Fragments of Fate
That night, the world did not sleep.
Far beyond Garud's quiet village—
beyond cities, forests, oceans, and mountains—
the fragments of the Panchmukhi Rudraksha fell.
They did not burn.
They did not crash.
Each fragment moved as if it had a will of its own, piercing the skies like shooting stars before vanishing into the land.
Somewhere in the Himalayas
A fragment embedded itself into the snow near an ancient cave.
Inside the cave, an old man who had been meditating for decades suddenly opened his eyes.
For the first time in twenty years—
He breathed.
"This… aura…" he whispered.
"Divine… yet unfinished."
The fragment melted into the ground.
The mountain trembled—just slightly.
Somewhere in the Deep Forests
A fragment struck the roots of an ancient tree.
The tree's bark cracked.
Its roots moved.
Deep beneath the earth—
Something opened its eyes.
Somewhere Beneath the Ocean
A fragment fell into the abyss.
The sea went silent.
Creatures fled.
A massive shadow shifted in the dark waters.
"…Shiva…"
Back in the Village
Garud turned in his sleep.
His breath became heavy.
Suddenly—
The system panel reappeared.
This time, it wasn't silent.
"World Event Detected."
Garud's eyes flew open.
"World synchronization in progress…"
"Divine fragments distributed."
"Hidden variables activated."
Garud sat up, heart pounding.
"World… event?" he whispered.
The panel shifted.
[Notice]
The world has entered the Pre-Awakening Phase.
[Warning]
Entities beyond human perception have begun to stir.
Garud clenched his fists.
"So it's already starting…"
At that moment—
Another notification appeared.
"New Quest Available."
Quest: First Step of the Heir
Objective:
Test your awakened body
Increase at least one basic stat
Reward:
+5 Stat Points
Skill Unlock Chance
Failure:
None
Garud exhaled slowly.
"A quest already…"
He swung his legs off the bed.
Before he could stand—
A familiar voice came from outside.
"Garuuuud—are you awake?"
Karan.
Garud smiled faintly.
"Yeah… I'm awake."
Karan entered the room, rubbing his eyes.
"I couldn't sleep," he said.
"I keep thinking about that explosion."
He paused.
"And about you."
Garud hesitated.
Then spoke honestly.
"Karan… things are going to change."
Karan grinned.
"Good. Life was getting boring anyway."
Garud laughed quietly.
But the system panel flashed again.
"Caution."
A red warning symbol appeared.
[Alert]
A hostile presence has sensed Divine Power.
Distance: Unknown.
Threat Level: Low.
Garud's smile faded.
Karan noticed immediately.
"What happened?" he asked.
Garud looked toward the dark fields outside the window.
"Something… felt me."
The wind outside stopped.
The night grew unnaturally still.
And far away—
Something smiled.