Laying the Foundation

Shree Heng sat in the dim glow of his desk lamp, the notebook in front of him an intricate web of ideas, schemes, and calculations. His centuries of experience in Rana had taught him one undeniable truth: power was not given—it was taken. And to take it, he needed to act swiftly and without hesitation.

This time, he would build a foundation so strong that even the brutal laws of Rana could not topple him.

The First Step: Knowledge

The next morning, Shree Heng approached school with a purpose he had never possessed in his first life. He walked into the library during lunch, ignoring the stares of his classmates who still saw him as the quiet, unremarkable boy they thought they knew.

The library smelled of old paper and dust—a scent he had grown to despise in Rana, where books often hid curses and traps. But here, in this mundane world, knowledge was power.

He began with the history section, pulling books on myths, legends, and ancient civilizations. The garland had sent him back, but it wasn't random. There was something here, something in this world that connected to Rana. He needed to find it.

As he read, he made careful notes, piecing together fragments of lore about relics, forgotten gods, and gateways to other realms. Most of it was useless—stories crafted by imagination. But every now and then, a phrase or detail caught his attention.

"'The Void Gate,'" he murmured, running his fingers over the text. It described an ancient portal said to connect the mortal world to one of suffering and chaos.

Rana.

The book claimed the gate was sealed centuries ago by an artifact of immense power. If the artifact still existed, it could be the key to controlling his return to Rana.

Shree Heng's lips curved into a cold smile. The first piece of the puzzle had fallen into place.

The Second Step: Strength

The next phase of his plan required physical preparation. His current body was weak, untrained, and fragile. In Rana, strength was not optional—it was survival.

After school, he walked into a local gym. The clanging of weights and the grunts of effort reminded him of the battlefields of Rana, where every fight was a matter of life and death.

The trainer, a burly man with a sharp gaze, raised an eyebrow as Shree Heng approached. "You're a bit young for this place, aren't you?"

"I'm not here to waste time," Shree Heng replied, his voice calm but firm. "I need a program that will push me to my limits. No excuses."

The trainer smirked, amused by the boy's determination. "Alright, kid. Let's see what you've got."

Over the next few weeks, Shree Heng pushed his body to the brink, enduring pain and exhaustion without complaint. Each session brought back memories of Rana—the endless running, the desperate fights, the moments when his survival depended on sheer willpower.

This time, he wasn't just surviving. He was preparing.

The Third Step: Influence

Power in the mundane world required more than physical strength. Shree Heng needed connections, resources, and influence. He began observing his classmates, identifying those who could be useful.

There was Mina Song, the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur, who had access to the kind of financial resources he would need. There was Arjun Patel, a tech prodigy who could help him with information gathering and digital surveillance. And then there was Aisha Khan, a sharp-tongued debater with a knack for persuasion.

Each of them had something he needed, and each of them would be drawn into his web.

Shree Heng started with Mina. She was kind, naive, and easily charmed—a stark contrast to the ruthless personalities he had encountered in Rana. It didn't take long for him to gain her trust, weaving stories of shared interests and fabricated vulnerabilities.

"You're different from the others," Mina said one afternoon as they walked home. "You're... focused. Like you know exactly what you want."

"I do," Shree Heng replied, his smile hiding the cold calculation behind his words. "And I think we can help each other."

The Fourth Step: Experimentation

Late at night, when the world was quiet, Shree Heng delved into his more dangerous pursuits. Using the knowledge he had gained from Rana, he began experimenting with rituals and incantations, testing the limits of this world's connection to the other.

The first few attempts were failures—empty gestures that yielded no results. But on the fifth night, as he drew a complex sigil on his bedroom floor and whispered an incantation in the language of Rana, the air shifted.

A faint whisper filled the room, cold and menacing. Shadows danced along the walls, their shapes twisting and contorting.

"You..." the voice hissed, low and guttural. "You do not belong here."

Shree Heng's heart pounded, but he held his ground. "Tell me what I need to know," he demanded, his voice steady. "Tell me about the Void Gate."

The shadows hesitated, as if weighing his worth. Then, with a low growl, the voice spoke: "Seek the Harbinger. Only through him will the path be revealed."

Before Shree Heng could ask more, the shadows dissipated, leaving the room silent once more.

A New Threat

As Shree Heng erased the sigil and hid the evidence of his ritual, a realization struck him.

Rana was already reaching for him.

The forces of that world would not let him go so easily. The clock was ticking, and he needed to act quickly.

Shree Heng looked out the window, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. He had taken his first steps, but the road ahead was long and treacherous.

No matter. He had faced worse.

"This time," he whispered, his voice cold and unyielding, "I'll be ready."