of wolves in the distance.
EKALAVYA (internal):
"I've done this before… haven't I?"
The vision's gone. The final two drones fire stun bolts back—part of the "distraction" module.
But Ekalavya doesn't flinch.
TWO ARROWS. ONE RELEASE.
Both drones fall with a loud clang.
The system screen glitches momentarily—just like Arvan's.
SYSTEM:
"…Precision anomaly detected. Recalibrating interface."
EKALAVYA (to himself, breathing heavily):
"Anomaly again? Damn system's broken."
He turns, slinging the bow across his back. A faint glimmer in his pupils—not human—just for a second.
EKALAVYA (thinking):
"What kind of person remembers how to kill birds that don't exist?"
"And why does it feel… like I've knelt before someone before. Someone I hated."
He wipes his hands. Looks at the target dummy at the far wall—one that mimics a humanoid opponent.
EKALAVYA (softly):
"Show yourself already. Whoever you are… watching me."
From the shadows of the upper wall, Rajat V. watches again—unblinking.
But Ekalavya walks off—seemingly unaware of anything divine about himself.