As the classroom door creaked open, a wave of anticipation swept through the air. "So, you've finally arrived! I was beginning to wonder if you'd make it," the teacher exclaimed, a glimmer of excitement dancing in his eyes as he spotted a young man of about twenty years. This young fellow, with his medium-long hair that framed his face just so, and his freshly shaven jawline, appeared slightly out of breath but undeniably enthusiastic.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," he replied sheepishly, a hint of apologetic sincerity lacing his words. "I wasn't feeling too great earlier, so I thought it might do me good to take a little walk to clear my head. I lost track of time." He stepped fully into the room, taking a moment to take in the sight of his teacher, who was donning a crisp white lab coat that added an air of authority to his already imposing presence.
Welcome to Memorial National College, a prestigious institution reputed to be a temple of brilliance, where only the brightest minds are nurtured or so the tales go. Among the elite students who graced its hallways, Veer stood out—not merely for his academic prowess but for his uncanny ability to navigate the rough waters of life, proving himself a genius among geniuses. Veer stood with the height of 6 feet and weight 76 kilos. Veer has rather muscular body for which people often mistook him for being athletic student but to his defense he says "i am more of a scholar guy than rather athlete who always run in the sun." He is teacher's favourite as he always keep a open mind and view things differently and sometimes make the question more problematic than it was before just to keep his mind going.
"Nonetheless, you've made it!" the teacher continued, a spark of eagerness evident in his tone. "And there's something thrilling I want to share with you today." Instinctively, the young man's gaze darted toward an enormous piece of equipment, ominously draped in a white cloth, its contours hinting at something extraordinary concealed beneath.
"Oh! You've noticed it already," the teacher said, his excitement bubbling over. "It's rather hard to miss, isn't it? Well, what you see there is a frequency modulator—a revolutionary device, in fact. I've designed it to harness frequencies in an innovative way. This allows me to project discrete energy into a specific area, potentially creating a portal that transcends time
itself." Mr Rajeev, physics HOD is always found in the physics lab rather than his office as he is always on to invent something new and never seen before.
The boy's brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you suggesting you've built…a time machine?" he asked incredulously, his eyes widening.
"Precisely!" the teacher affirmed, becoming animated at the prospect. "But before you dismiss that notion as mere fantasy, allow me to explain. It's not like the typical time machines you see in movies—those that require high-speed vehicles or complex navigation. Instead, my method involves manipulating frequencies to open a portal at a subatomic level—a delicate process, of course. The catalyst I've developed will control and direct these frequencies, anchoring them to a specific time in history."
The young man smirked, half-amused and half-incredulous. "So you've decided to defy the very laws of nature? That's a bold move, to say the least. But congratulations on at least thinking about how to do it!" He crossed his arms, skepticism mingling with curiosity.
The teacher smiled widely, clearly pleased with the response. "I want you to be the first to witness the manifestation of my invention. After some back-and-forth on the mechanics and ethical implications, he finally moved to activate the machine. Holding the frequency modulator, he tuned it carefully, tweaking dials and settings with precision. As the device hummed to life, it unleashed a vibrant cascade of lights that illuminated the laboratory, flickering as if in synchrony with the excitement pulsating in the atmosphere.
Suddenly, as he worked with the catalyst, the lights began to flicker more violently, creating an electrifying ambiance. The tension in the room crackled to life, so intense that it caused a power surge affecting the nearby buildings; shadows danced erratically on the walls. In that chaotic moment, the young man reached for a handheld remote-like apparatus—the catalyst that was crucial for manipulating the portal.
With a deep breath and an air of palpable anticipation, he pressed a button, activating the catalyst. Suddenly, a swirling portal opened up beneath his feet, a mesmerizing yet terrifying vortex. The boy felt an irresistible pull, almost as if the very fabric of reality was beckoning him forward.
A mesmerizing circle of whirling energy formed beneath Veer's feet, composed of glimmering golden particles, intricate runes, and vibrant electric arcs that danced and spiraled outward, much like a blossoming lotus crafted from countless stars in the night sky.
"Turn it off!" Veer yelled, his voice filled with urgency and panic, desperately trying to break through the surreal moment. However, the professor remained completely motionless, paralyzed in a mixture of terror and wonder, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the astounding sight unfolding before them.
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he was yanked into the portal, vanishing in an instant.
He didn't actually collapse to the ground in the usual sense; it was more like he slipped through something, like a veil separating one world from another.
There was an almost eerie stillness, devoid of any breeze. Instead, what enveloped him was a blend of brilliant light and a biting cold, which was soon replaced by a comforting warmth. Then came a cacophony of voices, echoing from both the distant past and the not-so-distant future:
He heard echoes of battles fought, joyous celebrations of weddings, the solemnity of ancient temples, and the rise and fall of mighty empires. He could almost hear the laughter of children mingling with the soft weeping of lovers, their heartaches hanging in the air. And then there were wise voices, sages from long ago, sharing their secrets in hushed tones.
Amidst this overwhelming tapestry of sounds, he caught the faintest whisper of a name, spoken in a language that he couldn't quite place, one that felt entirely foreign yet strangely familiar.
"Veer… veera… vira…"
His limbs felt elongated, almost like shadows cast by a flickering flame. And as he stood — or perhaps floated — his vision drifted through fragmented glimpses of time. It was as if he were gazing at the shredded remnants of countless tales, each one a torn page from a billion different stories, swirling around him like leaves caught in a wild tempest. Each fragment held a universe of its own, waiting to be pieced together.
The laboratory trembled with energy as the frequency modulator met its untimely demise, sparks flying and the lights flickering out completely.
Once, the modulator had radiated with a steady, bright glow, its soft humming filling the air with an almost soothing vibration. But now, something had gone horribly wrong. It sparked violently, the once-gentle hum transforming into a harsh, grating screech that pierced through the stillness. In a chaotic flurry, glass tubes shattered dramatically, sending shards flying in all directions. The whiteboard, a trusty canvas for ideas and designs, began to curl at its edges, curling like leaves in the relentless heat that poured out from the machine.
At the center of this mechanical beast, the catalyst crystal—a small but vital component—was under immense pressure. It began to crack, fissures snaking across its surface, and suddenly, it exploded in a dazzling flash of white-blue light, brilliant yet silent.
And just like that… everything went pitch black.
The lights throughout the entire building flickered and then went out, plunging the surroundings into an oppressive darkness. The only source of illumination that remained was the dim, almost eerie glow of the emergency panel, casting faint shadows that danced around the room, a stark contrast to the chaos that had just unfolded.
Silence enveloped the space where the boy once stood—he was now lost to time, leaving the teacher in a stunned silence while the echoes of his daring experiment lingered in a now
-empty room.