The line was long. People were moving forward one after another — slowly, impatiently. Ahead was the door of a closed room, which opened and closed every few minutes.
Aryan was standing in the line — hands in pockets, gaze forward.
Meena's turn came.
She went inside the room. The room was small — white walls, one table, and a teacher standing in front.
Teacher: Release your Maya energy. The more energy there is, the rank will be given accordingly.
Meena closed her eyes. One moment.
Then white colored energy rose from her body — not light, heavy. The air of the room changed. The teacher's eyes widened a little.
He looked at the device tied to his wrist.
40%.
Teacher: Meena, you can use 40% of the surrounding Maya energy.
Something fell on Meena's face — not hope, disappointment.
Teacher: Don't be sad. You also know — rank doesn't matter much. The day you understand your power well, on that day hunter rank won't matter for you.
Meena looked at him for a moment. Then a small smile came on her lips.
Meena: Yes, you are right. One day I will become a powerful hunter — and will help everyone.
The teacher told her the full breakdown of ranks.
C rank — 20%. B rank — 40%. A rank — 60%. S rank — 80%. And Z rank — 100%.
Meena kept listening carefully.
Then the teacher took out a small lens from his pocket and extended it toward Meena.
Meena: What will this be used for?
Teacher: An announcement will happen soon — then you'll find out.
Outside in the line, Aryan's turn was about to come.
Just then Rudra Pratap emerged from among the crowd — straight toward Aryan.
He gestured.
Aryan saw. He didn't want to go — he had been standing in line for so long. But Rudra Pratap didn't stop.
He came near Aryan. Grabbed his arm with one hand — and started walking.
Aryan: What are you doing? My turn will be gone.
Rudra Pratap: I was calling you, you didn't come. So I'm taking you by force.
Aryan: Where are you taking me after all?
Rudra Pratap's office.
The door opened — and Aryan was pushed lightly inside.
Aryan fell to the ground. Got up on his knees, forehead creased.
Aryan: Why are you throwing me around like garbage?
Rudra Pratap came inside closing the door. There was no apology in his voice.
Rudra Pratap: I want to help you. If you had stayed standing in that line — everyone would have found out that you are from the Kalraksh family. And as soon as they found out, everyone would come to kill you.
Aryan got up. He looked at Rudra Pratap.
Aryan: Is the Kalraksh family really that bad?
Rudra Pratap turned toward the window. Outside was the entire city.
Rudra Pratap: Whenever any member of the Kalraksh family appears in this world — a destruction comes. Not an earthquake, not a flood — something else. A shift. And your family has sided with demons. Has done the work of destroying this world.
Aryan stayed silent for a while.
Aryan: Okay... so this is a very big trouble.
Rudra Pratap turned around.
Rudra Pratap: I can give you rank by looking at you. You are an A rank hunter.
He took out a lens from his pocket and extended it toward Aryan.
Aryan: What is this?
Rudra Pratap: Lens system. It will give you information about any person, any weapon, any thing. Just put it in your eyes.
Aryan: I could have gotten this from outside too.
Rudra Pratap: No. Every system has the Kalraksh family's data fed into it. As soon as you put any system in your eyes — it would get destroyed. And you could have gone blind.
Aryan's hands paused a little.
Aryan: Really? You actually saved my life.
He took the lens in his hand.
Aryan: But will this do the same? Will I go blind?
Rudra Pratap: No. I changed its command myself. No harm will come to you.
Aryan looked at the lens. Then looked up.
Aryan: One question — ever since I awakened, the pupils of my eyes have turned red. Why is that?
Rudra Pratap: Every member of the Kalraksh family has eyes like that. This is your identity.
Just then the door flew open quickly.
The manager came in panting — panic on his face, sweat on his forehead.
Manager: Sir — suddenly many monsters are appearing in Mumbai city. They are attacking people — and then suddenly disappearing.
Rudra Pratap: Hunters were sent?
Manager: They were sent sir. But they also... disappeared.
A moment of silence in the room.
Rudra Pratap: What?
Without listening to anything more he walked out from there.