The voice echoed through the whole underground area,
"Dining hall."
Just two words.
Nothing more was needed.
The pressure behind that voice froze the air itself.
It sounded more like a threat rather than an invitation.
A servant approached them immediately, his movements precise.
"The king has ordered you to attend the dining hall."
They followed him in silence.
Viraj also went there.
The dining hall was vast.
But nobody was sitting in dining table.
Only there ere signalled to sit there.
The rest of them were sitting around the table as if this was some kind of set.
On the table-
Everything within it was gold — the table, the plates, the vessels — yet none of it felt excessive.
The wealth was controlled, deliberate, as if meant to remind visitors that Dwarka's power did not need to boast.
Other figures were already present.
Nobles.
Ministers.
Silent observers sat along the edges of the hall.
Nobles, here is a family of varis.
They all have certain abilities.
They watched.
Soon after, the king entered.
He did not resemble the king Arjun had imagined.
Young.
Muscular.
Sharp-eyed.
His calm expression carried calculation, not mercy.
Everyone stood.
At a gesture, they sat.
Silence settled — heavy, expectant.
After a moment, the king spoke.
"So… you are the one who holds a fragment of the Sudarshan Chakra."
Arjun nodded slowly.
King spoke,
"And you even defeated my son
and went a little too far in just a duel"
Arjun's expression tightened — not from fear of the man, but from the weight of what those words implied.
The king noticed.
"Relax," he said. "We do not seize astras for force or would take revenge for my child"
He is definitely pissed about the last attack in the duel.he thought
Arjun asked to change the topic
"So now do I own the astr—"
He was interrupted.
"You cannot complete that astra," the king continued evenly.
"According to Niyati, the true wielder of the Sudarshan Chakra will appear in the next Vastara. He is destined to resolve Dwarka's crisis."
Arjun remained silent.
Subha's fingers tightened against her seat.
"The true power of an astra," the king went on, "is wielded through Karma. Shakti is… inferior."
He paused — long enough for the words to settle.
"And you," he added, "will never wield Karma."
That landed harder than any threat.
Then, casually:
"The only reason you sit here as my equal is because of the girl beside you."
Subha rose instantly.
"That's enough—"
Before she could finish, Arjun raised a hand.
Not to silence her —to steady himself.
Arjun steadied himself.
His body was still exhausted from the earlier match, but he refused to let it show.
He stood.
He understood the king was calling him unworthy.
"If I am unworthy," Arjun said, his voice controlled but sharp,
"Then your son — the first prince, whom I defeated — would be considered even more unworthy."
A ripple passed through the hall.
Murmurs.
Shifted gazes.
"So you are saying that the future ruler of Dwarka is even more unworthy than me"
Silence fell — not stunned, but strained.
The king did not move.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not angrily.
Amused.
"So the incomplete astra has given you that much confidence," the king said.
"Be careful, try not to overestimate your borrowed strength"
Arjun met his gaze.
"My strength is my own. I walk my path without arrogance — but I won't kneel to words meant to diminish me."
The temperature in the hall dropped.
"You are still in my land," the king said quietly.
Arjun inclined his head — not a bow.
"I will be in your care till the competition ends"
A few nobles exchanged looks.
The king watched him closely.
Finally, Arjun turned.
"Subha," he said, softer now, "you wanted to speak with him. I'll wait outside."
He left.
No guard followed.
That absence was deliberate.
Outside the palace, Arjun exhaled slowly.
Arjun stood alone outside the palace, walking back and forth.
The night air felt heavier than before.
The king's words still lingers in his mind — not loud, but persistent.
His body ached from the earlier match, his Shakti still unsettled, and yet his thoughts refused to slow down.
Did I go too far?
The question lingered longer than he liked.
A presence shifted the air.
Arjun stopped.
A familiar figure stood in front of him.
Without hesitation, Arjun stepped forward and touched his feet.
"I never got the chance to thank you, Guru ji."
The Guru did not respond immediately.
"Leave that for now," he said at last."Do you realise how rudely you spoke to the king?"
His voice was firm — not angry, but cold in the way only disappointment could be.
Arjun lowered his head.
Not in apology.
In thought.
"Alright," the Guru continued. "Don't pretend. I know you're not sorry."
Arjun clenched his fist slightly.
"Then tell me," the Guru said, "what do you plan to do now?"
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"After the competition," he said, "I want to enter the Raj Mahal vault.
And before that… I want to train my physical body."
The Guru studied him for a moment.
"I thought so," he said quietly."There's more work for me than I expected."
Arjun looked up, startled.
"You'll supervise it?"
The Guru nodded once.
"If my disciple has already chosen his path," he said,
"What else is left for a teacher to do?"
He turned slightly, then added,
"Come to the northeast forest, near the small town of Shankh.
I am staying there for now."
Before Arjun could say anything else, the Guru vanished.
Arjun stood there, heart racing.
Excitement stirred — but it was not pure.
It was a mix of pressure and responsibility.
Suddenly, someone touched his shoulder from behind.
Arjun turned.
Subha stood there, her expression troubled — conflicted in a way Arjun had rarely seen.
"What happened?" he asked.
She hesitated.
"I'll have to go to Arka City," she said finally.
"There's someone there who needs me."
Arjun nodded, but his expression shifted slightly.
"I'm heading to Shankh," he said. "To train."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.They both realised they would be walking separate paths — at least for now.
Too many thoughts crowded their minds.Too many things left unsaid.
Arjun felt the situation turning awkward.
He spoke first.
"Let's meet again," he said, "before the competition."
Subha gave a small nod.
Neither of them smiled.
Arjun clenched his fist tightly.
"Take care," he said.
Just two words — yet they carried far more than he could voice.
Subha's eyes shimmered faintly, moisture catching the light.
"You too," she replied.