The chamber was silent.
Three boys from Earth stood in the heart of a realm not their own, bound by faint glowing threads, marks pulsing on their palms.
Across from them stood Mahāsthāna Āchārya — Principal of the Gurukul, said to have lived for centuries, and known across realms as a man who could read the truth of souls.
Behind him, the elders, instructors, and elite students watched from marble balconies. And beyond the walls, the entire city buzzed with rumor:
"Trespassers from the sealed realm…"
"The Dice chose them?"
"Or are they spies?"
The Principal stepped forward. His eyes fixed on the boys.
"The Dice," he said, voice slow and ancient, "does not open itself for anyone. It has not stirred in centuries."
"And yet, three outsiders now wear its mark."
He raised his staff. The circle burned brighter on their hands.
Maarun felt it heat his skin — but he held his ground.
"If this is fate," the Principal continued, "then fate will prove itself."
"If it is deception… it will be burned away."
He turned to the council. "Invoke the trial."
Gasps echoed.
One of the teachers leaned in. "But, Āchārya… they are untrained. Barely awakened."
"So were the ancients," he replied. "And they walked through fire."
He turned back to the boys.
"You will undergo the AgniParīkṣā — the Trial of Will. A test older than this city. It does not test power. It tests truth."
Even the guards looked uneasy.
"Three paths," the Principal said. "Each reveals what your spirit hides."
"Dev of Earth… yours is the Trial of Desire. Will you save others… or choose yourself?"
"Roshan of Earth… yours is the Trial of Mind. You will be placed in a maze of falsehoods. Find the truth — or lose who you are."
He looked at Maarun.
And paused.
"And you, Maarun…"
"Your trial comes last."
🔥 Dev's Trial: The Garden of Choice
Dev awoke barefoot on warm grass.
Birds sang. Wind danced across gold fields.
He looked down. He was in the perfect version of his life.
A mansion ahead bore his family's crest. Inside: laughter. His parents alive. Old friends smiling. Money. Fame. Love. Power.
"This is yours," a voice whispered. "No one will know you took it.
Behind you lies only fire."
He turned.
Smoke curled from a distant city. Screams echoed in the wind.
He stepped forward.
Then halted.
"What if I don't matter to them?" he whispered.
The voice hissed:
"You don't. You're a stranger."
Tears welled. He looked back at the mansion.
His dream life. Everything he'd ever wanted.
He clenched his jaw.
"Maybe I don't matter," he said, "but they do."
And he walked into the flames.
His skin didn't burn — but his comfort did.
The world collapsed.
He passed.
🧠 Roshan's Trial: The Labyrinth of Mind
Roshan stood at the center of a towering ancient library.
Books floated in mid-air. Pages turned by invisible winds. Symbols crawled across the spines.
A clock ticked — backward.
"Only knowledge can free you," the voice said.
"A puzzle waits. Three questions. One path out. Answer wrong… and you stay forever."
A scroll unfurled before him:
"What breaks but never falls?""The more of me you take, the more you leave behind?""I am always running but never walk. I have a bed but never sleep. What am I?"
Roshan smiled.
"Easy," he said. "Dawn. Footsteps. A river."
Books shifted. Doors formed in mid-air.
Then—twist.
The doors rearranged. The symbols flipped.
"You must choose the real door," said the voice. "Two lead to madness. One to truth."
He hesitated. Looked at the book titles around each door.
"The Logic of Lies""Truth in Chaos""Certainty of the Obvious"
"Truth always wears the face of chaos."
He took a breath. Stepped through the door marked "Truth in Chaos."
He fell — then soared upward through light.
He passed.
🕯️ Maarun's Trial… (Next Chapter)
Back in the chamber, the Principal watched with still eyes.
"They passed," said a teacher.
"Let's see if he does," said the Principal, pointing at Maarun.
"Strip away his strength. Break his hope. Send him to the Valley of Dust."
"Let us see what rises from ashes."