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Chapter 1: Silent Arena

The midday sun beat down upon the ancient courtyard of the Gurukul of Aryavart like a hammer against an anvil, scorching the hard-packed earth until the air above it shivered with heat. Dust, fine as pollen and hot as ash, drifted in slow, lazy swirls across the wide stone-bordered arena.

Around the perimeter, the silence was heavy, thick with the scent of crushed marigolds, dry earth, and the faint, bitter tang of metallic sweat.

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Ish

To the girls who love the dark—welcome home.