The duel was over, but the whispers had only just begun.
Word spread like wildfire across Sector 5: *"The third prince returned."* *"He defeated Kael without breaking a sweat."* *"He has… changed."*
But while others speculated, Aryan remained quiet. Each night, he sat beneath the stars, breathing slowly, feeling the flow of Spiritual Qi within his body.
His body, now transformed by the **Brahma Vajra Body**, was more than mortal. He could see a few seconds into the future — a gift both strange and dangerous.
---
**Scene: Varen's Hall, Sector 5**
Lord Varen stood facing a large map etched on stone — depicting all five sectors of Ambika. Revant and Saavi stood by his side, arms crossed.
**Revant (gritting his teeth):** "He dishonored our name by vanishing. Now he returns and starts acting like a cultivator?"
**Saavi (calmly):** "He returned… different. That much is clear. The Qi around him feels ancient."
**Lord Varen (stern):** "Let him grow. The blood of Ambika's rulers flows through him, whether we accept it or not. We shall see what becomes of him."
But Varen's gaze lingered longer on the map — especially the southern corner where dark clouds gathered unnaturally.
---
Scene: Training Grounds, Late Night**
Aryan trained alone.
Each punch, each step, was deliberate.
He could feel it — the **first stage of the Mortal Realm** stirring inside him. The Qi spun faster, more fluidly, guided by his breath and clarity.
**Aryan (thinking):** "The temple… it opened a path. But I've only stepped on the first stone."
Suddenly, a presence approached — Dev, his only friend, carrying a flask of tea.
**Dev:** "You're not sleeping again, are you?"
**Aryan (smirking):** "Sleep won't take me where I need to go."
Dev handed him the tea.
**Dev:** "You know… for a guy who once gave up and jumped off a cliff, you sure got serious fast."
**Aryan:** "I didn't jump to die. I jumped because I had nothing left… And the gods gave me something."
---
### **Scene: Secret Murim Archive — Sector 2**
Far away, in Sector 2's Murim Library, a monk flipped open an ancient scroll. It depicted a symbol glowing eerily similar to the seal that had appeared behind Aryan during meditation.
**Monk (shocked):** "The Dharma Seal… only recorded once in a thousand years."
He scribbled a message hastily, sealed it, and handed it to a crow-shaped spirit messenger.
**Monk:** "Deliver this to Sector 1's High Council. A new force has awakened on Ambika."
---
### **Scene: Deep South – Kaalnemi's Forbidden Temple**
The villain, Lord **Kaalnemi**, meditated beneath a giant throne made of bones and shadow. He opened his crimson eyes as a black flame flickered beside him.
A voice echoed from the darkness.
**Voice:** "He walks the path of the Brahma Body…"
**Kaalnemi (whispers):** "Good. Let him grow. Let him hope. I will be the god this world forgot — and crush all light with my shadow."
The black flame expanded… showing a glimpse of the future:
**A ruined temple… Aryan screaming in agony… fire consuming everything.**
---
**Final Scene: Aryan's Room**
Aryan sat cross-legged, eyes closed, the Dharma Seal behind him slowly stabilizing. But in his mind, a voice had begun to echo — a whisper… from the temple…
**"Climb… Climb higher… before darkness rises…"**
He opened his eyes. And
for a moment — just a moment — his pupils shined golden.
---
**To be continued…**