Arjun slowly opened his eyes, his vision still blurred.
As the haze cleared, the first thing he saw was a figure sitting in front of him.
An old sage.
Clad in simple robes, long beard flowing over his chest, eyes closed in deep meditation. The faint glow of an oil lamp flickered beside him, casting dancing shadows across the small hut.
For a moment, everything felt… unreal.
Then—
The sage's eyes opened.
A calm, knowing gaze met Arjun's.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"You are awake," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"
Arjun pushed himself up slightly, wincing as pain shot through his body. Still, he nodded.
"I… I'm fine," he said. "But… where am I?"
"You are in my hut," the sage replied peacefully. "At dawn, when I went to the river to fetch water… I found you."
Arjun froze.
And then—
It all came rushing back.
The confession.
Rupali.
The push.
The river.
His fists clenched.
"Yeah…" he muttered, frustration and anger mixing in his voice. "Someone pushed me into the river."
The sage observed him quietly.
"Your mind is disturbed," he said. "It needs calmness."
Arjun let out a dry laugh.
"Calm?" he said bitterly. "Seems like God doesn't like me much. Otherwise… why would the girl I loved try to kill me?"
The sage chuckled softly.
"Often," he said, "what we see… is not what truly is."
"And what truly is… we fail to see."
Arjun frowned.
"You see that she pushed you," the sage continued. "But because she pushed you… you met me."
His eyes deepened.
"Otherwise, you would have died."
A pause.
"And not just you…"
"You would have taken others with you."
Arjun's confusion deepened.
"What do you mean?"
The sage's expression turned serious.
"There is a power within you," he said slowly. "A vast… uncontrollable energy."
"It is growing."
"And if you do not control it…"
"It will control you."
Arjun's heartbeat quickened.
"I… don't understand."
The sage closed his eyes briefly, as if sensing something.
"When I found you," he continued, "that energy had already begun breaking you from within."
"You were on the verge of exploding."
"I have sealed it… for now."
"But that seal will not last forever."
Silence filled the hut.
"You must learn to control it," the sage said firmly. "Or it will destroy you."
He opened his eyes again.
"And for that…"
"You must become my disciple."
A moment passed.
"Do you accept?"
Arjun sat there, stunned.
He knew there was something strange about him… something different.
But this?
This was beyond anything he had imagined.
He looked at the sage.
There was no deception in his eyes.
Only truth.
Slowly—
Arjun joined his hands.
And bowed.
"Please… guide me, Guruji."
The sage smiled.
He raised his hand…
And gently placed a finger on Arjun's forehead.
In that instant—
Everything changed.
A surge of energy flooded into Arjun's mind.
Knowledge.
Endless knowledge.
Martial arts… divine techniques… mantras… tantra… energy manipulation… cultivation methods—
Everything.
It was as if an entire lifetime of wisdom had been compressed into a single moment.
Arjun's eyes widened.
His body trembled.
"I have given you everything," the sage said calmly. "My knowledge… my path."
"You are now my disciple."
His voice softened.
"Walk the path of dharma… and succeed."
And then—
His body began to glow.
Golden light spread through the hut.
Before Arjun could even react—
The sage dissolved into particles of light…
And disappeared.
Gone.
Just like that.
---
Arjun sat there, frozen.
Trying to process everything.
But slowly—
He steadied his breath.
Closed his eyes.
And sat down cross-legged.
Meditation.
If this was real…
Then he needed to understand it.
---
Outside the hut—
On a tree branch—
A black crow sat silently.
Its eyes gleamed unnaturally.
Watching.
Observing.
Through those eyes—
Aarav watched everything.
Back at the camp, inside his tent, Aarav lay still with his eyes closed.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"Why don't I ever get teachers like that…" he muttered inwardly.
But then—
Something clicked.
His expression shifted.
He did have something.
Memories.
Knowledge.
Fragments from his past lives.
And more importantly—
The books he had obtained from Vanshika.
Dark energy.
Tantric rituals.
Forbidden knowledge.
But…
It wasn't enough.
The cultivation method he followed—
It required constant evolution.
Continuous upgrades.
Because what he was building…
Was not just power.
It was a soul strong enough to transcend lifetimes.
A soul that would not need to start from zero after reincarnation.
