Ninefold_Sage

The world you know is a lie.

Veer was born in the slums, mocked for his weak spirit, destined to be nothing. But when he awakens the Vajra Fragments, the truth unravels—he’s not just a warrior. He’s a living key to an ancient power that should not exist.

The prestigious Jyotirlinga Academy claims to train the strongest, but beneath its walls lies a secret: those with Vajra Fragments are not trained… they are sacrificed.

But the biggest lie?

The Vajra was never destroyed—it became a person.

The world already ended once—now, it's just an illusion.

And the ones pulling the strings? They have been waiting for him.


When betrayal shatters his reality, Veer must forge his own path—through lost temples, ancient wars, and a hidden truth that could burn the heavens themselves.

In a world built on deception, will he break free… or become its greatest weapon?


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Ashes of the Vajra

Veer sat on the back of an ox-drawn cart, bouncing with every bump in the cracked road. The sprawling city of Kashindrapura faded behind him as they neared the towering gates of Jyotirlinga Academy.

The academy's outer walls weren't just stone; they pulsed with faint golden runes, shifting like living things. Mantras of protection, Veer realized. Enough to incinerate anyone who tried sneaking in uninvited. Not that he had considered it.

(Okay, maybe once. But it had been purely hypothetical.)

Beside him, a boy with meticulously combed hair and the posture of a royal peacock sniffed. "I can't believe they're allowing commoners this year."

Veer wiped some street dust off his cheek. "I can't believe they're allowing talking furniture."

The boy's face turned an interesting shade of purple. "Do you know who I am?"

"Nope," Veer said. "But I do know you should probably close your mouth before a bird lays eggs in it."

A few other applicants snickered. The peacock-lookalike huffed and turned away.

Before Veer could enjoy his small victory, the cart passed through the golden gates—and suddenly, the world shifted.

The moment the cart entered the academy grounds, the sky above changed. Instead of Kashindrapura's usual hazy orange sky, the heavens were now a deep, endless indigo. Celestial runes twinkled like constellations, constantly shifting into new patterns.

The very air inside the academy was thick with energy, as if the land itself was alive and watching.

Something about this place feels… familiar.

But that was impossible. He had never set foot here before.

At the main courtyard, hundreds of applicants had already gathered, their colorful robes displaying the different sects and clans they came from. This was a battlefield of prodigies.

A deep voice echoed through the courtyard. At the center stood an old man wrapped in layers of saffron and midnight-blue robes—Guru Dhiran, one of the academy's chief instructors. His beard was long enough to be mistaken for an enchanted rope.

"The entrance trial begins now," Guru Dhiran announced. "This is your one and only chance to prove your worth. If you fail, you leave. If you survive, you stay."

Someone raised a hand. "Um, did you say 'survive'?"

"Yes," Guru Dhiran said. "Any other foolish questions?"

The guru clapped his hands. The ground beneath them rippled like water—and suddenly, the applicants were falling.

Veer barely had time to yell before he hit something solid.

He landed on his feet inside what looked like a vast underground cavern. Strange blue fire flickered along the walls, illuminating the faces of his confused and dazed fellow applicants.

The flames along the walls twisted—then took the shape of monstrous figures. Flame-born Guardians.

A voice boomed from above. "Defeat your opponent and prove your worth. Only the strong may enter Jyotirlinga Academy!"

"Great," he muttered. "Nothing like a good life-or-death situation to start my morning."

Chapter 3: The Jyotirlinga Trials Begin