Chapter 1
At six in the morning, a small bird flew toward one of the hostel windows and landed on the sill. It began chirping softly.
Beside the window, a twenty-one-year-old girl named Anu slept peacefully on her bed.
The bird continued its cheerful song until Anu slowly opened her eyes. Still half asleep, she turned toward the window and looked outside.
The morning was calm.
A cool breeze moved gently through the room, and the air felt soothing against her skin. For a few moments, Anu simply sat there, looking out at the peaceful world outside the window.
Then, finally pulling herself away from the view, she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
Thirty minutes later, Anu stood in front of a mirror, carefully doing her hair.
Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder.
A familiar face appeared over her shoulder.
"Good morning, sweetie!"
Anu immediately smiled.
"Good morning."
It was Sanghamitra—Anu's best friend and roommate.
Sanghamitra smiled back and walked into the bathroom.
"Anu!" another voice called.
Anu turned around.
Aasha, one of their roommates, stood near the door.
"Will you girls be free this evening?"
Before Anu could even open her mouth, Ilakshi suddenly appeared and grabbed Aasha by the arm.
"Please let us know before afternoon, Anu," she said, dragging Aasha toward the door. "If you're free, let's go out and have some fun."
Aasha barely had time to protest before Ilakshi pulled her out of the room.
"We'll be waiting for your answer!" Ilakshi called before shutting the door behind them.
Anu smiled and turned toward the bathroom.
"Be quick, Sanghamitra!"
---
Fifteen minutes later, Anu and Sanghamitra were seated in their classroom.
It was their Language and Literature period.
The class passed as usual, and once it ended, the students slowly began leaving the room.
"Anu."
She turned around.
Anil was standing behind her.
"Today, there is going to be a sword-fighting training session with some specialised swordsmen from Vajraksha Kingdom," he said. "Our mentor asked us to reach the arena by two in the afternoon."
Anu's face immediately brightened.
"Thank you for telling me. I'll be there."
Anil nodded before walking away.
The moment he left, Sanghamitra came running toward Anu.
"Anu!"
"What happened?"
"Our institution is inviting some of the greatest swordsmen from Vajraksha Kingdom today!"
Sanghamitra looked far more excited than Anu.
"And I heard that Aakash is coming too!"
Her eyes practically sparkled.
"He's one of the most talented—and definitely the most handsome—swordsmen in Vajraksha Kingdom! Isn't that amazing?"
Anu stared at her blankly for a moment.
"You are so lucky," Sanghamitra continued. "You might actually get a chance to interact with him. If you do, can you please get his autograph for me?"
Anu stared at her for another second before finally smiling.
"Okay. I'll try."
Sanghamitra grinned happily.
The late-morning classes continued as usual.
After lunch, Anu and Sanghamitra went their separate ways. Although they lived together and were best friends, their areas of specialization were different.
Anu had chosen Martial Studies.
Sanghamitra had chosen Arts and Craftsmanship.
---
Anu made her way directly toward the Martial Hall.
Even from a distance, she could see students gathering near the arena. Everyone seemed excited. Some whispered among themselves while others kept looking toward the entrance, waiting for the swordsmen to arrive.
Only a few minutes later, the doors opened.
Ten swordsmen entered the hall, accompanied by several higher officials of the institution.
The students immediately became quieter.
One of the trainers stepped into the arena.
"Good afternoon, students and staff."
His voice echoed across the Martial Hall.
"First, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the swordsmen from Vajraksha Kingdom. We are deeply honoured that they have agreed to share their experience and skills with our students."
He turned toward the students.
"Today, you will have the opportunity to train under the ten finest swordsmen of Vajraksha Kingdom. Students will be called in groups of ten and assigned to practice with them."
His expression became serious.
"Be respectful. Be disciplined. And above all, learn."
With that, the trainer stepped away.
The staff began calling students by name.
One group entered the arena.
Then another.
Anu waited patiently.
Finally, during the third group, her name was called.
She stepped into the arena and was assigned to one of the swordsmen.
Aakash.
Sanghamitra would probably lose her mind if she were here, Anu thought.
But Anu barely had time to think about it.
She bowed respectfully to Aakash.
He returned the gesture.
Then the practice began.
Their swords collided.
A sharp metallic sound echoed through the arena, followed by a brief shower of sparks.
Anu moved quickly, attacking with confidence. Aakash blocked every strike with remarkable ease.
She tried again.
And again.
Thirty minutes passed.
Anu was breathing heavily.
Then, in one swift movement, Aakash disarmed her.
His sword stopped near her neck.
Silence.
Anu had lost.
After a moment, Aakash slowly pulled his sword back and placed it inside its scabbard.
Then he walked toward her.
Anu stood silently.
"You have good skill," he said.
His voice was deep and steady.
"And it is clear that you have spent a great deal of time practicing."
For a brief moment, Anu felt relieved.
Then he continued.
"But skill alone is not enough."
Her expression changed.
Aakash looked directly into her eyes.
"Astra responds to intent, not merely to command."
Anu remained silent.
"Your emotional control is weak," he continued. "And it fluctuates too easily."
His words struck harder than the swordfight itself.
"You can spend hours strengthening your body and perfecting your technique. But without control over your mind and emotions, there will come a point where physical practice alone will take you no further."
