Beginnings Beyond Time
The sun rose over the towering gates of the Shino Spiritual Arts Academy, casting a golden hue across the polished stone paths. Among the crowd of fresh recruits stood two figures, Mohit and Arthur, both brimming with excitement. The moment their feet touched the academy grounds, it was as if the future itself had opened before them.
They looked at each other and grinned—this was it. The first step into a world neither of them truly belonged to, yet felt strangely drawn toward.
Inside the classroom, their homeroom teacher, Hana, greeted the students with a calm and composed demeanor. Her spiritual pressure was low, but her presence commanded respect. As she introduced Mohit and Arthur to the class, Mohit scanned the room and froze for a brief moment.
There they were—Byakuya Kuchiki, with his aloof and refined aura; Shinji Hirako, smirking with laid-back confidence; Love Aikawa, arms crossed with a quietly strong presence; and Rōjūrō Otoribashi, casually flipping through a book. Mohit felt his heart skip a beat.
"These are future captains. This isn't the timeline I know. Am I... ahead of the anime? Or is this a different universe entirely?" he wondered, his excitement mingling with unease.
After class, Mohit and Arthur sat on the last bench, away from the prying eyes of more confident students. The first few weeks were a blur of introductions to Zanjutsu (swordsmanship), Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat), Hohō (agility techniques), and Kidō (spiritual spells). While Mohit barely kept up in theory-heavy classes like Kidō, Arthur seemed to thrive in practical combat, especially Zanjutsu.
Arthur's sword style was raw and aggressive—powerful swings, reckless speed, and instinctive movement. Mohit, on the other hand, was analytical. His swordplay was precise and deliberate, like a dancer avoiding waste at every turn.
Despite their differences, they trained together, studied together, and slowly earned the respect of their peers.
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Daily Life at the Academy
Life at the academy followed a strict schedule. Mornings began with warm-up drills in Hohō, followed by Zanjutsu training. Lunch was usually a lively affair in the mess hall, where students exchanged gossip and laughed over steaming rice bowls. Afternoons were dedicated to Kidō theory and practical spell casting, though Mohit often found himself zoning out, thinking of something else.
Late evenings were for self-study—or sleep. But Mohit had other plans.
As the moonlight filtered into the quiet courtyard, Mohit would sneak out with his practice sword and head to the secluded training area behind the dorms. There, in silence, he would swing until his hands bled and his breath turned ragged.
"If I'm in this world before the events of Aizen's betrayal… then I have a chance to prepare. I can't just admire captains from afar. I need to be someone who can stand against them—against him."
He often thought about Aizen. Not the calm, smiling lieutenant most people would soon meet—but the monster he knew Aizen would become. The mastermind who would shatter Soul Society with lies and illusions.
"How do you counter a man who deceives reality itself?"
Mohit knew his current power wasn't enough. Not by a long shot. But he also knew something else: he didn't come here by accident. Whether fate or some unseen force brought him here, he had a role to play.
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Moments Between Friends
Shinji became a frequent face around Mohit. The two often chatted after class, mostly because Shinji found Mohit's seriousness amusing.
"You're always staring off into the sky," Shinji teased one day. "What, trying to read the future?"
Mohit smiled faintly. "Something like that."
Arthur would often drag Mohit into sparring matches, pushing him past his limits. Despite Arthur's brute strength, Mohit never backed down. Their bond only grew stronger with each bruised shoulder and every late-night talk about home—wherever "home" really was now.
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End of Year One
As the first year drew to a close, instructors began to notice Mohit's steady growth. His swordsmanship had evolved into something clean and dangerous. While he still struggled with Kidō, his understanding of combat dynamics was beyond his level.
One instructor quietly remarked, "He's sharpening himself like a blade. I wonder what he's preparing for…"
So did Mohit.
"When the time comes, I want to look Aizen in the eye and not flinch. Even if I can't stop him yet, I'll be the crack in his perfect plan. The anomaly he didn't see coming."