The morning air hung heavy with tension. Birds had fled, and the once-bustling village seemed to have fallen into a deathly silence. The shadows that had surrounded the hut only moments ago still lingered, hesitant, as though the child within radiated a force beyond mortal comprehension.
Inside the small, rickety hut, Ratan's mother trembled, clutching him tightly to her chest. Her breath came in short, frantic bursts.
"Please… survive, my child…" she whispered.
---
### **The Child Awakens**
Ratan, though barely a day old, stirred again. This time, it was different. The faint golden glow around his tiny body intensified, stretching outward like roots breaking through stone. The **Root Chakra**—that primal center of survival and grounding—did not merely defend. It began to **consciously manifest**.
The walls of the hut vibrated as if alive. Dust rose in swirling eddies, and faint cracks appeared along the wooden beams. The intruders' shadows wavered, their focus broken by the invisible force pressing against them.
The shadow leader, the one with the black dagger, gritted his teeth. "Impossible… a newborn is… controlling energy?" His words faltered under the weight of disbelief.
But the child's instinct was pure and unfiltered—no intellect, no experience, only survival. The Root Chakra projected **an immense protective aura**, forming a semi-visible barrier that deflected attacks and forced the assailants backward.
---
### **First Strike of Power**
As the leader lunged forward, dagger aimed at the child, the aura reacted instinctively. The infant's body jerked slightly, and the Root Chakra unleashed a burst of energy. The impact was devastating:
* Rocks from the forest floor lifted and struck the shadow disciples, sending them sprawling.
* The leader was slammed back, dagger flying from his hand.
* The hut's wooden planks bent under the force but held, as if reinforced by the child's energy.
Even the mother gasped. "He… he's protecting us!"
The aura radiated a **primal, unstoppable authority**, a warning to anyone who dared approach.
---
### **Village Awakens**
The commotion attracted attention. Villagers peeked from behind their homes, their eyes widening in shock.
"By the heavens… that child—his aura… it's unlike anything I've ever seen!" one whispered.
The elders of the clan rushed toward the hut, drawn by the energy. They stopped abruptly as they sensed the child's aura—it was **pure, untamed, yet incomprehensibly powerful**.
A council elder whispered gravely, "This child… this is no ordinary Ratan. Even the legends would hesitate before such power. Protect him… at all costs."
---
### **The Shadows Regroup**
The shadow leader rose, eyes narrowing. He had underestimated the child. "So, the Root Chakra awakens. Clever… but still insufficient." He snapped his fingers, and the other disciples regrouped, forming a protective formation.
"We'll return," he said coldly. "This child is special, yes, but no infant can resist our sect. Today is merely a warning."
With that, they vanished into the surrounding forest, leaving only the faint trace of dark energy behind.
---
### **Cliffhanger Ending:**
Ratan's tiny chest rose and fell as he slept once more, calm now. Yet the forest whispered ominously around the village. Somewhere, hidden from mortal eyes, **the sect had already reported his aura to the higher elders**.
*Who exactly are these shadows? What do they know about the Seven Gates? And how far can the Root Chakra truly protect a newborn in a world of relentless cultivators?*
✅ Next Chapter will reveal:
The first chakra training under conscious control.
Introduction of the clan elders' plan to secretly nurture Ratan.
The sect's true identity and purpose revealed, setting up the first major conflict.