Karma walked out of the grand library, his mind still spinning. The knowledge of the 7 Chakras, the ancient Yugas, and the terrifying power of Pran Energy felt like a heavy weight on his shoulders. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear the footsteps rushing up behind him.
SMACK!
Karma yelped and jumped forward, rubbing his backside.
"Yo!" Kanha laughed loudly, slinging a heavy arm around Karma's neck. "Look who survived! Let me guess... you went to the library to hide, and ended up flirting with the sweet library madam, right? Man, you move fast on your first day!"
Karma glared at him, his face turning slightly red. "I wasn't flirting with anyone, Kanha! And what madam?"
"Ahem." A cold, sharp voice interrupted them.
Karma turned and saw a boy with neat hair, sharp eyes, and an expression of pure annoyance. It was Sambhab, the guy Kanha had been fighting alongside in the Mirror Dimension.
"Kanha, have some respect," Sambhab scolded, adjusting his collar. "The librarian is a respectable madam. Don't talk about the faculty like that." He then looked at Karma, his eyes scanning him from head to toe. "So, you're the guy who blew up the circuit board. I'm Sambhab."
"Karma," he replied, shaking Sambhab's hand.
Kanha completely ignored Sambhab's scolding and nudged Karma with his elbow. "Come on, spill it. How was the madam? Did she give you a quiet corner to study?"
Karma let out an exhausted sigh. "Guys, there was no 'madam' in there. There was just an old, perverted man reading a dirty magazine."
Both Kanha and Sambhab stopped walking. They stared at Karma in dead silence.
"A... perverted old man?" Kanha blinked.
"Yes," Karma nodded, rubbing his sore ribs. "And he is a monster. I startled him, and he threw a punch that almost took my head off. When I managed to kick his magazine away, he just snapped his fingers. A wave of invisible energy threw me across the room. He called it a 'one percent' Pran attack."
Sambhab's eyes widened in genuine shock. He quickly stepped closer. "Wait. The regular librarian is on leave today. But I know every faculty member in Vedas Heritage. There is no old man on the staff with that kind of terrifying power. A single snap?"
"Maybe he's a guest?" Kanha rubbed his chin, suddenly looking serious. "Or a high-ranking, rogue Pranist hiding in the academy?"
"If he is a high-ranking Pranist, you are incredibly lucky to be alive, Karma," Sambhab said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Kanha suddenly grabbed Karma by the shoulders, his eyes widening as he looked closely at Karma's face. "Hold on... you fought back? You dodged him? Guys, look at his aura!"
Sambhab focused his eyes, tuning into his Pran senses. He gasped. Faint, but undeniable traces of teal energy were flickering around Karma's body.
"Don't worry about the old man right now," Kanha grinned, slapping Karma on the back hard enough to make him cough. "Our boy here just awakened his 1st Chakra! In a single day! Without even trying!"
"That's... statistically impossible without training," Sambhab muttered, looking at Karma like he was a rare science experiment. "Who exactly are you?"
Before Karma could explain his father's Storm Hand Style, the loud, ringing bell of the academy echoed through the halls. It was time for their next class.
The Classroom
The first-year classroom was massive, with rows of ascending desks. As soon as they walked in, Sambhab, being the ultimate topper, marched straight to the first row, opening his notebook before the teacher even arrived.
Kanha groaned. "Nerd," he muttered. He grabbed Karma's wrist. "Come on, the real legends sit at the back."
Kanha dragged Karma up the stairs to the very last row, dropping his bag onto a desk. Karma was about to sit down when he froze completely.
Sitting just one desk away, quietly looking out the window, was a girl with long, dark hair.
It was Daizy.
Kanha noticed Karma standing like a statue. He waved a hand in front of Karma's face. "Hello? Earth to Karma? What, did you see a ghost or something?"
Daizy turned her head. When she saw Karma, her serious expression softened. She stood up gracefully and walked over to their desk.
"It's good to officially meet you, Karma," Daizy said softly. Her voice was calm and soothing, just like the green healing light he remembered from his childhood dream. Then, she bowed her head slightly. "I also wanted to apologize... on behalf of my older sister. What she did at the lake was unacceptable."
Karma blinked, completely confused. "Sister? Wait... Sera is your sister? But you two look nothing alike. And she acts like a predator, while you..."
"We are step-sisters," Daizy explained, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "We share a father, but different mothers. Our family dynamics are... complicated."
Kanha, who had been leaning back in his chair, suddenly laughed out loud. "Oh, I get it! Typical rich family drama! The old man probably has like ten concubines hidden away in some mansion, right? Fighting over the inheritance—"
SMACK!
The sound echoed through the entire back row.
Kanha's head was thrown to the side. Daizy stood there, her hand raised, her eyes blazing with sudden, icy anger. It wasn't a Pran-infused strike, just a normal, incredibly painful slap.
