The air in Aranyor felt different after the battle. What once seemed magical and beautiful now carried a sense of danger. The sky remained slightly dim, as if the Shadow Beast had left behind a mark of darkness. Aarav sat quietly near a glowing tree, still feeling the weakness in his body. Every muscle ached, but deeper than that was a strange burning sensation inside him—the power he had used was still alive, still moving within him.
Rohan sat beside him, unusually silent for once. After a while, he finally spoke, "I still can't believe this is real. You… fighting that giant monster… this place… flying rivers… talking creatures. Bro, our life has officially become a movie."
Aarav gave a faint smile but didn't respond. His mind was elsewhere. He kept replaying the moment in his head—the light, the power, the fear. It didn't feel like something he controlled. It felt like something that could control him.
Just then, Rishan appeared, walking toward them slowly, his calm presence bringing a strange sense of stability. Zibu followed closely behind him.
"It is time," Rishan said.
Aarav looked up. "Time for what?"
"For your training," Rishan replied. "If you cannot control your power, it will destroy you before your enemy does."
Aarav stood up, determined but unsure. "What do I have to do?"
Rishan turned and began walking toward a distant part of the land. "Follow me."
They traveled far beyond the peaceful areas of Aranyor, crossing glowing rivers and rocky paths until they reached a dark, isolated zone. The ground there was cracked and dry, and the air felt heavy and unstable.
"This place…" Zibu whispered, "is the Forbidden Zone."
Rohan immediately stepped back. "Yeah… sounds like a place we should NOT be in."
Rishan stopped and turned to Aarav. "This is where your real training begins. The energy here is wild and uncontrollable. If you can master your power here, you can master it anywhere."
Aarav took a deep breath. "What do I do?"
"Simple," Rishan said. "Survive."
Before Aarav could react, the ground beneath him suddenly broke apart. Dark energy shot out like flames, forming shadowy creatures around him. They had no clear shape, only glowing eyes and shifting bodies made of darkness.
Rohan panicked. "WHAT IS THIS?!"
"Training," Rishan said calmly.
The shadow creatures attacked instantly.
Aarav tried to move, but his body was still weak. One of the creatures struck him, throwing him to the ground. Pain shot through his body.
"Get up!" Zibu shouted. "Don't think—feel your power!"
Another creature lunged at him. Aarav rolled to the side just in time. His heart was racing again, but this time, something inside him reacted faster.
He stood up and closed his eyes for a second.
The golden energy flickered.
A creature charged at him—but this time, Aarav moved.
He raised his hand, and a burst of light pushed the creature back. Not as strong as before, but controlled.
Rishan watched carefully. "Good… but not enough."
Suddenly, more creatures appeared—faster, stronger.
Aarav struggled. He blocked one attack, but another hit him from behind. He fell again, breathing heavily. Doubt began to fill his mind.
"I can't do this…" he whispered.
At that moment, Rohan shouted from a distance, "AARAV! You already fought that huge monster! These things are nothing! Don't give up now!"
Those words hit him harder than the attack.
Aarav clenched his fists.
Slowly, he stood up again.
This time, he didn't close his eyes.
He faced the creatures directly.
The golden energy returned—stronger, steadier.
One by one, the shadow creatures attacked, but Aarav began to move with better control. He blocked, dodged, and pushed them back. The light around him grew brighter with every second.
Finally, with a powerful shout, he released a wave of energy that destroyed all the shadow creatures at once.
Silence.
Aarav stood in the middle, breathing heavily, but still standing.
Zibu smiled proudly. "Now THAT was better."
Rohan jumped in excitement. "BROOOO! That was insane!"
But Rishan did not smile.
Instead, he looked at the ground… then at the sky.
"Training is over," he said quietly.
Aarav frowned. "That fast?"
Rishan's expression turned serious.
"No… something is wrong."
Suddenly, the ground trembled again—stronger than before.
A dark crack opened in the sky itself.
Zibu's face turned pale. "That's not part of training…"
From the crack, a deeper, more terrifying roar echoed.
Not the Shadow Beast.
Something else.
Something worse.
Rishan spoke in a low voice, filled with tension.
"He has sent another one…"
A massive claw slowly emerged from the darkness in the sky.
Aarav looked up, his heart sinking.
This time…
It didn't feel like a test.