But for that—
He needed more.
A stronger body.
A deeper understanding of universal laws.
Because even power—
Had rules.
And breaking them blindly…
Meant destruction.
---
With that thought—
Aarav's body remained still on the bed.
But his soul—
Slipped out.
A faint, translucent version of him rose into the air.
And then—
Shot forward.
Through the night sky.
Fast.
Unseen.
---
His destination—
A sacred place.
A city wrapped in mystery and devotion.
Deoghar, Jharkhand.
A land where even the night remained awake.
Where faith and energy intertwined.
A place known for its divine significance—
Where it is believed that the heart of Goddess Sati had fallen.
A Shakti Peeth.
A Jyotirlinga.
A convergence of immense spiritual power.
Aarav's soul hovered above the city.
The air felt different here.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Alive.
Aarav floated silently above the sacred city of Deoghar, his soul drifting like a shadow between the earthly and the unseen. The city beneath him pulsed with spiritual energy—even at night, it felt awake… alive.
And then—
He felt it.
A strange pull.
A spiritual signal… calling him.
His expression sharpened.
Without hesitation, Aarav followed it.
The pull guided him through narrow paths, past temples, through quiet corners of the town… until finally—
He reached a small, mud house.
Simple.
Unremarkable.
Yet—
Overflowing with energy.
Aarav entered.
Inside, a man sat cross-legged.
Eyes closed.
Deep in meditation.
Vikram.
Dressed like a sage.
Calm… composed… as if he had been waiting.
Before Aarav could say anything—
Vikram opened his eyes.
"You took your time," he said with a faint smile.
Aarav frowned slightly, irritation flickering across his face.
"You didn't explain anything properly," he replied. "If I didn't know how to separate my soul from my body… I wouldn't even be here."
Vikram chuckled softly.
"I knew you would figure it out."
He gestured in front of him.
"Sit."
"Learn."
Aarav clicked his tongue but walked forward anyway. He sat down cross-legged in front of him.
The moment he settled—
A glowing book appeared between them.
Radiant.
Ancient.
Aarav's eyes narrowed.
"Rigveda…"
He looked up at Vikram.
Vikram simply smiled.
"Start from the beginning."
Aarav stared at him for a second.
Then at the book.
He didn't argue.
He opened it.
And began reading.
But deep inside—
He couldn't help but compare.
That sage… taught everything in a second…
And here I have to study manually…
A faint irritation lingered.
Still—
He continued.
Because he understood one thing clearly—
Power built slowly… lasts longer.
---
Before dawn—
Aarav returned.
His soul slipped back into his body as if nothing had happened.
---
Morning.
The camp slowly came back to life.
Birds chirped.
Students stretched, yawned… stepped out of their tents.
And then—
Panic.
Chirag's eyes widened as he looked around.
"Arjun…?"
No response.
His heart started racing.
Arjun had said he'd be back soon last night.
Chirag had waited…
And then fallen asleep.
But now—
Morning had come.
And Arjun was nowhere to be seen.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Without wasting a second, Chirag rushed out of the tent.
"Arjun!"
"Arjun!!"
His voice echoed through the camp as he ran toward the commander's tent.
---
Outside—
Commander Remo was doing push-ups.
"95… 96… 97… 98… 99… 100."
He stood up, steady and composed.
That's when he noticed Chirag approaching—panic clearly written on his face.
"What happened, young man?" Remo asked.
"Sir…" Chirag said, breathless. "Arjun… he's missing. He didn't come back to the tent last night."
Remo's expression changed instantly.
"What?"
A sharp silence followed.
"In my command… a student goes missing?"
His tone turned serious.
"Are you sure he's not nearby?"
Chirag hesitated.
"He said he'd be back soon… I waited… but I fell asleep… and now…"
Remo exhaled sharply.
"Alright. We'll find him."
---
They searched.
Nearby areas.
Paths.
Edges of the forest.
But—
No sign of Arjun.
Finally, Remo gathered all the students.
His voice echoed with authority.
"Students… one of you—Arjun—is missing since last night."
A murmur spread instantly.
"Who saw him last?"
Silence.
Then—
A hand went up.
"I saw him," a student said. "He was going toward the river… with Rupali."
The moment those words were spoken—
All eyes turned.
Toward Rupali.
