He sat on the giant bird and was guided to sit beside another child who had also passed the selection test. As he moved forward, he respectfully bowed to the individuals in white robes; they responded with gentle smiles and nods of acknowledgment.
Taking his place beside the child, the vimana began to rise. Advitya watched as his village grew smaller beneath him. Soon, the horizon opened, and the sun blazed before him so fiercely that he had to squint.
Then, the elder—who stood tall at the front of the vimana, balanced calmly on his sword—pressed his palms together. As he released them, it was as though the sun and wind had disappeared. They were still present, but muted, hidden. A strange sensation of presence and absence filled the air.
Advitya glanced at the boy beside him. The boy glanced back, then quickly averted his eyes. The same hesitant exchange happened twice more, until finally Advitya broke the silence.
"Hi. My name is Advitya. What's yours?"
"My name is Saksham."
From his accent, Advitya could tell Saksham wasn't from anywhere near Rui village. That piqued his curiosity—he himself had only ever been around the nearby southern regions.
"Where are you from, Saksham?"
"I'm from Katambh village."
"What's that region like? My Rui village is in the southern part of Lanka Province."
"I don't know the name of the region I'm from."
A man in plain white robes, overhearing their conversation, chimed in, "He's from the northern part of Lanka Province."
Advitya turned to the speaker. He appeared to be around twenty years old, with faint eyebrows and fish-like eyes. Advitya gave a respectful nod and asked, "Are you all disciples of the Magad Sect?"
The man smiled playfully. "Yes, kid. We're all outer sect disciples. The two with red stripes on their robes in the back? They're inner sect disciples."
"What should I call you, sir?"
"You've got some manners, I like that," the man replied with a grin. "My name's Abhi. You can call me Elder Brother Abhi."
Advitya, unfamiliar with the inner workings of sects—how members were ranked, how promotion worked, or how resources were distributed—grew increasingly curious. Unable to hold back, he bombarded Elder Brother Abhi with questions.
Many nearby chuckled at his enthusiasm. Abhi raised a hand and said, laughing, "Too many questions, kid. I'll only answer your first."
"To join the inner sect—where all the real stuff lies—you need high talent and a strong cultivation base. Most don't make it... and honestly, I don't think I will either." He laughed, then added with a more serious tone, "But you pups? You've got to dream big. Or you'll burn out fast. It's a strange feeling—when everyone starts seeing worth your worth more than you. Feels good at first exhuasting at second."