7:00 AM - THE MECHANIC AND THE SYSTEM
I woke up, not to the clanging bells of the Ashram, but to the rusty, persistent squeak of the ceiling fan above the paan shop. The air was heavy, smelling of cheap incense and stale betel leaf. My reality was split: one part was the grime-stained mechanic's room; the other, the humming, golden circuitry etched into my skin.
I stared at my palm, the lines pulsing softly beneath the dirt and oil residue. The voice in my mind, the Mantra Operating System, was no longer mechanical but possessed an eerie, rhythmic clarity.
🎵 "System Status: Online. Core Mantra #001 (Agni Astra) unlocked. Primary objective: Skill integration. System Recommendation: Begin with basic Agni Astra practice. Suggested method: Visualize flame formation before vocalization. Core Mana Cost: 1 mana for Spark mode."
"Who are you?" I whispered into the empty room. My voice sounded weak, foreign. "What is all this?"
🎵 "I am your Mantra Operating System (MOS). Integrated with your consciousness post-Ashram activation. My purpose: To guide your transition into a Mantri-Scientist. Agni Astra is your fundamental tool. It is not fire; it is disciplined rage, given shape by phonon resonance."
The word rage struck a chord. The rage I felt running from the orphanage fire, the rage of abandonment—the system had identified it as my fuel source.
I focused on my palm, the memory of the fire's heat, the smell of burnt wood. I attempted the mantra. "Agni Astra."
Nothing happened. My palm remained cold.
🎵 "Error: Insufficient intent. Mantras require three components: 1. Shabda (Sound vibration), 2. Manas (Mental focus), and 3. Bhava (Emotional resonance). Analysis: Vocal pitch incorrect. Agni requires pitch to rise from 130 Hz (C3) to 260 Hz (C4) on 'Agni'. Recalibrate."
The System wasn't asking for belief; it was giving me physics and frequency. My mechanic's brain latched onto the logic. I wasn't praying; I was calibrating a transmitter.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, letting the sound rumble in my chest at the lower frequency. I focused purely on the sound of the orphanage beam collapsing—the final crack before silence.
"Om Hraang... Ag-nee-yay Na-mah!"
This time, a small, stubborn spark flickered into existence, hovering three centimeters above my palm. It wasn't the raging fire of the orphanage; it was the controlled, perfect heat of a cigarette lighter.
🎵 "Success! Mode: Spark. Mana consumed: 1. Output efficiency: 8%. Note: Flame is oxygen-independent. Can burn in vacuum or underwater. Upgrade to Torch mode recommended."
I held the spark, a tiny ember of my new destiny. I focused harder, channeling the anger from Mr. Kale's daily insults. I pushed the intensity. "Agni Astra!"
The spark expanded, becoming a molten orb, 5 cm in diameter, its surface swirling like miniature solar plasma. The heat radiating off it was immediate, intense, but perfectly contained.
🎵 "Success! Mode: Torch. Mana consumed: 5. Efficiency: 15%. This mode possesses cutting torch capabilities (melts 6 mm steel in 3 sec). Current mana: 94/100."
For the first time, I felt something other than fear—wonder. This was my tool. This was my legacy.
8:45 AM - THE HIDDEN ALLEY: MEETING THE SENTRY
My hands, now smelling faintly of ozone instead of oil, slipped into my jacket pockets. I found the hidden iron door in a forgotten alley off a busy bazaar street. The door was marked with a faded, intricate Sanskrit symbol—a Yantra that pulsed only when I looked at it.
🎵 "Alert: Quantum signature detected. This is a Mantra Ashram sub-entrance. Access requires bloodline authentication (Core Codex Syllable 1 - HRIM resonance). Recommended protocol: Palm contact."
I pressed my palm to the cold metal. The golden circuits on my wrist glowed brightly, resonating with the metal.
🎵 "Authentication confirmed. Bloodline: Shastri. Welcome, Aryan Shastri."
The door didn't swing open; it shimmered and dissolved into shimmering air, revealing a hidden stairwell leading down into the cool darkness.
Kabir waited inside, arms crossed, his stance relaxed but vigilant. He was maybe a few years older than me, dressed in simple modern clothes, but his eyes held the same ancient calm as Vishwamitra.
🎵 "User Profile: Kabir Sharma. Level 2 Mantri-Scientist. Specialization: Defensive Mantras. Threat level: Low. Compatibility: High. Note: Kabir's bio-signature contains residual Vayu (Air) element mana."
"Your system's noisy," Kabir remarked casually, as if he could hear the internal chatter. "Tell it to quiet down during training. You are over-thinking the sound; let the Bhava (Emotion) guide the Shabda (Sound)."
"All of this is new to me," I admitted, still stunned by the dissolving wall.
🎵 "Knowledge Transfer Initiated: Basic Mantra Science. Mantras are quantum sound waves that manipulate reality. Every syllable affects molecular structure. Incorrect pronunciation can be dangerous. Your body is the conductor."
Kabir created a ring of blue fire, not hot, but intensely vibrant, on the floor. "Cross it."
I hesitated. The memory of the orange flames was still raw.
🎵 "Analysis: Blue flame indicates controlled temperature (approx. 800°C). Safe to pass with basic heat resistance mantra. Suggested mantra: 'Om Hrām Varmaṇe Namaḥ' (Shield Mantra). Repeat silently while stepping through."
I muttered the words under my breath and stepped forward. The flames parted around me, leaving my cheap shoes unscorched. It wasn't magic; it was programming the air around me.
