The storm raged across the valley. Winds howled against the mountainsides, rain hammered the earth, and lightning split the sky with deafening cracks.
CRRRAAACK!
The sound echoed through the valley and rolled into the mouth of a cave tucked deep within the cliffs.
Inside, the fire flickered weakly, its glow casting long, trembling shadows along the damp walls. Aishwarya sat close to the flames, her face half-hidden beneath her cloak. Lioran sat opposite her, silent, his gaze lost in the dance of the embers.
"He waited his whole life for that one student," Aishwarya said. "The one destined to carry Vaelion's legacy."
Lioran lifted his head.
"He always chose his students carefully," she continued, staring into the fire. "He thought one of his student would be the heir. That's why he sent his three students on a mission — a dangerous one. He believed one of them had the bloodline, the soul that could awaken Vaelion's spirit."
Her voice trembled. "But none came back. All three died on that mission."
The words struck like thunder.
Thud…
Lioran's heart sank.
Aishwarya's expression didn't waver, but the faint shimmer in her eyes betrayed the ache behind her composure.
"That incident broke something in him," she said. "He believed it was his fault. That his dream killed them. So, he gave up — on everything. He retired. He buried his faith in the ashes of that failure."
Silence filled the cave. The rain softened, falling now in delicate threads across the stone outside. The only sound left was the soft hiss of firewood.
Lioran wanted to speak — to comfort her — but the words tangled in his throat.
Aishwarya's gaze fell. "When I asked him to train me," she said slowly, "he refused. I didn't understand it then. But now… I think I do."
She clenched her fingers around her knees. "He thought that if he taught me, if he believed in me, he might place the same burden of expectation that once destroyed everything. He was afraid I'd meet the same fate."
Her voice cracked. "Maybe that's why I hated you."
Lioran's head snapped up. "What?"
"Because of you," she whispered, trembling, "he started dreaming again. You reminded him of that old hope. And I… I couldn't stand the thought of him losing it all over again. If you turned out not to be what he thought, if you died… he'd be crushed. And I can't—" she stopped herself, voice breaking, "—I can't see him like that again."
Lioran stared at her, speechless. Then, quietly, he said, "It doesn't mean you hate me."
Aishwarya blinked.
"You love him too much," he said softly. "That love made you build a wall around him — and against me. You were protecting him, not rejecting me."
Her lips parted slightly, eyes glistening in the firelight.
"Don't worry," Lioran added, his voice steady. "I'll never make him sad. Because of him, I became strong. Because of him, I have the power to protect the innocent. Because of him, I finally able to keep my promise. I owe him everything."
Aishwarya turned her gaze to the fire again. The warmth of the flames reflected in her eyes, but something else flickered there too — trust.
"I respect him so much and I promise you that i never ever make him sad.." Liorans
For a long moment, Aishwarya didn't speak. The storm outside faded into silence, replaced by the rhythmic drip of water from the cave roof.
Then Aishwarya exhaled softly. "You're still an idiot," she muttered.
Lioran didn't understand what she said.
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The fire's glow softened the tension between them, turning the cave into a quiet refuge of peace after the storm.
Outside, the clouds thinned. The moon emerged from behind them, its pale light spilling gently through the cave mouth. The storm had passed, leaving behind only the distant murmur of wind in the trees.
The fire had burned low now, reduced to glowing coals. Lioran's eyes had closed, his breath slow and calm.
Aishwarya watched him quietly. She hesitated, then pulled her cloak over his shoulders. "You'll catch a cold, idiot," she murmured.
She looked out toward the valley, where the mountains stood in silver light. Her grandfather's words echoed faintly in her memory — Vaelion's heir… the one who will awaken the forgotten light.
"Vaelion's heir," she whispered. "Grandpa's dream… Could it really be him?"
Her eyes reflected the dying fire as she stood. "I'll get more branches," she said under her breath and stepped outside into the cool, wet air.
The forest shimmered with dew. Water dripped from the leaves, and the scent of rain lingered in the air. Aishwarya walked barefoot through the soft mud, gathering dry twigs and branches from beneath the trees.
"Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Ashram," she muttered. "Grandpa must be waiting."
As she bent to pick up a branch, a faint smile appeared on her lips. The conversation with Lioran replayed in her mind. "Maybe… I do believe him," she said quietly.
The wind brushed her cheek — and suddenly, she froze.
A low, heavy thud echoed behind her.
