From that day onward, Bhumi's life changed forever.
The principal of the School of Spiritual Control stood before her, his voice calm but merciless.
"You have two choices," he said."Learn to control your spiritual energy… or die here, right now."
There was no hesitation.
Bhumi chose to fight for her life.
She was taken to the spiritual school, where nearly twenty students trained under the strict rules of the clans. The decision sparked outrage. The other nine members—and the clan heads of their families—were completely against her presence.
But the principal was a close friend of Ram.
And everyone knew one truth.
Even if all nine clans united, with their armies and elites, they would still lose against him.
Unhappy, furious, but powerless—the clans stayed silent.
That was where Bhumi first met Forge and Shiva.
Like her, they were outcasts—dissatisfied by their own clans, tolerated only because of necessity. No one welcomed Bhumi. She was treated as trash, an outsider who didn't belong.
But she refused to break.
She trained harder than anyone else.
While others rested, she pushed forward. While others complained, she endured. Slowly, painfully, her effort paid off. Bhumi rose to the top of her class, becoming the student with the greatest control over spiritual energy.
Yet her greatest challenge was still ahead.
No master would accept her.
No one was willing to take her under their wing.
For the first time, Bhumi thought her journey had reached its end.
That was when the principal made a request to Ram.
At first, Ram refused.
But eventually… he agreed.
Bhumi rushed to the leader's chamber, excitement burning in her chest.
Ram stood there with a book in his hand, his face unreadable.
"I can't train you," he said bluntly."My teaching is the hardest there is. Your body wouldn't survive it."
Bhumi's heart sank.
"But," Ram continued, "there is another option."
He held up the book.
"This teaching belonged to a master who died a hundred years ago. He never chose a successor. No one has ever completed it."
Ram's gaze sharpened.
"If you accept this, you'll have no guidance. No protection. You'll walk this path alone. It will demand absolute dedication."
Bhumi met his eyes without fear.
"I've worked hard for too long to live without it."
She took the book.
And began.
Step by step, she learned on her own.
She failed. She bled. She endured.
Not everyone was pleased.
Assassinations were planned in the shadows—but Ram stopped every single one without Bhumi ever knowing. She believed she was merely disliked.
She never realized they wanted her dead.
In time, Bhumi mastered the teachings. She learned every attack recorded in the book—and created several of her own.
All except one.
The final step.
To perform every technique using only her legs—without ever touching the ground with her hands.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't complete it.
And the world showed no mercy.
She was pushed into the well.
One by one, her companions were chosen as Protectors.
Bhumi was the last.
Her first mission came immediately.
The Centurion.
Assigned by the council of clan heads.
Ram opposed it—but he lost the vote.
It was a suicide mission.
Bhumi knew that.
And still, she went.
Now, standing at the edge of death, Bhumi understood something.
The question was never why am I here?Or what am I doing?
It was—
What should I do next?
She smiled.
Tara noticed.
Fear flashed across Tara's face. Acting on instinct, she jumped back and released Bhumi.
And in that moment—
Bhumi understood.
The final step.
Instead of forming spiritual hands, she spread her spiritual energy through her legs—into the ground itself.
Her legs became her hands.
Vines erupted, binding her wounds and stopping the bleeding.
Tara screamed in rage.
"You think you can win?! No one can stop me now! I'll kill you properly!"
She attacked again.
But this time, Bhumi didn't panic.
She moved effortlessly, evading every strike, her control absolute.
Then she counterattacked.
Tara prepared another assault, unaware of her surroundings.
Bhumi spoke calmly.
"Look up."
Thirty massive chunks of the arena hovered above.
Tara laughed."You already tried that. I'll block it."
Bhumi smiled.
"I guess you lost focus for a second."
Tara looked around.
No water barrier.
Too late.
The arena collapsed.
The stone crushed Tara's body instantly.
Bhumi collapsed moments later, blood loss finally claiming her strength.
The last thing she saw—
Was Tara's lifeless body.
If you enjoyed this chapter, a Power Stone helps a lot."