Kanha held his bright red cheek, his eyes watering. "Okay... okay, I deserved that. I'll just... go sit over there with Sambhab." He quickly grabbed his bag and ran down the stairs, leaving the two of them alone.
Karma stood there, shocked. He slowly looked at Daizy. Her anger faded the moment Kanha left, replaced by a quiet vulnerability.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "I hate when people talk about my family like it's a joke."
"Don't apologize," Karma said softly. He pulled out the chair next to his and gestured for her to sit. "He definitely deserved it."
Daizy sat down next to him. The noisy chatter of the classroom seemed to fade away. For Karma, it felt like the heavy, chaotic storm inside him was suddenly calming down. Sitting next to her, he didn't feel like a target, and he didn't feel afraid.
He looked at her hands, remembering the dream. He remembered the feeling of her saving his life when they were kids.
"Daizy," Karma started, his voice barely a whisper. "Back at the lake... Sera said we knew each other from kindergarten. Is that true?"
Daizy looked up, her dark eyes locking onto his. There was no hesitation in her gaze, only a deep, unspoken trust.
"I've been waiting for you to remember, Karma," she said quietly. "I told you I'd find you again. And I never break my promises.
SCENE SHIFT:-
High above the bustling classrooms of Vedas Heritage International, on the very top floor of the central tower, was a room that few students ever saw. It was the Principal's office.
The room was vast and intimidating. The walls were lined with ancient weapons and glowing glass cases containing rare, crystallized Chakra cores. A massive window offered a perfect view of the entire academy, including the tranquil Swan Lake. The air in this room was heavy—so heavy that a normal person would find it hard to breathe.
Sitting behind a grand mahogany desk was Principal Vardhan, a tall, stern man with sharp eyes and an immaculate suit. Despite being one of the most powerful Pranists in the country, right now, he was carefully pouring hot tea from an elegant porcelain teapot.
The golden tea smelled of rare mountain herbs, known to restore Pran Energy.
He handed the delicate cup to the man sitting opposite him on a plush leather sofa.
It was the old librarian.
However, the old man no longer looked like a lazy, perverted staff member. Though he still wore his oversized, rumpled sweater, his posture was entirely different. His spine was straight, and the lazy look in his eyes had been replaced by a sharp, overwhelming presence that commanded absolute respect.
"Please, enjoy the tea, Council Member Rudra," Principal Vardhan said, his voice lowering with deep reverence. "It is an honor to have you visit our academy."
(Narrator's Note: In the hidden, dangerous world of Chakra and Pran Energy, there is a supreme governing body known as the Global Council. They control the laws of all PRANIST. This council is ruled by the Top 7 strongest Pranists alive. The old man sipping tea on the sofa was not just a librarian. He was one of those seven walking legends . Across the world, his title was known and feared: "The Ultimate King.")
Lord Rudra took a slow sip of the golden tea and let out a satisfied sigh. "Good blend, Vardhan. Very calming. I needed this after my morning... research was so rudely interrupted."
Principal Vardhan allowed a small, knowing smile to touch his lips. He sat down in his own chair and crossed his hands. "Sir Rudra, you have wandered the world for years, hiding your true identity. Are you finally here because your hunger for finding a true disciple is over? Have you found someone worthy to inherit your legacy?"
Rudra placed the teacup gently on the table. A spark of genuine amusement danced in his gray eyes.
"I haven't decided if he will be my disciple yet," Rudra said smoothly. "But... I did find a very interesting boy today."
Vardhan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A boy? Do you mean a newbie? A first-year student?"
"Exactly," Rudra chuckled, leaning back. "Most people think talent is just about having a massive Chakra core or a flashy Signature Skill. Yes, the boy has raw, untrained talent. His aura is flickering with a strange, teal energy. But that is not his true strength."
"Then what caught the eye of The Ultimate King?" Vardhan asked, genuinely curious.
"His unpredictability," Rudra stated, his voice turning serious. "When a normal student faces absolute, overwhelming power, they do one of two things: they freeze in terror, or they attack blindly and get themselves killed."
Rudra thought back to the moment in the library. He remembered the boy shifting his momentum mid-air, completely abandoning the martial arts attack just to snatch the magazine.
"This boy didn't freeze," Rudra continued, a proud smirk forming on his face. "He instinctively knew he couldn't pierce my defense. So, he changed his angle entirely, found my only psychological weak point, and exploited it. He actually blackmailed me—one of the Top 7 Pranists in the world—by threatening to report me to you for reading adult magazines!"
Rudra burst into a loud, booming laugh that rattled the teacups on the table.
Principal Vardhan sighed, rubbing his temples. He was well aware of Rudra's eccentric habits, but he didn't dare scold the Ultimate King.
"Unpredictability is a double-edged sword, Sir Rudra," Vardhan warned gently. "It can save a life, but it can also cause massive chaos. Especially with what is coming next month."
