(The Trial of the Mind)
Inside the Gravity Gate
The pressure did not disappear.
Yet, somehow, Garud felt lighter.
Drona Acharya stood before him, calm and unmoving, as if the crushing Gravity of Gods did not exist at all. His presence itself felt like balance.
Garud straightened his back instinctively.
"Acharya," Garud said respectfully, "what must I do?"
Drona did not answer immediately.
Instead, he slowly walked past Garud, his footsteps silent against the unseen ground.
"You have already endured pain," Drona said at last.
"You have already tested your body."
He stopped and turned.
"Tell me, Garud—when your bones broke, what kept you standing?"
Garud thought.
"I… wanted to grow stronger."
Drona nodded slightly.
"And why do you want strength?"
Garud hesitated.
Images surfaced in his mind—
His parents.
The village.
Karna standing alone before the demons.
The Black Tower rising into the sky.
"To protect," Garud replied quietly.
Drona's eyes sharpened.
"Protection is not strength," he said calmly.
"It is responsibility."
The Weight of Thought
With a gentle wave of his hand, the space around them shifted.
The gravity lessened—but something heavier replaced it.
Garud felt pressure—not on his body, but on his mind.
Memories surfaced without warning.
Scenes of failure.
Moments of fear.
The thought of losing everything he loved.
Garud clenched his teeth.
(This is heavier than gravity.)
"This," Drona said, "is the burden of choice."
Garud fell to one knee—not because of pain, but because of doubt.
"Power will give you the ability to destroy," Drona continued.
"But only clarity will allow you to protect without becoming a monster."
The Question Repeated
Drona stepped closer.
"So I will ask again," he said softly.
"Who are you?"
Garud closed his eyes.
For the first time, he did not think of his name.
He thought of his actions.
"I am someone who will stand," Garud said slowly.
"Even when I am afraid."
The pressure eased slightly.
Drona smiled faintly.
"Better," he said.
The First Lesson
Drona raised two fingers.
The gravity surged for a moment—then vanished completely.
Garud gasped, almost losing balance.
"Remember this," Drona said.
"True power does not come from force."
He tapped Garud's chest lightly.
"It comes from control."
A faint symbol flickered in front of Garud's vision.
System Notification:
Condition Met — Mental Fortitude Recognized
No rewards appeared.
No stats increased.
Only understanding.
A Warning
Drona's expression turned serious.
"The Black Towers will test more than your strength," he said.
"They will question your identity, your morality, and your faith."
He looked directly into Garud's eyes.
"If you enter them without knowing who you are—
you will be lost forever."
Garud nodded slowly.
"Then teach me," he said.
Drona turned away.
"Stand," he replied.
"Tomorrow, we begin again."