2:00 AM (Midnight).
Beyond the boundary wall of the Biswas Palace, silence reigned. It was a moonless night, and the darkness seemed to merge with the earth itself.
Through that suffocating darkness, two shadows slithered forward. Their movement was unlike anything human; they neither floated above the ground nor walked upon it.
They moved as if they were a liquid part of the night itself. Their mastery over 'Aura Suppression' was so absolute that even the ants sleeping beneath the soil remained unaware of their presence.
Suddenly, they halted.
Before them—the sky above the Biswas Palace was shrouded in an ominous, Light Green Mist. Spanning nearly a kilometer, this mist was no natural phenomenon; it was a complex formation of the 'Time Path'.
Entering it meant surrendering to chaos. Time flowed erratically within—some might age instantly, while others could be trapped in a looped past.
One shadow whispered, though no sound escaped its lips. It signaled its companion through the vibration of the air.
From beneath its cloak, it produced a black stone. A Rank 3 'Void Spirit'.
The stone did not glow; instead, it devoured the surrounding light. An invisible tunnel bored through the green mist—like a path cleaving through the ocean. The mist recoiled in fear.
They shot through the tunnel, storming into the palace like a gale. Their destination: the secret bookshelf in the Library Room.
When they arrived, the bookshelf was already closing. The sound of grinding stone echoed—Rumble…
A gap of mere three inches remained between the two halves. Another second, and the path would be sealed forever.
But they were no ordinary intruders.
In the blink of an eye, they contorted their bodies like liquid shadows and slipped through that three-inch gap.
From the darkness of the tunnel, their voices echoed,
"We are coming... to rescue our Lord."
✦✦✦
2:15 AM.
The small patch of land behind the storeroom.
Pitch black darkness. Only the faint glow of the crimson moon illuminated a ragged, solitary figure.
Ruhan Ahmed.
He wore a cheap, sweat-drenched undershirt. His hair plastered to his forehead. His chest heaved as if his heart were about to burst. He had been here since evening.
He was doing push-ups on the muddy ground.
"One hundred... one... two... three..."
Suddenly, he stopped. Deep lines of confusion etched his forehead. His eyes turned cloudy.
"I... what number was I on? Ninety? Or ten? Or twenty?"
He had forgotten.
Since evening, every time he started his exercises, the numbers were wiped from his brain. But the exhaustion in his body did not vanish. His muscles were going numb, his hands trembling. Yet, he did not stop.
He gritted his teeth and gripped the earth again.
"As long as there is breath in this body, I will not let laziness kick my ass! I may be weak, but I am not lazy! One... two... three..."
He started from zero, over and over, until the numbers were etched into his soul.
✦✦✦
2:20 AM.
The Secret Meditation Room of the Talukdar Palace.
Linara Talukdar sat in the lotus position on the floor. Her silver-white hair cascaded down her back.
She closed her eyes, trying to control the flow of Prana within her 'Soul Realm'. But she failed, again and again.
She muttered in frustration,
"Even though I am far ahead of common Masterers... my 'Soul Mastery' is only 30 percent. It's not enough. Sadik has gone far ahead. Even Nafiz..."
Her gaze fell upon the blue bottle in front of her—the 'Iron-Bone Fusion Elixir'.
Ruhan's face flashed in her mind. She saw him sweating from afternoon till midnight every day. No elixirs, no spirits, no family support—yet the boy never stopped.
"And me? I am achieving this result using forbidden items?"
Guilt pierced Linara's heart like a thorn. But the next moment, she steeled herself. This world was no place for the weak. She had to be strong, if only to protect Ruhan in the future.
She uncorked the bottle and drank it in one breath.
There was no magical glow, no comforting warmth. There was only agony.
It felt as if someone was shattering every bone in her body with a hammer. The marrow seemed to turn into molten lead.
CRACK-CRUNCH!
Her ribcage was restructuring itself. Her bones were becoming twice as dense and hard as a normal human's.
Linara curled up in pain, a groan escaping her lips, but she did not break her meditation. She embraced the pain.
✦✦✦
2:30 AM.
The Gymnasium of the Ahmed Palace.
The vast hall was nearly dark, lit by a single torch.
In the center stood Akira. He did not hold a sword from his father's land; he wielded a standard, heavy iron sword given by the Academy.
