The afternoon sun hung high above the outer districts of Ujjaini, casting long golden light across narrow streets and busy markets.
Life continued as usual.
Merchants called out prices.
Children ran between houses.
Workers carried supplies toward the city gates.
To anyone watching—
Everything looked normal.
But one pair of eyes noticed something different.
The Rakshak Scout
On a rooftop overlooking the market street, a young Rakshak scout crouched quietly.
His name was Kiran, one of the newer members assigned to the district patrols.
Unlike the elite warriors like Devika or Varun, Kiran specialized in observation.
Watching.
Listening.
Noticing what others ignored.
He leaned against the tiled roof and scanned the market below.
The Rakshaks had already searched most of the outer districts.
But Rudra Sen's order still echoed in his mind.
"Look for anomalies."
Kiran exhaled slowly.
"Anomalies…"
At first glance—
Everything seemed ordinary.
A vegetable seller arguing over prices.
A group of children chasing each other down the street.
A cart full of grain rolling toward the market square.
But then—
Something small caught his attention.
The fruit seller near the corner stall.
Kiran narrowed his eyes.
Earlier that morning, the man had been complaining loudly about losing business.
But suddenly—
Customers had started arriving.
One after another.
Almost too quickly.
Kiran leaned forward slightly.
"…Strange."
It wasn't impossible.
Sometimes markets simply shifted.
But his instincts told him something was off.
The Rakshaks had learned long ago that mind-influence techniques often revealed themselves through small behavioral changes.
And Arivaan—
Even as a fragment—
Was still dangerous.
Kiran continued watching the street carefully.
That's when he noticed something else.
Inside a nearby house—
A boy sat quietly near the window.
Reading.
Watching the street.
Not unusual.
But the boy hadn't moved in several minutes.
Just watching.
Thinking.
Kiran tilted his head slightly.
"…Curious."
Inside the House
Aarav sat near the window, pretending to read his book.
But his attention remained fixed on the faint system interface floating inside his mind.
System Recovery: 28%
Arivaan nodded slowly.
"Progress."
Aarav whispered nervously,
"Can you stop saying that?"
"Why?"
"It's creepy."
Arivaan chuckled quietly.
"That's your opinion."
The boy glanced nervously toward the window again.
"I feel like someone's watching us."
Arivaan paused.
That comment immediately sharpened his attention.
"…Explain."
Aarav swallowed.
"I don't know."
"But something feels weird."
Arivaan focused through the boy's senses.
The street looked normal.
Merchants.
Customers.
Travelers.
Nothing unusual.
But instinct made him look upward.
Toward the rooftops.
And there—
A faint silhouette crouched above the nearby building.
A Rakshak scout.
Watching the district.
Arivaan exhaled slowly.
"…Well."
"That's inconvenient."
Aarav panicked immediately.
"What?!"
"Don't look up."
The boy froze.
"Why?!"
Arivaan replied calmly.
"Because he might notice."
Aarav's heart began pounding.
"Is he looking for you?"
"Yes."
The system panel flickered again.
Detection Risk: Rising
Arivaan leaned mentally back.
"Relax."
The boy whispered desperately,
"How can I relax?!"
"Because he hasn't noticed anything yet."
At least—
Not directly.
But Arivaan knew something important.
Rakshak scouts were trained observers.
If the man kept watching long enough—
Even small irregularities might draw attention.
Arivaan sighed.
"…Annoying."
Aarav frowned.
"What are you going to do?"
Arivaan glanced at the system interface.
Only one ability remained available.
Minor Cognitive Influence
Weak.
Short range.
But maybe enough.
Arivaan smiled faintly.
"…We test it again."
Aarav groaned.
"Oh no."
On the Rooftop
Kiran continued observing the market.
The fruit seller seemed normal now.
Nothing unusual.
But the boy in the house still bothered him.
Something about that quiet posture felt… deliberate.
The scout leaned forward slightly.
"…Let's see."
He focused his attention toward the window again.
But at that exact moment—
A loud argument erupted in the market street.
Two merchants began shouting at each other over a cart of vegetables.
Kiran sighed.
"Not again…"
He turned his attention toward the disturbance.
The system ripple had worked.
Inside the house, Arivaan released the ability.
The system panel flickered.
Minor Cognitive Influence – Successful
Aarav whispered nervously,
"You made them argue!"
Arivaan shrugged mentally.
"Small distraction."
Outside, the market crowd gathered around the shouting merchants.
The Rakshak scout turned his full attention toward the commotion.
Inside the house—
Aarav slowly exhaled in relief.
"That was close."
Arivaan nodded.
"Yes."
But his thoughts remained focused on something else.
Because the scout had noticed something.
Even if only briefly.
And careful hunters didn't give up easily.
The system panel flickered again.
Recovery Progress: 29%
Arivaan smiled faintly.
"Interesting."
Because the hunt had officially begun.
And this time—
Both predator and prey were hiding in plain sight.