The heavy silence blanketing the courtyard was about to be shattered by Acharya's sky-piercing voice. Millions of heartbeats seemed to stop all at once.
"That grand trial is named...Acharya took a deep breath, and his voice thundered across the sky like lightning, Astra-Yagya!! (The Sacrifice of Weapons)
A strange, electric shiver rippled through the massive crowd.
"This trial will commence exactly a few months from today! Acharya announced. And according to the rules, every student aged 14 or older will be eligible to wager their lives in this Astra-Yagya !
Acharya's words were still echoing through the air when... the scene abruptly shifts.
Standing in a desolate, rocky training ground baking under the harsh sun was Dev. His breathing was heavy and rapid, like a blacksmith's bellows. The air was thick with the scent of sweat, dry dust, and a strange, burnt 'ozone-like' stench born from the violent clash of Prana.
Dev's condition was miserable. White bandages were still wrapped around his left shoulder (the same wound given by the Prana-Jivi), and fresh, hot blood was seeping through the fabric.
Right in front of him stood two ferocious 'Prana Trainers'.
(These are clones bought with money from the market. They possess no mind or emotions of their own; they only carry the copied skills and Prana of great warriors. They fight like ruthless, unyielding machines.)
The eyes of both clones were completely blank and white. Their faces were devoid of any emotion.
Dev gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his glowing blue Prana-sword. Both clones lunged at him simultaneously, like wild wolves.
*Clash! Clash! Swoosh!
The sharp sounds of colliding blades echoed across the field. Dev was fighting them evenly. His body was screaming in agony, but he refused to step back.
But then, with perfect synchronization, both clones raised their heavy swords into the air and brought them down on Dev's blue blade with all their might!
Crack SHATTER!! Right before Dev's eyes, his Prana-sword shattered into pieces like fragile glass.
Dev jerked backward. A groan of pain escaped his lips. He gritted his teeth so hard that a little blood seeped from his gums onto his tongue—a salty, metallic taste.
Not yet... Dev muttered, panting heavily.
He drew all his remaining energy into his right hand. Shhhiing! A new blue Prana-sword materialized in his trembling hand, but this time, its glow was noticeably dim.
This is my final Prana-sword, Dev thought to himself. If this breaks... I lose.
Roaring, Dev threw himself at the mechanical clones once more. But this time, the clones began to overpower him. Their strikes were so fast and brutal that Dev was forced entirely on the defensive.
Clang! Crunch! And finally... his worst fear came true. A heavy kick from one clone landed squarely on Dev's chest, while the other's sword cleaved Dev's final Prana-sword into two!
Dev was launched into the air, crashing down onto his knees. Thud! Now, he was left holding nothing but the two broken shards of his sword in his hands. That old wound on his shoulder began to tear open so agonizingly, it felt as if someone was pouring boiling water over the raw flesh . Gritting his teeth through the unbearable pain, he stared blankly at the ground.
And in that exact moment... in the absolute peak of his agony... Dev's mind dragged him back to his darkest, most horrifying past
Time rewinds. A highly innocent and adorable 6-year-old Dev. He was walking back home from his Gurukul with small, cheerful steps. A huge, sweet smile adorned his face. He was incredibly happy today because his father was finally returning home after months of a long journey.
But as he turned a corner in the market, he overheard people whispering at a tea stall.
"Did you hear?" a man said, taking a sip of his tea. "That traitor was finally caught! That scum had been selling out our 'Garuda Dweep' (Garuda Island)'s intelligence to our enemies for years!"
Another man laughed, "Yeah, yeah! I heard one of his own comrades finished him off. Good riddance! Otherwise, we would have burned him alive ourselves. But... did you know? That traitor's wife and a little kid still live right here on this island."
6-year-old Dev couldn't comprehend any of this. Traitor? What does that even mean? He only cared about his father. Humming to himself, he continued walking.
But the moment Dev neared the street of his house... the ground beneath his feet seemed to slip away.
