The sun had barely risen, painting the sky in soft gold, but the riverbank was alive with motion. I felt the gentle tug of the current even on land, a reminder that the waters had chosen me. The Book of Water Affinity throbbed in my chest like a heartbeat I could feel with my own. Every droplet around me seemed to hum with lessons I didn't need to learn—I simply understood.
But that wasn't all. Deep inside, a surge of strength I could not explain burned in my veins. Lord Shiva's first boon—the Saiyan bloodline—coursed through me. Even as a child, I felt it: an unstoppable energy, endurance beyond mortal limits, reflexes and instincts that sharpened instantly. My muscles ached and strengthened with each motion, my body adapting to every challenge effortlessly.
Radha called softly, "Karna, come here. The day is bright and waiting."
I shuffled toward her, feeling the grass under my small feet, the warmth of the morning sun brushing my skin. But it was more than the sun; it was a pull—an urge deep inside me to move, to test, to master.
"Karna," Adhiratha said, his voice calm but firm, "today we will practice balance and strength. Not as soldiers, but as a preparation for the world you must face."
I nodded, though my tiny hands gripped sticks far larger than my body. And yet, when I lifted one, it felt as though my muscles already knew the weight, the swing, the motion. Every movement came naturally, fluidly. My heart beat with excitement and the thrill of mastery.
The first test was simple: lifting a heavy log. Adhiratha grunted beside me, amazed at my coordination, though I hardly noticed him. I moved the log as if it weighed nothing, my small arms steady, my posture flawless.
"How…" Radha whispered under her breath, worry mingled with pride.
I looked at her, confused. "Why are you worried? It's just a log," I said, my voice childish yet strange even to me. The truth was, I didn't even think—I simply acted, and the adaptation that Lord Shiva granted me flowed through my every movement. And beneath it all, the Saiyan bloodline surged—raw, unyielding power, growing stronger with every test.
Next, Adhiratha guided me toward the river. "Control the waters, Karna. Play with them, understand them."
I kneeled by the edge and dipped my hands in. The water rose obediently, swirling into shapes I had never imagined—vases, spirals, even a small miniature wave that rose and fell at my will. I felt exhilaration. The Book of Water Affinity pulsed with delight, but the strength in my Saiyan bloodline hummed alongside it, a constant reminder that my body and soul were extraordinary.
Hours passed like moments. I felt my body grow, my mind expand, and yet there was always the subtle hum inside me, reminding me of the destiny I had inherited. I was not ordinary. I was chosen. Blessed. Tested.
At midday, a group of children from the village dared to approach, their eyes wide with fear and curiosity.
"Look at him," one whispered, "he moves like a spirit. The river bends for him!"
I felt a spark—anger? Not really. More like frustration. I didn't want attention, and yet the world seemed to notice me anyway. Without thinking, I mimicked one of their simple stunts, and my body executed it perfectly—faster, smoother, more precise than any child should be capable of. Their jaws dropped.
Radha and Adhiratha rushed forward, concern etched on their faces. "Karna, be careful! You cannot show too much too soon!"
I looked at them, puzzled. "I… I didn't do it on purpose. It just… happened."
And that was the truth. Every action, every skill, every motion in my life now adapted instantly. Lord Shiva's third boon. And beneath it, the Saiyan bloodline pulsed relentlessly, enhancing every reflex, every instinct, every thought. My life would never be ordinary.
That evening, as the sun dipped behind the trees, I sat by the river alone, watching its currents twist and turn. I felt the first stirrings of ambition, of power, of a warrior's instinct. I knew that one day, I would test this strength in ways the world could never imagine.
Even now, tiny Karna, abandoned yet blessed, felt destiny stir in his bones—divine, mortal, and Saiyan all at once.