The morning sun shone brightly over the grand courtyard of Vedas Heritage Academy. For the first time in weeks, the air felt completely peaceful. There were no monsters to fight, no rival academies to worry about, and no deadly survival exams.
The Inter-Academy Tournament's first round was over, and the "Core Four" were the undisputed champions.
They were relaxing near the beautiful marble fountain in the center of the academy. Karma sat on the edge of the fountain, lazily spinning a small spark of blue lightning between his fingers. He was finally learning how to control his newly awakened 3rd Chakra. Beside him, Daizy was happily using her green aura to make beautiful lotus flowers bloom in the fountain's water. Sambhab was leaning against a pillar, reading a thick book on advanced Pran theory, while Kanha was lying on a bench, loudly munching on a family-sized bag of spicy potato chips.
Everything was perfectly normal.
Suddenly, the massive academy loudspeakers crackled to life. Principal Vardhan's deep, booming voice echoed across the entire campus. But strangely, his voice didn't sound angry or strict like usual. It sounded highly respectful.
"Attention, all students and faculty," Principal Vardhan announced. "Please assemble in the Main Courtyard immediately. We are honored to welcome the holy emissaries of the Indra-Sabha."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire courtyard erupted into excited whispers.
"The Indra-Sabha? The Assembly of Indra (Indian god) ?" a senior student gasped, his eyes wide. "They are the most sacred and powerful religious organization in the world! They never visit schools!"
A few minutes later, the heavy iron gates of the academy slowly opened.
A group of twenty people walked in, and they looked absolutely breathtaking. They didn't walk like warriors; they seemed to glide over the ground. They wore spotless, flowing white silk clothes with beautiful golden borders. Around their necks, they wore heavy, pure gold jewelry that sparkled in the sunlight. Their foreheads were painted with calming sandalwood paste.
The man leading them was the Head Emissary. He had a warm, gentle smile, and he radiated a soft, golden Pran aura that made everyone who looked at him feel instantly relaxed and peaceful.
To the rest of the world, they looked like literal angels descending from the heavens.
The Emissaries walked straight past the crowds of awestruck students and stopped directly in front of the Core Four.
The Head Emissary bowed his head slightly, placing his hands together in a respectful greeting. "Blessings to you, young champions. The High Priest of the Indra-Sabha sends his deepest regards. We watched your performance in the tournament. Your strength is truly a gift from the heavens."
While the Head Emissary was talking to Karma and Daizy, Kanha got bored. He noticed Professor Agni sitting on a wooden bench nearby. Unlike all the other teachers who were standing respectfully, Professor Agni was completely ignoring the holy guests. He was just frowning at a small, complicated book.
Kanha smirked, popped a chip into his mouth, and casually walked over to his fiery teacher.
"And Sir? Kanha teased, leaning over Professor Agni's shoulder with a highly annoying, arrogant grin. "Are you getting jealous? Look at us. We are just first-year students, and we are getting VIP treatment from the holiest people in the world. Are you sad they didn't invite you?"
Professor Agni didn't even look up from his book. He slowly turned a page. "Kanha, I have absolutely no interest in these religious groups or their 'godly' business. Real power comes from training, not from sitting in temples. Now go away, you are blocking my sunlight."
Kanha rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Fine, rot here then",Keep reading your boring books while we go enjoy the royal treatment."
Professor Agni's hand stopped. A thick, dark vein popped out on his forehead. Slowly, he closed his book with a loud SNAP.
"What did you just say to me, you giant idiot?" Agni whispered, his red aura suddenly flaring like an active volcano.
"Uh oh," Kanha gulped.
Before Kanha could even activate his Matter Manipulation to run away, Professor Agni grabbed him by the collar. What followed was a highly comedic, one-sided beatdown. The sounds of SMACK! BAM! OUCH! echoed from the corner as Agni ruthlessly disciplined his most annoying student.
Meanwhile, back at the fountain, the Head Emissary turned his gentle, kind eyes toward Daizy.
"My child," the Emissary said, his voice as soothing as honey. "We have felt the purity of your 3rd Chakra. The 'Eternal Heart Bloom' is not just a power; it is a divine miracle. Next week, the Indra-Sabha is hosting the grand "Shuddhikaran Yagya "(Purification Festival). Millions of poor, sick, and weak people ,blind people will come to our temple for healing and blessings."
The Emissary smiled warmly at her. "We would be deeply honored if you would attend as our Chief Guest. We want you to be our 'Apsara' (Holy Maiden) for the festival. With your powers, you could heal thousands of innocent lives."