The laughter slowly faded from Rudra's face. The atmosphere in the grand office instantly grew cold and serious.
"Ah, yes," Rudra murmured, looking out the massive window toward the academy grounds. "You are talking about that competition."
"The Annual Aether Hunt," Vardhan nodded heavily. "It is the ultimate test for our first-year students. They will be sent directly into the Mirror Dimension. Their task is to survive, track, and hunt the Shadow Beasts to harvest their energy cores. Usually, it is a controlled environment. But this year..."
"The beasts are mutating," Rudra finished his sentence. "I saw it. That young boy, Kanha, and his team were fighting a Giant Beast earlier. The Pran Energy in the Fourth Dimension is becoming incredibly unstable. The Hunt this year won't just be a test; it will be a bloodbath."
Vardhan looked deeply concerned. "If this interesting newbie of yours is as untrained as you say, throwing him into the Mirror Dimension Hunt might be a death sentence. The beasts will smell his raw, leaking Chakra from miles away. He will be hunted."
Rudra picked up his teacup again, his eyes narrowing as he gazed down at the tiny, moving figures of students in the courtyard below. He was looking for a specific boy with messy hair and bruised ribs.
"A diamond is only created under extreme, crushing pressure, Vardhan," Rudra said softly, his voice echoing with the weight of a king. "If the boy is truly meant to be my disciple... the Mirror Dimension will not kill him. It will forge him."
Rudra took one final sip of his tea.
"Let the Hunt begin. Let's see what kind of storm this boy can truly summon."
The atmosphere in the first-year classroom was surprisingly quiet. After Daizy's stinging slap, Kanha had dragged his bag down to the front row and forced himself into the seat right next to Sambhab.
Karma sat at the back, still recovering from the shock. He occasionally glanced at Daizy, who was calmly arranging her notebooks. He felt a strange sense of peace sitting next to her, but that peace was quickly broken by the nonsense happening in the front row.
Kanha was already bored. He had balanced a long wooden pencil perfectly on his nose and was trying to keep it from falling without using his hands. When that got boring, he broke off a tiny piece of his eraser and flicked it right at the back of a sleeping student's head.
Thwack. The student jerked awake, looking around in confusion. Kanha immediately looked down at his book, whistling innocently.
Sambhab, the serious topper, gritted his teeth and whispered furiously. "Kanha, stop this type behaviour ! The professor is about to enter! Can you behave like a normal human for five minutes?"
Kanha leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head with a wide grin. "relax, Sammy! Do you want to become prime minister ? Enjoy the college life, man!"
"Do not call me Sammy," Sambhab growled, a faint blue Pran aura flickering around his clenched fist.
Before the two of them could start fighting again, the heavy wooden door of the classroom slammed open. The room went dead silent instantly. Even Kanha dropped his pencil.
A tall, muscular man with a thick beard and a scar over his left eye walked in. He wore a dark military-style academy uniform. This was Professor Agni. He didn't carry books; he carried an aura of absolute discipline.
He walked to the front desk, slamming his heavy hands down on the wood.
"Listen up, first-years," Professor Agni's deep voice boomed, rattling the windows. "Your honeymoon period at Vedas Heritage is officially over. Next month, you will face your first real trial. The Annual Aether Hunt."
A collective gasp echoed through the classroom. The students who came from Pranist families looked terrified. Karma just looked confused.
"What's a hunt?" Karma whispered to Daizy.
"Listen to him," Daizy whispered back, her face pale.
"The rules are simple," Professor Agni continued, picking up a piece of chalk and drawing a jagged portal on the blackboard. "You will be formed into teams of four. You will be dropped directly into the Fourth Dimension—the Aether Mirror. Your objective is to survive for twenty-four hours and hunt down Shadow Beasts."
The Professor turned around, his eyes locking onto the terrified students. "You must harvest the Pran Cores from the beasts you kill. If your team fails to collect enough cores, or if you break formation, you will fail. If you fail, you will be expelled. If you are weak... you will be severely injured or worse. The beasts do not show mercy. Class dismissed. Start finding your teams."
Karma swallowed hard. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. I just learned what Chakra is two hours ago, he thought in panic. And now they want me to hunt ink-monsters in a parallel dimension?!
The Predator's Trap
The bell rang, and the students flooded into the hallway, chattering nervously about the Hunt. Kanha immediately ran off toward the canteen, dragging a very annoyed Sambhab with him. Daizy stayed behind for a moment to pack her heavy textbooks.
Karma stepped out into the crowded corridor, leaning against the cold metal lockers. He needed to breathe.
Suddenly, the loud noise of the students walking by began to fade. The chatter turned into a muffled buzz, and then... absolute silence.
