Five years had passed. The young, puzzled boy who first came to the Mage Academy at age ten was now Arjun Varma, a fifteen-year-old prodigy. He was officially known as a 3rd Circle Mage at the academy. This was a rare achievement for someone his age, reached through hard, secret training that made him much better than his classmates. His quiet diligence and mastery of earth magic had earned him respect, but the true extent of his powers—his command over air and fire, and the legendary summoning arts—were his deepest, most guarded secrets. Dhruva's betrayal still hurt him; in fact, it had grown into a cold, strong determination, powering every breath and every hidden spell.
Arjun's Hidden Loom: Weaving Power in Secret (Age 10-15)
While he publicly practiced his common earth magic, Arjun's true cultivation over these five years was a solitary, intense effort. He knew that to face a threat like Dhruva and eventually take back what was his, he needed all his old power, and even more.
His Public Skill: Earth's Steady Growth: During academy lessons, Arjun continued to act perfectly. He controlled earth magic with amazing precision, becoming the academy's best example for that element. He could make stone flow, build small, temporary walls of earth with just a thought, or perfectly sense movements through the ground. His control was far beyond his years, making him seem like a gifted prodigy in earth magic. This was enough to get him praise, special attention from senior mages, and a quick climb through the magic ranks. The academy teachers, who were used to students struggling with even one element, marveled at his natural talent, never guessing his secret depths. He had officially reached 3rd Circle mastery in Earth, a respectable and powerful rank.
His Secret Practice: Air's Rising Wind and Fire's Controlled Inferno: Away from curious eyes, often deep within the quiet hours of night or in secluded corners of the vast, rarely visited academy grounds, Arjun pursued the cultivation of his air and fire elements with relentless discipline. This was painstaking work. In Aravalli, it was considered a monumental achievement to master even one elemental affinity, and very few mages ever managed more. Arjun, with his three, was an anomaly, a secret he guarded with his life.
For air magic, he honed his ability to manipulate subtle currents, learning to control gusts that could silently extinguish a distant candle or lift heavy objects with imperceptible force. He practiced controlling these currents to make dust motes dance or to create a barely-there breeze, mastering his Whisper Breeze (फुसफुसाहट की हवा - Phusphusahat Ki Hawa) spell. As his control grew, he could now create pockets of compressed air to push objects away, or cast Wind's Cloak (वायु का आवरण - Vayu Ka Aavaran) around himself, a spell that subtly distorted light and muffled sounds, making him harder to see or hear during his secret activities. He even began to feel the potential for a powerful Gale Push (प्रचंड धक्का - Prachand Dhakka) to clear paths or disorient foes, though that was still a challenging feat for his current circle.
His fire magic remained the most challenging to practice due to its volatile nature. He began with tiny, controlled bursts of heat, learning to use Heat Sense (गर्मी का अहसास - Garmi Ka Ehsaas) to find hidden warmth. His practice evolved to manifesting small, almost invisible Flame Shards (अग्नि शल्य - Agni Shalya), sharp points of heat that could scorch paper or burn a target with precision. He focused on controlling its temperature and density, making it burn hotter or cooler at will, or drawing residual warmth from stone to create hidden heat sources. He learned to manipulate smoke, making it swirl and dissipate silently. He even felt the raw power of a Blaze Orb (तेज गोला - Tez Gola) forming in his mind, though its full, destructive force was still beyond his young body's current capability to safely unleash.
His Secret Goal: The Start of Legendary Summoning: His deepest, most dangerous secret was still his legendary summoning abilities. These were not just rare; people only whispered about them, often thinking they were just old stories or dark, forbidden arts from a past age. The academy curriculum barely touched upon them, thinking they were too powerful, too wild, or just lost over time.
