On the day of departure, Nanny Kamla stood in the doorway with a bright smile, declaring, “Here you go!” as she placed a massive, one-meter-tall bag on the ground with a soft thud. This bag was stuffed to the brim with a variety of items that she insisted Vishwa might need for his time away.

Vishwa’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the enormous bag. He choked on the tea he had just taken a sip of, causing it to spill all over himself. “How do you think I will carry that monstrosity around with me?” he exclaimed, wiping the tea from his shirt.

“Hey bhagwaan (God), you idiot! Now I have to get a new dress for you,” Nanny Kamla exclaimed with a shake of her head, clearly exasperated. Without missing a beat, she darted up the stairs, calling back over her shoulder, “Figure it out yourself!”

Left alone, Vishwa glanced down at his frail physique before turning his gaze back to the giant bag that now loomed large in front of him. ‘At least it’s got wheels under it,’ he thought, trying to find a silver lining in the situation.

Moments later, Nanny Kamla returned, and as she was fiddling with something in her hands, Vishwa took the opportunity to voice his defiance. “I’m not wearing those,” he stated firmly as he caught sight of what she was holding.

“You can’t wear your usual Prince clothes, so get changed,” she replied without hesitation, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“Kamla Bai…” he started to reason.

“Shhh…” she cut him off, swiftly removing his shirt before handing him a rugged brown half-shirt that seemed completely at odds with his usual attire.

Vishwa looked down at the half-shirt in disbelief. “I would prefer the stained full shirt before this,” he replied, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

“Absolutely not. You will clean that up when you get there. Now finish your breakfast,” Nanny Kamla instructed, her voice firm and final.

Feeling defeated, Vishwa pushed himself to eat, but his mind wandered. “You know, Kamla Bai, I decided two things after reading the books,” he finally spoke, his voice quieter now, hinting at the weight of his thoughts.

“Yeah, what’s that?” she prompted, intrigued.

“First, I don’t want to participate in the throne succession. It’s just full of bloodshed. Almost every King in history has killed his own brother. Even my father killed his elder brother, the 164th King,” he shared, bitterness creeping into his tone as he spoke.

Nanny Kamla interjected, “You’re not eligible anyway.”

Vishwa shot her a glare before continuing, “I like my father, but why did he have to kill every silver-haired child under the age of ten instead of finding a solution to protect them from demon possession? So, the second thing is—I will always look for alternatives before resorting to violence.”

A haunting memory flitted through Nanny Kamla’s mind—the terrifying declaration of the 164th King: ‘I want to find alternatives first, or will you kill me too because of my hair?’

“Both are the same,” Nanny Kamla murmured under her breath, contemplating the tragic past.

“Huh!” Vishwa replied, confused by her words.

Nanny Kamla cleared her throat, trying to shift the tone. “You did a good job on learning history,” she acknowledged, a hint of pride seeping into her voice.

“Okay…” Vishwa replied, feeling a strange flutter of discomfort at being praised by her.

“And remember not to trust others as those villagers.” She warned, while he nodded his head; clearly brushing her words off.

After finishing his breakfast, he waved goodbye to Nanny Kamla from the carriage as they set off. However, as the carriage progressed, Vishwa noticed they weren’t moving towards the city, which puzzled him. “Are we not going through the city?” he asked the driver, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

The driver, a sturdy man with a kind face, answered, “Sir, all three Gurukuls are situated on Tri-Peak Mountain, five miles away from the capital.”

‘It’s not far; I can be back on foot if I wanted to,’ Vishwa thought, reassured by the proximity. Glancing out the window, he pondered, ‘This is the first time I'm going out this far. I need to stop getting so excited about new things; I don’t want to make a bad impression on my classmates.’ As he savoured the anticipation of new friendships, they finally arrived at Tri-Peak Mountain.

“Sir, I can only assist you up to this point; you have to climb the mountain from here,” the driver informed him as he came to a stop.

“Okay,” Vishwa replied, stepping out of the carriage. Upon exiting, he was met with a breathtaking sight that took his breath away. The three towering mountains, each standing at around two hundred meters, faced each other with majesty, while at their centre lay a serene pond, its surface peppered with blooming lotus flowers that contrasted beautifully against the lush greenery of the mountains surrounding them.

His eyes sparkled with wonder as he took it all in, and the driver, noticing Vishwa's awe, began to explain, “To your right is Astra Gurukul, to your left is Magic Gurukul, and directly in front of you is the Artifact Gurukul.”