Daizy's face instantly turned bright pink. She was incredibly shy and not used to so much attention, let alone being called a Holy Maiden by such important people. "M-Me? An Apsara? Oh... I... I don't know if I am worthy of such a big title. I'm just a student..."
Karma stepped forward and placed a gentle, encouraging hand on Daizy's shoulder. He looked at her with a bright, proud smile.
"You should definitely do it, Daizy," Karma said softly, his teal eyes shining with sincerity. "This is a great opportunity. You always wanted to help people, right? You can use your healing abilities for the right cause. We will all be right there with you."
Sambhab pushed his glasses up and nodded in agreement. "Tactically and socially, Karma is correct. Aligning ourselves with the Indra-Sabha will give our team excellent public support. It is a noble cause to help the sick."
Hearing Karma's encouraging words, Daizy felt a rush of confidence. She looked at the Emissary and nodded her head. "Okay. I will do it. I would love to help."
The surrounding students watched in absolute jealousy.
"Unbelievable," a third-year student whispered bitterly. "They win one tournament, and now they are being treated like literal gods by the temple. That Karma guy thinks he's some kind of saint now."
Just then, Kanha limped back to the group. His hair was messy, and he was rubbing a large, smoking bump on the top of his head, groaning in pain. He had heard the entire conversation.
Kanha frowned, crossing his arms. He looked at the Emissaries, then at Karma.
"Bro, are you crazy?" Kanha said bluntly. "My Grandfather, Shiva Taizan, taught me one very important rule about this world: "Never help anyone for free", Why are we doing charity work?"
Karma's smile faded. He looked at Kanha, a bit disappointed. "Friend, that is wrong . We have awakened powerful chakras . With these powers, we have to take responsibility. If we can save the innocent and the weak, we have to do it."
Kanha rolled his eyes, completely dismissing Karma's heroic speech. "Man, they are weak". If they are sick, let them deal with it. Let them go to hell.Who cares about them! Why should we waste our energy and time on strangers who can't even defend themselves? It's a waste of time."
"Kanha, that is an incredibly selfish way to think," Daizy scolded him gently, crossing her arms.
"It's not selfish, Bhabhi(sister-in-law), it's survival!" Kanha argued, rubbing the bump on his head. "In the real world, nobody helps you unless they want something from you!"
Daizy blushed and reply first of all don't call me"bhabi" (sister-in-law).
While kanha beings kanha he completely ignored her and picking his nose.
Karma shook his head. "Not everyone is like your Grandfather, Kanha. The Indra-Sabha is a holy place. They are just trying to bring peace."
Kanha let out a frustrated sigh. He knew he couldn't win an argument against Karma's strong morals. Whatever, Kanha thought. If they want to play holy heroes, fine.
Nobody paid attention to Kanha's cynical warning. They were all too blinded by the beautiful white clothes, the golden auras, and the sweet words of the priests.
Scene shift to the holy place 'indra-sabha'.
The massive iron gates of the 'Indra-Sabha' Temple slowly opened, revealing a sight that looked like it belonged in heaven.
The temple was incredibly grand, built entirely of pure white marble with towering pillars coated in real gold. The air smelled of sweet sandalwood incense, and the soft, peaceful sound of thousands of bells echoed through the massive courtyard.
In the center of it all, sitting gracefully on a raised white stone platform, was Daizy.
She wore a beautiful, traditional white and gold dress given to her by the temple. Her eyes were closed, and her hands radiated a bright, warm, emerald-green light. It was her 3rd Chakra, the Eternal Heart Bloom.
A long line of sick, injured, and elderly people slowly walked up to her. Daizy gently touched a crying old man's crippled leg. Within seconds, the green light wrapped around his knee, and the man stood up straight, his pain completely gone. He fell to his knees, joining his hands in prayer, crying tears of pure joy.
"Praise the Apsara(holy maiden)! Praise the Holy Maiden!" the crowd chanted.
Standing near the edge of the platform, Karma, Kanha, and Sambhab watched the scene.
"She looks like a real goddess," Karma smiled softly, feeling proud of Daizy. She was finally using her powers to help people without fear.
But as Sambhab adjusted his glasses, he looked at the massive crowd gathered in the main courtyard. "This is not just a religious gathering, Karma. Look closely."
More than ten thousand people were sitting on the temple grounds. But it wasn't just poor and sick people. The place was swarming with cameras.
News reporters with big microphones were broadcasting live. Social media influencers were walking around with selfie sticks, yelling into their phones, "Guys! You won't believe the divine energy here at Indra-Sabha! Hit like and subscribe for blessings!" Even worse, several greedy local politicians were sitting in the front VIP rows, wearing fake smiles and folding their hands for the cameras, purely trying to get votes from the religious crowd.
