Shivay stood still for a few seconds after the man left the room, his gaze fixed on the closed door, but his mind was far from calm. Everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours replayed in fragments—too clear to be a dream, too structured to be coincidence. The accident, the strange void, the overwhelming presence he had encountered, the sudden surge of power, and now this hidden world that had apparently always existed beneath the surface of reality. None of it felt chaotic. If anything, it felt… designed.
He exhaled slowly and looked down at his hands.
There was no visible change. No glow. No sign.
But he could feel it.
A faint current beneath his skin, subtle yet undeniable. It wasn't just energy—it was control waiting to be understood. When he focused, it responded. When he ignored it, it remained quiet. That meant one thing.
It was his.
"Good," he murmured quietly. "At least I'm not powerless."
The door opened again, and this time, it wasn't the same man. A nurse stepped in, followed by the doctor. Their expressions were cautious, uncertain.
"Your discharge papers," the doctor said, placing them on the table. "You're free to leave."
Shivay didn't waste time. He signed without reading and walked out without another word.
The moment he stepped outside—
Something changed.
Not visually.
Not audibly.
But perceptually.
He paused for a brief second.
And felt it.
Presences.
Multiple.
Hidden.
Watching.
Not hostile.
But not casual either.
"…Figures," he muttered.
Across the road, the same black luxury car stood waiting.
The door opened before he reached it.
"Get in."
Shivay stepped inside without hesitation.
Silence filled the car for a few seconds.
Then Shivay spoke.
"You people really don't like introductions, do you?"
"Names aren't important yet," the man replied calmly.
"Convenient," Shivay said. "So where are we going?"
"A place you didn't refuse to visit."
Shivay smirked slightly. "Fair enough."
The car started moving.
As the city passed by, Shivay watched carefully.
Earlier, Mumbai had felt normal.
Now—
It felt layered.
Different areas carried different densities of that same invisible energy.
Some places were heavier.
Almost hidden intentionally.
"You can feel it now, can't you?" the man asked.
Shivay didn't look at him. "Yeah."
"Most people never do."
Shivay stayed silent for a moment, then said calmly—
"There's more to this world than what people see."
The man didn't respond immediately.
But his attention sharpened.
"So you remember something."
Shivay's lips curved slightly.
"Enough."
Silence followed.
Then the man spoke again—
"Your awakening… isn't normal."
Shivay turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"You're assuming too much."
The man studied him for a moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"Am I?"
Shivay didn't answer.
Instead, he leaned back, gaze shifting toward the window.
But internally—
"He noticed something… but not everything."
"Good."
"Then I'll keep it that way."
The city slowly faded behind them.
Buildings disappeared.
Roads grew emptier.
After nearly an hour—
The car stopped.
Shivay stepped out.
And saw…
Nothing.
Just an empty stretch of land.
Flat. Silent.
"…Hidden," he muttered.
The man stepped forward and raised his hand.
"Watch."
He pressed his palm against empty space.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Reality distorted.
A ripple spread outward like invisible glass bending.
And suddenly—
A massive structure appeared.
Gates.
Ancient.
Towering.
Covered in glowing symbols.
Beyond them—
A world that clearly didn't belong to the modern one.
Shivay's eyes sharpened.
"…So this is real."
"This is the real world," the man said.
They walked forward.
The moment Shivay crossed an unseen boundary—
Pressure hit him.
Instantly.
His muscles tightened.
Breathing adjusted.
Senses sharpened.
"This is…" he muttered.
"A filter," the man said. "Only those who can endure it deserve to enter."
Shivay looked around.
Other students were present.
Some confident.
Some nervous.
One stepped forward—
And collapsed.
"I can't… breathe…"
Another fell unconscious.
A girl staggered back.
Shivay observed silently.
"So this is how you separate the weak."
"Yes."
Shivay stepped forward.
The pressure increased.
But instead of resisting blindly—
He adapted.
The energy within him responded.
Stabilizing.
Balancing.
"…Interesting."
He took another step.
Then another.
Each step heavier.
But controlled.
Measured.
Behind him, whispers began.
"Who is he…?"
"He's not slowing down…"
Shivay ignored them.
He kept walking.
Calm.
Steady.
As if the pressure didn't matter.
As if it belonged to him.
The gates began to open slowly.
A deeper wave of energy surged outward.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Several students collapsed instantly.
But Shivay didn't stop.
Step by step—
He moved forward.
Until he stood at the entrance.
He paused.
Looked ahead.
A new world.
Unknown.
Dangerous.
Full of power.
A faint smile appeared.
"So this is where everything changes."
He stepped inside.
And something shifted within him.
Not just power.
Not just awareness.
But purpose.
Behind him, the man watched silently.
"…He didn't just endure it," he murmured.
"…He adapted."
Inside the academy—
The air felt different.
Sharper.
Alive.
Shivay took a slow breath.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
"…I'm going to like this place."