At the door of the principal's office:

"Sir, I know about your ultimatum very well, but it is still hard to find people who are interested in these things. Just give me a bit more time, sir, and I assure you that the club will get more new members," a girl was passionately requesting the principal.

"I’ve already given you enough time, but I don’t see any progress. The ultimatum is still the same: find new members for club activities, or I will pass the order to disband the club. You still have one more day, so stop wasting my time and go find some freshers," the principal said while walking out of the office.

"Sir, please try to understand. We’ve already tried to recruit some freshers, but none of them are interested in the club. Professor Ved promised me that he will find a fresher to join. Just give us a bit more time to find a perfect candidate," she continued to plead.

"Niharika, I’ve told you many times, stop wasting my time. If it wasn’t for your family background, I wouldn’t have given you even a week to recruit new members. This is the last time I’m telling you: recruit anyone, or let the club disband," the principal said furiously.

Shivam, exhausted from all the rejections, was passing by. He overheard the conversation and paused. The determination in her voice resonated with his own desire to belong.

Without a moment of hesitation, Shivam stepped forward. "Excuse me, I want to join your club," he said, looking her in the eyes.

She raised an eyebrow, her expression controlled but curious. "What did you just say?"

"I want to join your club. What... is there something wrong?" Shivam asked, a bit confused and nervous.

"Do you?" she asked again, realizing the significance. If this guy also refused, the club might get disbanded.

Shivam nodded, trying his best to hide any frustration. "Yes, I'm interested. It sounds like a challenge, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of it."

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The principal sighed and waved his hand. "Fine, but don’t forget to recruit more members. For now, you can keep your club running," the principal said, looking at them.

After that, the principal asked them to leave him alone. He went back to his office and closed the door.

As they walked away, Niharika glanced at Shivam with a neutral face. "What’s your name?"

"Shivam," he replied. "And you?"

"Niharika," she said simply. "Welcome to the Legacy Cultivators."

"Legacy Cultivators? That’s a strange name. What does it deal with exactly?" Shivam asked casually.

Niharika was shocked. She had thought Shivam knew about the club’s activities. She feared he might leave before even joining properly. "You will know soon. Come tomorrow for club activities after your classes."

"Okay, by the way, what’s your stream and year?" Shivam asked out of curiosity.

"Don’t you have manners? You should introduce yourself properly before asking a senior," she said coldly.

"Oh, sorry. My name is Shivam Sinha. I’m in the first year, summoning magic department," Shivam introduced himself properly. "Now then, it’s your turn."

She glanced at him before replying. "It’s Niharika. From the second year, assassination department. And the active club leader of Legacy Cultivators," she said, pride evident in her voice.

After the conversation ended, they went their separate ways. She headed to the club, and Shivam waited for Veer.

After a while, Veer finally joined Shivam, and they registered a complaint about the vice leader of the Sky Sorcerer Club before heading back to their hostel.

Inside a car, a beautiful girl was sitting in the back seat while the driver drove. "My lady, why did you stop me from apologizing to them?" the driver asked fearfully.

"There is no need for that anymore. Just focus on driving," she said, looking out of the window.

On her way back, she thought about how unfair she had been to Shivam by not telling him about the Legacy Cultivators club. In the end, she decided to tell him the next day and see if he still agreed to join.

On the other side, Shivam was nervous about tomorrow. He feared that after seeing his test results, the Legacy Cultivators club would reject him like all the others. But for now, he decided to have some faith in his luck.

The Next Day:

Shivam and Veer went to their class in the summoning magic department. When the last class ended, they prepared to leave, but a professor approached them. "Hey, Shivam, meet me in my office in five minutes," the professor said urgently before leaving.

Shivam and Veer exchanged glances and then followed the professor.

After walking for a while, they finally reached the professor’s office. "Veer, you wait here. I’ll go in and see what’s up," Shivam said.

Shivam entered the office, trying to understand the situation. "Oh, Shivam, come and sit here," the professor said. After Shivam settled down, the professor continued, "I heard you had a hard time joining a club."

"Yeah, professor. I got rejected from at least 15 clubs for the same reason," Shivam said sadly.

"Fifteen is a big number. It must’ve been hard for you," the professor said with concern. "Well, you don’t have to worry anymore. I know a club with very few members that can accept you. And your problem will become an asset if you join that club."

"Thank you so much, professor, but I promised someone I would join her club. I don’t know if I’ll be accepted or rejected, but until I get confirmation, I can’t accept your offer," Shivam said sincerely.

"Oh, if that’s so," the professor said with disappointment. He looked at Shivam for a moment and then asked him to leave. "What a shame! With his PS, he would have been perfect for that club," the professor muttered to himself after Shivam left the office.