"This is a circus," Kanha muttered, casually eating a handful of holy sweets he had grabbed from a passing tray.
Suddenly, a deep, echoing voice silenced the entire crowd of ten thousand people.
"Peace, my children."
Sitting on a massive golden throne at the front of the stage was the High Priest—the 'Baba' of the Indra-Sabha. He had a long white beard, a glowing face, and wore spotless white robes. His voice carried a strange, hypnotic weight that made everyone instantly stop talking.
He began his speech , talking about purity, the light of Lord Indra (lord indra consider the king of of heaven), and how the world was filled with dark shadows that only the temple could cure.
But suddenly, a group of five angry men stood up from the middle of the crowd. They were skeptics—anti-religion activists who had come specifically to expose the temple.
"Stop your lies, Baba!" the leader of the group shouted, pointing a finger at the High Priest. The news cameras immediately zoomed in on the drama. "You are running a business here! There is no god, and there are no miracles! We challenge you right now! We have brought a boy who has been blind since birth. If your powers are real, heal him right now! If you can't, you must close this temple today. We bet our lives on it!"
The crowd gasped. People started yelling at the activists, but the High Priest simply raised his hand, smiling calmly.
"Bring the boy," the Baba said softly.
The activists brought a blind teenager forward. The Baba didn't even touch him. He just looked at the boy and whispered a few words. Suddenly, a blinding, pure white light—an incredibly powerful Illusion technique masked as a miracle—flashed across the stage.
The blind boy blinked. He looked at his hands, then at the sky, and burst into tears. "I... I can see! I can see the light!"
The crowd erupted into absolute madness. People were screaming in devotion.
The activists froze. Their arrogant faces turned completely pale. The Baba looked down at them, his eyes flashing with a terrifying, unseen pressure. The leader of the skeptics began to tremble. Unable to handle the overwhelming aura, all five activists fell to their knees, weeping loudly and begging the Baba for forgiveness.
"Forgive us, Baba! We were blind to the truth!" they cried, rubbing their foreheads on the ground.
The politicians clapped loudly, and the media went crazy. It was a complete victory for the temple.
Karma frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his wooden training sword. "That wasn't a miracle," Karma whispered to his friends. "I felt his Pran energy. He used some kind of heavy mental pressure to break their minds."
"I agree," Sambhab nodded seriously. "This place is highly suspicious."
"Hey bro, forget the creepy Baba for a second," Kanha said, nudging Karma with his elbow. He pointed his half-eaten "laddoo" (sweeet food) toward the VIP seating area. "Isn't that your Mom?"
Karma blinked, following Kanha's finger. Sure enough, sitting in the second row, wearing a simple but beautiful saree, was his mother, Aarti. She was clapping her hands, completely captivated by the Baba's 'miracle'.
"Mom?" Karma muttered in surprise. He quickly pushed his way through the crowd, with Kanha and Sambhab following close behind.
"Mom! What are you doing here?" Karma asked as he reached the VIP barricade.
Aarti turned around and her face lit up with a huge smile. "Karma, beta! Look at this place, isn't it beautiful? The temple priests came to our house yesterday. They said Daizy was going to be the Chief Guest, so they gave our family VIP passes!"
Karma smiled, relieved to see his mother happy, even if he didn't trust the temple. "It's good to see you, Mom. Are you here alone?"
Aarti shook her head. "No, no. Swati is here too. Actually, the Head Priest sent a special, golden invitation specifically for Swati to join their 'Youth Devotion Camp' inside the inner temple. She went in an hour ago."
Karma's smile instantly vanished. He stared at his mother in absolute disbelief.
"Wait... Swati?" Karma asked, his voice cracking slightly. "They invited Swati? Into the inner temple?"
"Yes! Isn't it wonderful?" Aarti smiled proudly.
Karma slowly turned to look at Kanha and Sambhab. His face was completely pale. "That shameless, chaotic little demon got an invitation to a holy place?"
Kanha's eyes went wide. The image of Swati throwing a car-sized Diwali bomb at a shadow monster flashed in his mind. Kanha slowly put his hands together in a prayer position, looking up at the sky.
"Bro," Kanha said with deep, genuine concern. "I am no longer worried about Swati. I am genuinely worried for those poor priests and the innocent people inside. May God save this temple from your sister."
Sambhab sighed, pushing his glasses up. "technically speaking... the temple's structural integrity will not survive Swati for more than two hours."
Karma groaned, rubbing his temples. "We need to get inside that inner temple right now. Before she accidentally blows up the High Priest."
