From the survivor to the vanisher

The forest was dense, its canopy so thick that only slivers of sunlight pierced through. Aditya trudged through the undergrowth, a wicker basket strapped to his back, filled with herbs and roots Druva had sent him to collect. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and moss, and every sound—whether the rustle of leaves or the distant call of a bird—felt amplified in the stillness.

Aditya paused to examine a cluster of low-lying plants with spiked leaves. He crouched, carefully picking the stems and placing them into the basket. As he worked, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. A low growl rumbled from somewhere behind him.

He turned slowly, heart pounding. Emerging from the shadows was a massive black wolf, its eyes glowing amber and its teeth bared in a snarl. Aditya froze. The wolf stepped closer, its muscles rippling beneath its fur, a predator sizing up its prey.

Aditya's mind raced. He had no weapons, no armor. His only tools were his bare hands and his wits. The wolf lunged. Aditya threw himself to the side, barely dodging the beast's snapping jaws. He grabbed a thick branch from the ground and swung it with all his might. The wolf yelped as the branch connected with its flank, but the blow only seemed to enrage it.

Aditya knew he couldn't win with brute force. His training with Druva flashed through his mind. Balance. Precision. Timing. As the wolf lunged again, Aditya focused, waiting until the last possible moment before sidestepping and jamming the branch into the wolf's side. The beast howled in pain, staggering back.

Aditya didn't wait for it to recover. He turned and ran, weaving through the trees as adrenaline surged through his veins. His legs burned, but he didn't stop until he reached a clearing. There, he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.

The wolf didn't follow. Perhaps it had decided the fight wasn't worth the effort, or perhaps it was simply biding its time. Either way, Aditya was alive—for now.

When he returned to Druva's hut, bruised and bloodied, the alchemist raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"

Aditya recounted the encounter, his hands still trembling. Druva listened silently, then said, "You've taken your first step on the Path. Survival against a predator is the mark of a Path Initiator. Your instincts are awakening."

Aditya didn't fully understand, but he felt something within himself—an ember of power, faint but undeniable. Druva handed him a salve for his wounds. "Rest. Tomorrow, we'll begin your training in earnest."

That night, as Aditya lay in bed, his body aching, he couldn't help but smile. The boy who had been buried alive was no more. He was on the Path now, and there was no turning back.