The city looked the same on the surface.
Crowded streets, honking vehicles, students rushing to school, shopkeepers opening shutters — everything moved in familiar rhythm. Yet for Mohit, the world felt different now. Beneath the noise and concrete, subtle currents flowed unseen, weaving invisible patterns through buildings, roads, and people.
Awakenings were spreading.
He could feel it.
As Mohit walked to school, his senses expanded naturally, scanning the environment without conscious effort. Small fluctuations brushed against his awareness — weak sparks of energy inside random pedestrians, faint resonance near metal structures, lingering disturbances near old trees and abandoned places.
Most people remained unaware.
But the world was quietly changing.
In class, Mohit barely paid attention to the lecture. His notebook filled not with notes, but with small diagrams of energy circulation patterns and breathing cycles. His reverse cultivation defect tugged softly at his core, reminding him to remain cautious, to never overextend.
During lunch break, Arjun and Meera joined him near the corner of the school courtyard.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Arjun whispered.
Mohit nodded. "Yes. More awakenings. Weak ones… but growing."
Meera glanced around carefully. "If this keeps spreading, secrecy won't last forever."
Siya approached them shortly after, carrying her lunch nervously. Her aura flickered faintly — much calmer than before, but still raw.
"I had a strange dream last night," she said quietly. "I saw light moving under the city… like veins."
Mohit's expression hardened slightly.
That matched what he had sensed earlier.
After school, the group regrouped at their training ruins. The air felt heavier today, dense with subtle pressure.
Mohit extended his awareness outward.
Something was wrong.
Multiple energy pulses overlapped in the distance — chaotic, untrained, unstable.
"Those aren't natural," Mohit said slowly. "Those are people awakening… without guidance."
Arjun clenched his fists. "That's dangerous."
Meera nodded. "Unstable awakenings can spiral out of control."
They decided to investigate cautiously.
Moving through narrow streets and abandoned alleys, Mohit tracked the disturbances like ripples in water. Each pulse grew stronger as they approached a deserted warehouse district.
A faint humming sound filled the air.
Inside a broken warehouse, three teenagers stood in confusion, their bodies glowing unevenly with uncontrolled energy. Fear twisted their faces as the power surged randomly around them.
"I can't control it!" one of them shouted.
Energy burst violently from his hands, cracking concrete walls.
Siya gasped softly. "They're just like I was…"
Mohit stepped forward calmly. "Everyone stay back. Let me talk."
He raised his hands gently, keeping his energy stable and soothing.
"Breathe," Mohit said firmly but calmly. "Slow down. Follow my rhythm."
At first, the teenagers panicked. Their energy spiked erratically. But gradually, Mohit's steady presence influenced their flow. Their breathing synchronized slowly.
One by one, the violent surges softened.
The trembling stopped.
Silence returned.
The three teens collapsed to the floor, exhausted but safe.
Arjun exhaled in relief. "That could've turned into a disaster."
Meera studied Mohit quietly. "You stabilized them without overpowering. That's not easy."
Mohit wiped sweat from his brow. His reverse cultivation defect pulled sharply, draining some of the stabilizing energy he had used. Pain flickered through his core — controlled, but real.
"I can't do that too many times," he admitted. "My body won't handle it."
As they escorted the teenagers safely away from the dangerous area, Mohit felt uneasy.
If more unstable awakenings were happening across the city… how many would spiral out of control?
How long before someone stronger and more dangerous appeared?
And deeper still — what was triggering all of this?
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Mohit stared toward the distant skyline, sensing faint pulses flickering like dying stars across the city.
Hidden currents were rising.
And soon, the calm surface would break.