Chapter 10: Indra's Struggle

Indra POV

It's a strange feeling—being happy for your friends but also jealous at the same time. That's what I felt every time one of them talked about their Astras. 

Amrita with her water, Dev with his flames, and Anuj with those magnificent wings of his. I cheered for them, I laughed with them, but deep down, something kept gnawing at me.

I was genuinely happy for them, don't get me wrong. 

When Anuj awakened his wings, I cheered the loudest. When Dev showed off his flames, I was the one who clapped the most. And when Amrita summoned that water, I was the one who made the biggest fuss, joking around and pretending to be drenched. 

After everything why couldn't I do it? Why couldn't I awaken my Astra?

I had always been the lively one, cracking jokes and making fun of our training. I was good at keeping things light, making everyone laugh. But as time passed, I could feel myself slipping away from them. 

More and more, the conversations turned to Astras—what they could do, what they were learning—and I had nothing to add.

My astra Vajraastra was still just a name, a concept. My sword remained a dull wooden stick, no lightning, no sparks, no power.

At first, I tried to keep up, joking and laughing as usual, but the weight of not being able to awaken my Astra began to drag me down. The others would meet for training, and every time they did, their Astras grew stronger. 

Anuj was perfecting his eagle eye, Dev's fire was more controlled, and Amrita could summon larger and larger streams of water. They were improving, while I was still stuck in the same place.

I started to pull back without even realizing it. When they trained, I trained alone. I spent hours in the training yard, swinging my wooden sword, praying that something would change. 

That one day, I'd see that crackle of electricity, feel the hum of Vajraastra's power. But every day was the same—nothing.

Weeks passed. I started skipping out on group hangouts, telling myself that I was just tired or needed to focus on my training. In truth, I couldn't bear to be around them. 

Every time we hung out, the conversations would inevitably turn to Astras. Amrita would talk about how she was getting better at controlling water, Dev would quietly mention his progress with Agniastra, and Anuj… well, he couldn't stop thinking about his wings. It was all about Astras—Astras this, Astras that.

Due to this I spent more and more time by myself, staying late in the practice grounds, swinging my sword into the empty air. 

I tried everything—changing my stance, my grip, my focus—but no matter what I did, the sword remained just a sword. No lightning. No power.

I could feel myself slipping further away from my friends. 

One afternoon, after another failed training session, I sat alone in the corner of the practice yard, my sword lying forgotten at my side. My chest was tight, my throat burning with frustration. I couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I'm going to lose them," I whispered to myself. "They're moving ahead, and I'm going to be left behind."

I tried to blink away the tears, but they came anyway. For the first time, I let myself cry—really cry. I had tried so hard to stay positive, to keep the jokes going, but I was breaking. 

How could I stay upbeat when everything I was working for felt pointless?

It wasn't just about the Astra anymore. I was scared—scared that I'd lose my friendship and be all alone. I don't want that but they were moving forward, building something with their Astras, while I was stuck. And the more I pulled back, the more alone I felt.

I don't know how long I sat there, but at some point, I heard footsteps. I didn't bother looking up. 

Whoever it was could just leave me alone.

"Indra?"

It was Anuj. Of course, it was. He wasn't the type to let someone mope around alone.

"We've been looking for you," he said quietly, sitting down next to me. "You've been avoiding us."

I wiped at my face quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I'm fine," I muttered, though my voice cracked.

"You're not ." Anuj's tone was soft. He didn't push, though. He just sat with me for a moment before speaking again. 

"What's going on? You've been acting weird for weeks. We've noticed. Amrita, Dev… all of us. You're not yourself, and we're worried."

"I'm fine," I repeated, though the tears had started falling again. "I'm just… tired."

Anuj wasn't buying it, though. "Indra, come on. We've been friends for too long. You're not 'just tired.' Talk to me."

I didn't answer for a long time, but eventually, the words started pouring out. 

"I can't do it, Anuj. I can't awaken my Astra. Everyone else is moving ahead, getting stronger, and I'm still stuck here, swinging a wooden sword. I feel like… like I'm going to lose you guys. You're all training together, and I can't even relate anymore. I don't belong with you anymore."

Anuj was quiet for a moment, letting my words sink in. He finally spoke. "You're not going to lose us, Indra. You're our friend. You've always belonged with us, and you always will. Astra or without Astra."

"Yeah, but I'm not like you guys. I can't—"

"You can," Anuj interrupted. "You just need to give it time. We're not going anywhere, and neither are you. Stop trying to force it. Your Astra will come when it's ready."

"I've given it time," I said, my voice breaking. "I've tried everything."

"Maybe that's the problem," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe you're trying too hard. You're pushing yourself so much that you're burning out. Let it come to you, Indra. Don't chase it so hard. And in the meantime, we're still here. We're always here."

"We are always here" These words struck a nerve to me and they were like a light in my mind and now I didn't bad anymore just happy.

At that moment, Amrita and Dev appeared, concern written all over their faces. Amrita's usual playful energy was missing, replaced by a serious tone I wasn't used to hearing from her.

"Indra, we've been worried sick about you," she said, sitting on the other side of me. "You've been avoiding us for weeks."

"Yeah," I muttered, looking down. "I just… didn't want to drag you guys down with me."

"Drag us down?" Dev asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"You're part of this group, Indra. We're not leaving you behind just because you haven't awakened your Astra yet." Even the most serious Dev has accepted him as his friend.

Amrita wrapped an arm around me, squeezing my shoulder. "We're a team, remember? Astras or no Astras, we're in this together."