The three boys slipped away from the noisy, crowded main courtyard of the temple. While Daizy was busy healing the sick and the High Priest was giving his grand speech, Karma's mind was entirely focused on his little sister.
"I am telling you, something is wrong," Karma whispered, peeking around a large white marble pillar. "Swati is inside the Inner Temple. She is probably breaking ancient statues right now, or worse... what if they are doing something to her?"
Sambhab pushed his glasses up, scanning the quiet hallways. "Tactically speaking, sneaking into the restricted Youth Camp is a bad idea. But considering Swati's destructive nature, it is a necessary risk."
"I just hope the kitchen is nearby," Kanha yawned, rubbing his stomach. "All this sneaking around is making me hungry."
They carefully climbed up a beautifully carved stone staircase and hid behind a marble balcony that overlooked the 'Youth Devotion Camp'. Karma gripped the hilt of his wooden sword tightly, preparing himself to see a horrific scene. He expected to see children crying, or locked in cages, or being forced to do terrible things.
He slowly peeked over the balcony railing.
His jaw instantly dropped. Kanha and Sambhab looked over his shoulder, and they froze too.
It was not a prison. It was the most beautiful, peaceful garden they had ever seen. The grass was perfectly green, and colorful butterflies fluttered around lotus ponds. Soft, calming flute music played in the background.
Sitting on the soft grass were about fifty children, all dressed in simple, comfortable white clothes. They were sitting perfectly still, their eyes closed in deep meditation.
And right in the middle of the front row was Swati.
Karma rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating. Swati, the girl who could not sit still for two minutes at home, was sitting cross-legged with her hands resting on her knees. She was actually trying to chant "Om" with the other children. Sure, she was peeking with one eye open every few seconds, and she was secretly chewing on a piece of candy, but she was genuinely trying to behave.
Suddenly, an elderly priest with a long, white beard walked up to Swati.
Karma's heart skipped a beat. He tightly gripped his sword, ready to jump down and fight if the old man yelled at her or tried to hurt her for chewing candy during prayer.
But the elderly priest didn't get angry. He simply knelt down in front of Swati and gave her the warmest, most grandfatherly smile.
"My dear child," the priest said, his voice incredibly soft and kind. "God does not mind if you eat candy. But if you close both your eyes, you will find a sweetness inside your heart that is even better. Peace is the greatest joy."
Swati blinked, surprisingly touched by the old man's gentle words. She quickly swallowed her candy, smiled brightly at him, and squeezed both her eyes shut, trying her best to meditate properly. The priest patted her head gently and walked away to check on the other kids.
Up on the balcony, Karma felt completely stupid. He slowly let go of his sword.
"Well," Kanha whispered, holding back a laugh. "That was terrifying, bro. He almost killed her with kindness."
"There are no hostile threats here, Karma," Sambhab noted, analyzing the entire garden. "The environment is 100% safe. The discipline is completely natural."
Before Karma could reply, a sweet bell rang through the garden. Meditation time was over.
The children cheered happily as a group of young, smiling temple volunteers wheeled out a massive, golden cart. The cart was filled with beautiful silver cups, and the volunteers began pouring warm, golden almond milk—the temple's special Prasad—for all the kids.
"Ooh! Milkshake!" Swati cheered, running up to the cart to grab a silver cup.
Up on the balcony, Karma's protective instincts flared up again. His mind flashed back to the dark, corrupted 'Red Pill' the shadow monster had eaten in the Howling Valley. What if this Prasad was spiked? What if it was poison?
Karma panicked. He didn't think; he just acted.
Karma vaulted over the marble balcony, dropping ten feet down into the garden, and sprinted at top speed toward his sister.
"Swati! STOP!" Karma yelled.
Just as Swati lifted the silver cup to her lips, Karma dashed in and forcefully grabbed her wrist. The sudden movement made the silver cup slip from her hands. It crashed onto the marble floor, spilling the warm, sweet almond milk everywhere.
The entire garden went dead silent. The music stopped. Fifty children and a dozen priests turned to stare at Karma.
Swati looked at her brother, completely shocked. "Bhaiya! What are you doing?!"
Kanha and Sambhab slowly walked down the stairs, hiding their faces in embarrassment.
The elderly priest who had spoken to Swati earlier walked over. He looked at the spilled milk on the floor, and then looked at Karma's panicked, sweaty face.
Karma realized how bad he looked. He quickly tried to make an excuse. "I... uh... she can't drink that! She is highly allergic! Yes, she is allergic to... almonds! And... sugar! It's very dangerous for her health!"
Swati frowned, looking confused. "No I'm not....." Karma quickly covered her mouth with his hand.
