*
Stepping away from the suffocating, smoke-and-sweat-filled arena, the Eldest Prince now walked the quiet, majestic corridors of the royal palace. He was draped in simple yet regal, loose-fitting robes.
He carried neither sword nor dagger, but his commanding stride and broad shoulders screamed a silent testimony: this man needed no weapon forged of metal. His colossal, iron-forged physique was in itself the deadliest of weapons.
The slow, measured thud of his heavy footsteps echoed against the deep crimson velvet carpet lining the floor. Scented breezes carried the sweet fragrance of fresh blossoms from ornately carved earthen pots, mingling seamlessly with the cool palace air. The intricately sculpted stone walls evoked the grandeur of a forgotten era, their chiseled figures so strikingly lifelike they seemed ready to step out and speak.
Suddenly, his pace slowed. To his right stood a massive, impossibly heavy wooden door, but the Prince's gaze drifted past it, locking onto the far end of the corridor.
A man was approaching him with a calm, measured gait. The crisp *clack... clack...* of his boots sliced through the heavy silence. It was none other than the mysterious figure who had confronted Rakteshwar in the arena just moments ago. The horrifying burn scar, stretching from his left eye all the way down to his lips, was starkly illuminated under the warm glow of the palace lights.
The Eldest Prince halted directly in front of the grand door. A split second later, the scarred man came to a stop right beside him. The sheer gravity of their combined presence instantly made the surrounding air feel suffocatingly heavy. Without exchanging a single glance, both men turned to face the towering wooden entryway.
Slicing through the dead silence, the scarred man's rough, gravelly voice echoed.
"So... how is the training for the 'Astra-Yagya' coming along?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the door. "Seems you're putting in quite the effort. But... such exertion is ultimately pointless if it only involves cutting down lifeless, mechanical husks... **Eldest Prince Virya**."
Virya's expression didn't so much as twitch. Keeping his gaze firmly fixed ahead, he replied in a voice that was eerily calm yet profoundly deep,
"Don't you think that, given your unfathomable strength... you should have held a much higher rank in the military... **Fourth Commander, Tej**?"
A dry, mirthless chuckle escaped Commander Tej's scarred lips. The bitter truth of his own standing bled into his voice.
"Do you honestly believe I am stronger than them?" Tej exhaled a long, heavy breath. "The truth is, I am far behind those monsters... in absolutely every aspect."
He hadn't even finished his sentence when, with a deep, heavy creak, the colossal door opened inward on its own.
The sight inside was breathtakingly grand. The chamber was flooded with a light so crisp and brilliant that not a single speck of shadow dared exist. The rich, earthy scent of ancient parchment and dried ink floated heavily in the air. An entire wall was consumed from floor to ceiling by bookshelves, in front of which sat an exquisitely carved mahogany desk and an imposing chair.
Standing behind the desk, Acharya was in the midst of pulling an ancient tome from the shelf. The moment the doors parted, his sharp gaze locked directly onto Virya and Commander Tej.
"I was waiting for the two of you," Acharya's commanding yet eerily composed voice resonated through the room. "I have something of utmost importance to discuss with both of you."
Moving in absolute, soundless synchronization, Virya and Tej stepped inside. They halted perfectly in unison, bowed their heads in deep reverence, and spoke with a single voice: "What are your orders, Acharya ji?"
Formalities concluded, the two straightened their postures. Acharya took his seat, his piercing eyes immediately bearing down on the Eldest Prince.
"So, Virya..." Acharya began, his tone grave. "Are you participating in the 'Astra-Yagya' tournament once again?"
"Yes, Acharya," Virya replied without blinking. "I want to see if there is anyone capable of defeating me this time."
Acharya drew a heavy breath. "Don't you think you should give someone else a chance?"
"You are right, Acharya ji," Virya said, his voice laced with an unshakable, arrogant conviction. "However... the other students must prove their worth by defeating me. I refuse to let the opportunity of the Astra-Yagya fall into the hands of someone who is unworthy."
Acharya absorbed the stubborn yet undeniable truth in Virya's words and nodded with a resigned sigh. "Very well. Have it your way. According to the rules, a student is permitted to participate in this trial twice. Therefore, I cannot stop you."
With that settled, Acharya shifted his gaze from Virya and looked squarely at Commander Tej. There was a glint in his eyes that hinted at a profoundly dark and dangerous secret.
Without turning back to the prince, Acharya ordered, "Virya, you are dismissed. I need to speak with Tej in private."
Virya's feet froze on the floor for a fraction of a second. He could clearly sense that Acharya was deliberately shutting him out from a highly classified truth.
Bowing his head, Virya turned to leave. But as he took his steps toward the exit, his eyes sharply darted to the corners of their sockets. The veins near his ears strained slightly—it was as if he were funneling every ounce of his focus, desperate to absorb every single syllable of the hidden conversation between Acharya and Commander Tej.
Virya slowly exited the chamber, and the heavy door sealed shut behind him.
Now, inside that vast, brilliantly lit room... only Acharya and Commander Tej remained.
(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! )