A terrifying, suffocating stench of burning wood, melting iron, and something scorching filled the air. Dev looked ahead in panic.
His lovely home... was completely engulfed in roaring flames! The fire was touching the sky. And outside the house, a maddened crowd of hundreds had gathered.
"Teach these traitors a lesson! We won't spare these traitors!" the mob screamed like lunatics.
The little heartbeat in Dev's chest stopped. He sprinted forward, frantically tearing through the crowd. "Mom! Mom!"
When he reached the very front of the mob, the sight he witnessed shook the soul of that 6-year-old boy.
Sitting on the ground, covered in dirt and mud... was his mother. Her clothes were torn in several places. Thick, crimson blood was flowing from her forehead, dripping down into her eyes and over her cheeks . And that ruthless crowd... was hurling large stones at her!
Seeing this, Dev's blood boiled. He ran and stood protectively in front of his mother.
"My child..." His mother looked at Dev in her bloodied state. Her voice trembled, "Why... why did you come here? Run away from here, Dev! Run far away!
No, Mom! Dev cried, spreading his tiny arms wide to act as a shield against the crowd. He screamed with all his might, Stop! Don't do this! Why are you throwing stones at my mom?!
But the crowd was blind with rage. Suddenly, someone from the mob hurled a sharp, jagged stone with full force.
Smack!
That stone struck directly against 6-year-old Dev's forehead! A tiny scream escaped his lips. The skin on his forehead split open, and warm blood trickled down to his lips. He tasted the bitter, salty flavor of his own blood mixed with his tears.
A boy from the crowd yelled loudly, Hey, you traitor's pup! Your father was a traitor! He betrayed all of us, he betrayed our island! We won't spare you traitors!
Dev fell to the ground, crying and begging with his small hands folded together, It's all a lie! It's all a lie! My papa is not a traitor!"
But the rain of stones did not stop. Suddenly, a massive rock came flying straight toward Dev's head.
Dev!!
His mother gathered her absolute last ounce of strength and threw herself over Dev. That heavy boulder crashed directly into her back.
She violently coughed up blood, which splattered straight onto Dev's clothes . The warmth of that blood left Dev completely numb.
His mother collapsed heavily onto the ground. Dev quickly cradled his mother's blood-soaked head in his tiny arms.
With a trembling hand, his mother touched Dev's cheek. Her breathing was ragged. Forgive... forgive me, my Dev... her voice faded into a whisper, I I couldn't choose... a better father... for you... please forgive me..."
As she said this, her eyes slowly began to close. Due to excessive blood loss and unbearable pain, her body went completely limp, and she slipped into a deep coma. Her hand slipped from Dev's cheek and fell into the dirt.
Mom...? Dev shook her. Mom! Open your eyes, Mom! I need to take you to the hospital quickly! Wake up, Mom!
But she was in a deep coma; there was no response from her.
This can't be happening... this isn't real.. Dev's small body began to tremble violently. An ocean of tears poured from his eyes. He lifted his head and glared at the ruthless crowd. There was no innocence left in his eyes anymore, only a blazing inferno.
Why do you all think we are traitors?! Dev screamed, tearing his throat raw. His voice carried the agony of a child and the wrath of a demon. "My mom was always so good to everyone! She helped everyone! Then why did you do this?! The punishment for my father's crimes... why are you giving it to my mom?!
Then, that same boy from the crowd yelled again, "Because your father was a traitor! And a traitor's blood is always a traitor's blood!"
Hearing this, it felt as though boiling lava surged through Dev's veins. "My mom is not a traitor!!"
Roaring like a wild beast, Dev rose from the ground. His tiny fists clenched, and he sprinted at full speed to attack that boy... Then why did you beat her so ruthlessly?!!!
(Author's note : Welcome to all the new readers from New Releases! If you like the dark world of Kaal-Chakra, don't forget to save it in your library and drop your Power Stones! Thank you for reading! )