“It's so beautiful! And I’m going to live here for the next two years!" Vishwa exclaimed, a mix of awe and excitement spilling from his lips.

The driver’s expression turned serious as he continued, "Sir, I must, unfortunately, inform you that you will have to pass the first test in six months at that building over there before you can reach the First Class Astra Gurukul at the top for graduation." He pointed to a building perched fifty meters above them on the Astra Gurukul mountain.

Vishwa's excitement dimmed slightly, a frown creasing his brow. "Ah! I figured that wouldn’t be too easy. What is that building called?" he asked, bracing himself for the answer.

"Beginner Gurukul," the driver replied, taking his seat again. "Good luck, You Highness. We’ll be waiting for your triumphant return." With that, he departed, leaving Vishwa standing there, alone with a giant bag and a whirlwind of thoughts about the journey that lay ahead.

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Vishwa dragged his gigantic bag along the winding path that led to the base of the imposing Astra Gurukul Mountain. The weight was a struggle, but he was determined to reach his destination. A fellow student noticed him and made his way over. "Hey brother, that bag looks heavy! Do you need a hand getting it to the Beginner Gurukul?"

A glimmer of hope sparked in Vishwa’s eyes at the offer. “Oh no, frie... Can I call you friend?” he asked, genuinely grateful for the gesture.

“Sure, friend,” the student replied, a smirk playing on his lips, “I’m Gullu.” Without hesitation, he grabbed one strap of the bag, but internally, he thought, ‘Who would want to be friends with someone like him? I really should be making connections with wealthier people.’ “Let’s go,” he said, trying to maintain some enthusiasm.

Vishwa nodded appreciatively, thinking to himself, ‘What a good guy! We’ve just met, yet he’s willing to help me without me even asking.’ As they made their way up the twisty roads of the mountain, they finally reached the entrance of the Beginner Gurukul.

“Alright, I can manage it from here. Thanks a lot, Gullu,” Vishwa said, feeling relieved.

“No worries, my friend Vishwa,” Gullu responded casually. Then, with a sudden curiosity, he asked, “Are you a Black Soul user?”

Vishwa felt a knot form in his stomach. ‘Why is he asking me this? What if he finds out the truth? Would he still want to be my friend?’ His mind raced with uncertainty. “No... I’m just an ordinary person,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Okay,” Gullu said, extending his hand with a cheeky grin. “How about you give me one gold coin for my help? It’s a friend discount.”

Vishwa felt a twinge of confusion. ‘Does a friend really need to be paid to help me?’ Hesitantly, he fished out his money pouch from his pocket and handed over a gold coin, feeling a bit taken advantage of.

Gullu’s eyes widened with excitement as he took the coin. ‘He must have a stash of gold coins! Could he be a noble in disguise? But he’s dressed like a commoner. What if I’ve made a mistake here?’ Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, “Umm... Are you the son of a noble?”

Vishwa hurriedly stuffed his money pouch back into his pocket, feeling the weight of Gullu’s gaze. ‘I can’t trust anyone here, just like Nanny Kamla warned. He’s not actually my friend. What should I do?’ In that moment of panic, he decided not to reply and rushed through the gate, pulling his enormous bag behind him.

Inside, he noticed a long line of over forty students waiting at the registration counter. He submitted his bag to the luggage counter and received a key for room no. 9 in Building Two. As he took a deep breath, he thought, ‘Finally, I can breathe easy without that massive bag weighing me down.’ He then joined the line at the registration counter.

Meanwhile, in Building One, a muscular boy named Rocky peered out the window, his eyes narrowed as he watched Vishwa from a distance. “Are you sure he’s got more than fifty gold coins on him? He looks like just another commoner,” he said, intrigued.

From behind, Gullu replied, “I saw it with my own eyes, Rocky. We’re both commoners without any support, fortunately we are the Black Soul user. If we can get his coins, we won’t have to worry about food while we’re studying for the exam.”

Rocky nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Let’s handle this quietly when he heads into Building Two.”

Vishwa finished registering and took some time to stroll around the campus, familiarising himself with his new surroundings. Finally, he made his way towards Building Two. “Excuse me, could you tell me where room no. 9 is?” he asked a student.

“First floor,” came the reply.

