Before setting out for the Element District, I thought I should eat something. The journey was long, and my stomach was empty. A little ahead, I spotted a small shop where the mouth-watering smell of fried lobster was drifting through the air. My stomach made the decision instantly — this was the place to stop.
I had a few coins left, so I headed straight toward the shop. As soon as I stepped inside, a boy — about my age — hurried nervously toward me.
"Brother… do you have some coins?" he asked softly, glancing around before stepping closer. "Please save my dignity. Someone stole my wallet."
He subtly gestured toward a girl sitting calmly nearby, staring at the food.
"I told her I'd pay for the meal," he whispered, "but now I don't have a single coin…"
Seeing his condition, I couldn't help but smile.
"My name is Purav," he said.
I thought for a moment — I did have enough coins. So I handed him some. His face lit up instantly, as if I had saved his life.
"Bro, you're a god!" he almost shouted.
Soon, the three of us were sitting together, eating. The lobster smelled amazing and tasted even better. The boy kept asking the girl again and again—
"Do you want anything else?"
"Eat a little more…"
"Try this, it's good!"
The girl simply kept eating quietly, without any reaction.
Then suddenly, a massive shadow stopped beside us. We assumed it was another customer. But when he spoke—
"Jaan…"
Both of us froze mid-bite.
A large, well-built man stood directly behind the girl. Leaning slightly forward, he asked,
"What are you doing here? Come home. And do you even know these two?"
"No…" the girl replied calmly — and walked away.
At that moment, Purav's face was priceless. His eyes wide, mouth open… as if his entire world had shattered in a single instant.
I couldn't hold it in. As soon as she left, I burst out laughing.
Purav slowly collapsed onto his chair and muttered, "Bro… not just my money… even my dreams are gone."
That made me laugh even harder.
While eating, he looked at me and asked with a smile,
"By the way, what's your name?"
I took a sip of water and replied, "Dhruv."
"Nice name," he laughed. Then leaning closer, he said softly,
"I'm going to participate in the competition being held there. I've heard selected students from every district will come… are you going there too?"
Hearing that brought a small sense of relief to my heart. I had to go there too, but honestly, I didn't even know the proper route. Maybe fate had just given me a companion for the journey.
I nodded slightly. "Yeah… I'm going there too."
His face lit up instantly.
"Great!" he said, slapping the table. "Then let's go together. Anyway, I get a little… bored traveling alone."
I smiled. "Alright, we'll go together."
"Come on, let's fill our stomachs first, then we'll leave. The journey is long… and who knows what we might find on the way," he said dramatically, then winked, "maybe a beautiful girl."
I laughed.
Deciding to travel with him suddenly felt right — and strange. There was a strange excitement in my heart. This journey wasn't just toward the competition…
maybe it would also lead me to that mysterious girl, whose jade I still kept safely in my pocket.
As soon as we finished eating, we stepped out of the shop and headed toward the Element District. The crowded marketplace slowly faded behind us, and ahead stretched a long journey… where not only the path was unknown, but the destination too.
Purav seemed born for travel. The moment we started walking, he began talking nonstop.
"I'm from a small village," he said proudly. "Right by the sea. Everyone there fishes for a living. We've grown up in the water."
I listened quietly.
Gradually, the rocky road ended and a dense forest appeared ahead. The tall trees blocked most of the sunlight from reaching the ground. The air turned cooler, and an eerie silence surrounded us — broken only by the rustling of leaves and distant bird calls.
"We'll have to cross this forest," Purav said softly. "After this, there's a mountain. On the other side, the road to the Element District begins."
We moved forward carefully — pushing aside bushes, weaving between trees. After a few hours, the forest began to thin, and ahead stood a towering mountain. Its peak touched the clouds. The path was twisted and rocky, but it was the only way to reach our destination.
I took a deep breath and looked up at the mountain.
The journey had only just begun… and who knew what awaited us ahead.
Standing before the mountain, I inhaled deeply.
"Looks like the real journey begins now…" I said softly.
Purav tightened his bag straps and smiled.
"Hey Dhruv, why are you scared? It's just a mountain. If this were my village, I'd have climbed it twice by now," he laughed.
"Oh really? Then you go first," I replied instantly.
"Well… I was just giving motivation," Purav scratched his head, and we both laughed.
We began climbing slowly. The path was narrow and slippery. Many stones were loose, so we had to place each step carefully. Below us lay the deep darkness of the forest, and above, cold winds blew fiercely.
Halfway up, Purav drifted back into his stories.
"Once I went to catch fish on a mountain…"
I stopped immediately. "Fish… on a mountain?"
"Of course!" he laughed. "Water exists everywhere. You just need fish in it."
His strange stories made the journey lighter. But as we climbed higher, the air grew colder and heavier. Clouds began surrounding us, and soon the path was covered in thick mist.
Then…
I suddenly heard a strange sound. Like someone stepping on stone.
I quickly grabbed Purav's arm and stopped him.
"Shhh… did you hear that?"
He fell silent instantly. Amid the sound of wind, there was indeed a faint echo of footsteps. We slowly looked around… but saw nothing except mist.
"Maybe another traveler," Purav whispered — though his voice held more fear than confidence.
I was about to speak when a shadow moved within the fog…
For some reason… it felt like our first trial had already begun — even before reaching the Element District.