Eternal Storm: Volume 1 – The Awakening

Morning light filtered through the curtains as Aryan sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the floor. His mind was still trapped in the dream from the night before. The battlefield, the warrior with the same necklace as his, the massive army stretching beyond the horizon—it all felt too real.

What was that?

He had seen dreams before, but never like this. Never with such detail, such weight. It felt like more than a dream, like a memory forced into his mind. And then there was the voice. The way it had whispered his name, distant yet familiar. He touched the black pendant around his neck. It was still there, unmovable as always.

A sharp knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts.

"Aryan! You're getting late for school!" his mother called.

His eyes snapped to the clock. Damn, I overslept!

He grabbed his bag and rushed out, stuffing his books inside as he ran down the street. As he passed a shop, a news report caught his attention. A TV in the window displayed a live broadcast—bold red headlines flashing beneath the anchor's serious face.

"Crime Rates Spike in the City—Authorities Baffled by Sudden Surge."

The words lingered in his mind for a second, but he shook them off. Not my problem. He had bigger things to worry about—like getting to school on time.

Aryan barely made it through the school gates when the bell rang. His heart sank as a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You're late, Aryan," the teacher said, arms crossed.

"I—uh—" He searched for an excuse, but nothing came.

"Detention after school," the teacher declared, making a note. "And go stand outside the class for the first period."

A few students passing by snickered.

"Of course, the failure can't even come on time."

"Maybe he failed time management too."

Aryan clenched his fists but said nothing. He wasn't the same as before. Their words still stung, but they no longer crushed him. He stood outside the classroom, arms crossed, staring at the ground while his mind drifted back to the dream.

That battle… was that my future? Or someone else's past?

When the period ended, he took his seat in class, only to find Aadhya sitting at the table next to him. She leaned over with a smirk.

"Hi, genius."

Aryan looked at her, surprised. "What?"

"You know… the way you answered all those questions yesterday? You made the whole class look like idiots."

"I just… knew them," Aryan muttered, still getting used to this strange intelligence that seemed to grow every day.

"Well, that's not what everyone says about you," she said casually, resting her chin on her hand. "They told me you're the dumbest guy in school."

Aryan's stomach twisted at the words. He had heard them before, but somehow, coming from her, they felt heavier. But before he could say anything, Aadhya continued.

"But I don't believe them."

He blinked. "You… don't?"

She shrugged. "Nope. People love to talk, but from what I've seen, you're anything but dumb. Besides, I'm new here, and you're the only person I've had a decent conversation with."

Aryan wasn't sure how to respond. It had been so long since someone spoke to him without mockery. Aadhya, however, didn't seem bothered by his silence.

Their conversation didn't go unnoticed. A few students whispered among themselves.

"Why is she talking to him?"

"Maybe she feels bad for him."

"He's still a loser, no matter how smart he pretends to be."

Aryan tried to ignore them, but a small part of him still burned with anger. He knew Aadhya would eventually stop talking to him, just like everyone else.

Yet, she didn't.

During lunch, Aryan sat in his usual corner, away from the crowd. To his surprise, Aadhya walked straight up to his table and sat down across from him.

He blinked at her. "Uh… what are you doing?"

"Eating," she said casually, opening her lunchbox.

Aryan stared at her, then glanced around. Everyone in the cafeteria was staring too, whispering.

"You… do know who you're sitting with, right?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"Yeah. Aryan Verma, the guy who answers every question in class like he's been secretly studying quantum physics," she said, taking a bite of her food.

He let out a dry laugh. "Wrong answer. You're sitting with the school's biggest failure."

Aadhya raised an eyebrow. "Says who?"

He gestured around. "Everyone."

She rolled her eyes. "Then everyone's an idiot. You're not a failure, Aryan. You're a genius."

He scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

"I mean it," she insisted. "You knew answers no one else did. And don't say it was a coincidence. No one suddenly becomes that smart overnight."

Aryan stiffened. She was right. It wasn't normal. But the truth was, he had no idea how it was happening.

"You're different," Aadhya continued. "And I want to know why."

Aryan hesitated. He couldn't tell her about the necklace. Not yet.

Instead, he muttered, "I don't know either."

Aadhya studied him for a moment but didn't push further. Instead, she gave him a small smile. "Well, mystery or not, you're still the most interesting person I've met here."

Aryan felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest. Acceptance. It had been so long since someone treated him like a normal person—no, better than normal.

Across the cafeteria, Anaya sat with Rishi, watching Aryan and Aadhya.

"Why is she even talking to him?" Rishi muttered. "Doesn't she know what kind of loser he is?"

Anaya was silent, her eyes lingering on Aryan. She had known him for years, but something was different now. He was different.

"Maybe he's not the same Aryan anymore," she said under her breath.

Rishi scoffed. "He'll always be the same failure. Just watch."

Anaya wasn't so sure.

That night, Aryan sat in his room, the necklace cool against his skin. His mind replayed the day—how easily he had solved every problem in class, how effortlessly he understood concepts that used to take him hours.

He stared at himself in the mirror. His own eyes seemed… sharper. More focused.

How am I getting smarter?

His gaze dropped to the necklace.

Is it because of this?

A chill ran down his spine. Whatever was happening to him—it was just beginning.

END OF CHAPTER 6