16/08/17
The Rumbling Competition had ended.
What was meant to be a celebration of strength, discipline, and sorcery had instead become a night of revelation. The stadium that once trembled with applause now stood silent under layers of reinforced barriers. Torches burned along the stone corridors of the Grand Hall of the Manipuri Sorcery University, their flames flickering against ancient carvings that told stories of wars long forgotten.
Inside the Council Chamber, the true storm had just begun.
At the head of the long circular table sat Master Taibang Sana Heithoiba, the Head of the Manipuri Sorcery University. His white attire flowed over deep blue ceremonial robes embroidered with the sigil of the Three Realms. His presence alone commanded silence.
Beside him stood Ougnh Rangwa, the principal of the university, his expression strained but composed. Several higher-ups and senior sorcerers filled the chamber. The air felt heavy, thick with the residue of the earlier intrusion.
Near the tall wooden doors, half-concealed in shadow, stood an unknown figure. No one questioned his presence. That alone was unsettling.
Heithoiba's calm voice broke the silence.
"The interruption during the Rumbling Competition," he said slowly, "was not a random act."
Everyone listened.
Ougnh Rangwa stepped forward. "The entities that intervened were confirmed to be Lairois."
"The Rumbling Competition was protected by three-layer barrier formations," Rangwa said, placing the reports on the table. "Outer perimeter seal. Internal resonance filter. Emergency compression grid."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber.
"They were led," Rangwa continued carefully, "by the Ancient Lairois… Masa Yaiba Tonin."
The name alone made the torches flicker unnaturally.
Heithoiba closed his eyes for a brief moment. "And the injured?"
"It was Lanthaba," Rangwa replied.
Silence fell again.
Then Heithoiba spoke words that froze every heart in the room.
"So… they came to take Lanthaba for their purpose."
Several of the higher-ups stiffened.
The unknown man near the door shifted slightly but remained silent.
Heithoiba's voice deepened.
"Do you all remember Dimapur, 2013?"
The words struck like lightning.
Every higher-up except Ougnh Rangwa visibly reacted. Faces drained of color. Eyes widened.
Dimapur, 2013.
The incident that was sealed from public knowledge. The first recorded breach in modern times where Lairois attempted to capture a human sorcerer possessing dual-technique potential.
"They failed that time," one elder muttered.
"Yes," Heithoiba said. "But the prophecy tied to that incident remains unresolved."
Another higher-up clenched his staff. "There is no time left. We must prepare for what's coming next. And we must face more Lairois than we have ever encountered."
Agreement echoed across the chamber.
Before discussions could deepen, the grand doors opened.
Three figures entered, their footsteps synchronized.
The Big Three families had arrived.
First came Wakheipam Suronjit, head of the 31 Wakheipam family. His sharp gaze reflected decades of battlefield command.
Next was Laiwam Reichand, head of the 44 Laiwam family, wearing layered white robes marked with protective talismans.
Lastly, Sarangthem Ibohal, head of the 32 Sarangthem family, carried a wooden staff engraved with clan-based seals.
Each was around sixty-four years old. Each was a master of their clan's inherited techniques.
They took their respected seats without unnecessary ceremony.
Heithoiba turned to Reichand.
"How is Lanthaba?"
Reichand smiled faintly. "He is fit and fine. His body stabilized faster than expected. He will wake at any moment. Do not worry."
A subtle wave of relief passed through the room.
"They didn't break the barrier," Suronjit observed quietly. "They passed through it."
"Yes," Rangwa replied. "Without destabilizing it."
That statement was far more dangerous than it sounded.
Breaking a barrier was force.
Passing through it was understanding.
Heithoiba finally spoke.
"Which means," he said calmly, "they have studied us."
The torches flickered.
Reichand leaned forward. "Was it a coordinated incursion?"
How many?" Sarangthem Ibohal asked.
Rangwa hesitated.
"Possibly dozens."
Silence crashed into the chamber.
Heithoiba's eyes darkened slightly.
"And their objective?"
Rangwa inhaled slowly.
"They ignored the crowd. Ignored the faculty. They moved directly toward Lanthaba."
The name lingered in the air.
Suronjit's voice dropped. "Then it is confirmed."
"Yes," Heithoiba said. "Dimapur was not an isolated attempt."
The torches dimmed again.
Reichand's fingers traced a small talisman on his sleeve. "In 2013, they targeted a dual-potential sorcerer candidate. We believed the anomaly had disappeared."
"It did not disappear," Heithoiba said quietly. "It matured."
All eyes turned toward the empty space on the table where Lanthaba's report lay.
Ougnh Rangwa gestured, and a projection glyph formed in the air.
A rotating model of energy structure appeared—two separate technique signatures intertwined but not fused.
"Clan technique: Anti Gravity Systems," Rangwa explained. "Stable. Hereditary. Traceable."
The projection shifted, revealing a second frequency—irregular, fluctuating, almost alive.
"Innate technique: E-FLUX. Emotional Frequency Linear Unification X-System."
The elders stared.
