"So students, that's enough for today's class," the teacher said, her voice dry and weary. The loud, clanging ring of the lunch bell was the immediate, joyous counterpoint to her words.
"I am almost tired," Raj complained, stretching dramatically. "History class is so boring he said.
Arjun said I've almost finished my water just trying to stay awake." He stood up. "I'm going to fill it up." He looked toward the door and froze.
Aanya entered the classroom.
"Oh, that's Aanya Rathore," Raj whispered, elbowing Arjun. "She's that famous actress, right? I heard she transferred here. What's she doing in our class?"
Arjun watched his sister with a soft, warm expression. "Oh, that? She's my little sister."
Raj blinked, mouth agape. "Really? You never told me you had a little sister! You do look kind of similar, now that I think about it."
Aanya was already moving toward Arjun, weaving through the instantly distracted students. She was stunning—a celebrity face, yet with the same sharp, dark eyes as Arjun. "Big brother, do you have time?" she asked, a cute, bright smile lighting up her face.
The entire class turned to stare at Arjun. Murmurs rippled through the room. "Arjun has a little sister? I don't know that," a girl whispered, a tone of personal betrayal in her voice. Arjun was popular, and his life details were usually common knowledge.
Five years ago, after their parents' divorce, Arjun and Aanya had been separated. They saw each other occasionally, but two years ago, Aanya had moved to London to pursue her acting career, creating a distance that felt cavernous.
Arjun returned her smile with a genuine, heartfelt warmth. "Yes, Aanya. I have time."
She grinned, about to speak, when the air itself fractured.
"Paralokaanam badhah bhagnah, asya lokasya margam kurvanti!"
The voice wasn't spoken; it screamed inside his mind, an ancient, booming sound that felt like a physical blow to the back of his skull. It was in a language he didn't know—Sanskrit, or something far older—but the meaning was terrifyingly clear: Bonds of other worlds are broken, making a path to this world.
What the hell? Arjun clutched his head. He looked at Raj. "Hey, can you hear that too?"
Raj's eyes were wide with a dawning horror. "What is that voice?"
Everyone heard it. Students and teachers across the entire school panicked, clutching their heads, screaming, and stumbling over desks.
Outside, the weather was turning violently. The sky filled with a roiling mass of black-green clouds, but directly over the school, the clouds took the shape of a dizzying, turbulent storm vortex. Birds shrieked and fell from the air; animals in nearby gardens dashed in terror, their primal instincts screaming danger.
"Aagachatu! Aagachatu!" The voice shrieked again, demanding, Come! Come!
"Krupaya asmakam vachanam shrunut!" (Please hear our word!)
Aanya looked up at Arjun, her face etched with fear. "Big brother!"
"Don't fear!" he tried to yell, but his voice was drowned out. The noise in their brains intensified. Arjun tried to block his ears, a useless gesture against an internal invasion. Students began to fall, passing out where they stood, teachers slumping over their desks. Everyone in the school was rendered unconscious, except for five figures in Arjun's classroom: Arjun, Aanya, Raj, and two other students.
The storm above climaxed. The sky split wide open, tearing reality apart. Between the clouds, a perfect, circular rift opened—a portal whose interior was filled with a swirling, beautiful kaleidoscope of purple, gold, and jade light.
The psychic voice became a punishing, agonizing roar. Raj gasped, his eyes rolling back as he struggled to support himself. Aanya started crying, clutching Arjun's arm. "It hurts! It hurts!"
Arjun didn't think for a second. He pulled Aanya into a tight hug, shielding her head against his chest. He was in agony, the pain shredding his consciousness, but he focused only on her. I don't care about the pain. I won't let her go.
Then, the world turned inside out.