The heat in the small workshop was intense. Dayal Karmakar wiped the sweat from his forehead with his dusty sleeve. In the heart of Dariapur, while other boys his age were busy on their phones, Dayal was staring at a pot of glowing, molten bronze.
"Focus, Dayal," his father's voice echoed in his mind. "The metal doesn't just take shape; it takes your spirit."
Dayal was a Dokra artist. It was an ancient craft, older than the kings and empires. But today, something felt different. He was working on a small figurine, a simple elephant he had seen in his dreams. But this dream was strange—the elephant had wings made of fire.
As he carefully poured the liquid metal into the clay mold, the ground beneath him vibrated. A faint, golden hum filled the room. Suddenly, a semi-transparent blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[System Initializing...]
[Host Identity Confirmed: Dayal Karmakar, The Last Descendant of the Sun-Casters.]
Dayal stumbled back, his heart hammering against his ribs. He carefully cracked open the clay mold. As the clay fell away, the bronze elephant inside was already shining. Its wings flickered.
Flap. Flap.
The bronze elephant had opened its tiny eyes. Dayal could 'feel' the metal in his workshop. But the silence was broken by a heavy thud outside. Something was coming for his creation.