Her face turned pale.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Instinctively—
She glanced at Aarav.
He sat there casually on a chair.
AirPods in.
Playing PUBG.
As if nothing mattered.
Then her eyes shifted—
To Rocky.
He was staring at her.
Cold.
Warning.
If she spoke—
The consequences would be worse.
Rupali swallowed.
"I… went with him," she said nervously. "But I came back midway. He had some work near the river."
Suspicion lingered.
Then—
Another voice cut in.
A boy from Aarav's team.
The one who hated him.
He raised his hand.
"Aarav also went toward the river last night," he said. "And he came back late."
Now—
All eyes shifted.
To Aarav.
Still playing his game.
Kirti, standing beside him, snatched his phone.
Aarav immediately looked up, annoyed.
"What?"
Kirti crossed her arms.
"When was the last time you saw Arjun?"
Aarav blinked once.
Then smirked faintly.
"During the parcel game," he said casually.
The boy immediately stepped forward.
"But you went to the river later!"
Aarav shrugged.
"Yeah. Stomach issues."
A few students chuckled awkwardly.
"What does that have to do with Arjun?"
The boy frowned.
"He also went toward the river."
Aarav tilted his head slightly.
"And?"
His eyes gleamed.
"What are you trying to say?"
The boy didn't hesitate this time.
"You tell us."
"What did you do to Arjun?"
The atmosphere froze.
A direct accusation.
Students exchanged shocked glances.
Aarav let out a soft laugh.
"Wow," he said slowly. "You've already declared me a criminal."
He leaned back slightly.
"Do you have any evidence?"
His voice sharpened.
"Because accusing someone without proof…"
"That's called slander."
Before things could escalate—
Remo stepped in.
"Enough!"
His voice cut through the tension.
"Calm down."
He looked at Aarav.
"Aarav… did you see Arjun near the river?"
At that moment—
Rupali and Rocky both stared at him.
Nervous.
Tense.
Waiting.
Aarav paused.
As if thinking.
Then—
He smiled.
"No," he said calmly. "I didn't see Arjun."
A brief moment of relief crossed their faces—
But—
Aarav wasn't done.
"But…"
His smile widened slightly.
"I did see Rocky and Rupali."
Silence.
"They were… pretty busy."
A few students blinked.
Aarav continued casually—
"Doing some lip-to-lip activities."
For a second—
No one reacted.
Then—
Explosion.
"WHAT?!"
Shock spread instantly.
All eyes snapped toward Rocky and Rupali.
Aarav leaned back, enjoying every second of it.
A girl covered her face in embarrassment.
"We know you're a couple… but at least have some decency!"
Another girl whispered dramatically, "Jungle fantasy… wow… my brain is melting…"
Rocky's face turned red with rage.
"Shut up!" he roared.
He pointed at Aarav.
"Stop your nonsense! Nothing like that happened!"
His voice turned threatening.
"You have no idea who I am."
"Mess with me…"
"And I'll show you hell."
Himanshu watched Aarav and Kirti walking together—shoulders touching, casually talking—and his frustration finally snapped.
"Hey! You two!" he shouted loudly. "Stop flirting in front of everyone! Don't you have any sense of decency?!"
The group went silent.
All eyes shifted—
First to Himanshu.
Then to Aarav and Kirti.
Kirti blinked in confusion.
"…What nonsense are you talking about?" she said, frowning. "Is your brain even working properly?"
Aarav looked equally stunned.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he added.
Himanshu scoffed.
"You think we're blind?" he said. "We can see what's going on."
Aarav turned toward Kirti, whispering,
"I think he doesn't know we're siblings…"
Kirti paused… then frowned slightly.
"…Wait," she muttered. "I thought everyone already knew."
"Same," Aarav replied.
The truth was—
Almost no one knew.
Except Kirti's best friend.
They had never really told anyone.
Himanshu pointed at them again, still irritated.
"And you're still acting like that—"
"Alright, stop," Aarav cut in, sighing. "Maybe we never told anyone."
Then he said clearly,
"Kirti is my real sister."
Himanshu froze.
"…What?"
Kirti nodded.
"We're siblings," she confirmed. "Blood-related. Aarav is my younger brother."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Only the sound of birds chirping in the distance filled the air.
