The garden was too quiet. The kind of quiet that felt like the air itself was waiting for someone to scream.
Satya sat hunched on a cracked stone bench at the heart of the Inferno Guild's meditation garden. The usual hum of birds, the rustle of leaves, even the occasional gossiping spirit—all absent. His palms were still clammy, his pupils dilated, and his mind was a carousel of chaos replaying the same scene.
"Mine."
One word. One cursed word from the man—or whatever he was—called Vayunanda.
That word hadn't felt like a welcome. It had felt like a verdict.
Satya whispered to himself, "I'm not sure if I just got adopted or signed up for divine torture."
A warm breeze cut across the courtyard, carrying with it the scent of charred sandalwood and a pressure that felt... heavy.
Standing beside him was Agneyi, her arms folded, fiery hair gently swaying in the wind. Her expression was unreadable. Not stern, not kind—just locked in a state of perfect battle-readiness. But beneath that steel composure, Satya could see something flicker in her golden eyes—unease.
She finally spoke, her voice a low flame, barely above a whisper."Satya... you don't understand what you've stepped into."
Satya blinked. His mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again."I don't even know what I am anymore."His voice cracked with raw disbelief. "This isn't imposter syndrome. This is trauma... with subtitles."
Agneyi didn't laugh.
She walked closer, placed her hand gently—but firmly—on his shoulder. Her fingers were warm, almost too warm, like her inner fire couldn't fully hide under skin and bones.
"You should be scared," she said.
"I am scared!" Satya burst, throwing his hands in the air. "That guy looked at me like I was a DNA anomaly in a divine petri dish!"
Just then, a calm, commanding voice echoed from behind them.
"Because you are."
Both Satya and Agneyi turned.
Karna.
Leader of the 10th Guild. The Silent Storm. Gray dhoti, bare feet, and a gaze that saw too much.
His eyes glowed faintly, as though the truth itself had set up camp in his soul. Without asking, he sat cross-legged beside them like a sage appearing in the final act of a tragedy.
"Vayunanda doesn't train students," he said without preamble. "He tempers weapons."
Satya swallowed hard."Why does that sound more painful than training?"
"Because it is," Karna answered.
Agneyi nodded slowly. "He's not like the rest of us, Satya. He's... different. A force. You should know who you're dealing with."
Karna turned his gaze to the horizon, where the sun was dipping behind the towers of the central spire."Let me tell you a story."
The Legend of Vayunanda: The White Death
"They say he existed before the First Flame ever touched Earth. That he was forged—not born—from the Celestial Forge itself. A Divine Disciplined Avatar. Crafted by the Old Laws to bring balance."
Karna's voice dropped into a hypnotic rhythm.
"He fought wars never written in mortal scrolls. Wars between gods, demons, forgotten species that no longer walk this world. He was a judge, a storm, a reckoning."
"They called him many names: The Silent Flame. The Divine Axe. And the most feared of all…"
"The White Death."
Satya felt a chill run through him.
"His weapon? Himself. No sword. No spell. Just... rules. He was the rules. Unbreakable. Unbending. Inescapable."
"One time, ten Archmages tried to bend reality, to turn death into coin and time into a game. Vayunanda walked into their citadel without a single spell. He came out alone. Unburned. Unscarred."
"The citadel?" Karna glanced sideways. "It no longer exists. Just... dust."
Satya's throat felt like sandpaper."He doesn't even smile," Karna added. "He doesn't rest. He doesn't hope. He just judges. That's why he became President of the Demon Destroyer Association."
"No politics. No backroom deals. Just one terrifying force to keep all ten guilds in line."
Karna turned to Satya.
"And now... he's chosen you."
Satya blinked. "Free mentorship?"
Agneyi facepalmed. "Dear gods..."
Karna didn't smile."It means you either become something terrifying… or you die in the attempt."
Suddenly, the air shimmered.
A construct—tall, robed in divine white, with a floating metal halo—materialized before them. Its presence was pure pressure, like a mountain had chosen to learn walking.
