Veda walked through the corridor.
Students rushed past him on both sides, laughing, shouting, shoving each other. The walls were lined with notice boards and digital screens displaying class schedules. He stopped. Looked around. Every face was strange. Every door looked the same.
He had no idea where he was going.
Great.
He kept walking. Turned a corner. Another corridor. More students. More doors.
This is ridiculous.
He glanced to his left. Empty air. But he knew who was there. Watching. Smiling.
"Young Veda."
No answer.
"Help me find my class."
Silence.
Veda's jaw tightened. He kept walking. Passed a group of boys who stared at him like he was a ghost. He ignored them.
"Yesterday," he said quietly, "I asked you about Gita. You didn't say anything. And now this?"
A flicker.
Then Young Veda appeared beside him.
Floating. Cross legged. Chin resting on his palm. That ancient smile on his face. He drifted alongside Veda like a balloon caught in a gentle wind, passing through students who didn't notice him.
"About that," Young Veda said, his voice calm and cheerful. "For that knowledge, we need the contract first."
Veda didn't look at him.
"So. Are you ready, child?"
Veda's face tightened. Anger flickered behind his gray eyes. He didn't reply. Just walked faster.
Fine. I will find it myself.
His mother had told him. Branch of RASS. Research Analyse Soul Study. Third floor. He remembered.
He climbed the stairs. Two flights. Third floor. Another corridor. This one quieter. He read every door sign.
Soul Theory 101.
Void Energy Basics.
Contract Law and Ethics.
Not his.
He kept walking.
Behind him, Young Veda floated lazily, hands behind his head, watching Veda's confusion with obvious amusement. His smile never faded.
"Lost, child? I could help. Just say the word."
Veda ignored him.
He turned another corner. A door at the end of the corridor.
RASS Introduction to Soul Studies.
There.
He walked toward it.
"Veda!"
A voice. Female. Behind him.
He turned.
A girl stood a few feet away. Short hair, pink, the color of cherry blossoms in spring. Her eyes were light blue, calm, steady. She looked mature, not in age but in the way she carried herself. She wore the same uniform as him: white shirt, navy jacket, maroon tie. But her jacket was unbuttoned, sleeves rolled to her elbows. Casual. Comfortable.
She looked at him with mild curiosity.
"What are you looking everywhere for? Class is about to start. Come on."
She didn't wait for a response. Just turned and walked toward the door.
Veda stared at her back for a moment. Then followed.
The classroom was large. Rows of wooden desks, each with a small digital screen embedded in the surface. Sunlight streamed through tall windows. About thirty students sat scattered around, talking, laughing, throwing paper balls at each other.
Veda found an empty seat near the window. Sat down. Placed his bag on the floor.
The pink haired girl sat a few rows ahead. Two other girls immediately leaned over to her.
"What's wrong with that bookworm?" one whispered, loud enough for half the class to hear.
The other girl snickered. "Yo, he looks kind of different today. I heard he got into a car accident or something."
"Car accident? I heard he tried to contact an Angel and failed."
"Either way, he looks so different. Like... did he lose his memory or something?"
The pink haired girl, Niha, just shrugged. "Let's check."
She turned around in her seat. Looked directly at Veda.
"Hey, Veda. How are you?"
Veda blinked. Then smiled. A small, calm smile.
"I am fine. Thanks for asking."
The two friends behind Niha froze.
"Yo... he actually replied?"
"No way. It is real. He lost his memory for sure."
Niha got up. Walked over. Sat on the edge of the desk next to him. Her light blue eyes studied his face.
"You didn't actually lose your memories, did you?"
Veda kept smiling. "No. Just... not feeling well today."
Niha showed her teeth in a wide grin. "Too bad, then. I hope you can handle Veer with that 'not feeling well' body of yours."
Veda tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Her grin grew wider. "Ohhh, you also forgot? Maybe you really are not feeling well, so you don't remember."
She leaned closer.
"It is March 22. You challenged Veer to a 1v1 duel today."
The background kids who had been listening laughed and grinned. They slowly returned to their seats as the bell rang.
The teacher walked in.
The teacher was a middle aged man with a thin beard and sharp eyes. He wore a simple gray kurta and carried a wooden pointer. He didn't introduce himself. Just started writing on the board.
ASURAS: FIVE STAGES
"Today," he said, voice flat and bored, "we review the five stages of Asura corruption. You should already know this. But since half of you slept through last semester, I will say it again."
He tapped the board.
"Stage One."
He turned to face the class.
"A human gets corrupted by a local dark soul from the Void. They lose the ability to feel pain. They go crazy. They act like zombies. They are not a serious threat to humans. An average Stage One Vessel candidate can handle them easily. They self destruct within two hours if not killed."
He wrote quickly.
Stage 1: Zombie. 2 hours. Handled by average Stage One Vessel candidate.
"Stage Two."
"The corruption deepens. They connect with Void dark energy. Their body size increases by twenty percent. They gain control over basic elements: fire, water, wind, earth. Power level is close to a truck. Self destruct in five hours. Still handled by a Stage One Vessel candidate."
He didn't pause.
Stage 2: Elemental. 5 hours. Truck level. Handled by Stage One Vessel candidate.
"Stage Three."
He stopped writing. Looked at the class.