Over these five years, Arjun had spent many hours in the academy's secret archives. He wasn't just reading; he was remembering. His seventy-year-old mind, as sharp as ever, carefully recalled the complex rituals, detailed Formations, and ancient agreements that were burned into his memory from his past life. He looked for old books, diagrams, and broken historical accounts that hinted at summonses. He learned how to find the hidden clues in the academy's edited versions of history, guiding him to where the full, forbidden knowledge might be hidden. He traced forgotten mana paths on old scrolls, trying to understand the spirit worlds from which summoned beings came. He couldn't yet call forth powerful summoned creatures, but he could feel the faint echoes of the spirit world, the raw power of summoning just out of his reach. In the dead of night, he would attempt Spirit's Echo (आत्मा की प्रतिध्वनि - Atma Ki Pratidhvani), a spell that let him briefly sense faint whispers or cold spots, the very edges of the spiritual realm. Sometimes, if he focused hard enough, he could even coax a fleeting Shadow's Glimmer (छाया की चमक - Chaya Ki Chamak) into existence for a split second, a transparent, dark shape that offered a momentary distraction. These were tiny steps, but each one brought him closer to reclaiming the terrifying power he once wielded.
Through all this, Arjun felt his new magic circle getting stronger, the mana flowing more freely, and his control over all three elements deepening, even if it was all in secret. Every successful practice, every hidden skill he mastered, was a step towards his revenge.
A Kingdom in Danger: The Rising War
The Kingdom of Aravalli, once proud of Maharaja Vikramaditya's legendary victory, found its long peace slowly disappearing. Decades ago, the Maharaja had done what no other mage in history had: he had broken through the 7th and even the mythical 8th magic circles during his war against many invaders. This amazing feat had allowed him to single-handedly crush all enemies and end a terrible time of conflict. But this great victory had made people too comfortable, leaving Aravalli's defenses weaker than they should have been.
Now, after five years, the distant sounds of war were no longer distant; they were a constant roar at the gates. News from Aravalli's borders came to Indiranagar more often, brought by tired, worried messengers and anxious families of soldiers. The enemies had grown bolder, worked together better, and their fighting methods were more brutal. The different enemy groups around Aravalli had increased their attacks:
The Northern Barbarians: Tribes from the icy mountains, who used to just raid quickly, were now launching bigger, more organized attacks. They pushed deeper into Aravalli's northern plains, aiming to seize arable land and establish permanent camps. Their attacks were fast, meant to scare and steal, but now also to conquer. The Western Warlords: Ambitious leaders from the dry plains, who wanted control of Aravalli's fertile river valleys, had joined their forces. Their conflicts now included not just small fights over strategic passes and forts, but full-blown sieges, putting Aravalli's army under huge strain. The Southern Empire: A large, organized empire that viewed Aravalli's wealth with envy had moved past just spying and messing up trade. They were now openly helping groups inside Aravalli that wanted to rebel and their occasional full invasions on Aravalli's southern forts had become more frequent and powerful, pushing deep into the kingdom.
These were no longer just small, easy-to-handle fights. Reports talked about fierce battles that left many dead, brutal raids on border villages where homes were burned and people became refugees, flowing towards Indiranagar. The prices of basic food, which used to be steady, had gone way up in the capital. This was a silent alarm for the common people, leading to unrest and fear. There were constant calls for more soldiers, talks about forcing people to join the army, and a growing sense of fear and uncertainty that filled daily life. The king's legendary power seemed less everywhere, spread thin across many battlefronts.
Court Politics: How the Crisis Affected the Palace
The growing outside threat showed the cracks within Aravalli's royal court. Different noble families reacted in expected ways, often caring more about themselves than the kingdom:
The Traditionalists: Still fiercely loyal to Maharaja Vikramaditya's, they believed his huge power alone would be enough to stop any real invasion. They urged patience and faith in his leadership. They resisted big changes to military plans, holding onto the glory of past victories. The Pragmatists: These nobles, often from the border regions that suffered most from the attacks, demanded immediate, stronger military action, big reforms, and alliances with smaller kingdoms. They worried desperately about running out of supplies and the low spirits of their people and soldiers. The Opportunists: Some families, clever and ruthless, saw the worsening war as a chance to gain power and wealth. They pushed for profitable army contracts, or for campaigns that would weaken rival families, even if it hurt Aravalli's stability in the long run.