He flipped the pages of the book given by Azgaar Ahmed and placed it on the floor. It depicted the first stance of the 'Gale-Blade Style'.
Though using 'Prana' was forbidden in exams, there were no restrictions in training. Akira closed his eyes. He tried to awaken the dormant power within his body.
"Calm the mind... be like the wind..."
He swung the sword. Simultaneously, he tried to channel a small amount of 'Prana' into the blade.
SWISH!
A faint vortex of wind formed around the blade, but it vanished instantly. Akira lost his balance and stumbled forward.
He was sweating. His breathing was heavy.
"It's not working... still not working."
But he did not give up. Ruhan's helpless face floated before his eyes. Azgaar Ahmed's indifference stung his memory.
"I can do it. I must do it."
He stood up again. Gripped the sword tighter.
Swing again. Channel Prana again.
SWISH! SWISH!
Every attempt failed, but with each swing, the speed of his blade increased fractionally.
✦✦✦
2:45 AM.
The opulent bedroom of the Chaprashe Palace.
The room smelled of expensive perfume. Rubina Chaprashe lay sleeping on a soft silk bed.
Moonlight filtered through the window, illuminating her face.
In her sleep, she looked like an innocent angel. A smile of contentment played on her lips. Her eyelids fluttered.
She murmured in her dream,
"Forhad... my prince... you are only mine..."
In her dream, she saw Forhad carrying her away on a white horse. Forhad—a hero, a lover, a perfect man.
✦✦✦
But reality was different. Ugly.
In a secret room of the Hossain Villa, a carnival of lust and alcohol was underway.
Forhad Hossain—Rubina's dream prince—lay drunkenly against the headboard. A young maid sat on his lap. She was slightly older than Forhad, her body full and alluring.
Forhad's hand roamed over the sensitive curves of her body. He stared with lust-filled eyes.
The maid was ashamed but terrified. She tried to gently remove Forhad's hand.
"Master... please stop. You are not yet an adult. According to the rules..."
Forhad pinched her cheek. The fire of desire burned in his eyes, accompanied by a cruel smirk.
"Rules? I am the rule. Besides... this is our little secret, isn't it?"
He forcefully pulled the maid closer. Putting aside the wine glass, he pounced.
"Don't be afraid... give me pleasure... I will cover you in gold..."
The maid's weak protests drowned under Forhad's lust. From behind the closed door, muffled cries and moans drifted out—
"Ah Master... ah... please... more... more..."
Rubina's dream prince was, in reality, a lecherous fiend who feigned love only for power.
✦✦✦
3:00 AM.
Banquet Hall of the Forazi Palace.
A grand feast. Torches and magical lights flickered everywhere. The table groaned under the weight of various meats and expensive wines.
At the center of the table sat Nafiz Forazi—the first-place ranker of the recent exam. He was only sixteen, but arrogance was stamped clearly on his face.
The elders of the Forazi family surrounded him, raising glasses of expensive beer.
An elderly patriarch handed Nafiz a special gift.
A strange-looking sword. Its blade was not straight, but curved like a crescent moon. Just above the hilt, at the base of the blade, two terrifying spikes protruded. It was not designed to kill, but to tear flesh from the bone.
And with it, a small magical cage.
Inside, a spirit thrashed wildly—the 'Iron-Sinew Boar Spirit'.
The spirit looked like a small wild boar, but its skin was metallic, and its eyes glowed blood-red. It rammed against the cage repeatedly, emitting a ferocious aura.
The elder said, "This is for you, Nafiz. Using this will make your skin as hard as iron. No one will even be able to scratch you."
He did not mention that it was an 'Adulterated' spirit, one that would shorten Nafiz's lifespan.
Nafiz accepted the gift. He thought himself invincible. He raised his wine glass high.
"Cheers! To the victory of the Forazi Family!"
"Cheers!" everyone shouted in unison.
Laughter, drinking, pats on the back.
But beneath the laughter lay intense hatred. The elders looked at one another, cursing silently—
"Damn my luck! My own son couldn't even make the top ten, and this bastard sits here drinking with us! Die! May this spirit consume you!"
Outside, the night deepened.
At one end of Shitapur Village, a feast of lies and lust continued. At the other end, a 'Failed' prince watered the dry earth with his sweat—just to stay alive.