MidnightOne Week Later
High above the capital, Rajkumar Hamsa hovered in the night sky.
The moon was in its fading phase, thin and pale and his suit—black and light-absorbing—merged almost seamlessly with the darkness. So from below, the general populace saw nothing.
Within the palace, Chotu lay in Hamsa's bed, sustained by a steady trickle of mana—an imitation presence, warm and breathing.
Only the shadow agents stationed across the Royal District knew the truth.
"This is awesome," Hamsa breathed. "It worked. It actually worked."
Kid, are you going to fly or just hover dramatically? Adi interjected. They will start scrambling to find you soon. It is fortunate that your parents are outside the capital. But those shadow agents we saw? They will not disobey orders even if you try and intimidate them.
"I know," Hamsa replied mentally. "I am just getting a feel for it."
Below, movement stirred. Mana signatures. Men mobilizing.
"Alright," Hamsa muttered. "Here goes nothing."
He initiated controlled circulation.
Using Mana, the air condensed around him in a tight rotational flow and was compressed further, shaping the stream and directing it downward near his feet—like a jet exhaust, except the engine was not mechanical.
It was him.
He began moving slowly beyond the city limits. Once he had cleared the outer perimeter, he increased altitude, angled eastward briefly, then rotated one-hundred-and-eighty degrees to head west—toward the mountains.
What do you think? Hamsa asked.
Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.
Hamsa with a smug face looked down as he scanned the terrain below.
"Now… where is it?"
What are you looking for?
"The city's water supply. The aqueducts run from the mountains. There should be a maintenance facility somewhere along the line. If I find that, I find the ducts."
And why?
"I want to look at them."
He cut through the sky like an arrow released from a bow.
What he was doing sounded simple in theory—but in practice it demanded continuous micro-adjustments.
Lift came first.
He maintained a charge differential between his micro-mana environment and the ambient mana of the atmosphere. Controlled repulsion and attraction to stabilized altitude.
Then propulsion.
Air was compressed, shaped, and released downward. And for directional shifts, he allowed calculated leakage along one side. And to generate rotational torque to stabilize his role.
The suit and outer mana shell executed these changes.
The inner mana layer regulated temperature—for both the metal and his body.
For breathing, he diverted air through the above two-stage process: compression in the outer layer, then thermal adjustment in the inner layer before channeling it toward his nose and mouth.
"This is working really well," Hamsa said aloud.
You do realize no one can hear you up here, right?
"You hear me."
Through your thoughts. Not your mouth.
"Close enough."
Ugh. So? How does it feel?
"Better than expected. Temperature is manageable. Structural stress seems stable. And breathing is..." Hamsa took a few breaths before he poke again. "fine."
He tilted slightly.
"Now I need to test velocity."
You are not going fast enough? And what happened finding that Aqueduct thing.
"I do not know my current speed." Hamsa said as he ignored the second part. "But this is nowhere near even early jet benchmarks. The air behind me is not even superheating."
Do not compare yourself to jets.
"Relax. I am just aiming for Mach."
He slowed, hovering briefly.
You are joking, right?
"I am joking about Mach. But I want to push past at least one hundred kilometers per hour. Maybe two hundred. In my previous world, that was around the upper threshold for an unprotected human."
You are not unprotected.
"Exactly."
He steadied himself mid-air.
"I suspect this body can endure far more and mana helps as well. So I will increase incrementally....."
Kid… think before you—
Hamsa released more mana.
The outer field thickened. Structural reinforcement strengthened across joints and along his spine. Internal flow stabilized.
Then he accelerated.
Air pressure increased around him. Resistance rose sharply—but the suit cut through it, guided by mana-sculpted channels.
Faster.
The wind roared past him now, though filtered through layered control systems.
Faster.
The capital shrank behind him. The mountains approached.
And then—
A faint blue-white shimmer began forming in his wake.
Thin at first and then sharper.
