The walk from the Apex mall was quiet. Sunidhi walked close to Ayaan, her hand firmly gripping the sleeve of his new shirt as if she expected him to dissolve into mist the moment she let go. For her, three months of silence had been a lifetime; for Ayaan, three years of training had made this city feel like a dream he had almost forgotten.
"So, what are you up to these days?" Ayaan asked, his deep voice breaking the heavy silence.
Sunidhi rolled her eyes, a flash of her old spirit returning. "What do you mean 'what am I up to'? As if anything would change in three months. I work, I worry about our rent, and I wonder where my idiot brother ran off to."
Ayaan smiled softly. The city felt different to him now—louder, smaller, and filled with a strange, stagnant energy.
"So, what do you want for dinner, my not-so-little brother?"
"Eh, anything would do. I'm not picky," Ayaan replied.
Sunidhi stopped and looked up at him, squinting. "Not picky? Who are you? Where is the small brat who would pick out every single onion and tomato from his plate?"
They stopped at a local meat shop to buy chicken, then moved through the crowded vegetable market. Despite his rugged look, Ayaan moved with a grace that made people naturally part way for him. As the sun began to set, they turned into the narrow, dimly lit alleyway that led toward their apartment complex.
It was never the safest route, but today, Sunidhi felt a strange sense of calm. The towering man walking behind her felt more like a fortress than a person.
Suddenly, a voice that had been silent since the mall echoed in Ayaan's skull.
"Duck your head, kid."
Ayaan didn't hesitate. He dropped his weight instantly. A heavy iron pipe whistled through the air exactly where his head had been a second before, slamming into the brick wall with a shower of sparks.
"Don't let this guy leave!" a voice barked from the shadows. "He dared to humiliate me in front of Ishani. You think just because you got some muscles you're an alpha now?"
Ritesh stepped into the light of a flickering streetlamp. He stood a safe distance away, licking his lips as he looked at Sunidhi with a predatory glint. "Don't harm the lady. Not a single scratch. I like my goods unharmed."
Ayaan had been calm—the Prana usually kept his emotions like a still lake. But the moment those words left Ritesh's mouth, the lake turned into a boiling sea of lava. His vision began to tint red. The gentle evening breeze suddenly turned into an ominous, rippling pressure that made the trash on the ground swirl in violent circles.
Four men stepped out of the darkness, clutching metal pipes. They were mere mortals, insignificant ants compared to a Sadhaka who had touched the foundation of the world. Even a peak-level Yoddha couldn't have scratched Ayaan's skin, let alone these thugs.
Ayaan stood up, his eyes glowing a blood-red hue of pure rage. He took a single, deep breath to steady the tsunami growing inside him.
"To think you would be willing to break a man's bones for a little bit of money," Ayaan said, walking toward them. He didn't hurry. He moved with the terrifying inevitability of a mountain slide. "I treat those who respect me with respect. But those who touch my family..."
He looked at Sunidhi. "Close your eyes."
Sunidhi didn't argue. She squeezed her eyes shut.
In a fraction of a second—faster than a human eye could track—Ayaan moved. There were no flashy punches. There was only the sound of snapping wood and the sickening crunch of bone. Four screams pierced the air simultaneously as the thugs' wrists were bent into angles that nature never intended.
Ritesh, seeing his "muscle" neutralized in less than a heartbeat, didn't wait. He turned and bolted toward the main road, his expensive shoes slapping against the pavement.
Ayaan didn't chase him.
"Don't worry, kid," the voice echoed in his head. "No matter where he runs, he has been marked by the Vision of Doom. He will die a pitiful death."
Who are you? And how do I talk back to you? Ayaan thought, his frustration peaking.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, you're dumb. I'm in your head. Just think your words, brat," the voice groaned.
Ayaan looked down at the four men groaning on the floor. "I wonder how many people you've beaten with these hands just to earn a few rupees," he said coldly. He stepped forward, and with four distinct cracks, he shattered the remaining bones in their hands. They wouldn't be holding a pipe—or anything else—for a very long time.
He turned to Sunidhi, his heart suddenly sinking. The rage vanished, replaced by a cold fear. What if she's terrified of me? What if she thinks I'm a monster?
"Sunidhi... are you... are you angry?"
Sunidhi opened her eyes. She looked at the men on the ground, then back at her brother. There was no contempt in her expression. No fear.
"Will you ever hit me?" she asked simply.
"WHAT? Of course not!" Ayaan replied instantly, shocked by the question.
"Then why would I be scared of you?" she asked. She reached up and flicked his forehead with her fingers. "Remember who fought for you when we were kids?"
"Ow!" Ayaan yelped, rubbing his forehead. He paused, confused. Wait... why did that hurt? I've cultivated Prana. A normal human shouldn't be able to cause me pain.
Sunidhi smiled faintly, a glimmer of tears in her eyes. "Keep in mind, no matter how much you grow, I am still your older sister."
As they continued walking, Ayaan turned his attention inward. Okay, Voice. Who are you? Why are you in my mind?
"Shut up, kid. You're violent, you're loud, and you ask too many questions," the voice grumbled. "Who am I? You'll know soon enough. For now, just focus on the chicken dinner."
The Ritesh Household
Ritesh slammed through the front door of his mansion, lunging for air.
"Mom! Where... where is Dad?" he wheezed, clutching his chest.
"He's busy, Ritesh. What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"This is important! Tell me where he is!"
"You have a phone, you idiot," his mother sighed.
Ritesh fumbled with his device, his hands shaking so much he almost dropped it. He dialed his father's private line. After three rings, a deep, cold voice answered.
"What is it, Ritesh? I'm in a meeting."
"Dad... listen... it's that kid. Ayaan. He's back. But he's different. He broke four of my guys in seconds. He didn't even move! The air... it felt like it was crushing me."
There was a long silence on the other end. "He could be a cultivator," his father said, his tone shifting from annoyance to icy calculation. "Do you know where he lives?"
"Yes. I know the apartment."
"Good," the man said. "No one messes with my family. Not even a stray cultivator. I'll handle this."