Dhruva's Careful Moves: Ambition Growing: Prince Dhruva, now a smart and increasingly powerful young man, paid very close attention to the news from the borders. Arjun watched him, like a hawk watching its prey from a hidden spot. Dhruva didn't show fear, unlike many of his friends or even older palace officials. Instead, Arjun saw a subtle but chilling spark of ambition in the young prince's eyes whenever reports of conflict arrived. While others saw grim danger, Dhruva seemed to see not just opportunity, but a big stage for him to rise. He would often ask remarkably detailed questions about the border strength, the exact number of soldiers in different forts, and how much supplies were being used for defense. These questions, while seeming innocent and showing interest in state affairs, had a subtle, calculating edge. Arjun, remembering Dhruva's cold, planned betrayal in his past life, now recognized these as the early, chilling signs of the ruthless cunning that would fully define the Crown Prince in the years to come.
Dhruva began to quietly suggest "clever" solutions to the border problems during court discussions or in private talks with his father's advisors. These "solutions" often involved plans that would directly help certain noble families who strongly supported him, perhaps by giving them profitable army contracts or putting their troops in good positions. Or, more subtly, he'd suggest actions that would quietly or publicly make rivals in the military look bad or remove them, making space for his own loyal followers. He pushed for military actions that, while seeming heroic or smart, would often put other, less favored, noble families or their forces in dangerously open positions, or waste valuable royal resources. Yet somehow, through clever reporting or careful framing, Dhruva himself would look decisive and capable. Arjun clearly saw these self-serving decisions, understanding with bitter clarity that Dhruva wasn't truly thinking about Aravalli's long-term safety. He was only thinking about gaining power and securing his claim to the throne. He was playing a dangerous, high-stakes game, using the kingdom's danger as a stepping stone for his future kingship. This chilling realization strongly confirmed Arjun's decision for revenge – Dhruva was indeed a snake, even in his misleading youth, already showing the poison that would one day take Arjun's life.
The Call to Arms: Arjun at the Border
As the border situation got worse, the Mage Academy, which was a very important part of Aravalli's strength, was asked to help directly. For the first time in many decades, older mages and advanced students were sent to the front lines to help the armies. Because of his amazing progress in earth magic and his quiet, smart insights (which Arjun subtly showed just enough to seem impressively clever, rather than unnaturally wise), Arjun, now a 3rd Circle Mage, was chosen as one of the leaders of a group of mage students being sent to help the armies at the Western border. It was a test, a place to prove himself, and for Arjun, a serious opportunity.
The journey to the western border fort, a tough place called Durgamgarh, was fast and serious. The land changed from the green, farmed plains around Indiranagar to dry, rocky ground scarred by fights. Burnt-out villages, empty and silent, dotted the route, grim reminders of the enemy's cruelty. Arjun's group was made up of younger mages, mostly 1st and 2nd Circle, skilled in various elements but without real fighting experience. He felt the weight of responsibility, a familiar burden from his mercenary days.
Upon arrival at Durgamgarh, the harsh truth of the war hit harder than any report. The fort itself was sturdy, but the exhaustion was clear on the soldiers' faces. The air buzzed with tension, the distant sounds of battle always present. General Rakesh, the tough, old commander of Durgamgarh, welcomed them with a tired nod, his eyes looking carefully at the young mages. He seemed especially interested in Arjun, having heard whispers of his "prodigious" earth magic, a talent that could be very useful for making defenses stronger.
Arjun spent his first days observing. He walked the fort's walls, studied how the troops were placed, and noticed the weak spots in the fort's earth defenses. He saw the soldiers' true bravery, but also their tiredness, their low supplies, and the often ineffective plans of their commanders, who relied too much on brute force and too little on magical strategy. He quickly realized that the war wasn't just being fought with swords and spells; it was being fought with supplies, morale, and the careful manipulation of power within Aravalli itself. Dhruva's influence was already clear here, with some commanders putting his political orders ahead of good military judgment. Arjun, now on the ground, could truly begin his work: not just to help Aravalli win, but to expose the rotten core that threatened its very existence.