The change did not announce itself.
It did not arrive with noise, or movement, or even presence that could be immediately identified. It slipped in quietly, like a flaw hidden within perfection, so subtle that it could not be noticed by those who still depended on clarity to understand the world.
But Karna—
Felt it.
Not as sight.
Not as flow.
But as absence.
The morning training had begun like any other. The Gurukul grounds were alive with disciplined motion, students moving through forms, their bodies aligned with breath and intent, each action measured, each step grounded. The air carried a steady rhythm, one that had remained unchanged for days.
Predictable.
Stable.
Ordered.
And yet—
Something was wrong.
