LOCK NO.1 ACADEMY did not believe in mercy.
Students were divided into teams.
Each team was assigned a guide.
Every three months, exams were held.
Combat. Technique control. Universe-shifting basics. Survival simulations.
If a team passed, they advanced together.
If even one member failed, the entire team stayed behind.
No exceptions,
No sympathy,
No excuses.
When Gaurav heard his team leader's name, he froze.
Anzhu.
Same age. Same batch.
She smiled slightly when their eyes met again, like she recognized him from before.
He looked away immediately.
Their team included:
Aarav — everyone's friend
Mira — quiet, observant
Rishan — natural leader
Sanya — healer
Training began.
Everyone learned techniques quickly.
Energy control. Demon combat. Universe shifting basics.
Everyone except Gaurav.
He couldn't even learn the basics of the basics.
Gaurav failed the first exam.
His team stayed back.
Rishan punched a wall in frustration. Mira stopped talking to him for days. Even Sanya, who never showed anger, avoided eye contact.
Aarav stayed.
Aarav always stayed.
Second exam.
Gaurav failed again.
Whispers followed him in the corridors.
"Dead weight."
"Burden."
"Why is he even here?"
Third exam.
Failure.
Nine months wasted.
Nine months, his team could have moved forward.
This time no one shouted.
Silence was worse.
Rishan finally said it.
"You're dragging all of us down."
Gaurav didn't defend himself.
Because he agreed.
The Night Training
While others slept, Gaurav trained.
Again. And Again. And Again.
He repeated basic techniques thousands of times.
Energy control until his veins felt like they would tear
.Universe-shift posture until his muscles locked.
He collapsed. Stood up. Continued.
Unknown to him, someone watched every night.
From the rooftop.
Anzhu.
She never interrupted.
Never announced her presence.
She simply watched him fight himself.
Not demons.
Not exams.
His own mind.
Sometimes she smiled faintly when he got one small thing right.
Sometimes her expression tightened when he collapsed.
But she never stepped in.
It felt like she was waiting.
For something.
The Quiet Moment
One night he finally stopped moving.
Sat on the cold training floor, breathing heavily.
Anzhu walked in quietly and sat beside him.
"You're going to destroy your body at this rate," she said gently.
He didn't answer.
"You're not weak," she added. "You just haven't found how your power works yet."
He laughed softly, without humor.
"My power doesn't work."
Silence.
Then she nudged a water bottle toward him.
"Drink."
He did.
The noise in his head faded again.
Peace settled around him.
He stared at the floor, confused by the calm.
Why does the noise stop when she is here…?
He never asked her.
He didn't want the peace to disappear.