The sun had barely risen over the training grounds nestled deep in the forest. Birds chirped a melodic welcome to the day, but the air was heavy—not with tension, but anticipation.
Aryan stood silently before a marble stone etched with sacred verses. The words shimmered faintly, glowing in response to his touch. His fingers paused over the inscription—this was not just stone. It was a trial. A symbol. The ancient knowledge of the devas was sealed within.
Beside him stood Karna, sweat glistening on his brow, his bow strung across his back, arrows freshly carved at his side. His movements were no longer the hesitant stances of a boy—they bore the fierce confidence of a warrior. Even Parshuram ji, ever stern and silent, had begun to nod in rare approval during their training.
"Guruji asked us to awaken the stone… but it's not just power he's testing," Aryan said softly, his voice thoughtful. "He wants to see if we can carry the weight of it."
Karna glanced sideways at his younger brother. "You've already awakened more than power, Aryan. Your spirit is… loud. The devas can't help but hear it." He smirked. "Even Guruji says he hears more wisdom in your silence than in his scrolls."
Aryan chuckled but then fell into a thoughtful pause. "Do you think we'll be ready in five months?"
"I'm already ready," Karna said confidently. "But I'm staying because… you're my brother. And because something tells me you're going to change everything."
---
That night, after their lessons ended and Guru Parshuram had retreated into deep meditation, Aryan sat beneath the banyan tree, lost in thought. A small glow flickered from his chest—his System interface pulsed gently.
> SYSTEM UPDATE: Mastery Achieved – Medical Arts, Weapon Forging, Combat Strategy All Skills Multiplied x1000 – Demi-God Level Confirmed New Passive: "Voice of the Ancients" – Ancient Knowledge Integration Active
Aryan closed his eyes and let the knowledge sink into his bones. Every pulse of his heart now carried the rhythm of divine wisdom—how to stitch wounds with the precision of divine surgeons, how to forge weapons with mantra-infused iron, how to lead armies before even drawing a sword.
Yet, his heart longed for something else.
He pulled out a small wooden carving from his pouch—Simba, the lion cub Parshuram had gifted him, now training somewhere in the deeper forest. Aryan whispered a small prayer for his companion.
"Simba, wherever you are… keep growing strong. I'll need you beside me one day."
---
Meanwhile, far away in Hastinapur…
Vasumati sat by the palace window, the breeze combing gently through her greying hair. Her eyes remained fixed on the garden below, where a young girl chased butterflies with boundless laughter—Aryan's sister, now thirteen, glowing with joy and spirit.
Radha Maa watched from behind, approaching with quiet grace. "She reminds me of him, doesn't she?"
Vasumati smiled. "Every day. Same eyes. Same fire. I wanted to stay in Vrindavan, but… I couldn't leave her alone in Hastinapur. Not now. Not after everything."
"You did right," Radha Maa said gently. "She needs you here. And we need to protect her while Aryan finds his strength."
In the quiet corner of the palace garden, Dushala still kept the small tricycle Aryan had given her. She would ride it every day, hoping it brought her closer to him.
And in a secret chamber, Gandhari lit a small diya every evening in prayer for Aryan, Vasumati, and the peace of her own uncertain future. "That boy is not just a prince. He's destiny walking," she whispered.
---
In Vrindavan, little Krishna was perched on Radha's shoulders, stealing butter from a high shelf. The moment he got caught, he gave an innocent giggle and threw a chunk of butter at Aryan's gifted tricycle lying by the door.
"Mischief again, Kanha?" Radha scolded, laughing.
"Aryan bhaiya's toy is too still. I was feeding it makkhan!"
Radha picked him up and smiled. "He'll come back soon. And when he does, we'll thank him properly."
---
Back in the forest, Parshuram ji finally opened his eyes from meditation and called the boys forth.
"Aryan. Karna. Come."
They knelt before him, heads bowed.
"The path of a warrior is not about wielding power. It is about restraint. The day you let your skill speak instead of your ego, you shall be ready."
He turned to Karna. "Your arrows now sing with divine rhythm. But your heart still seeks recognition. Temper it."
To Aryan, his gaze softened for a moment.
"You... remind me of an old promise. A lion cub… named Simba. You remember him?"
Aryan nodded. "He trains alone now, in the deeper forest."
Parshuram smiled. "Then he mirrors you. Both destined to walk paths others fear. Remember—when you call for him, he will come."
Then he handed Aryan a sealed scroll.
"Within this is knowledge sealed from the world—medical arts from the Himalayas, scripts lost to time. I give it only because… I believe you will not misuse it."
"I promise, Guruji," Aryan said, eyes shimmering.
"And Karna," Parshuram said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You will be the bow the world fears—and Aryan, the mind that guides it."
---
Later that evening, Aryan sat writing in his journal, the fire crackling nearby. Karna was fletching arrows in silence.
"Do you miss them?" Karna asked suddenly.
"Every moment," Aryan replied. "My maa… my sister. Even Pitashree and Radha Maa. Krishna and Radha... And yes, Dushala too."
He paused. "Sometimes I dream that we're all together. Not as royals or warriors. Just… as family."
Karna placed an arrow down. "That's why you're different. You're not building power to destroy. You're building it to bring everyone home."
Aryan smiled. "Five months, bhaiya. Then the world begins to change."
---
> SYSTEM ALERT – New Path Unlocked: Destiny Weaver Bond Status: Strengthening across all fronts Simba Status: Training Complete – Awaiting Summon
And as the moon cast silver light over the forest and Aryan closed his eyes to the wind, somewhere in the deep wilderness, Simba roared—loud, fierce, and filled with the power of Narasimha's bloodline.
The journey had only begun.