The world had changed.
And so had time.
Years had passed since Karna left the silent heights of Mount Kailash.
He was no longer the boy who climbed alone.
No longer a child of stillness.
He had become a traveler.
A seeker.
A silent observer of the world around him.
The journey had strengthened him.
Not just his body.
But his mind.
His presence had grown.
Calm.
Yet heavy.
Not with burden.
But with something unseen.
Something that demanded respect.
Power.
Controlled.
Hidden.
Karna walked along a forest path.
The sun filtered through the canopy.
The air was warm now.
Far from the frozen silence of the mountains.
Birds called from the trees.
Leaves rustled with the wind.
Life moved around him.
And for the first time—he was not alone.
Voices echoed in the distance.
Young voices.
Lively.
Energetic.
Karna slowed.
Not out of caution.
But out of awareness.
Ahead, a clearing opened.
Sunlight spilled onto the ground.
A group of boys stood there.