A barely visible trail carved through the night sky.
Hamsa's eyes widened inside the helmet.
"This—" Hamsa exclaimed as a grin came across his face. "—is incredible."
The blue-white streak lengthened behind him as he pushed further into the dark, racing toward the mountains—toward something no prince of this classical, mana-bound world had ever attempted before.
_________________________________
Palace
Basement — Intelligence Chamber
The magi stones embedded in the walls glowed steadily, casting a pale blue sheen across the underground chamber. The air was cool and unmoving. A long stone table occupied the center of the room, around which several shadow agents had gathered.
"What do you mean he flew off?!" a man who had just rushed in exclaimed as he dropped into a seat beside the other two—a second man and a woman.
"Calm yourself," the woman said evenly.
"Calm myself? We have to submit a report by daybreak. What do you expect us to write? 'The Rajkumar flew into the night sky while we remained on the ground frozen like a dear in front of a lion'?"
"We still have time," the second man replied. "It is barely midnight."
Before the argument could continue, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor. Several agents stopped at the entrance and stood at attention.
The three at the table turned toward them.
"What is it now?" the first man demanded.
"Sir," one of the agents said, slightly out of breath, "the Rajkumar has returned. And…"
"And?" the man pressed. "Speak."
"He wishes to speak with you."
"Speak about what?" the woman asked sharply.
"We do not know, ma'am. He only stated that he wishes to speak with his superiors."
A brief silence followed.
"Very well," the woman said at last. "Inform the Rajkumar that we will attend him shortly. He may wait in his chambers. You are dismissed."
The messenger bowed and departed.
One of the men immediately turned toward her.
"What are you doing?"
"You heard him," she replied calmly. "The Rajkumar wishes to speak with us. Considering he is our future liege, it would be prudent to meet him."
"His appointment as Yuvraj is not yet declared," the first man countered.
"You and I," she said evenly, "along with Bhima here, know that it is only a matter of time. Given what we have witnessed—and the Mahadevi's disposition—I would not be surprised if we are made answerable to him sooner than expected."
"You truly think he is that impressive, Kunti?" the man asked.
Kunti turned her gaze to the third man.
"Bhima. You have been stationed in the capital since his birth. What is your assessment?"
Bhima, who had remained silent until now, straightened slightly.
"Kunti is correct," he said. "Rajkumar Hamsa will be named Yuvraj. That is set in stone now."
"And?" Krishna, the second man at the table, prompted.
"And if you are asking whether he will dispose of us—" Bhima paused briefly. "No. I do not believe he will."
"You believe," Krishna replied dryly. "He is the youngest in history to awaken. He behaves less like a child and more like a man misplaced into one. And when was the last time you saw Mahamanthri Vasu challenged so directly? We—"
"That," Kunti interrupted calmly, "is precisely why caution is required. We will debate speculation later. For now, the Rajkumar waits."
"And the report?" Krishna asked.
"We hear him first," she replied. "We still have time before dawn. If we submit the full truth without context, we invite unnecessary oversight—and likely an angered Mahadevi."
Bhima drew a slow breath.
"Very well."
The three rose from the table.
Together, they left the underground chamber and made their way toward the Royal Residence.
___________________
Royal Residence
Hamsa's Chambers
The chamber doors were shut.
Hamsa stood near the center of the room as Gopal carefully began removing the segmented plates of the black suit.
"Gopal," Hamsa asked casually, "how old are you?"
"I am thirty years old, Rajkumar," Gopal replied, unfastening one of the knee locks.
"Careful," Hamsa said as a leg piece was loosened. "And for how long did you serve under my grandfather?"
Gopal hesitated only briefly.
"I am a dasa, Rajkumar."
Hamsa's eyes flickered slightly.
"Is that so."