"Stage Three Asuras do not appear often. They are created when a Vessel of Stage One to Three becomes corrupted. The soul turns inside out. They become Asura Soldiers."
He drew a diagram. A human figure cracking open.
"They have elemental control. Two to three elements. They retain intelligence: they can plan, ambush, retreat. Power level: town level danger. To kill one, you need an actual Vessel Master at Stage One or higher. Kill time: three days, or they self destruct."
Stage 3: Soldier. Town level. Vessel Master required.
"Stage Four."
His voice dropped.
"Warrior Asura."
He turned to face them fully.
"When a Soldier Asura kills over one thousand humans, or consumes the souls of one hundred Vessel candidates, they evolve. They become Warrior Asuras."
He counted on his fingers.
"They can control Stage One and Two Asuras. They can corrupt normal humans just by being near them. They have all five elements. Some can create their own dark world, a pocket dimension where their power is absolute. To defend against a Warrior Asura, a Clan Leader or a King is needed. A normal Vessel Master is not enough."
He paused.
"Power level: city level danger."
Stage 4: Warrior. City level. Dark world possible. Clan Leader or King required to defend.
"Stage Five."
Silence.
"Asura Kings."
The teacher's face was grim.
"They are the slaves of the Seven Deadly Sins. They can take any form: human, animal, bird, dragon. They have access to the limitless dark energy of their Sin. Only a Stage Four Asura can become a King. They kill. They collect soul energy. When they reach a certain limit, the Tower itself transforms them into Kings."
He looked out the window. At the distant Tower.
"They live among humans. In the Tower worlds. They rule. They build empires. Power level: average size planet. Only a Vessel Master of Clan Leader rank or a King can fight them."
He turned back.
Stage 5: King. Planet level. Slaves to the Seven Sins. Clan Leader or King required to fight.
"Any questions?"
No one raised a hand.
The rest of the classes passed in a blur.
Soul Theory. Contract Ethics. History of the Tower.
Veda listened to all of it. Absorbed it. Said nothing.
Young Veda floated above the desks, spinning slowly, watching the teacher with exaggerated interest.
"Ohhh, Stage Five sounds so scary," he whispered, loud enough only for Veda to hear. "I don't want to meet them. Ohhh, so scary."
Veda ignored him.
Lunch break.
The cafeteria was huge, with glass walls, high ceilings, and rows of long tables. The smell of spices and bread filled the air. Students crowded around food counters, shouting orders.
Veda got in line. Took a tray. Rice, dal, vegetables, a piece of bread. Nothing fancy. He found an empty table in the corner. Sat down. Started eating.
The cafeteria buzzed around him. Laughter. Arguments. Someone singing badly.
He ate slowly. Quietly.
Then the table shook.
SLAM.
A hand slapped down right in front of his tray. The impact sent his food jumping. Rice scattered. Dal spilled over the edge.
Veda stopped chewing.
He looked up.
A young man stood over him. Short hair. Muscular. Broad shoulders. Same uniform: white shirt, navy jacket, maroon tie. But his sleeves were torn at the shoulders, showing thick arms. His face was sharp, confident, cruel.
Behind him, three others.
One was massive, seven feet tall, built like a wall, with a shaved head and small eyes. The other two were normal sized, lean, with the hungry smiles of hyenas.
The short haired man leaned down. His face inches from Veda's.
"Hey, bookworm shit. Long time no see."
He stared at Veda. Closely. Like he was examining a bug.
The three behind him grinned.
The short haired man reached down. Grabbed Veda's tray. Lifted it.
"Oh, I miss..."
He tilted the tray.
The food slid off. Rice. Dal. Vegetables. All of it.
Dumped onto Veda's head.
Warm dal dripped down his face. Rice clung to his hair. A piece of vegetable slid down his cheek and landed on his shoulder.
"...my bad."
The short haired man laughed. Loud. Fake.
"Hahahahaha! My bad, my bad!"
The three behind him burst out laughing. The fat one slapped his thigh. The two hyenas doubled over.
In the background, the cafeteria went quiet. Then whispers.
"Look... they started again..."
"That poor guy..."
"Someone should stop them..."
"Are you crazy? That is Veer."
No one moved.
Veda sat perfectly still.
His head was covered in food. Dal dripped from his chin onto his white shirt. A grain of rice hung from his eyebrow.
He didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't react.
His gray eyes stared at the table. At the empty tray now lying upside down. At the spreading stain of dal soaking into his uniform.
Veer leaned down again. Grinning.
"What's wrong, bookworm? Cat got your tongue? You were so brave when you challenged me. Where is that fire now, huh?"
He grabbed a fistful of Veda's hair. Pulled his head up.
"Look at me when I am talking to you."
Veda looked at him.
His face was blank.
No anger. No fear. No shame.
Just nothing.
Veer's grin faltered for just a second.
Then he shoved Veda's head back. Turned to his friends.
"See? Nothing but a coward. All talk."
They laughed again.
Veer picked up the empty tray. Flipped it like a Frisbee. It clattered across the floor.
"After class. Training Ground 3. Don't be late."
He walked away. His three friends followed, still laughing.
Veda sat food still dripping from his hair.
His white shirt ruined.
His hands resting on the table.
He didn't move.
High above, near the ceiling, Young Veda floated.
He watched everything.
His ancient smile was gone.
His gray eyes were fixed on Veer's retreating back.