Karma looked up. The hallway was empty. The bright overhead lights flickered and turned a dim, seductive purple. The concrete walls seemed to warp, covered in creeping, dark vines. And then, that familiar, intoxicating scent of the night-flower filled his lungs.
"Hello again, little mouse."
Karma's breath hitched. Sera stepped out of the shadows, looking absolutely flawless in her senior uniform. She walked toward him with the grace of a predator, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
"Beautiful trick, isn't it?" Sera smiled, tapping her temple. "Don't worry, we are still in the hallway. I just used my 3rd Chakra Illusion to isolate your mind. Nobody can see or hear us."
Karma tried to step back, but his back was already against the lockers. "What do you want, Sera?"
Sera stopped just inches away from him. She placed a soft hand on his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart.
"I heard the announcement," Sera whispered, her voice like sweet honey. "The Mirror Dimension Hunt. You are terrified, Karma. And you should be. You have a leaky, unstable 1st Chakra. You are practically a walking beacon of fresh energy. The moment you step into that dimension, the Giant Beasts will smell you and rip you to shreds."
Karma gritted his teeth. "I'll figure it out."
"You don't have time," Sera purred, leaning closer. "But I can save you. I am offering you a Survival Pact."
Karma frowned. "A pact?"
"Yes. Team up with me. Become my subordinate," Sera offered, her eyes glowing with a hypnotic purple light. "If you swear loyalty to me, I will personally protect you in the Mirror Dimension. I will keep the beasts away. I will even help you forcefully awaken your 2nd Chakra tonight. You will have power, Karma. All you have to do... is say yes."
Karma hesitated. His heart was pounding. He thought about the terrifying Giant Beast Kanha had fought. He thought about dying. Sera's offer was incredibly tempting. Power and safety, handed right to him.
He slowly opened his mouth to speak—
FLASH!
A blinding, brilliant green light sliced through the purple illusion like a hot knife through butter. The creeping vines dissolved into ash. The heavy flower scent vanished, replaced by the smell of fresh rain. The loud noise of the crowded hallway rushed back into Karma's ears.
Daizy stood right beside them. Her hand was gripping Karma's wrist tightly, pulling him away from Sera's touch. Daizy's eyes were cold, filled with fierce protectiveness.
"Don't listen to her, Karma," Daizy warned, her voice sharp. "A survival pact with an Illusionist Pranist is a death sentence for your free will. It requires a blood-seal. She doesn't want to save you. She wants to own your mind forever."
Sera's seductive smile vanished, replaced by a look of pure irritation. She glared at her younger step-sister.
"You always ruin the fun, Daizy," Sera sighed, adjusting her hair. She took a step back, looking at Karma with a dark, promising smirk. "Think about my offer, darling. The Hunt is coming. Better to be my pet... than a corpse."
With a swish of her hair, Sera turned and walked away into the crowd of students. Karma let out a heavy breath, his knees feeling weak. Daizy didn't let go of his wrist. She held it firmly, grounding him.
The Mirror King's Blood
Meanwhile, high above the academy in the central tower, Principal Vardhan and Lord Rudra (The Ultimate King) were still sitting in the grand office, looking down at the courtyard.
Vardhan poured the last drops of the golden tea into his cup.
"You have your eyes on the Karma boy, Sir Rudra," Vardhan said thoughtfully. "But there is another first-year who deeply worries me. I am talking about the boy who was playing around with the Giant Beast in the Mirror Dimension."
Rudra smirked, not looking away from the window. "Ah. You mean Kanha. The loudmouth with the heavy staff."
Vardhan nodded, looking stressed. "His behavior is entirely undisciplined. He acts like a fool, causing trouble everywhere, doing idotic behavior in the classrooms, and annoying the top-ranking students. But his Pran Energy... it is dense. It is chaotic and far too massive for a boy of his age. He worries me."
Rudra finally turned away from the window. He picked up his teacup, but the amused smile was completely gone from his face. His gray eyes were dark and terrifying.
"Do not be fooled by the boy's foolish behavior, Vardhan," Rudra said, his voice dropping into a dangerous rumble. "A clown's mask often hides the most dangerous face."
Vardhan looked confused. He set his cup down. "What do you mean? Who is he really?"
Rudra leaned forward, the terrifying aura of a Top 7 Council Member filling the room.
"That boy didn't just stumble into the Aether Mirror by accident, Vardhan. He didn't just learn to compress a stone pillar on his own. His blood belongs to the man.
Vardhan gasped, his eyes widening in pure shock. "You mean..."
"Yes," Rudra said, a fierce, almost predatory smile forming on his face. "Kanha's ridiculous behavior is a shield. That boy is the direct grandson of another member of the Top 7 Global Council. He is the sole heir to the copy cat.
Vardhan felt a chill run down his spine. "He is the grandson of..."
"Exactly," Rudra whispered, his voice echoing in the silent room. "Kanha is the grandson of The Mirror King."