Anu's jaw tightened.
"You may go now."
His voice remained calm.
Anu bowed slightly before leaving the Martial Hall.
But the moment she stepped outside, the words continued to echo in her mind.
Your emotional control is weak.
---
Without thinking much about where she was going, Anu walked straight toward the practice ground.
She picked up her sword.
And began practicing.
Again.
And again.
She swung.
Blocked.
Turned.
Attacked.
For two hours, she refused to stop.
Not because she wanted to practice.
Because she was angry.
Angry at Aakash.
Angry at herself.
And perhaps most of all, angry because a part of her knew he might be right.
Eventually, her arms began to ache.
Her breathing became uneven.
Finally, in frustration, she threw the sword aside and sat heavily on a nearby bench.
For several minutes, she stared at the ground.
His words continued to repeat in her mind.
Astra responds to intent, not merely to command.
Your emotional control is weak.
After a while, Anu took a deep breath.
She stood up.
Walked toward her sword.
And picked it up.
Then she sighed.
Maybe I need a break.
---
Thirty minutes later, Anu entered a small restaurant outside the institution.
She immediately spotted her three friends sitting at a table.
The moment Sanghamitra saw her, she sat up excitedly.
"Anu! Did you see Aakash?"
Anu nodded.
Sanghamitra's eyes widened.
"Did you get his autograph?"
"No."
One word.
That was all Anu said.
Sanghamitra slowly leaned back into her chair.
Her excitement disappeared almost immediately.
She looked carefully at Anu's face.
Something had happened.
Sanghamitra gently placed a hand over Anu's.
"What happened?"
Anu looked at the three of them.
Then she told them everything.
Aakash.
The sword fight.
His words.
Her defeat.
When she finished, Sanghamitra squeezed her hand gently.
"It's okay, Anu. You can learn how to control your emotions and improve."
Aasha nodded.
"Maybe you should try meditation," she suggested. "If you practice it regularly, it might help."
Anu considered her words.
Before the mood could become too serious, Ilakshi clapped her hands.
"Okay, girls. No more sad faces."
She looked at all of them.
"Eat your food. Relax. And let's enjoy the rest of the day."
That immediately earned a small smile from Anu.
---
After their meal, the four girls decided to go horse riding.
They rode beyond the busy streets of the city and into the open countryside.
The land stretched endlessly before them.
Wide plains.
Tall grass moving with the wind.
Distant hills.
And an enormous sky slowly changing colour as the day moved toward evening.
For a while, Anu forgot about everything.
Aakash.
The training.
His criticism.
All of it.
There was only the sound of hooves against the earth and the wind rushing past them.
By evening, the kingdom seemed to become an entirely different world.
The last light of the sun rested over the distant stone walls, turning the tall towers and watchtowers into dark silhouettes against a sky streaked with gold and crimson.
Beyond them stretched the heart of the kingdom—a vast city built along the banks of a great river, its narrow streets winding between houses, markets, temples, courtyards, and old stone structures that had stood for generations.
From where Anu stood, she could see the river cutting through the kingdom like a silver path. A broad bridge connected the two sides of the city, and even at this hour, people continued to cross it—merchants returning from the markets, travellers leading tired horses, and families making their way home before nightfall.
The streets below were still alive.
Shopkeepers called out their final prices. The smell of cooked food drifted through the air. Horses moved slowly through the crowded roads while children chased one another between the houses, their laughter rising above the sounds of the evening market.
Far beyond the crowded city, the land slowly disappeared into darkness.
That was where the forest began.
Dense and ancient, it stretched across the distant horizon like an endless shadow.
During the day, the green canopy could be seen rising above the land.
But at night, it became something else entirely.
Silent.
Dark.
And impossible to measure with the eye.
Anu had always thought the kingdom was divided between two worlds.
One belonged to people—the river, the markets, the stone walls, the castles, and the lives built within them.
The other belonged to the forest.
And no matter how close the two worlds stood to each other, they had never truly belonged together.
---
After wandering through the streets for some time, the girls finally returned to their hostel.
The day had exhausted all of them.
They fell onto their beds the moment they entered the room.
"Girls," Ilakshi said, staring at the ceiling, "today was great, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," Aasha sighed.
Anu turned toward Sanghamitra.
But Sanghamitra was already asleep.
Anu smiled.
She then turned toward the other side of her bed and looked at her sword.
She always kept it beside her.
Not for protection.
But because it reminded her of what she loved.
Martial Studies.
Swordsmanship.
The feeling of a blade resting firmly in her hands.
For a moment, she simply looked at it.
Then she turned toward the ceiling.
Her thoughts slowly drifted toward home.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
Gradually, her eyes began to close.
But just as she was about to fall asleep, fragments of the day began replaying in her mind.
Aakash's words.
Her sword.
The sound of horses.
The countryside.
Then suddenly—
Something else.
A stone.
Anu's eyes slowly opened.
She tried to remember.
During the horse ride...
Had she accidentally touched something?
The memory was unclear.
Just a stone.
Her fingers brushing against its surface.
Nothing more.
The scene replayed faintly in her mind.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
Anu turned toward the window.
Cool air slipped through the room and brushed against her skin.
She let out a slow breath.
Perhaps it was nothing.
With that thought, she finally closed her eyes.
And slowly drifted into sleep.
