Dawn painted the Ashvathar estate in soft gold, slipping through carved stone lattices and warm brick corridors. Ember-hued tapestries breathed faint heat, and the air carried the comforting fragrance of spiced porridge simmering in the kitchen hearths.
Arav padded down the hallway, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. His mind buzzed faintly—echoes of metallic system text lingering behind his thoughts like embers refusing to die out.
He turned into the dining hall—
—and a silver blur slammed into him.
"Bhaiya!"
Arav staggered as small arms wrapped tightly around him.
Isha Ashvath—his little sister—looked up with a grin far too bright for the early morning. Her hair shimmered like moonlit silk, and her skin carried a soft, silver-white glow. Even half-awake, her Moon Spirit Physique radiated calming aether.
And the moment she hugged him, the faint instability vibrating in his chest… settled.
Just like that.
Arav blinked.
"…Good morning, Isha."
She only squeezed harder. "I missed you! You slept toooo long!"
"I woke up at dawn."
"That's too long!"
Lady Sharanya entered behind them, warm laughter trailing her like perfume.
"Easy, moonbeam," she teased. "Let your brother breathe."
"But he needs hugging to start the day!"
Arav didn't disagree. Her presence felt like cool water on overheated stone—soothing, grounding, stabilizing. Something inside him eased in ways even meditation couldn't replicate.
Isha… calms the distortions?
He'd felt it yesterday, faintly. Today, it was undeniable.
Before he could think more, footsteps echoed across the hall.
Lord Aaryan Ashvathar entered, still in his training robes, faint embers drifting behind him like obedient sparks. His gaze landed on Arav immediately.
"He feels different today."
Sharanya arched a brow.
"You noticed too quickly."
"When have I not noticed?"
Arav shifted under their scrutiny. Something in him felt exposed—but not in danger. Just… observed.
Isha tugged his hand. "Come sit! I saved your seat!"
They gathered around the long dining table. The morning meal steamed with warmth—flame-kissed bread, fragrant porridge, and glowing firefruit slices that crackled faintly with stored aether.
Arav had barely lifted his spoon when Isha leaned over, determined.
"Say ahhh."
"I can eat by my—"
She fired the spoon at his mouth anyway.
Sharanya covered her smile with her sleeve.
Aaryan pretended he didn't see.
Arav resigned himself and opened his mouth. The porridge tasted better than usual… mostly because Isha beamed like she'd just achieved an ancient feat.
But then—
The chandelier above them flickered.
Arav stiffened.
Sharanya's hand paused.
Aaryan's eyes narrowed.
The flame didn't just flicker.
It bent sideways, pulled toward Arav like iron drawn to a magnet.
A low hum vibrated through the air.
Instability.
Reality Recoil.
Before he could react, Isha's silver aura burst outward like moonlight breaking through clouds.
Whoosh.
The flame snapped back into place.
The chandelier steadied.
The distortion vanished.
Isha smiled proudly, little chin lifted.
"I fixed bhaiya."
Arav stared at her.
Sharanya and Aaryan exchanged a long, silent look—one that held concern, confusion, and realization all tangled together.
Sharanya murmured, "Her aura responded instinctively."
Aaryan folded his arms. "His distortions are growing. The house formations responded twice yesterday."
Arav looked down at his spoon.
He didn't mean to cause trouble. He didn't want to be dangerous. Yet his body, his aether… the system… everything felt like it was moving faster than he could control.
Sharanya gently rested a hand on his shoulder.
"You're alright, Arav. Just breathe."
He nodded slowly.
Then the familiar chime rang in his mind.
[Sign-In Location Detected.]
[Ashvathar Flame Garden.]
Arav blinked.
Here? Now?
The system hadn't activated since yesterday. It seemed the resonance of family, warmth, flame, and moonlight together triggered something deep.
Quietly, he willed the system to proceed.
[Daily Sign-In… Successful.]
[Reward: Ember-Root Aether Veins (Minor Awakening)]
A tingling warmth surged through him—gentle, rooting itself along the inner pathways of his body, weaving into his meridians like glowing threads.
His breath deepened.
The distortions calmed.
When he looked up, the chandelier stayed perfectly still.
Isha tilted her head.
"Bhaiya feels warmer now."
Sharanya hummed thoughtfully.
"He's growing faster than expected."
Aaryan nodded once, expression unreadable.
"We begin guiding his foundation soon. Before the distortions outpace his control."
Arav swallowed.
He knew he wasn't ordinary.
He knew his body held something far older than flames.
But seeing the worried softness in his mother's eyes… the protective edge in his father's gaze… and Isha's unwavering smile—
He felt his chest tighten with something warm.
This world…
This family…
This chance at life…
He wouldn't waste any of it.
But above them—far above, where the sky grew thin and the aether t
urned silent—a faint ripple moved.
Something ancient shifted.
Watching.
Waiting.
Responding.
The world was beginning to change with him.
And Arav felt it.