The tension—
Gone.
Replaced by awkward realization.
Aarav sighed.
"Bro," he said casually to Himanshu, "I know you like my sister…"
Himanshu stiffened.
"But I don't think you have any chance," Aarav added bluntly. "Just give up."
And with that—
He walked past him.
Leaving Himanshu completely shattered.
---
Remo cleared his throat loudly.
"Save your drama for later," he said, clearly annoyed. "We're here to find Arjun."
Inside, he was already regretting everything.
I am never training high school students again…
This is a headache…
---
Soon—
They reached the river.
The sound of flowing water echoed through the surroundings.
Everyone spread out.
Calling—
"Arjun!"
"Arjun!!"
"ARJUN!!"
Voices overlapped as they searched the area.
---
Meanwhile—
Rocky grabbed Rupali's hand and pulled her aside, away from the group.
His expression was dark.
Serious.
"Does Aarav know everything?" he asked in a low voice. "Did he see it?"
Rupali hesitated.
Then nodded nervously.
"Yes… he saw everything."
Her voice trembled.
"And he recorded it too… me pushing Arjun… and your conversation… everything."
Rocky's jaw clenched.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
"You think I didn't want to?!" Rupali snapped back, panic in her voice.
Rocky exhaled sharply, frustrated.
"Fine… whatever."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Then why hasn't he told anyone?" he muttered. "Is he planning to blackmail us?"
Rupali shook her head.
"I don't know… I really don't know what he's thinking…"
Rocky smirked slightly.
"Maybe he wants your body."
Rupali's eyes hardened.
"Not everyone is as disgusting as you."
That—
Was a mistake.
Rocky's expression turned cold instantly.
He grabbed her hair harshly, tightening his grip.
"Did you forget who I am?" he growled.
Rupali winced in pain—
But then—
She laughed.
A broken, mocking laugh.
"Looks like you're scared," she said.
Rocky's face twisted with rage.
"You bitch—"
"Hmm…"
A voice interrupted.
Calm.
Lazy.
Almost amused.
"Violence in romance… that's a weird fantasy."
Both of them froze.
Slowly—
They turned around.
And there—
On a rock behind them—
Lay Aarav.
Relaxed.
One leg over the other.
As if he had been there the whole time.
Neither of them had noticed when he arrived.
Or how long he had been watching.
Rocky's expression darkened.
"I've warned you many times—"
"Yeah, yeah," Aarav cut him off lazily. "Before you say anything… think carefully."
He lifted his phone slightly.
"I have a full movie of your little 'performance.'"
Rocky gritted his teeth.
"What do you want?" he asked finally. "In exchange for that footage?"
Aarav's expression changed.
Serious.
Cold.
"Simple," he said.
"Your obedience."
Before they could react—
He raised both his hands.
On his palms—
A strange obsidian-colored mark glowed faintly.
Ancient.
Sinister.
Without warning—
He placed one hand on Rocky's forehead…
And the other on Rupali's.
"If you don't accept," Aarav said in a heavy voice, "then according to the script and the plot…"
"Your end is certain."
The world around them—
Shifted.
Darkness swallowed everything.
An illusion.
They saw it—
Their future.
Ruined.
Destroyed.
Alone.
Broken beyond repair.
Tears streamed down their faces.
Their bodies trembled.
In reality—
Even Aarav didn't fully know the future.
But his guess…
His illusion—
Was enough.
"Accept it," his voice echoed like a command.
"Or face this."
"I accept!"
"I accept!"
Both of them spoke at the same time.
Desperate.
Terrified.
Aarav smiled.
A faint red glow flashed across their foreheads—
The mark imprinting itself.
Binding them.
Then—
Snap.
He snapped his fingers.
The marks vanished.
The illusion shattered.
And Aarav—
Disappeared.
---
Rocky blinked.
"…What are we doing here?" he muttered.
Rupali looked around, confused.
"I… don't know…"
Then—
Voices echoed from afar.
"Arjun!"
"Arjun!!"
Suddenly—
It clicked.
"We came to search for Arjun," Rocky said.
Rupali nodded slowly.
Everything felt normal.
Except—
A small part of their memory…
Was missing.
Erased.
And somewhere deep within—
Without even realizing it—
They had already become Aarav's slaves.