Dasa. Devotee. Servant. Bound. In scripture, it could mean one who surrendered in devotion. In practice, it meant something closer to bonded service—personal and domestic, and in many cases inherited. Though not slavery in the imperial, industrial sense of the Roman or later European systems, where it was used for nearly any labor imaginable—still, it was a life not entirely one's own.
A status shaped by duty and dependence, where loyalty was expected, and freedom was rarely a consideration.
Hamsa said nothing further on the matter.
Gopal continued removing the armor in silence.
Kid… you sure you want to do this? Adi asked quietly.
I am sure. I will speak to them myself.
And you think they will agree?
I will try persuasion first.
Hamsa flexed his fingers as the chest plate came off.
If necessary, I will let them feel my mana.
That sounds suspiciously like intimidation.
Call it… demonstration.
And if they refuse?
Hamsa gave a small breath of amusement.
Then not even an avatar of Vishnu or Shiva performing the Shivtandava will save my ass from being grounded.
A knock came at the outer door.
A guard stepped inside and bowed.
"At ease. What is it?" Hamsa asked.
"Rajkumar, they are here."
"Send them in. And from now on, if I summon someone, you allow them entry. Do not request confirmation each time."
"As you command, Rajkumar."
The guard withdrew.
Moments later, three figures entered—Kunti, Bhima, and Krishna.
Hamsa let his mana rise—not aggressively—but enough to fill the room with density. The air grew subtly heavier.
"Welcome," Hamsa said calmly, taking a seat at the foot of his bed. "I appreciate you coming."
"Rajkumar," Kunti said evenly, "why did you summon us?"
"Straight to the point. Good."
He rested his forearms lightly against his knees.
"I am aware that my mother has ordered you to observe and report my actions. Is that correct?"
"That is correct, Rajkumar," Krishna replied.
"Very well."
Hamsa allowed a brief pause.
"If my mother learns precisely what I did tonight, I will be in trouble. That much is obvious. However"—his gaze sharpened slightly—"you will likely suffer more inconvenience than I will."
The three remained silent.
"My mother," Hamsa continued mildly, "is not known for her understanding when angered."
Bhima inclined his head.
"We act under direct orders, Rajkumar."
"I understand that," Hamsa replied immediately. "I am not asking you to defy her. I am asking you not to provide the entire truth."
Silence deepened.
"You may report that I left the palace grounds briefly. That I tested mana projection at altitude. That I returned safely."
He leaned back slightly.
"There is no need to elaborate on speed. Or direction. Or duration."
Krishna studied him carefully.
"And why," he asked, "should we risk omission?"
Hamsa's mana pulsed once—controlled and deliberate.
"You have observed the Royal Guard, have you not?" he asked. "Their growth. Their stabilization."
None of them answered, but none denied it either.
"And one among your own," Hamsa added quietly.
Bhima's expression shifted—just slightly.
"I can do the same for you," Hamsa said. "Not for all. But for those you and I deem worthy. Strengthened mana circuits and greater longevity."
He held their gaze steadily.
"No one else in this world can offer you that."
Kunti spoke carefully.
"And in return?"
"In return," Hamsa said, "you report responsibly. And when I ascend in due time, I will not remember tonight as a failure of loyalty."
A subtle pause.
"I will remember it as discretion."
The room remained still.
Mana lingered in the air—not oppressive, but undeniable.
They discussed for longer than intended. Weighing consequences. Weighing ambition. Weighing risk.
By the time a rider was finally dispatched with the morning report, the sky was already beginning to pale faintly toward dawn.
The message was… incomplete.
And Rajkumar Hamsa had obtained what he wanted.
____________________________
Next Morning
The sun rose steadily over the capital.
Birds chirped from palace gardens as golden light dissolved the last of the dawn mist. The breeze, cool at first light, gradually began to warm. Servants moved through corridors, bronze vessels clinked softly, and the Royal District resumed its disciplined rhythm.
Rajkumar Hamsa, however, was still asleep.