"Not bad," Kabir admitted, extinguishing the blue flame with a wave of his hand. "Your system's teaching you faster than I expected. But a mantra is useless if you hesitate. Hesitation is a code flaw."
10:03 AM - THE UNEXPECTED TEST: AGNI LANCE DEPLOYMENT
Training was abruptly cut short. The iron door on the roof exploded inward. Smoke and fragmented concrete rained down. Three mirror-suited agents emerged. Their suits were a disturbing fusion of tactical gear and reflective plates.
🎵 "Emergency! Saturnia combat units detected. Threat level: High. Agents wear mirror-weave suits. Warning: Agni Astra faces 20% chance of backscatter (self-burn) due to reflection."
"Too late for evasion," Kabir hissed, creating a shimmering, translucent air shield in front of him. "They've seen us."
The lead agent, a tall, brutish figure, raised a pulsating, dark rod.
🎵 "Warning: Null-Rod detected. Creates localized silence field. Mantras will require 300% more mana within its radius (Mana cost multiplier: 3x active). Minimal mantra use advised."
The rod swung, smashing the concrete where my head had been, the strange, deafening silence swallowing all sound around the immediate point of impact. I felt the mana drain from my core, trying to maintain the internal frequency.
I ducked out of the null-field, feeling the sound and my mana immediately snap back to normal.
Kabir tackled Agent 3. I knew I couldn't waste mana on a direct hit. I needed efficiency.
I took a deep breath, letting the low frequency rumble. I focused not on the agent, but on the massive, rusting water tank behind him.
"Agni Astra!"
I shifted the power from Torch mode to Lance mode—a thin, needle-thin jet of white-gold fire, estimated 3,500 °C at the core, shooting from my palm.
🎵 "Mode: Lance. Mana consumed: 15 units. Precision: Excellent (mechanic's muscle memory). Tactical Analysis: Targeting water tank instead of hostile. Creative solution! Steam will reduce visibility and overload their thermal sensors. Efficiency bonus: +5%."
The intense jet of plasma cut through the rusted steel of the water tank like paper. Boiling water, instantly turning to blinding, scalding steam, erupted, blinding Agent 2 and stalling the Null-Rod agent.
🎵 "Combat efficiency increasing: 22%. Continue tactical approach."
10:06 AM - BLOOD OVERRIDE PROTOCOL
K-9, the null-rod agent, charged out of the steam, his visor cracked. He ignored Kabir, his cybernetic eye focused purely on me. In his other hand, a shimmering syringe.
🎵 "CRITICAL THREAT: DNA extraction device detected. Bloodline compromise imminent! Threat Level: MAXIMUM. Warning: Saturnia goal is to clone Syllable 1 (HRIM) from your blood. Emergency Protocol: Agni Astra Overcharge available. Risk: High Mana Cost."
I understood instantly. The Core Codex was in my blood. They didn't want to kill me yet; they wanted a sample.
I didn't think. I acted. My finger found the sharp end of the broken mirror glass left by the explosion. The silver blood, mixing with the fire circuits on my palm, was my key.
🎵 "Agni Astra Overcharge Protocol Engaged. Fuel: Blood Catalyst. Warning: 10m fireball, 360°. Mana Cost: 50 units (risk: system crash)."
"RAKTA BINDU!" I screamed, channeling my sheer, desperate will to survive.
The resulting shockwave was less a fire and more a localized explosion of plasma. The 10-meter fireball consumed the rooftop, melting the mirror-weave suits into bubbling slag and throwing K-9 against the parapet wall.
🎵 "Mana critical: 4/100. System stability dropping to 15%. System functions limited. Seek safe location immediately."
10:07 AM - THE UNLOCK
Kabir, using a Vayu shield to deflect the worst of the heat, grabbed my arm. "JUMP!"
He shoved a smooth, wind-carved crystal into my hand. "Use this!"
🎵 "Vayu Yantra detected. One-time escape item. Activation phrase: 'Vayu Gamana.'"
"Vayu Gamana!" I crushed the crystal. Wind wrapped around my legs, creating temporary air steps. We ran up invisible stairs, scrambling over the rooftop's edge as K-9 staggered from the flames.
I landed in the maze of Dharavi, exhausted, panting, smelling of smoke and adrenaline.
🎵 "System Rebooting... Combat performance analyzed. Key improvements noted in tactical thinking and mantra efficiency. New level reached: Agni Astra Level 2. New ability unlocked: Agni Chakram (Fire Wheel). Unlock Trigger: Blood-fueled overcharge + Survival of mirror reflection. Mana regeneration: +5/hour in sunlight."
The system was no longer just a manual; it was an adaptive, evolving partner.
In a small, dusty temple alcove, I accepted prasad from a kind old woman with shaking hands. I looked at the coconut sweet, then at the glowing lines on my wrist.
"System, why are you with me? Do you know about my parents?"
🎵 "Primary Directive: Protect and guide the last Mantri-Scientist heir. Parental data: Limited access. Your mother created my core programming (the Shabda). Your father designed the interface (the Vigyan). They left me for you. I am their final algorithm."
The coconut sweet suddenly tasted like answers. Like legacy.
🎵 "Mana recovering: 15/100. Suggested: Rest and hydration. Tomorrow's training will focus on the Agni Chakraṃ's Ricochet and Homing modes."
I looked at my reflection in the brass bell—a mechanic, an orphan, and now... a programmer of reality. The system was my parents' final gift. And I would learn to use every line of their code.
CHAPTER END
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