Karna's body ached as he slowly opened his eyes. The scent of damp earth and freshly cut grass filled his nose. Sunlight peeked through the leafy branches above, casting gentle shadows on the ground. He was lying on a stone bench, surrounded by trees and bushes. The sound of distant birds chirping reminded him that this wasn't a deep forest—it was the backside mountain park of Mumbai High School, a peaceful place where students sometimes wandered during lunch breaks.
Then, the memories hit him,when the Das and his gang beaten him.Karna sat up abruptly, wincing. He had been beaten again. And all because he had sat beside her. Not by choice, but because Head Teacher Luis had changed the seating arrangement today. Das, the self-proclaimed admirer of the girl Leela, hadn't taken it well.
Now, Karna was here, left to nurse his bruises alone. As he massaged his sore arm. Now, he was alone in the backside mountain park, a place where students sometimes wandered but never stayed for long.
Dusting off his uniform, Karna scanned the surroundings. His schoolbag lay near the trees at the forest's edge, half-covered in fallen leaves. He walked over, picked it up, and slung it over his shoulder.
The school hospital was unusually silent in the afternoon, broken only by the ticking wall clock and the distant echo of students changing classes. The sharp smell of antiseptic lingered in the air as Karna sat on the narrow bed, his shirt pulled up to reveal dark bruises blooming across his arm.
The nurse didn't ask many questions.
She had seen boys like him before—quiet, bruised, unwilling to complain.
"This will sting a little," she said flatly.
Karna nodded.
The needle pierced his skin, and he clenched his jaw as the medicine flowed in. The pain was sharp but brief—nothing compared to what he had already endured. When it was over, the nurse pressed cotton against the spot and waved him off.
The throbbing pain in Karna's body faded into a dull ache, as if his wounds had been wrapped in cotton. He exhaled slowly, adjusted the strap of his bag, and left the hospital room without looking back.
Within three minutes, the medicine settled into Karna's veins, easing the pain enough for him to move freely. He left the school hospital and headed straight to Class C, arriving just as the afternoon lecture was underway.
The teacher stood before the digital board, arms folded behind his back.
"After the year 2150," he said, "the world as we knew it ended."
Karna slipped into his seat.
"The catastrophe began when an asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere above Australia. Instead of striking the surface as a single mass, it shattered into countless fragments while descending."
The screen filled with images of fiery streaks scattering across the planet.
"These fragments didn't just crash," the teacher continued. "They spread across the Earth—into oceans, forests, cities, and mountains. Wherever they landed, the environment began to change."
He paused.
"From those fragments, an unknown force emerged. We later named it Prana."
The classroom grew silent.
"Prana did not change humans at first," the teacher continued. "It was the animals that evolved. Ordinary creatures mutated into colossal, intelligent, and brutally powerful beasts. Their bodies hardened beyond steel, their instincts sharpened for destruction."
The screen shifted—cities burning, skyscrapers torn apart.
"Modern weapons proved useless. Tanks were crushed. Missiles failed. Even the nuclear weapons humanity once relied upon—the terrifying mushroom clouds—could not bring those beasts down."
A low murmur spread through the class.
"As cities fell one after another, humanity stood on the brink of extinction. Only then did the world's strongest nations act."
The display changed again.
"India, the United States, and China led joint research efforts. Through years of sacrifice, they uncovered methods to interact with Prana, developing combat techniques and compact laser-based weapons capable of piercing beast defenses."
Karna's breath slowed as he listened.