Chapter 2: Whispers of the Vajra

The market district of Kashindrapura was a battlefield of scents and sounds—sizzling oil, roasting spices, and the occasional explosion from an alchemist's failed experiment. Veer weaved through the chaos, clutching a cloth bundle close to his chest.

Behind him, a burly shopkeeper bellowed, "Thief! Someone stop that brat!"

"Brat? That's just hurtful!" Veer yelled over his shoulder as he darted through the crowd.

He hadn't exactly stolen the fried dumplings. He had merely taken them at a discount—by running before paying. The shopkeeper would have understood if Veer had the time to explain, but survival demanded speed, not negotiation.

Just as he thought he had lost pursuit, he turned a corner and slammed into something solid.

Or rather, someone solid.

Veer tumbled backward, barely keeping hold of his hard-earned meal. He blinked up at the imposing figure before him—a man with graying hair, dressed in the robes of a Jyotirlinga Academy proctor.

"Uh… fancy robes, sir," Veer said with a sheepish grin. "Bet they're comfortable."

The man's sharp eyes studied him. "Running from trouble?"

Veer quickly hid the dumplings behind his back. "I prefer to call it… dynamic problem-solving."

Before the proctor could respond, the shopkeeper came barreling around the corner, red-faced and panting. "That's the thief! Academy or not, he needs a beating!"

The proctor raised a brow. "He's an applicant."

The shopkeeper hesitated. "What?"

Veer hesitated, too. What?!

The proctor looked at Veer again, as if seeing something unseen. "The trials begin soon. I suggest you focus on those instead of dumplings."

Veer swallowed. "...Right. Of course."

As the shopkeeper grumbled and walked away, Veer sighed in relief. Then he realized—he had no idea what he had just agreed to.

But if this was a way into the academy, he wasn't going to argue with fate.

Because deep inside him, something had begun to stir—something ancient.

Something waiting to awaken.