The sun was beginning to set, casting golden streaks across the sky as Aryan and Rohan left the college gates. Despite the bustling streets, Aryan’s mind remained clouded with the memories of the previous night—of the attackers, of their sudden disappearance, and of the strange mark now burned into his skin.

Rohan noticed his silence and nudged him.
"Oi, you’re still thinking about that, aren’t you?" he asked.

Aryan glanced at him but said nothing.

Rohan sighed. “I told you, I know someone who might help. But you’ll have to trust me.”

Without another word, Rohan led him through winding roads, past neighborhoods Aryan had never seen before, until they finally reached an abandoned temple nestled between old ruins.

"Where… are we?" Aryan asked, unease creeping into his voice.

"You’ll see." Rohan smirked, stepping forward.

The air inside the temple was thick, almost suffocating. The wooden pillars were cracked, and the scent of incense lingered despite no visible flames. At the center of the dimly lit chamber sat an old man in deep meditation.

His silver hair was tied back, and his frame was lean but powerful. Even in his stillness, he radiated a dangerous aura.

"Master Kiyoshi," Rohan called out, bowing his head.

The old man’s eyes flickered open—sharp, golden, piercing. He stared directly at Aryan, as if reading into his soul.

Then he spoke. "You are being hunted."

Aryan stiffened. "How… do you know?"

Master Kiyoshi slowly stood, his movements controlled, precise. He approached Aryan, his gaze unwavering.

"The mark on your arm—it is a beacon. A signal for those who seek you. They will come again, stronger than before."

Aryan’s blood ran cold.

"Then… can you help me?" he asked.

Master Kiyoshi remained silent for a moment before sighing. "Help? No. But I can prepare you."

Without warning, he attacked.

His fist shot forward like lightning, aimed straight for Aryan’s chest. Aryan barely managed to step back in time, the sheer force of the strike splitting the wooden floor where he had stood.

"Wha—?! What the hell are you doing?!" Aryan shouted.

"Surviving is earned, not granted," Kiyoshi replied, his voice calm. "Now show me if you deserve to live."

The First Test: A Battle of Instincts

Aryan had no time to react before Kiyoshi lunged again, this time with a sweeping kick. The impact sent Aryan skidding backward, pain jolting through his ribs.

"Damn it!" Aryan cursed, scrambling to his feet.

Kiyoshi didn’t relent. He was faster than Aryan could comprehend, his movements refined from years—no, decades—of experience. Every strike was efficient, calculated, meant to kill.

Rohan watched from the sidelines, arms crossed. He had experienced this same trial before.

"Move your feet, Aryan!" Rohan called out.

Aryan barely managed to sidestep the next attack, but the moment he did, Kiyoshi twisted his body and slammed a palm against Aryan’s shoulder, sending him crashing into a pillar.

"Ugh!" Aryan groaned, coughing.

He had to fight back. But how?

A flash of memory—the fight in the alley.

He had been overwhelmed then too. But in that moment of desperation, something inside him had awakened. A raw instinct, a power buried deep within.

And now, it surfaced again.

A faint energy pulsed through Aryan’s veins. His vision sharpened. His muscles coiled, tense, yet controlled. His breathing steadied.

Master Kiyoshi noticed. He smirked.

"Now, we begin."

Aryan lunged forward, his movements no longer sluggish. He dodged Kiyoshi’s incoming strike by mere inches, countering with a sudden elbow strike aimed at the master’s ribs.

But Kiyoshi vanished.

Aryan’s eyes widened as he felt something behind him—

A sharp impact to his back.

He tumbled forward but caught himself just in time. He’s fast. Too fast.

"Your reactions have improved," Kiyoshi admitted, "but instincts alone won’t save you."

Aryan clenched his fists. "Then teach me!"

Kiyoshi stopped. He stared at Aryan, then let out a short chuckle. "Very well. But first…"

He pointed at Aryan’s burned mark.

"You need to understand the power within you."

The Hidden Power

As Aryan caught his breath, Master Kiyoshi pulled out a small, ancient-looking scroll. He unrolled it, revealing strange glyphs and symbols.

"This mark you bear is no ordinary scar. It is a seal—one that binds something inside you. A force that has not yet awakened."

Aryan touched his arm, feeling the faint warmth of the mark.

"What kind of power?"

Kiyoshi smirked. "That is for you to discover."

Suddenly, the room darkened. The shadows stretched unnaturally, and a whispering voice slithered into Aryan’s mind.

"You seek power?"

Aryan flinched. The voice was… inside him.

"Then prove yourself."

His vision blurred. For a moment, he wasn’t in the temple anymore—he was in a void of nothingness. A vast abyss.

Then—a monstrous figure emerged.

It had no face, only shifting darkness, and yet Aryan felt an overwhelming sense of recognition.

This thing was connected to him.

"What… are you?" Aryan asked.

The figure chuckled, its voice echoing. "A part of you that has long been forgotten. But if you wish to survive… you must claim me."

The shadows lunged.

Back in Reality

Aryan gasped, stumbling backward as the vision ended.

Rohan looked at him, confused. “What the hell just happened?”

Master Kiyoshi, however, smiled knowingly.

"He has taken the first step," Kiyoshi murmured. "The path to true power begins now."

Aryan clenched his fists. He didn’t understand it yet, but something inside him had changed.

And for the first time since this nightmare began—

He was ready to fight back.

End of Chapter 6