The exertion from the previous night had drained him more than he anticipated. Sustained high-altitude mana manipulation, temperature regulation, airflow compression, structural reinforcement—it had all taken its toll.
Chotu, on the other hand, was very much awake.
The cub had already climbed onto Hamsa's desk and, in a fit of curiosity, managed to scatter several stacked palm leaves and birch sheets across the floor. After thoroughly rearranging the prince's carefully organized work, he trotted back toward the bed.
Then he sat directly on Hamsa's face.
This kid's pet is as annoying to him as he is to me, Adi thought dryly. This is amusing.
Outside, nothing seemed unusual.
Inside—
Hamsa's breathing abruptly stopped.
His eyes flew open.
He shot upright with a violent gasp, drawing in deep breaths.
"Ugh—why you little—come here!" he snapped, lunging forward.
Chotu leapt back, but not fast enough.
After a brief struggle involving tangled blankets and indignant squeaks, Hamsa finally caught the cub and pulled him close.
"You think that's funny?" he muttered, rubbing the cub's head vigorously.
Chotu squirmed in irritation at first.
Morning, kid. Adi said lazily.
Morning.
What exactly are you doing?
I am enjoying myself, Hamsa replied flatly. And this is punishment. Look at my desk. For that, I should be cutting his rations at the least, so this should be fine.
He continued aggressively petting the cub.
After a moment, Chotu stopped resisting and began enjoying it.
You do realize he likes it when you pet him. Adi pointed out.
I said I am enjoying myself. So be quiet.
There was a brief pause.
Alright. That aside, Adi continued, what you did last night… was that wise? You altered more than twenty agents.
Hamsa's movements slowed slightly.
Yes. I know what I did.
And?
Think of it as an investment.
He adjusted his grip on Chotu, now lazily scratching behind the cub's ear.
I did not alter their total mana capacity. I only refined their efficiency. Stabilized circuits. Reduced internal leakage. That is all.
A small pause.
The only ones whose capacity I truly modified were Mina's brother and the three heads— he paused thinking. and what was their names again. he finally added.
You don't even remember their names properly. Adi muttered.
That is not the point.
He leaned back against the headboard.
They received something substantial. The rest merely improved control.
And in return?
They did not write a report that would get me grounded. Where you there aren't you?
He gave a faint smirk.
And they now view me positively. With a healthy degree of fear.
And they are safe from your mother? Adi asked pointedly.
Hamsa snorted lightly.
Come on. It's not like my mother knows I can—"
He froze mid-sentence.
You can…? Adi pressed.
Hamsa's expression darkened.
…She knows I can levitate.
What?
Mina. Naga. Gopala.
He dropped his hand from Chotu's head.
I forgot.
Forgot what?
They did not include it in any written report, Hamsa said slowly. I checked.
Then what's the problem?
Written. Hamsa repeated. That does not mean they did not report verbally.
There was a silence.
Well, Adi said bluntly, you may have miscalculated. You performed something dangerous. You influenced her agents. And if she already knew you could levitate—
Hamsa remained quiet, still absentmindedly stroking Chotu's fur.
…Then I escalated.
Yes. Adi replied.
Another pause.
"Well," Hamsa finally said, exhaling slowly, "it is what it is. If I am grounded, I am grounded."
You sound remarkably calm.
I suspect I will be given some leeway, Hamsa said. After all, I managed to make her most loyal agents bend.
You strong-armed them, Adi corrected. The first half was negotiation. The second half was intimidation.
It was clarification. Hamsa replied evenly.
Of what?
"Of reality. Of consequences. Of opportunity."
He glanced toward his desk, now in disarray.
Besides, he added quietly, if they feared only my mother, they would never consider me seriously.
And now?
Now, Hamsa said, standing from the bed with Chotu still in his arms, they understand that I am not simply a child under observation at the least.
He looked toward the door.
The palace was fully awake now.
"And if Mother already knows," he finished calmly, "then I will deal with that when she summons me."