She turned sharply—
"Prāṇa Punch!"
WHAM!!
The air exploded. A blazing wave of force struck her chest before she could react.
CRACK!
Her body flew backward, crashing into a tree trunk with a sharp, sickening thud! The bark splintered behind her.
"Ughh—!" Blood spilled from her mouth as pain shot through her ribs and arm.
She looked up through the haze of pain. A massive figure stepped from the shadows, raindrops gliding down his hardened skin. His aura shimmered faintly — a dense, heavy pressure that distorted the air around him.
He was Bheem.
Bheem smirked. "So you're still alive."
Aishwarya staggered to her feet, clutching her ribs. "Who… are you and why are you attacking me?"
He tilted his head. "You survived that missile?" He chuckled darkly. "I thought that would give you a painless death. My mistake."
Her expression hardened. "You were the one behind that attack!"
Bheem's eyes glinted in the moonlight. "Don't worry. I'll fix my error."
FWOOOSH!
Aishwarya thrust her hand forward. "Flame Ball!"
A blazing orb shot from her palm, streaking through the night like a comet.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed Bheem in smoke and fire.
She panted, her body trembling. "That should've—"
The smoke cleared.
Her eyes widened in horror. He stood there, untouched. Not a single burn marked his skin.
"What…? That was a direct hit!" She said.
Then she saw it — a faint, shimmering layer surrounding him, thick and rippling like molten glass.
She activated her Prāṇa Vision. Her eyes flared orange. The world shifted, and she saw it clearly — an armor of condensed Prāṇa coating his entire body.
"His Prāṇa cloak… I have never seen this thick and dense prana layer on anyone." she whispered.
Bheem's grin widened. He lunged forward with terrifying speed.
THUD!
The ground cracked where he'd stood.
BOOOOM!
Aishwarya barely rolled aside as his Prāṇa punch slammed into the earth, carving a crater into the forest floor. Stones and soil exploded into the air.
"What monstrous strength…" she hissed, panting.
She leapt forward, her hand engulfed in flame. "Fire Punch!"
SHRAAANG!
Her blazing fist struck his Prāṇa cloak — and stopped dead. The impact rang through her arm, her muscles locking under the resistance.
Bheem didn't even flinch. "Such weak attacks don't work on me."
He flared his aura — the dense layer expanding outward like a shockwave.
BOOM!!!
The blast threw her backward, her body skidding across the ground. Before she could recover—
CRACK!
Bheem appeared in front of her and drove his Prāṇa PUNCH into her stomach.
"AHHH—!"
The impact shattered her ribs. Blood sprayed from her lips as she was hurled into a tree.
The world spun. Everything blurred.
Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. Pain burned through every nerve. She tried to move — but her body refused to listen.
Bheem's shadow fell over her. He raised his palm, Prāṇa swirling within it like a miniature sun.
"Don't worry," he said, his tone chillingly calm. "This will be quick."
The sphere grew brighter, its energy humming violently.
"I can't move…" she thought. "My body… it's broken."
FWOOOOOM!
The Prāṇa Sphere launched from his hand — roaring toward her.
Tears welled in her eyes. "I think it's my end. Grandpa… I'm sorry."
BOOOOOM!!!
The explosion lit up the forest. Trees splintered, fire spread across the clearing, and smoke billowed upward into the night sky.
Bheem lowered his arm. "Now, only one left," he murmured, turning away.
Then — he froze.
The air shifted. The smoke trembled — and dispersed.
Whoooosh…
From within the fading haze, a silhouette appeared — tall, calm, and unmoving.
A sigil of golden light pulsed in front of him, flickering with ancient markings. Behind it, Aishwarya lay unharmed..
Bheem's eyes narrowed.
The figure stepped forward, the firelight catching his face.
He was Lioran.
He looked up slowly, his gaze hard and cold, his Prāṇa flaring like silent lightning across his skin.
The sigil in front of him glowed brighter, still crackling from the energy it had absorbed.
He lowered his hand. "So… it's you."
Bheem smirked faintly, cracking his knuckles. The ground trembled beneath his feet. "Heh. I was hoping you'd show up."
Lioran's aura pulsed once, faint ripples distorting the air around him. "You shouldn't have touched her."
The night went still.
The wind stopped. The forest held its breath.
Two Prāṇa auras — one like raging thunder, the other calm as deep water — collided in silence.
TO BE CONTINUED…