Without speaking, it extended a sealed parchment.
"Instructions for Subject #001," the construct intoned.
Satya took it with trembling fingers and began to read.
THE RULES OF VAYUNANDA'S FIRST DISCIPLE
Wake-Up Time: 3:45 AM sharp.Failure: You will receive no food for 48 hours and be denied entry into your bed.
Physical Training (4:00 AM - 6:00 AM):
20 KM running (minimum speed: 20 KM/hr)
1,000 Push-ups
1,000 Squats
1,000 Dips
1,000 Surya Namaskars
1 Hour in Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand Pose) — failure means restarting the entire set.
Breakfast (6:45 AM):
200 grams boiled sprouts
300 ml milk (cow, warm)
No salt, no sugar, no masala
Training Block 1 (7:00 AM - 2:00 PM):
Weapon mastery
Tactical training
Elemental resistance endurance
Silent meditation under waterfall
Flame endurance test
Lunch (2:00 PM):
Boiled green vegetables
1 bowl of rice (no salt)
1 spoon cow ghee
Talking during lunch is prohibited.
Rest (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM):
On stone floor. No pillow. No snoring.
Training Block 2 (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM):
Speed battles with low-level DDA warriors
One-on-one duels with wooden sword
Endurance circle: 100 fire whips
Reading the Manual of Discipline aloud
Dinner (8:10 PM):
2 rotis (bajra)
Raw salad (bitter gourd, bottle gourd)
1 glass of turmeric milk
Magic Study (8:30 PM - 12:00 AM):
Theory: Forbidden spells
Practice: 50 low-tier runes by hand
Homework: Memorize 20 mantras in Sanskrit
Meditation (final hour)while holding Garuda's Flame Crystal
Sleep: 12:00 AMIf late: Wake-up time remains 3:45 AM. Delay means 100 bonus squats next day.
When Satya reached the final line, he dropped the parchment like it had caught fire.
"I... I think I just peed."
The construct tilted its head.
"Do you accept the rules?"
Satya's voice cracked. "Do I have a third option?"
"No."
Satya fell to his knees.
"Just kill me now. Let my ashes be scattered in a gaming café. I don't want to reincarnate. Not even as a worm. Especially not as a worm."
Oorja popped into view beside him, sipping bubble tea with cosmic sparkles in it, her transparent astral form half-lounging in midair like a lazy cat.
She raised an eyebrow, sipping loudly.
"Oh no. You don't get to die. I'm stuck with you, dumdum. Until you evolve or combust. This is divine karma, baby."
Satya turned to her, wide-eyed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
She winked. "Like a Netflix drama. You're the main character I want to slap and protect at the same time."
He groaned. "Why didn't you warn me about this lunatic?!"
Oorja poked his cheek. "Oh, I tried. But you were too busy checking out Agneyi during sword training."
Satya blushed. "I wasn't—okay maybe I peeked—BUT SHE WAS GLOWING!"
Oorja floated around him in circles."You're about to go through training that could kill a dragon. But sure, let's talk about your crush."
He pointed a finger at her. "One day, I'm gonna flirt with you so hard, you'll drop that bubble tea."
Oorja snorted. "Bold of you to assume you're even allowed to flirt with divine software."
He smirked. "Who said I asked permission?"
She giggled—and promptly disappeared with a pop.
Agneyi stepped forward.
Satya looked up at her with puppy eyes."Can you at least say something comforting?"
She bent down, gave him a sweet smile—
—and then slapped him across the cheek.
SMACK.
Not hard enough to injure. Just enough to reset his soul.
"All the best, dumbo."
Satya clutched his face, whimpering. "That was NOT comforting!"
She leaned down, her face just inches from his, her voice low."It was better than dying, wasn't it?"
He sighed. "Debatable."
As the construct walked away into the mist, Satya stared at the parchment again.
His fate wasn't written in stars. It was inked in blood, sweat, and flame.
He took a deep breath.
And stood up.
"Alright. Let's get this over with before I start hallucinating mangoes."