Morning sunlight spilled into the courtyard of Himalaya Academy, but it felt colder than the mountain winds. Every new student stood in a perfect line, whispering nervously. Today was the beginning of their real journey.
The Second Test.
The test that decided whether one would remain in the academy—or be asked to leave forever.
Vansh elbowed Dev lightly. "Bro… you look like you didn't sleep."
Dev nodded. "I didn't."
He kept remembering the test from yesterday: that faint shimmer, barely visible. The examiner's confused stare. The whispers.
Maybe I don't belong here.
But deep inside, something felt… expectant.
As if waiting for a door to open.
Hall of Breath
Students were led into a vast chamber carved into the mountain itself. The walls were etched with images of the Tri-Deva—Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh—each representing a sacred breathing style of the academy.
Three Breathing Styles of Himalaya Academy
Brahma Shwas – Breath of Creation
Vishnu Shwas – Breath of Preservation
Mahesh Shwas – Breath of Destruction
Each style had its own glow.
Brahma glowed gold,
Vishnu shone blue,
Mahesh radiated red.
Every student's spiritual breath would align with one of the three—if they had the affinity.
The instructor, Master Raghav, a stern man with a voice like thunder, stepped forward.
"Place your hand upon the Breath Stone. Let your spirit inhale and exhale once. The stone will reveal your path."
One by one, the students stepped forward.
A shy girl touched the stone—
Blue light. Vishnu Shwas.
The crowd clapped.
Vansh went next.
He slapped his hand on the stone with confidence.
Instantly—
Red light burst outward. Bright, fierce. Mahesh Shwas.
Vansh roared, pumping his fist, "YES!"
Dev smiled for him. "Congratulations."
Vansh grinned. "Your turn. Try not to explode."
Dev's Turn
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
Too still.
Master Raghav gestured. "Dev. Step forward."
Dev's heart thudded painfully.
What if nothing appears?
What if the stone shows he doesn't belong?
He closed his eyes, took one shaky breath, and placed his palm on the Breath Stone.
For three seconds—
Nothing.
A few students snickered.
"I knew it."
"Zero affinity."
"Why is he even here?"
Dev exhaled softly.
Then—
The world exploded.
The White Light
A blinding WHITE LIGHT burst upward, engulfing the entire chamber.
Not gold.
Not blue.
Not red.
Something purer.
Deeper.
Older.
The walls trembled.
Symbols carved by sages thousands of years ago flickered alive for the first time.
The Breath Stone cracked—
Spiritual energy swirled around Dev in spiraling rings of light.
Students fell backward, shielding their eyes.
Master Raghav stumbled, whispering, "Impossible…"
The headmaster, sensing the disturbance from across the academy, sprinted into the hall, his eyes wide with shock.
"NO ONE TOUCH HIM!" he commanded.
The light grew brighter—roaring—alive—
And then—
Silence.
The white light vanished.
Dev blinked in confusion.
"…Did something happen?" he asked quietly.
Everyone stared at him in horror.
Shock.
Awe.
Master Raghav's voice trembled, "That… that was not Brahma, Vishnu, or Mahesh."
Students whispered:
"What was that?"
"I've never seen a white breath…"
"Is it forbidden?"
"Is he cursed?"
But Dev heard none of it.
His vision blurred. The world spun.
He collapsed to his knees.
Not unconscious.
Not injured.
Just… empty.
Like something inside him had tried to awaken—but was still trapped behind closed doors.
The Headmaster's Fear
The headmaster knelt beside him, placing a hand on Dev's back.
"Dev… listen to me," he whispered urgently. "What you just used… is not a breathing style we teach."
Dev looked up, dazed. "What… what did I do? I didn't feel anything."
"Yes. That is what terrifies me," the headmaster thought—but did not say.
Out loud, he said softly, "You released a power lost for ages. Something older than the Tri-Deva. Something forbidden to even speak of."
Dev stared at his trembling hands.
"I… I didn't mean to. I don't even know how."
"I know," the headmaster said, voice softening.
"That is why you must stay close to me. Your very existence breaks the rules of this world."
Behind them, students watched with fear and fascination.
Vansh pushed through the crowd, grabbed Dev's shoulder.
"Bro… that was crazy. But whatever that was… I know you didn't do it on purpose."
Dev managed a small, confused smile.
"Thanks."
But deep inside, he felt something else.
Not fear.
Not pride.
A strange pull…
Like the white light wasn't trying to come out—
…it was trying to remember him.
The Unknown Path
Master Raghav addressed the hall, voice shaky:
"Dev… your breathing style is… UNKNOWN.
Not recorded.
Not categorized.
Not safe."
Students gasped.
But the headmaster's eyes were fixed on Dev, filled with a mix of hope and dread.
"This boy," he whispered to himself,
"is either the world's salvation…
…or the beginning of its end."
Dev, unaware of the storm he had created, simply wondered:
Why can't I remember anything from before I was twelve?
And somewhere far below the mountains, something ancient shifted—
as if awakened by his white light.