Shapra leaned forward, eyes narrowed, his voice low but firm. "How did you know Poojaari's and Anmol's grandfathers, Grandpa Viren?"
Viren smiled gently, folding his hands behind his back. "Ah, I was going to explain that... You see, I once taught the Poojaaris the ancient mudras—"
"We already knew that," Shapra interrupted, crossing his arms.
Viren raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how did you come to know?"
Shapra exchanged a glance with Anmol and Poojaari, then said, "We found a photo in the temple. You were there... with Grandma and someone else."
Viren blinked, then chuckled with an innocent smile. "Ohh... so you found out like that. Clever little detectives."
He stepped closer to Poojaari and said, "Shivansh—your father, Vishma, was my best student. He mastered the mudras quicker than anyone I've seen."
Anmol blinked. "Wait, Shivansh?"
Shapra leaned in. "Your name is Shivansh!?"
Poojaari blinked at them both. "Uh... yeah? You didn't know?"
The room fell awkwardly silent as Shapra and Anmol stared at each other, faces red.
"You never told me!" Shapra hissed.
"How would I know it?" Anmol whispered back.
Meanwhile, the others looked on in confusion, having no idea why the two were whispering frantically. Shivansh rolled his eyes. "It's ok guys."
The tension broke into a burst of laughter as Anmol and Shapra tried to recover from the embarrassment.
"Ahem," Viren said with a smile. "Now, as for Anmol's grandfather... Arvind and I were best friends. We did everything together, from fighting, studying, to exploring mysteries. He saved my life when I escaped the massacre of the Zarians."
Everyone quieted. Even Ridhir leaned forward.
Viren continued, voice steady. "I was five when the attack happened. Arvind's family took me in. I never once felt I was not part of them. For ten years, I lived in their home, their care. Then at fifteen, with Arvind by my side, I set out to find the truth—about the massacre, the portal, everything."
He paced as he spoke, eyes distant, locked in the past. "We met a great master on our journey. He taught us many things—urja control, khukuri fighting, and more. It was then I discovered my two powers: Illusion and Earth. Arvind had the Acid Mudra."
Poojaari whistled softly. "Acid... that's rare."
Viren nodded. "Together, we uncovered the truth of the portal and the keys. On our way, we reached a hidden village in Pokhara, invisible to most. The people there—almost human, yet some features were monstrous."
Shapra's heart skipped. Demi-monsters? But he said nothing.
"They were the children of Zarians and monsters who loved one another. Stronger than either side. Among them, I met Sarvani. Arvind found Devika. Both of us... fell in love."
A soft smile touched his face.
"Then one day, high-ranked monsters attacked the village. We fought with everything we had."
The Battle of Pokhara
The sky turned a sickly violet as the monsters descended on the village. Roars echoed through the mountains. Buildings trembled. Children screamed.
Viren gritted his teeth, eyes flaring golden as he slammed his palms to the ground. "Earth Barrier!"
A stone wall erupted around a group of villagers, shielding them from an incoming acid blast. Arvind leaped over the wall, spinning midair, his palms glowing green.
"Acid Stream!"
A wave of sizzling fluid slashed through the monster ranks, dissolving armor and burning flesh. The monsters shrieked but kept coming—larger, more powerful ones stomping behind them.
"Too many!" Arvind shouted. "We split them! You take the left!"
Viren nodded, forming hand seals. "Illusion Mirage!"
A dozen copies of him blurred into existence, weaving through the battlefield and confusing the monsters. With stealth, he emerged from behind and used a stone fist to crush a monster's skull.
One creature lunged at him with claws extended—but Arvind tackled it from the side, both rolling down a hill. Acid scorched its body as Arvind unleashed another deadly stream point-blank.
Together, they fought like a storm—fluid, fierce, and unrelenting. When the largest beast charged, Viren used illusion clones to distract it while Arvind melted its legs with acid. Then Viren slammed a rock pillar beneath it, launching it skyward, where Arvind blasted it into ash with one final surge.
Breathing heavily, bloodied and bruised, the two stood victorious.
"We survived. Barely. After that, we confessed to our beloveds, and they accepted us. We returned to Jhapa, ready to build a new life. Both women became pregnant. But then... we disagreed."
Viren's expression darkened.
"I wanted to tell our children the truth. Arvind said no. He wanted to protect them from the burden. Due to our mismatched thoughts we fought and parted ways."
He fell silent. The room absorbed the weight of his words.
Anmol's eyes slowly widened. "Shapra... remember that night I told you I knew something about the Zarians? It was my grandfather who told me years ago. I thought it was just a bedtime story."
Viren's eyes snapped to Anmol, sharp as lightning.
"So... he told you anyway... after all these years," he growled.
He marched to Anmol and locked eyes with him. "Take me to him. Now. We have... unfinished business."
Anmol gulped and nodded without thinking. Something in Viren's glare was terrifying.
Ridhir walked up to Shapra and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Let the old men handle their stuff. You, Shapra, have bigger things to prepare for. Ten months until SEE. You have to study and train."
Shivansh stepped forward and smiled, his voice calm. "I'll help too. Whatever I can do."
Shapra looked at them—his mentors, his friends, and his new-found family. The road ahead was long, but he wasn't walking it alone.
To be continued...