Parashu fell to his knees. His sword shook in his hands, and sweat rolled down his face.
Darpanesh's voice came from the dark, cold and sharp:
"Look at you. Everyone thinks you are strong, but I can see the truth. Deep inside, you are weak."
All the students and teachers were watching, trapped by Darpanesh's shadow spell. No one could help.
Parashu closed his eyes and whispered softly:
"Yes… I am weak. I know it."
But then… he remembered.
Training in the forest.
His promise to Veerath.
Yakshini standing beside him.
The hope in his friends' eyes.
Something inside him lit up.
A warm light burst from his chest, breaking the darkness. The shadows around the others shattered like glass. Everyone was free.
Darpanesh narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting… but light cannot survive in deep shadows."
He raised his hand for another spell—
but then another figure stepped forward.
It was Rivan.
Darpanesh looked shocked.
"You? This is not your mission!"
Rivan gave a small smile, but there was pain in his eyes.
"Maybe. But I don't like fights where only shadows are allowed to win."
He slashed his dagger across the ground, cutting Darpanesh's spell. The magic cracked.
That gave Parashu one chance—
and he took it.
With all his strength, he swung his sword.
Light met shadow in one last strike.
Darpanesh didn't fall.
Instead, his body turned into mist. His laugh echoed in the forest:
"Next time, boy… your weakness will not save you."
The shadows vanished.
The students cheered, and the mentors breathed with relief.
But Parashu only looked at his shaking hands.
He whispered to himself:
"Yes, I am weak… but today I became a little less weak."
Far away in the crowd, Rivan stood quietly.
He didn't cheer.
He only thought to himself:
"Maybe… Kara is wrong."
A Bond in Silence
After the fight, the academy slowly returned to normal.
But Parashu didn't feel normal.
At night, he sat alone near the training grounds, his sword resting beside him. His eyes stared at the ground, heavy with doubt.
Yakshini quietly walked up behind him. She didn't say anything at first—just sat down next to him. The night was quiet, the only sound was the rustling of leaves.
Parashu finally spoke.
"Everyone thinks I'm strong… but inside, I know the truth. I'm still weak."
Yakshini looked at him gently.
"Strength isn't about never feeling weak, Parashu. It's about standing up even when you feel that way."
He turned to her, confused.
"But when I face enemies like Darpanesh… I feel like I can't win. Like no matter how much I train, it's never enough."
Yakshini smiled softly.
"Maybe that's why you're different. Others fight only to prove their strength. But you fight because you care—for your friends, for the people who believe in you. That's why you shine even when you're afraid."
Parashu was silent. Her words sank deep into his heart.
After a moment, Yakshini pulled something out of her pocket. A small charm made of red thread and a silver bead. She tied it around his wrist.
"This is a protector's knot," she said.
"When you feel weak, remember you're not alone. I'm here too."
Parashu stared at the charm. His throat felt tight, but he managed a small smile.
"Thank you, Yakshini."
For the first time in many days, the heavy weight in his chest felt a little lighter.
The two of them sat there in silence. No words were needed.
The bond between them had already spoken louder than anything else.