"Hey, will you tell Mr. Raj about my enhancement?"
{What do you think?}
Om raised an eyebrow. "No matter what, you're his partner, aren't you?"
{Even if I do tell him, will that bother you?}
A devilish smirk curved Om's lips. "Maybe. Or maybe I just like secrets."
His stomach growled, breaking the tension.
Grrrrr.
[Master, you haven't eaten anything for the past six days.]
[I highly recommend you consume some nourishment.]
"Yeah, alright. Let's hit the kitchen."
Whip vanished from there.
[Also, please cover your arm and wrist.]
[Although the markings are faint, someone with heightened perception could notice the changes in your body.]
Om looked down. The Sanskrit script etched across his veins pulsed gently beneath the skin, like glowing tattoos hidden just beneath the surface. His legs bore similar markings, woven like threads of divine circuitry.
He pulled out a thick winter jacket from his closet, slid on gloves, and adjusted the hood.
"All ready to go."
The hallway was quiet—too quiet. As he walked, he felt everything within ten meters: the faintest footfalls, the whisper of static from a nearby panel, even the low hum of a camera pivoting above him. The walls, once still, now pulsed with hidden life.
"Zero... I can't see them directly, but everything is... there. I can feel and hear it all. It's like I know what's happening around me."
[Master, you're sensing life energy and spatial distortion. With time and training, you'll be able to toggle individual senses. Right now, your enhancements are running in overdrive.]
"So I'm basically using an overclocked body with no manual controls?"
[Yes. And it's burning your energy reserves.]
Om sighed, trying to focus. He closed his eyes and attempted to dull the overwhelming clarity. For a second, the world turned black. Then—sound again. Light. Emotion. He reopened his eyes, panting slightly.
"I can't even walk straight with this."
[That's what training is for.]
Without noticing, he had already reached the dining hall. A tall male waiter stood at the door, arms crossed.
"Master Om," the man said with an emotionless face, "Dinner will take time. You should meet the boss first. He'll be very interested in your... development."
Om tilted his head. "Oh? You're right. I should meet him first."
He turned back toward the hall—but something tugged at his instincts. A quiet alarm in the back of his mind.
"Zero... how did he know about my enhancement?"
Om spun around.
The waiter was gone.
Gone—as if he had never been there.
"It was just a moment... How did he disappear?"
[Master, I scanned the area. It's like he was never there.]
"Couldn't you catch his face?"
[You were attempting to toggle your perception when he appeared. Your senses were flickering. I couldn't register his image.]
Om clenched his fists beneath his gloves.
"...Let's go. I need to talk to Mr. Narad."
He moved swiftly, but unease clung to him like fog. Every sound now felt louder. Every shadow—deeper. As he approached Narad's office, a wave of fatigue hit him like a wall. He staggered slightly, reaching out to balance himself.
"I spent six days in hell, and but why do I still it's not enough."
[Master, enhancements are not miracles. They are tools. Without mastery, they are burdens.]
Thud!
Om walked straight into the office door.
"Zero... was all that pain and suffering for nothing?"
[No. But you are not ready yet. We still need practice, focus, and—]
"Come in."
Narad's voice echoed calmly from within the room.
Om took a breath, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.
Something told him—this conversation would not be simple.