Morning came quietly.
The first light of dawn spread gently across the gurukul, brushing the grounds in soft gold. The air was cool, calm, and for a brief moment—
Everything felt normal.
But that calm did not last.
Because beneath it—
Something had changed.
The gurukul was different today.
Not in its structure.
Not in its routines.
The same students trained.
The same paths were walked.
The same discipline was followed.
But the atmosphere—
Had shifted.
Something had spread through the grounds.
Not fear.
Not panic.
But tension.
Subtle.
Controlled.
Yet impossible to ignore.
Students moved more carefully than usual.
Their voices were lower.
Their eyes sharper.
They watched each other—
And the instructors—
More closely.
Because word had traveled.
Not openly.
Not loudly.
But enough.
Something had happened in the forest.
Something beyond training.
Something not normal.
At the center of the training grounds—
The instructors stood gathered.
