I wake up for my training. Today, I have turned 8 years old. Vishwa had trained me t fight since the time I could walk. I had a busy schedule. Waking up in the morning, going for a jog around the woods outside the city and back, then training with the sword, and then with the bow, and then sitting to cultivate until lunchtime. After lunch, I had a duel with my father when he was not busy or a duel with my mother when he was. After that, I had to listen to my mother’s lesson on history and then a lesson on grammar. After which, my uncle, that was Vayu, the bastard who was Involved in my death, taught me a lesson on shakti control, after which, I had a body tempering session with Guru Saptabhuti. Aft the body tempering session, I was free to do whatever I wanted. Until dinnertime, after which, I had a cultivation session with Guru Saptabhuti, where I cycled for four hours and then slept. I kept my hatred safely hidden. When the time comes, I would kill them. I would kill those three.

I perform my daily routine. Just before my sword practice, Vishwa, may he burn in the seventh hell summoned me.

I head to his chambers.

“Father, you called me?” I ask, masking my hatred.

“Yes. I did. Today is your eighth birthday. Today is the day we get to know your affinities. Lunchtime, there is going to be a ceremony, a ceremony of all the children of this age in this branch of our great clan. I expect you to be in ceremonial attire. You need to sit in front of our entire clan, along with other youths, who’ll be older than you. These youths have opened their third chakra fully, just like you have. After your affinity is revealed, you shall be given the necessary training to improve it. Get dressed quickly.”

I rush to my room to get my ceremonial armor. My room is a large one, with a bed, a few cupboards to store my things and a few bookshelves.

I spot a monkey by the windowsill. It held my ceremonial amour. My only ceremonial armor.

“Give it back to me, stupid monkey. May Shiva impale you with his trident.” I shout chasing after it, or him, I think based on my knowledge on animal anatomy.

He jumps down from the window. I channel shakti through my body and chase after me.

I looked out of the window. I see him heading towards the palace orchards.

I jump down. On landing, my legs vibrate due to the impact of jumping from the sixth storey. My tempered body luckily survives.

I rush towards the orchards, chasing after the monkey. I see him standing on his two legs, wearing the chest plate. He taunts me by scratching his body and showing his middle finger.

“You little twit. I’ll destroy you!” I shout, chasing after the monkey.

The monkey runs through the orchard and I follow. As we reach the river dividing the central and west wing, the monkey jumps, the currents taking him south, into the city.

I dive into the river, and swim after the monkey. The south flowing currents take me further and further towards the city and out of the palace grounds.

I turn to my left, and see the monkey standing on the west wing of the palace grounds, waving at me.

I swim towards the west bank, the monkey mocking me. When I reach near him, he pees on my face. How dare he? I’ll skin him and make a mat out of his skin.

I breathe in and then breathe out. I try to calm down. I channel shakti towards my legs. The monkey stays in his place, taunting me.

He turns around, showing his butt and taunting me. I wait. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. I do nothing.

The monkey gets annoyed. He steps closer, and then, I release. Propelled forward by the momentum of my legs, I grab the monkey. I remove the breastplate and then raise my sword to attack him.

The monkey gets scared and runs to the west wing gardens, like the little twit he is. I shake the dust off the armor. I look at the sun. Damn it. I’m late.

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Many representatives of the other clans in the city had also arrived. The youths of the clan who had opened their third chakra had arrived for their affinity awakening. Right now, all the major members of the clan socialized and drank Sura. Vishwa sits on a throne, overlooking the crowd. On his left sits My mother, my stepmother and her two twin son and daughter pair, my ‘aunt’ that is Vishwa’s spoiled younger sister and Varun. To the right, sat the gurus, who were to conduct the ceremony and Vishwa’s adviser Vijaysen, and Vayu. The gurus discuss among themselves on various matters.

A gong rung in the air, signaling the beginning of the ceremony. Everyone turns silent, as Vishwa leaks a little of his powerful aura, honed over years of killing and cultivation.

“With the blessings, assurance and consent of the holy Trinity, I Vishwaraj Ikshavaku, Clan head of the Adhipashchim amritam Ikshavaku, descendant of the Sun god, scion of Ikshavaku, with the blessings, assurance and consent of my ancestors, with the sun god as witness, I Vishwaraj Ikshavaku, city lord of Adhipashchim Ikshavakudurg, declare this ceremony open!” he boomed.

All cheered. And the youths are called one by one to awaken their affinity.

The first is a tall, stocky boy. Guru Saptabhuti retrieves the Eye of Brahma from a chest kept near Vishwa’s throne and pushes his shakti into it. The Eye flies into the air, suspended in midair.

“First. Adhipashchim Amritam Vajradhari Ikshavaku. Age 13 monsoons.”

The eye sends a beam of multicoloured light at him. A red, stormy cyclone engulfs the boy and a bright, metallic sheen covers his skin.

“Primary affinity- Fire. Secondary- Metal.” says Guru Saptabhuti.

“I’ll take him as my disciple.” says the resident weapon-smith.

“We would like to see his records, and would like to know his Affinity.” say the emissaries of the Dakshinasindhu Branch.

The emissaries ruffled through the records. After a while, they hand the file.

“We would wish to acquire this disciple.” They declare. “We shall give the clan a gift of fifty spirit cows and five spirit bulls. Does the clan accept?”

“Yes.”

“Does the disciple accept?”

“Yes.” Says the boy, nervous. The emissaries whisk him away.

The ceremonies continue. Most have one affinity, Some have two affinities, while a few have three. Those who have none, they’re very rare and are whisked off by the main branch, to become enchanters.

Guru Saptabhuti announces my Name and I Step forward. The eye activates. The world around me shifts. I feel strange, as if space itself is twisting and turning around me. What in hell’s name is happening.

“Activate Aaditya’s blessing, NOW!” says guru Saptabhuti’s voice

“A-A-Aditya’s blessing!” I shout.

The world around me goes black. All I know is a burning pain all around my body. After what seems like an eternity, it stops. I feel my body getting stronger.

It burns. Now it does. It feels as if t baptizes my entire body. It hurts like hell.

Phew, it stops. I am Glad it ended. My body rebuilds itself. I feel stronger, the power rushing through my meridians.

Suddenly, I’m smacked with powerful, concentrated fire. It scorches my bones and breaks them down. It pains.

“AAA.” I shout with pain. The pain is unbearable. I feel like I am at the brink of death. I hum the verses.

I calm down. The pain fades into a background noise.

I strain my eyes open, to see Vishwa protecting me with a shield made of shakti.

The tribulation ends and then, there is a flash of intensely bright light, blinding all. I see it all, the past, present and the future, an eternal river. All that happened, all that is and all that ever could, in a single point in time. And then, there is darkness.

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