Karma waited for the priest to get angry. He had just ruined the holy Prasad and disrupted the peace.
But once again, the priest proved him wrong. The old man's face softened with deep understanding and concern. He didn't look angry; he looked genuinely worried.
"Oh, dear me! I am so sorry, my son," the priest said, quickly signaling a volunteer to clean up the spilled milk. "We should have asked about her allergies before serving. You did the right thing. An elder brother must always protect his younger sister. You are a very good boy."
The priest reached into a woven basket on the cart, pulled out a perfectly shiny, fresh red apple, and handed it to Swati.
"Here, little one," the priest smiled warmly. "Fresh fruit from the temple gardens. No sugar, no almonds. Completely safe."
Karma stood there, completely frozen. He felt like the biggest villain in the world. The priest was so pure, so incredibly understanding, that Karma's paranoia made him look like a crazy, rude person.
"T-Thank you," Karma mumbled, his face turning bright red with embarrassment.
Just then, the grand double doors of the garden opened, and a very important-looking man walked in. He wore golden robes and had an aura of intense authority. It was the Head Priest of the Temple Academy.
All the visiting parents who had come to watch their children immediately stood up and folded their hands in deep respect.
The Head Priest walked straight past the crowd and stopped right in front of Swati. He looked at her with bright, amazed eyes.
"Incredible," the Head Priest whispered. He looked up at Karma. "Are you this child's guardian?"
"I am her older brother," Karma said, still holding Swati close to him.
The Head Priest smiled broadly and raised his hands, announcing to the entire garden. "Ladies and gentlemen, our temple is always looking for pure, bright souls. Today, I have found one. This little girl possesses an incredibly vibrant and joyful energy. It is rare to see such purity."
The Head Priest turned back to Karma, his expression serious but filled with respect. "Son, I want to offer your sister a full, 100% Golden Scholarship to the Indra-Sabha Vidyapeeth. It is the most prestigious academy in the country. She will be given free education, luxury housing, and she will be trained by the greatest spiritual masters in the world. Her future will be secured forever."
The entire garden gasped. The visiting parents began to whisper to each other, looking at Swati with intense jealousy.
"A Golden Scholarship? Do you know how rare that is?" one mother whispered.
"Some people pay millions to get their kids into that school," a father muttered bitterly. "That girl is so lucky."
Swati's eyes widened. "Wait, free school? Do they have good snacks?"
"The best snacks in the world, my child," the Head Priest laughed gently.
It was a dream offer. Any normal person would have fallen to their knees and thanked the priest. It was a golden ticket to a perfect life.
But Karma didn't care about prestige. His gut, his instincts, and his wild 3rd Chakra were silently screaming at him to take his sister and run.
"No," Karma said firmly, his voice echoing in the quiet garden.
The crowd gasped again, this time in absolute shock.
"I appreciate the offer, respectfully," Karma said, holding Swati's hand tightly. "But she is not going anywhere. She stays with me and our mother. We are taking her home."
The visiting parents began to glare at Karma.
"What an idiot," someone whispered loudly. "He is ruining his sister's life out of jealousy."
"How arrogant! He is insulting the Head Priest's kindness!" another parent scoffed.
Karma ignored the insults. He looked directly into the Head Priest's eyes, waiting for the man's ego to break. He waited for the priest to force them or threaten them.
But the Head Priest simply closed his eyes, smiled peacefully, and bowed his head slightly.
"I understand," the Head Priest said, his voice completely void of anger or pride. "A family's bond is stronger than any scholarship. I deeply respect your decision, young man. We will never force anyone to walk our path. If you ever change your mind, the doors of Indra-Sabha will always be open for her."
The Head Priest blessed Swati and peacefully walked away.
Karma stood in the middle of the garden, completely dumbfounded. He had interrupted their prayer, ruined their holy food, and rejected their greatest gift in front of a massive crowd. And yet, the temple people had treated him with nothing but absolute love, respect, and grace.
As they finally walked out of the Inner Temple, Kanha wrapped an arm around Karma's shoulder and sighed.
"Bro," Kanha said, shaking his head. "I love you, but you seriously need to chill. You just embarrassed yourself in front of literal saints."
Sambhab adjusted his glasses, looking at Karma with a raised eyebrow. "I must agree. Your threat-assessment was completely irrational today, Karma. This place is perfectly safe."
Karma looked back at the towering white marble pillars of the temple. The sun was shining on them, making them look divine. There was absolutely no proof of anything evil. No red eyes, no dark magic.
But deep down in his heart, Karma was brewing. It's too perfect, Karma thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. Nobody in this world is that perfect. They are hiding something.