"This is not simply emotional amplification," Rangwa continued. "It converts emotional resonance into structured energy output. That means the stronger the emotion, the greater the amplification potential."
"Unstable," Suronjit muttered.
"Unless mastered," Heithoiba corrected.
Ibohal leaned back. "If the Lairois capture him, they gain a bridge. A living conduit between Meeyoileipak and their realm."
"Or worse," Reichand added. "They could reverse-engineer the technique."
The idea alone made the air heavy.
Heithoiba folded his hands.
"Then we will not allow capture."
"But how? Our young sorcerers cannot even maintain sustained barrier projection for thirty minutes."
"We accelerate training," Suronjit said.
"At the cost of stability?" Reichand countered. "Pushing them prematurely could fracture their core channels."
Heithoiba turned to the council.
"Then we prepare on three fronts."
He raised one finger.
"First: Internal stabilization. Increase training intensity for advanced students under controlled supervision."
Second finger.
"Second: External vigilance. Deploy elite sorcerers to strategic points across Manipur. Silent watch posts."
Third finger.
"Third: Intelligence. We must know their structure, their factions, their internal conflict."
Reichand nodded slowly. "A reconnaissance unit."
"Yes."
Suronjit's eyes sharpened. "Volunteers will be limited."
"They will be chosen," Heithoiba corrected.
The unknown man stepped back into shadow.
"Time is not abundant," he said quietly. "Tonin moves when the moon fractures."
The torches flared momentarily.
But the man did not elaborate.
Every person in the chamber stood instinctively.
A short man entered—no taller than 165 centimeters. Slim frame. Age fifty-one. Yet the aura that radiated from him pressed against the lungs of even the strongest sorcerers.
It felt like standing before a silent storm.
Heithoiba smiled warmly.
"Welcome, Akhoipam Leiphunglapkpa."
The legendary sorcerer inclined his head slightly.
Among the sorcerers of Manipur, his name carried weight beyond titles. He was regarded as the strongest living sorcerer.
Leiphunglapkpa's sharp eyes scanned the room.
"I have heard what happened," he said calmly. "And I have observed the boy."
He stepped forward.
"I will personally train Lanthaba."
Shock flickered across several faces.
"He has the potential to surpass us," Leiphunglapkpa continued. "He possesses two techniques."
"That phenomenon appears once in a million," Leiphunglapkpa said. "To carry two techniques simultaneously is… extraordinary."
Heithoiba studied him carefully. "You are certain?"
"Yes."
Leiphunglapkpa's gaze sharpened.
"If guided correctly, he may become the pivot between realms. If left unguided, he may become the reason those realms collapse."
The higher-ups exchanged glances.
After a brief deliberation, they approved.
Lanthaba would be trained personally by Akhoipam Leiphunglapkpa.
Additionally, an elite reconnaissance group would be formed—comprised of senior sorcerers and selected clan members—to enter Lairois Leipak and gather intelligence.
Meanwhile.
Inside the nurse room of the university hospital.
Lanthaba dreamed.
Darkness surrounded him.
From within the void, a tall shadowed figure appeared.
Long hair.
Ancient attire.
A presence older than memory.
The voice echoed, fragmented.
"You… do not have… much time…"
"…He was not… the only one…"
"Careful… do not rush…"
The figure's face never became clear.
The dream shattered.
Lanthaba jolted awake and accidentally fell from the medical bed onto the floor.
He blinked rapidly, trying to process reality.
The sterile scent of medicine.
White walls.
Bandages wrapped around his torso.
A familiar voice spoke calmly.
"You're awake."
He looked up.
Wakheipam Kondonglei.
His teacher.
Lanthaba immediately tried to stand and greet him, only to realize he was half-naked due to medical treatment.
"I— I'm sorry, Miss Kondonglei!"
Kondonglei sighed softly.
"You were unconscious since yesterday. After the competition."
He paused.
"Yaikhomba has been waiting."
Right on cue, the door burst open.
Yaikhomba rushed in.
"LAN! You idiot!"
His eyes were red.
He didn't care about pride or rivalry.
"You scared us! Are you hurt badly? Does it still hurt? Why didn't you call for help?"
Emotion trembled in his voice.
Lanthaba managed a small smile.
"I'm fine… I think."
Footsteps approached again.
Jennie Romgmei entered.
She looked different — serious, observant.
"Are you really fine?" she asked quietly.
Her eyes studied him.
"After your fight with that Lairois… he said something. A message. That you should prepare.
Lanthaba looked at his friends.
At his teacher.
At the window beyond them where distant barriers shimmered faintly over the university grounds.
Something had changed.
He could feel it.
The world felt heavier.
Now the World is going to face the biggest Event and revealing the new enemy.
Lanthaba with calm expression said to Yaikhomba " We should trained more and become strong to prevent the ongoing conflict which can devastated the Three Realm". Yaikhomba with puzzle expression smile and loudly said " Don't worried because our Brotherhood is strong and no one will take down us, I have defeated strong enemy so you take rest and I will protect, Lanthaba."