[Flashback Continues…]
"We… we are in Kashmir," Lioran finally breathed out, his gaze darting around the snow-dusted peaks on the horizon. "But… how?"
Shourya's lips curved into a faint smile. "Because of Prāṇa."
"Prāṇa?" Sharin echoed, frowning. "Are you saying… this Prāṇa is capable of something like this? Transporting us across hundreds of kilometers in a blink?"
"You still underestimate it." Shourya's tone carried neither pride nor arrogance, but certainty born of experience. "Let me show you how you both arrived here."
The old man took a deep breath. The air around him thickened, as though the very atmosphere recognized his will. Prāṇa shimmered faintly, unseen yet felt—a pressure in the chest, a hum in the veins. Shourya extended his hand forward, gathering Prāṇa energy around his palm. His expression hardened, eyes narrowing with sharp focus.
"DIMENSION BREAK!"
SHRRRRRIP!
The very air before him screeched as though torn apart by invisible blades. Time and space themselves quivered under his strike. A jagged fissure opened in the air, glowing with an ethereal light, swirling like liquid glass. Before their stunned eyes, a portal formed—an opening between dimensions.
Lioran stumbled back. "What… what is this?"
Shourya stepped aside, letting them gaze into the rift. Within its spiraling depths, one could glimpse fleeting landscapes—snow peaks, rivers, and even the faint outline of Bhopal city flickering like reflections on broken water.
"This," Shourya said, "is a Dimensional Portal. Created by concentrating Prāṇa in my hand, I sliced open the fabric of reality itself. Space and time yield to the one who commands Prāṇa with precision. What you see is a pathway—a thread woven between Kashmir and Bhopal, dimension to dimension."
Lioran's breath caught. His fists trembled not with fear, but awe. "This… this is impossible. Just how overpowered is Prāṇa?"
Sharin's eyes sparkled with determination, though his voice carried youthful impatience. "Can we… can we also do this one day?"
Shourya allowed himself a small chuckle. "Of course. Every path lies open to those who endure. But understand this—'Dimension Break' is an advanced technique. It demands mastery of control, years of refinement, and unwavering discipline. You cannot wield such force casually. The same blade that opens a door can also sever the life within you."
The two boys exchanged a glance. Fear should have clouded their resolve. Yet what glowed in their eyes was not hesitation, but hunger—the will to grow stronger.
"Then we'll learn," Lioran said firmly, his jaw set.
"Yes," Sharin added, "no matter how long it takes."
Shourya studied them, and for the first time in decades, a flicker of hope warmed his ancient heart.
"Good," he said simply. "For now, return home. Tomorrow evening, we meet again at Amarkantak hill station. Your journey will truly begin there."
He gestured to the glowing portal. The rift pulsed, awaiting them. Lioran and Sharin nodded, stepping forward. With a breath of courage, they entered the light—and in the blink of an eye, they were standing once more in the quiet alley of their city.
[Flashback End]
The clang of the college bell echoed through the corridors the next day. Lioran and Sharin sat under a banyan tree in the campus courtyard, their lunch boxes half-opened. Yet neither of them touched the food much.
Sharin broke the silence first. "How are you feeling?"
Lioran stared at his own hands. They seemed unchanged, yet his veins pulsed faintly, like tiny rivers glowing beneath the skin. "I don't know," he said slowly. "But it isn't normal. It feels like… like inside me, instead of blood, something else is flowing."
Sharin nodded gravely. "Yeah. Same here."
Before either could continue, hands suddenly covered Lioran's eyes from behind.
"Guess who I am!" a voice teased.
Lioran smirked. "The bastard whose face is like a donkey, whose hands look like a monkey's, and whose legs belong to a pig. It's one and only Abhinav."
Thwack! Abhinav pulled his hands away, scowling. "You're impossible!"
Sharin burst out laughing while Lioran shrugged innocently.
"Why do you always tease me?" Abhinav demanded irritably.
"Because you deserve it," another voice chimed in. Shivanshu appeared, casually biting into a samosa.
"You too, Shivanshu?!" Abhinav groaned. "Why does everyone bully me?"
"Because it's fun," Sharin grinned, earning another laugh. "Anyway, where were you yesterday? You vanished after the second period."
"Oh, that," Abhinav said, brightening. "We bunked! There was a music show in the mall."
"Correction," Shivanshu interjected. "It was his idea."
"Liar!" Abhinav snapped. "You dragged me there!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Shivanshu said with mock innocence.
The group erupted in bickering and laughter, their usual antics drawing amused stares from passing students.
Lioran smiled faintly but fell quiet, watching his friends. "These fools… they don't even know the world that hides behind their laughter. I've been given this power not for myself, but for them. To protect them, and everyone else… I will save them, no matter what it takes."
That evening, the familiar warmth of home greeted him. Dinner passed with playful banter with his sister, Liara, who teased him about eating too fast. Later, when the house quieted, Lioran stood silently at her doorway.
She was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling peacefully. Moonlight spilled across her gentle face. A tender smile curved on his lips. He stepped closer, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead, and pressed a soft kiss there.
"The reason I fight… is you, Liara," he whispered. His voice trembled. "You've always been my strength. Even when our parents died, when grief tore me apart, you stood firm. You cried too… but you carried me when I couldn't carry myself. I'm so proud to be your brother. And I swear—I'll protect you. Always. Not even death will take me away from you."
His eyes burned with silent tears, but he forced himself to smile. He left the room quietly, heart heavy with unspoken vows.
In his own room, he retrieved something hidden beneath his desk: a simple wooden doll.
[Flashback – The Ashram]
Before they had left through the portal, Shourya had handed them each the doll.
"This is no ordinary toy," the old man had said gravely. "When you must leave your home unattended, give it a single drop of your blood. Then you will witness its true nature."
[Flashback End]
Now, curious, Lioran placed the doll on the floor. With a deep breath, he drew a small cut on his finger. A crimson drop fell onto the wood.
BOOM!
The doll quivered, light bursting from its wooden seams. Its shape stretched, shifted, and in moments, another Lioran stood before him. The copy blinked, its eyes identical, its stance a mirror image.
Lioran staggered back in shock. "So that's… what he meant."
The wooden doppelgänger smirked faintly. "Don't worry. When you're away, I'll take your place. I carry your memories, your personality. No one will know the difference. And when you return, just place your blood on me again—I'll become a doll once more."
Lioran's awe slowly gave way to relief. "Incredible…"
The copy nodded confidently. "Go without worry. I'll handle everything here."
Lioran exhaled, his resolve firming. "Alright."
The night deepened as he left his home, the moon hanging like a silver guardian above. Traveling swiftly, he reached Amarkantak hill station, where Shourya and Sharin were already waiting. The cool mountain air carried the scent of wet stone and wild grass.
Shourya turned toward them, his presence commanding even in the stillness. "From here," he said, "your training begins. Are you ready?"
Lioran and Sharin exchanged a glance. Their hearts pounded, but their voices rang steady.
"Yes."
Shourya raised his hand. Before them, the familiar light of a portal bloomed once more.
"Then step forward," he commanded.
Together, they walked into the radiance, leaving the world they knew behind.
To Be Continued…