For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to feel that connection again. It wasn't about Astras, wasn't about who had awakened and who hadn't. 

We were friends. That's what mattered. That's what had always mattered.

"You guys really don't mind?" I asked, my voice still shaky. "Even though I'm not… like you?"

Amrita shook her head, her smile returning. "You're exactly like us, Indra. Don't ever think otherwise."

"Besides," Dev added, a rare smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "you'll awaken your Astra when it's time. You just need to stop doubting yourself."

I couldn't help but smile, despite everything. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight on my chest started to lift. I had been pushing myself so hard, thinking that if I didn't awaken my Astra soon, I'd lose my friends. 

But they were always there. They had always been there.

"Come on, group hug!" Amrita said, grinning.

Before I could react, all three of them pulled me into a tight hug. It was ridiculous and suffocating, but it was exactly what I needed.

 We stood there for a moment, locked in that ridiculous group hug, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

"Promise we'll always be friends?" I asked, half-joking, half-serious.

"Always," Amrita replied without hesitation.

"Even me," Dev added, which made us all laugh.

Months has passed and After that talk, things got better. I stopped trying so hard to force my Astra to awaken and just focused on just tranning with sword.

 And those all made sure to include me in everything, and for the first time in months, I felt like I was back where I belonged.

Then, one day, it happened.

We were practicing in the training grounds, working on our weapon techniques. I had been practicing with my sword, just like always, but this time, something felt different. 

I gripped my wooden sword, and as I swung it, I felt a spark.

Literally.

The air around me crackled, and before I knew it, the wooden sword in my hand had transformed into something else entirely—a gleaming bone sword. Electricity danced along the blade, arcs of lightning shooting off in every direction.

Then, suddenly, I had a vision. The world around me shifted, and everything was bathed in blinding flashes of lightning. The air crackled with energy, and the ground beneath my feet seemed to tremble. 

Lightning bolts as wide as trees filled the sky, their arcs twisting and contorting as if they were alive. The sky was an endless expanse of electricity, a sea of infinite bolts dancing together in perfect chaos.

 They moved in unison, almost as if responding to a rhythm—a sound I couldn't hear, but could feel deep in my chest. It was beautiful, yet terrifying. The sheer power on display made me afraid, as if one wrong move could send the whole storm crashing down on me.

In the midst of this overwhelming spectacle, something stood out—a sword. It stood tall and proud, right in the center of the storm, like a beacon in the chaos.

 The lightning seemed to swirl around it, almost bowing to its presence, as if every bolt of electricity was its servant. And I realized—they were. The lightning wasn't just part of the storm; it was a part of the sword.

The sword itself was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was forged entirely from bones, but not the fragile kind that cracked and crumbled. These were bones of pure, radiant gold, shimmering with a divine light that made the lightning seem dull in comparison. 

The blade was crafted from a long, curved spine, each vertebra forming the jagged edge of the weapon. Between each bone, there were spike-like protrusions, sharp and deadly, spaced at regular intervals along the length of the blade. 

The spine gave the sword a natural, flowing curvature, but those spikes gave it a brutal, dangerous edge.

The hilt of the sword was made from intricately woven ribs, fused together in a way that was both elegant and primal. 

The guard was formed by the bones of a forearm, the knuckles spread wide as if still grasping for control. Every bone in the sword was connected, each piece fitting together as if the sword had once been a living, breathing creature. 

And yet, despite its skeletal appearance, the weapon exuded power—ancient, raw, and untamed 

For a moment, I just stood there, staring in disbelief, and then I awakened. I had done it. Vajraastra had awakened.

As I was processing what just happened few minutes has already passed by and the news has spread to other parts of society. But one voice released me from my stupor

"INDRA!" Amrita's voice cut through the shock. She ran over, her face beaming with excitement. "You.... You did it! You actually did it!"

 She grabbed my arm, practically bouncing with energy. "I knew you could do it!"

I stared down at the sword in my hand, still buzzing with electricity, arcs of lightning crackling along the blade. It felt so surreal, so unreal, like I was in a dream. 

But this was real. I had awakened my Vajraastra. After all the waiting, after all the frustration and doubt, it had finally happened.

Anuj and Dev weren't far behind. Anuj was grinning from ear to ear, his wings fluttering slightly with excitement. "Told you it'd come when it was ready!" 

Dev, as usual, was more composed, but I could see the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. 

"Congratulations," he said quietly, giving me a respectful nod. "We knew you had it in you."

I looked at each of them, still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. They had never given up on me, even when I had almost given up on myself.

 And now… now I was finally on the same level as them.

The sword in my hand pulsed with energy one last time before fading, the lightning disappearing in an instant. But even though the sword was gone, the connection remained.

 I could feel it, deep inside me—the power of Vajraastra, waiting to be called upon whenever I needed it.

I felt lighter, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For the first time in months, I didn't feel left behind. I didn't feel like I was struggling to catch up. I was finally there. With them. My friends.

"Don't get too excited," Dev said, though he couldn't hide the small smile on his face. "We've all still got a long way to go."

I couldn't help but laugh, the sound bubbling up from deep inside me. I felt alive again. "Yeah," I said, grinning. 

And that was the most important thing.

Anuj threw his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into a side hug. "Told you, didn't I? We're a team. Always have been, always will be."

Amrita jumped in, wrapping her arms around both of us, and even Dev couldn't resist joining in. We stood there, all four of us tangled in a messy group hug, laughing and celebrating like the kids we were.

For a moment, everything felt perfect. I wasn't alone anymore. I wasn't struggling to catch up. I had my Astra, and I had my friends. 

The future felt bright.