Days turned into weeks as Mukul absorbed lessons that would take ordinary men lifetimes. Yet the island still held deeper secrets. Beyond the first ten, ten more masters awaited—the other half of the circle, each one a keeper of arts that transcended nations and eras.
They appeared at dusk, as the jungle glowed with fireflies, surrounding the boy marked by seven stars.
Master of Language – From Mesopotamia's ruins, he was said to know every tongue spoken by man. He could decipher codes, unite tribes, or sow discord with a single phrase. His unique skill: Tongue of Babel, the ability to learn and wield any language instantly.
Master of Memory – Once a librarian in Alexandria, he had memorized entire libraries. His unique skill: Eternal Recall, remembering every detail he ever saw, and gifting fragments of those memories to others.
Master of Biology – A scientist from Germany, once condemned for knowing too much. He could read the body like an open book, healing or harming at will. His unique skill: Living Blueprint, the ability to alter muscle, bone, and blood through knowledge of life's code.
Master of Fabric – A weaver from Turkey, her hands crafted cloth that defied logic—armor from silk, maps from threads. Her unique skill: Loom of Fate, weaving garments that granted protection, disguise, or hidden power.
Master of Machines – An inventor from Italy, a lost descendant of da Vinci. He turned scraps into wonders, weapons, and tools. His unique skill: Clockwork Heart, creating machines that seemed alive.
Master of Defense – From Greece, once a shield-bearer who never fell in battle. His unique skill: Unbreakable Wall, a stance so perfect it could turn a child into an immovable fortress.
Master of Disguise – A thief from the Middle East, who had stolen crowns and vanished as beggars. His unique skill: Face of a Thousand, altering voice, walk, and presence until none could tell his true identity.
Master of Magic – From Tibet's hidden temples, whispered of as a sorcerer. His unique skill: Veil of the Arcane, bending unseen energies to trick the senses, blur time, and bend reality's edge.
Master of Networks – Once a hacker in the modern world, she mastered not only machines but the invisible webs between people. Her unique skill: Web of Threads, connecting minds, signals, and secrets into her grasp.
Master of Flame – From Mongolia, a warrior who walked with fire. His unique skill: Eternal Blaze, commanding flames as extensions of his spirit, burning away fear itself.
Together, the twenty masters were a constellation of knowledge—arts ancient and modern, mystical and scientific. They argued, laughed, and sometimes clashed, but on one matter they agreed: the boy before them was not ordinary.
"The stars mark him," said the Master of Memory, "and destiny bends toward him."
"He must learn everything," added the Master of Flame, sparks flickering in his palm. "For the battles he will face will not be won by strength alone."
And so Mukul's training deepened. By day, he sparred with the Master of Defense, learning how to turn weakness into armor. By night, he sat with the Master of Language, his young mind absorbing dialects like water into soil. He learned to gamble from Chaos, to disappear from Silence, to heal from Biology, and to dream with Magic.
Each lesson scarred him, shaped him, hardened him. Yet each master also saw in him something they had never seen in themselves—a boy unbroken by fate, able to walk the line between power and innocence.
One evening, as Mukul collapsed in exhaustion, the twenty masters gathered around him. Their voices rose together, a vow whispered into the island winds.
"This child will carry all our legacies. He will face storms the world has never known. And when the time comes, he will not walk as a boy, but as the protector the stars promised."
The night was silent save for Mukul's steady breathing. The masters watched the faint glow of the seven-star birthmark on his neck, shimmering in the moonlight. It was a sign—his true journey had only just begun.