Narad's calm facade cracked for a moment as he stared at Om in disbelief. The tension thickened, and Raj once again felt an invisible pressure weighing on him.
Om, however, was already far beyond composure. His emotions boiled over—yet he didn't back down.
Before things could escalate, Raj quickly stepped in. He grabbed Om's wrist and gently tugged him away.
"Thank you for the dinner, Mr. Narad, Miss Sara," Raj said politely, giving a short bow before dragging Om out of the room.
Outside Om's room, Raj turned to him, trying to bring things back to normal. He placed a hand on Om's shoulder, his expression full of concern.
"Dude, breathe. We all have questions… but that wasn't the way to go about it."
Om's eyes were still burning with unresolved thoughts.
"But Mr. Raj… with all these questions in my mind, I can't focus on the trials."
Before Raj could respond, the soft sound of approaching footsteps caught his ear.
"Wait. Someone's coming."
They both turned toward the hallway. It was Sara.
As she approached, Raj and Om exchanged a glance, unsure of her intent.
Sara stopped a few steps away and addressed Om directly.
"Master Om… I understand you're going through a lot. The boss told me you were upset. He sent me to talk to you."
She paused briefly, then continued, more softly.
"I don't know everything. But I overheard a conversation between Lord Shiv and the boss… about your quota."
Om's eyes widened slightly.
"Lord Kashyapa has connections within the W.I.A. Through them, they discovered that white fruits could enhance physical capabilities."
"That information was passed from Lord Kashyapa to Mr. Shiv… and then to the boss."
She looked at him with a small, sympathetic smile.
"I hope this helps—even a little."
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving the two in silence.
Raj glanced at Om, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, at least listen to your sister-in-law, if not me."
Om slowly turned and gave Raj a cold, menacing stare.
Raj chuckled nervously, turned around, and escaped to his room.
Om remained there, silent under the night sky, pondering.
"Do I… even have a chance?"
He entered his room, lay on the bed, and for the first time in days, smiled faintly.
"I hope… things finally start going my way."
And with that hopeful thought, he drifted into peaceful sleep.
A Library and a Leap of Faith
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The next morning
Om, freshly dressed, stood before Narad's office and knocked.
"Come in," came the reply.
He entered and bowed slightly.
"Mr. Narad, I apologize for my behavior last night."
Narad looked up, calm again.
"There's no need to apologize, Master Om.
You're still a kid—mistakes are expected. Just… learn from them."
Om nodded firmly. "I will do my best."
Narad leaned back. "So… what brings you here so early?"
Om sat down.
"Only nine days are left before the inheritance ceremony. It takes one day to reach there… so, effectively, I have only eight days to prepare."
"But with my weak body, physical training won't help much. At school, we learned a bit about the ceremony… but I want to know more. About both the ceremony and the inheritances."
"And also, if possible—I'd like to see data on the candidates selected by C.U.I. in the past five years."
Narad smiled.
"About the inheritance and the ceremony, yes—you can find plenty of resources in our library."
"But the C.U.I. candidates' records… those are restricted until after you receive your inheritance."
Om perked up. "You mean—this facility has a library!?"
Narad chuckled. "Yes. Just go to the second lift in the reception area. That will take you there."
Without another word, Om bolted out of the room.
On the way, Raj caught sight of him sprinting with wild excitement.
"Morning, Om!" Raj called out.
Om zoomed past, completely ignoring him.
When he arrived at the library, Om froze.
Before him stretched a massive, labyrinthine archive—towering shelves, ancient tomes, glowing screens, and a maze of knowledge.
His eyes sparkled. His world shrank to just books—his oldest and truest friends.
From that day on, Om didn't leave the library.
For eight entire days, he buried himself in knowledge. Raj, with the help of staff, brought him food—which Om ate while still reading. He didn't bathe. Barely slept. Ignored everyone.
He had vanished into a world of pure thought.
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Race Against Time
Morning of the Ninth Day
Narad, Sara, and Raj stood inside the library, accompanied by soldiers.
"He has to be in here somewhere," Narad muttered.
They eventually found him—fast asleep, buried under a small hill of books.
Raj splashed water on his face. "Kid! Wake up. We have to go."
Om blinked, dazed. "Go? Where?"
"To the ceremony, you idiot!" Raj replied.
Om shot up. "Wait—today is the inheritance ceremony!?"
"Yes, today," Raj confirmed, while Narad and Sara burst into laughter.
"Oh no... I spent the entire week reading everything except what I was supposed to!"
His face went pale. And then…
He fainted.
"Hey! Don't die now!" Raj smacked his cheek lightly.
After getting ready in a rush, they were dropped off at the school's assembly grounds.
There stood a massive, futuristic aircraft—sleek, sci-fi styled, buzzing with excitement.
Students, families, and guardians like Raj gathered around. A total of 57 people were selected for the journey—including the school principal, who would accompany them.
Inside the aircraft, Om took a seat near the window.
As the engines roared to life, he noticed something.
Standing in the distance, both Narad and Lord Kashyapa watched him intently.
Kashyapa… is looking at me?
Suddenly, the man raised his hand and waved gently.
Om turned to Raj. "Mr. Raj… Lord Kashyapa just waved at me. Was he… saying goodbye?"
Raj nodded. "Maybe… maybe because of your Grandpa Shiv. Mr. Narad once told me they were close."
Om thought about it for a moment, then opened his bag and took out a book.
"What's that?" Raj asked suspiciously.
Om grinned. "Since I didn't get to read anything about the inheritance ceremony… I kind of… stole a book. It's titled The Inheritor's Trial Manual."
Raj froze.
"He's going to get us both killed."
In his mind, the terrifying image of a furious Narad flashed—glowing eyes, flaming hair, roaring like a demon.
Raj shivered.