“Thanks!” he said, grateful for the help. He went past the reception area and opened the gate to the staircase. ‘Room’s on the third floor. Thank goodness I didn’t have to haul that giant bag up these steps,’ he thought to himself.

Just then, a sudden shout escaped his lips, “Ahhh!” as he was abruptly silenced by a piece of cloth being stuffed into his mouth. Confused and struck hard in the gut, he felt a jolt of panic. ‘Who are these guys? Why did they just punch me? Oh no, my money pouch! Aah!’ Before he could react, Rocky landed another blow to his chin.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” a voice rang out from the staircase.

Seeing their plan unravel, Gullu quickly grabbed at Vishwa’s money rather than freeing him from the restraints, tearing his black pants in the process. Rocky shoved him aside and made a run for it, clutching the money pouch as they executed their planned escape.

“Stop! You cowards!” the boy shouted, but as he attempted to chase after them, he realised, “Damn, they locked the door!” Defeated, he turned back to Vishwa. “Are you okay, friend?”

Vishwa took out the cloth from his mouth, wiped the blood on his lips and struggled to rise to his feet after the chaos that had just unfolded. “Friend, huh?” A smirk crept across his face as he glanced back at the boy. Without bothering to respond or offer any more words, he made his way up the stairs.

“Hey, don’t ignore me, brother!” the boy called out, sprinting up to catch up with him. As he approached, Vishwa could see the key to their room clutched tightly in the boy’s hand. “See, we are destined to be together,” the boy beamed, pulling out his own key, marked with the number 9.

Vishwa turned slightly, his voice dropping to a hushed tone, “Sorry, I didn’t know you were my roommate, and I didn’t expect you to witness such a gruesome sight.” The tension lingered in the air, heavy and unwelcome.

The boy hesitated for a moment, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. “Who were they? Did you have any grudges with them? I thought you just arrived.” The curiosity in his voice was unmistakable, tinged with a hint of wariness.

“I did just come in, and I honestly don’t know who they were,” Vishwa replied, quickly trying to pull his torn-off pants together.

As they reached the third floor, they spotted a giant bag sitting awkwardly in the hallway, an obstacle that appeared out of place. “Ah! I’m Gagan, by the way,” the boy introduced himself, his previous worry momentarily forgotten. “I actually went down to look for you because that bag won’t fit through the door unless we take the stuff out first.”

“Alright, let me change my clothes first,” Vishwa responded, nodding in understanding. He opened the door to their room, revealing a modest setup with three beds. In the corner on the far right, a healthy-looking boy with long black hair reclined, engrossed in a book.

“This is my bed; you can take the middle spot,” Gagan said, gesturing to the available sleeping area.

After confirming his place, Vishwa began unpacking the contents from the giant bag. He pulled out a clean white half shirt and a pair of black pants, discarding his rugged and torn clothes into the dustbin without a second thought. As he started to shove his belongings into the middle wardrobe, Gagan broke the silence that had enveloped them. “If you don’t have space, you can use mine.”

“Thanks, I might need it,” Vishwa acknowledged, glancing over at the silent boy on the right. “What’s your name?”

“Don't bother asking him,” Gagan interjected playfully. “His name is Neel, and he doesn’t talk much.” With a change of tone, he continued, “Let’s inform the council about your issue. I believe they took your money pouch, right?”

“Yeah,” Vishwa confirmed with a dejected voice.

“How much was in there?” Gagan queried, the curiosity evident in his tone.

“Around seventy-five,” Vishwa answered, his voice steady.

“That's not muc…”

“Gold coins.”

Neel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What! You commoner had that much? Don’t make up lies.”

“Maybe he is a noble son. Look at all the stuff he brought,” Gagan suggested, defending Vishwa’s claim. Then he turned back to Neel, an accusatory glint in his eyes. “And you—you haven’t talked to me since yesterday. What happened now?”

Neel cleared his throat, re-adjusting himself on his bed. “Go and report,” he instructed, his manner suggesting he was done with the banter.

“That was all the savings I had. I'm not lying, I work at the King’s Castle,” Vishwa insisted, his voice firm.

Gagan’s expression shifted to one of astonishment. “No way,” he exclaimed, his enthusiasm bubbling over. He stood up quickly, dragging the giant bag into the room. “Let’s report right now. They are in for a good show,” he declared and grabbed Vishwa's hand, unable to contain his excitement.

“Can’t you slow down a bit?” Vishwa shouted, struggling to keep up with Gagan’s newfound momentum.