The forest was quiet, too quiet. The air carried the earthy scent of moss and pine, while scattered rays of sunlight filtered through the thick canopy. Lioran and Sharin followed Shourya as he moved deeper into the woods, their footsteps crunching against fallen leaves.
At last, Shourya stopped in a small clearing where the trees bent slightly outward, forming a natural circle.
"Why have you brought us here?" Lioran asked, glancing around with narrowed eyes.
Shourya turned, his gaze calm yet intense. "From here, your training will begin." He paused, as though weighing his next words carefully. "But before that, there is something I must confirm."
"Confirm?" Lioran tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Shourya folded his arms. "Do you remember what I told you about Vaelion's Prāṇa Core—that it was fully developed from the moment of his birth?"
Lioran nodded slowly. "Yes. You said that was what made him different, stronger than anyone else."
"Exactly." Shourya's voice deepened. "Then answer me this—why was your Prāṇa Core not fully developed at birth, yet it is complete now?"
The words struck Lioran like a stone. He blinked, caught off guard. His mind churned with confusion.
"We need that answer before any training begins," Shourya continued firmly. "Remove your shirt."
"What?" Lioran stepped back slightly.
"Do it," Shourya said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Reluctantly, Lioran pulled off his T-shirt and stood tall in the clearing, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths.
Shourya raised a hand and pressed his palm gently against Lioran's chest, directly above his heart.
"What are you doing?" Lioran asked, uneasy.
"Making a direct connection to your Prāṇa Core," Shourya replied. His eyes hardened with focus. "Now, stay silent."
The air seemed to vibrate as Shourya closed his eyes. His own Prāṇa began to flow through his arm, reaching toward the Core buried within Lioran's body.
Then, suddenly—
Whoosh!
Darkness surrounded him.
Shourya opened his eyes and realized he was no longer standing in the forest. He was inside Lioran's subconscious.
The void stretched endlessly, a place without sound, without life. "So this is his inner realm…" Shourya whispered, scanning the shadows. "It's suffocatingly dark. Where is his Prāṇa Core?"
Just then, a faint glow flickered behind him. Shourya turned and saw a radiant golden light shimmering in the distance. His feet carried him closer, the darkness peeling away with every step.
When he reached it, his breath caught in his throat. Before him blazed a golden fire, pure and unyielding, burning with divine brilliance.
"This… this is his Prāṇa Core." Shourya's eyes widened. "I've never seen anything like it. So holy, so pure… Without doubt, he truly is the successor of Vaelion."
His hand reached forward instinctively, compelled by the Core's energy. But before his fingers touched the fire—
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from the flames, hurling him backward across the void. He landed hard, skidding to a stop.
"What was that?!" Shourya muttered, stunned.
Before he could recover, the golden fire shuddered violently. A cage materialized, locking the Core inside. Chains of light and shadow burst forth, wrapping around cage like serpents. Then, with a deep metallic groan, a massive gate rose in front of the cage and slammed shut.
Shourya's heart pounded. "A… seal?" He stepped closer, examining the barrier. "I didn't expect this."
Running his fingers along the cold metal surface, he noticed a small, jagged hole near the center of the gate. Energy leaked faintly from it, like sunlight breaking through a crack.
"So that's it…" Shourya murmured. "That's how his Core awakened when he turned eighteen."
The void trembled, and in the next instant, his consciousness was ripped from the subconscious world.
Snap!
He was back in the forest.
Lioran and Sharin were staring at him, alarm written across their faces. Shourya glanced at his hand—the same one that had touched the fire. His skin was blistered and scorched, burned by contact with the Core.
"What happened?" Sharin exclaimed. "How did your hand get injured?"
Shourya shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I now understand why Lioran's Prāṇa Core is fully developed only now, at eighteen."
Lioran's eyes narrowed. "Tell me."
Shourya took a deep breath. "Someone sealed your Prāṇa Core from the moment of your birth. Not one seal, but three."
"What?" Lioran's voice cracked with disbelief.
"Yes." Shourya's tone was grave. "The first seal is a cage that imprisons the Core. The second seal is a chain binding that cage. The last seal is a giant gate that shuts everything inside. Together, they've suppressed your true power all these years."
Sharin frowned. "But who could do that? And why?"
Shourya shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I do know this—no human could create or break such seals. They are too powerful, too intricate. Each seal is unique, unlike anything I've seen."
Lioran clenched his fists, confusion warring with anger. "So… all this time, my strength… my potential… it's been locked away?"
Shourya nodded. "Yes. But when you turned eighteen, a small hole formed in the gate. Through it, a fraction of your Prāṇa began to leak. That was your awakening. And during your battles with the Narvans, the seals weakened further. The hole widened, releasing the vast amount of energy that had been gathering inside your Core for years. That's why your power surged so violently—you had been storing more Prāṇa than your body was ever meant to contain."
Lioran's jaw tightened as the truth sank in.
"So… I've been fighting with only a fraction of my strength," he whispered. "These seals are holding me back."
Shourya's burned hand curled into a fist. "Do not despair. The seals will not hold forever. With training, with battles, with pressure, they will weaken. One day, they will shatter."
"And until then?" Lioran asked.
"Until then, you fight with what you have. The more you push yourself, the more the seals strain. In time, they will break, whether the one who created them wishes it or not."
Lioran's determination flared. "Then let's not waste any more time. Let's start training."
A faint smile touched Shourya's lips. "Impatient as always. Good. But before training, let us begin with something simpler… a game."
"A game?" Sharin asked, blinking in surprise. "What kind of game?"
Shourya's smile deepened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "A test of spirit, of instinct."
TO BE CONTINUED…