---
Opening Scene
Morning came quietly… but Vaibhav's mind definitely didn't.
He woke with a sharp inhale, heartbeat faster than usual.
That strange whisper from his dream still echoed inside him:
"Density is justified by fools. Men make their own."
He sat up slowly.
"Great… now even my dreams are giving philosophical lectures," he muttered.
He shook his head. Dreams were dreams. Weird, but harmless.
He stood, stretched, and glanced at the mirror.
The black stone in his chest glowed faintly — a soft, pulsing shimmer.
He blinked.
"Okay… nope. I'm ignoring that," he declared, walking away instantly.
Downstairs, the house smelled of chai and morning warmth.
His mom was already fussing around the kitchen.
"Oh ho… Raja sahab woke up early today? Miracles do happen," she teased.
"Mummy, please… Don't roast early in the morning" Vaibhav groaned.
He grabbed the school calendar.
October — almost over. Winter almost here.
A tiny smile appeared.
Then reality kicked him.
"Wait— second periodic exams…"
He stared at the dates. They were way too close.
"Aaj school ko sirf 1.5 hour bacha hai… chal, padh leta hoon."
(There are only 1.5 hours left for school today… come, let me study.")
He went upstairs, opened his Physics book.
Rotational Motion.
He sighed at the heading.
"Bro… please… saare notes magically mere table pe aa jaye… just once…"
(Bro… please… all the notes magically come on my table… just once)
He waited.
Silence.
Not a single divine page dropped from the heavens.
"Great. Even supernatural powers hate Physics," he muttered.
So he opened his notebook and started studying — unaware that something had already begun moving toward his world.
---
Scene 2 — Getting Ready
He packed his bag.
Wore his uniform.
Tied his shoelaces lazily.
One last glance at his chest.
The glow had faded.
"Good. Stay quiet today," he muttered and stepped outside.
---
Scene 3 — Shourya's POV
Meanwhile…
Shourya was scrolling reels, face barely awake.
From the other room his mother's voice thundered:
"Bas! Enough phone! School jao!"
("That's it! Enough phone! Go to school!")
He flinched, stuffed his phone away, grabbed his bag.
Before leaving, he paused in front of the mirror.
His left eye shimmered — a faint green halo, barely visible… but real.
Shourya smirked.
"Heh… green eyes hypnotize," he whispered, winking at himself.
Then he walked out.
---
Scene — Shlokh's Morning
Shlokh sat at the dining table, calmly eating breakfast while the morning sun painted everything pale gold.
Unlike the others, his mornings were neat, sorted… almost too perfect.
His mom peeked from the kitchen.
"Beta, tiffin pack kar doon? Tum toh usually yahin kha ke chale jaate ho."
("Son, should I pack your lunch? You usually eat here and leave.")
Shlokh wiped his hands.
"Haan Mumma… please pack it. Lately I'm getting hungry fast."
His mother raised an eyebrow.
"Accha? Yeh toh naya hai."
Oh
"Yeah… books feel heavier these days," he joked.
But the truth was different.
As he stood up, his hand instinctively touched his throat — where the golden stone rested deep within his voice.
A faint vibration hummed under his skin.
Soft. Controlled.
Like some small instrument tuning itself.
Not painful.
Not scary.
Just… aware.
"Today after school… I need to talk to the music teacher," he whispered.
"Something is happening to my voice."
He slung his bag, grabbed the tiffin, and stepped outside.
For a moment, he paused.
The morning felt heavier than usual.
Like something was approaching.
He couldn't name it.
Couldn't describe it.
But even the golden stone inside him seemed to whisper back.
Shlokh quietly pushed the feeling aside and left for school.
---
Final Scene — End of the School Day
The day dragged quietly.
Lunch, lectures, periods — everything felt normal.
Almost too normal.
Vaibhav and Shlokh met near the gate.
"Bro, morning study was useless. Physics ne dimaag fry kar diya," Vaibhav groaned.
Shlokh chuckled.
"Same yaar… winters aa rahe hain, mood hi alag ho jata hai."
("Bro, morning study was useless. Physics fried my brain," Vaibhav groaned.
Shlokh chuckled.
"Same friend... winter is coming, my mood changes.")
Cold wind brushed past them.
Sagar's winter had begun—thin mist, chilled breeze, lake surface catching a faint frozen shine.
Shourya joined them from the other side, hands in pockets, attitude on full power.
"Winters in Sagar… beautiful but dangerous," he smirked.
They talked for a bit — exams, cold weather, the slight snowfall near the lake.
Then their usual routes:
Shlokh took the right footpath,
Shourya vanished with headphones in the opposite lane,
Vaibhav walked home with hands tucked inside his hoodie, black stone silent.
Evening light softened.
Cold wind followed behind them like a quiet shadow.
The day ended.
The trio separated.
Winter arrived.
And something else arrived with it… silently.
---
SAGAR — City of Winter Light
Sagar wasn't just a city.
It was a serene heaven carved between hills, wrapped around a lake so clear it turned into a golden mirror every evening.
Sunlight touched the water like liquid fire.
Winter approached — slow, cold, beautiful.
People waited for:
• light snowfall
• the frozen shimmer on the lake
• the Winter Carnival — lights, music, warm food
For the rest of the city, winter meant magic.
But for these three…
This winter wasn't bringing festivals.
It was bringing something else.
Something they weren't ready for.
Chapter-7 ARRIVAL: FATUITY
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