I woke up in pieces.
Not broken. Just… scattered. My limbs felt distant, like they weren't mine. My breath was shallow. My chest ached.
But what hit hardest—
Was the silence.
Still there.
No birds. No breeze. No footsteps. No voices.
Nothing.
My fingers twitched against the cot. The sheets were thin, but warm. Someone had placed a cloth on my forehead—it had long since cooled.
I blinked. Slowly.
The ceiling above me was wooden, curved slightly. Incense drifted from the corner of the room, though I could only see the smoke's patterns, not smell it, not hear the faint burn.
To my left—
Lakshmika.
She was slumped over the edge of my bed, a dried bandage wrapped loosely around her arm. Her breathing was uneven. Her fingers gripped the mattress like she'd guarded it through the night.
Varun leaned against the far wall, arms folded, absent-mindedly rolling a charm or smooth stone between his fingers. His eyes flicked toward me, then away. He looked angry. Or worried. Or exhausted. Maybe all three.
And near the desk—
Guru Anita and Ananya. Deep in conversation. I could tell from their lips, their gestures, the slow heaviness in their posture. They were discussing something urgent.
But I couldn't hear a single sound.
I tried sitting up and groaned.
That was when the door creaked open.
Two figures entered.
One cloaked in deep blue and gold—calm, wise, unshaken.
Guru Vasiṣṭha.
The other walked beside him.
Tall. Controlled. The man who moved like a storm wrapped in silence. The one who saved me.
My chest tightened.
Guru Vasiṣṭha approached first, lips moving softly—carefully—but I still heard nothing. Not even an echo of a whisper.
I shook my head and said aloud, "I can't hear anything."
He frowned slightly and turned to the man.
The man spoke, "Why bother talking to him if he can't hear you?"
I only understood because I saw the shape of his lips. I hated that.
"I can't hear," I said again, "but I can read lips."
The man paused.
Something flickered in his expression—surprise at first, then curiosity. Then something like sharp interest… almost delight.
Guru Anita stepped forward. Her expression was serious.
"The curse isn't ordinary," she said, pacing slowly. "It was placed directly by the Beast Asura. A silence curse that blocks all sound from entering your soul, not just your ears."
Ananya added something softly that I couldn't follow.
Anita continued, her face grave.
"It can only be undone in two ways. If the Asura removes it himself… or if he dies."
My jaw tightened.
So I was trapped.
"What do you mean, if he dies?" I asked. My own voice sounded hollow, like it belonged to someone else's throat.
"Beast Asuras are ranked," Guru Vasiṣṭha said. "Their hierarchy is strict. The one who cursed you—if he serves or is favored by someone above him—will not be easy to kill."
I stared at the floor, trying to process that.
"So… he might come back?" I asked.
"He will," the man answered without hesitation.
Lakshmika stirred awake, eyes wide, panic in her expression. Her mouth moved quickly, urgently. I couldn't hear a word.
"Does that mean Aryaman can't train anymore?" I guessed from her expression.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I can speak. I can read lips. I still want to continue."
Guru Vasiṣṭha watched me quietly for a long moment.
Then he turned to the others. A short, silent discussion passed—nods, gestures, decisions being made somewhere beyond the reach of sound.
Eventually, everyone left.
Ananya gave me a soft smile.Varun, a long unreadable look.Lakshmika lingered—wanting to say something—but stepped away without speaking.
The room grew still.
Only Guru Vasiṣṭha.The man.And me.
"Aryaman," Vasiṣṭha said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder, "this is Rudransh. One of the greatest students the Ashrama has produced in decades. And perhaps… one of the strongest."
Rudransh gave a lazy half-bow. "Hey, kid. You've got my attention now. Why're the Asuras after you? You hiding something? Or born lucky and stupid?"
I swallowed. "I don't know. But I'm not running."
He smirked.
Vasiṣṭha nodded. "Then you must grow stronger. Quickly. Rudransh has agreed to take you with him. Train you personally. Beyond the Ashrama."
"A journey?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied. "Trials. Missions. Knowledge. Danger. You will return a different person."
I stared at my trembling hands.
Then at Vajra resting on the table.
Was this it? My next path?
My next step?
That evening, I stood outside the hall as the sky bled into gold.
Lakshmika was waiting there.
"So… you're leaving?" she said.
I nodded.
Her fists tightened. Her lips trembled.
"Then… promise me something."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Promise me you won't die out there. Because if you do… I'll kill you myself."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Varun stepped up behind her, arms crossed, giving me a single firm nod.
I nodded back.
Then I turned.
Rudransh was already ahead, cloak billowing behind him.
I followed.
And the silence followed with me.
But this time—
It didn't feel like a curse.
It felt like a beginning.