"
"Please-Please help me, sir."
"Protect my elder sister, she is at Sompada Banglavaraam."
"Please save me, mister."
"Please, I will die if you don't... don't... Arghhh."
Shailya tossed and turned in his sleep, feeling uneasy. His face contorted with fear and concern as he shouted in the middle of the night. If not for Vahalla's ability to control sound, everyone in the house would have woken up.
"He is probably having his worst nightmare," Vahalla murmured, observing Shailya's distress.
FEW HOURS PASSED
"Shailya, wake up now!" Maqbir called out, trying to rouse his son.
"Hmm, who is it?" Shailya mumbled, still half-asleep.
"It's already 9 o'clock. Why aren't you up yet?" Maqbir said, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Dad?" Shailya said, jolting awake.
"Yeah, it is me," Maqbir replied calmly.
"Dad! What time is it?" Shailya asked, panic creeping into his voice.
"9 in the morning," Maqbir answered.
"Where are you, Maqbir Sahab? It is already past 9... no, wait... it is 10 in the morning," Shailya's mother teased, adding to the confusion.
"Really?" Shailya exclaimed.
"Crap, why wasn't I awake? Where is Vahalla? Has he already left?" Shailya thought frantically. "Today I need to leave for Marinabad, and it is already past ten. How could I make such a mistake? Crap, crap, crap."
"Ahm, son, I think your tickets are confirmed, B1 and B2," Maqbir said.
"But why two?" Maqbir was puzzled.
"Uhm... Dad, for luggage," Shailya said, trying to come up with an explanation.
"What am I even saying?" Shailya thought, mentally kicking himself.
"Huh! You already booked for a luggage cart, so why an extra passenger seat?" Maqbir asked, still in the dark.
"Now... NOW I remember, it is for my friend Sukheer."
"Oh, where is he from? Bikkan?"
"Nope! Veerni."
"It has been years since I visited Veerni. Do you know I was a shiqdar of Beerjharni District for two years?" Maqbir said, reminiscing.
"Beerjharni and Veerni are connected?"
"Indeed! Veerni is the headquarters of Beerjharni District."
"Whatever... the train will arrive at 3 at Bikkan Station."
"Oh, how do you plan to get to Bikkan?"
"I will take a cab."
"You should take the local train."
"Fine, Dad."
FEW HOURS LATER
"Shailya, come back soon," his mother said as Shailya prepared to leave.
Everyone waved at him, and Shailya greeted them and left.
"Where the heck is Vahalla?" Shailya wondered.
"Within you, cadet," Vahalla's voice echoed in his mind.
"Huh?"
"Run, or your train will disappear," Vahalla warned him.
"I cannot see you."
"Run!"
Vahalla took control of Shailya's body, making him sprint towards the platform. Shailya hopped onto the train just in time. As Vahalla relinquished control, Shailya regained consciousness, panting from the sudden burst of energy
AFTER A FEW HOURS
"Where are we, Shailya?" Vahalla asked.
"If I'm correct, then this is Sahanabad," Shailya replied, looking out the window.
"Is Marinabad so far?" Vahalla inquired.
"Yes. Marinabad is far in the west, located at the border. It has future technologies that make it a utopia on Earth."
"Utopia, I wonder what that city is like," Vahalla mused.
"2000 km away from the Malwai capital Parina, this is the military city Marinabad. It was established by the Late Pannival Maurya Malwai and is the nation's first city devoted completely to the military. Thirty years ago, in the 4th Chinese Empire, Shonqoi was established; it is the first military city in the whole world. However, the infrastructure of Marinabad seems of higher quality and more advanced than that of Shonqoi. After the establishment of Marinabad in the region, the enemy nation of Muvah also built their own military city, Mullahzir, and the southern kingdom of Dravida built Venkaluru."
"A few years back, when Pannival Mahaji Malwai ascended the throne, he established a new military system inspired by the western military—the regiments. He disbanded all the 'Tukdis' and divided the army based on cities in the region. He divided the army into 12 regiments:
Kanchi Regiment
Rajmahal Regiment
Sahanabad Regiment
Kathiavad Regiment
Saba Regiment
Indunagar Regiment
Silavat Regiment
Kaishavali Regiment
Kokali Regiment
Vayvan Regiment
Marinabad Regiment
Parina Regiment
All the regiments are strong in themselves. Several years later, Pannival Mahaji introduced the 13th regiment, the Runestone Regiment."
"Runestone Regiment was the newest regiment of all, it was the regiment in which all the newly enrolled cadets were posted. Every year, after the 'National Army Examination' is conducted, all the passing candidates are given a military certificate that places them in the Runestone Regiment. Later, a training programme is conducted, in which every cadet gets their own scores by fighting in close combat, long-ranged fights, defense, and other types of training. At the end of the programme, the top 50 cadets are distributed to the upper twelve regiments. The top 12 cadets are offered positions of Vice Commanders and Unit Captains, except for the top cadet. The top cadet will be given the position of a military commander. Runestone Regiment helps the Kokali Regiment in governing the nation and maintaining law and order."
"The current Military Chief in Command of all the regiments and the whole army is Bakshi Mirchand Raya, and the Assistant Military Chief in Command is Bakshi Shaturga Ganjogi. These two are the key figures of the Malwai Military and are considered some of the strongest individuals in the world. The training at Marinabad is supervised by the Military Commander of Marinabad Regiment, Rehman Shabab, the Vice Commander Airavat Jahanji, the Chiefs of Military in Command, and the Commander of Runestone Regiment, along with Pannival Mahaji Malwai as the judge and chief guest of the programme. It is a holy festival for army men, cadets, and commoners of the country."
"Marinabad is forbidden for commoners; only high-ranked officials have the permit to visit the town. The 'National Research Center' is located here, where military weapons are made. Marinabad is a great asset to Malwai, thus it is constantly attacked by the Muvahs."
"This is the 30th Military Training Camp. Starting today, all the cadets will live in their assigned dorms. There are 1.2 lakh Runestone Cadets attending the programme and more than 31 lakh soldiers participating. Be honored that you're part of the 7th largest army in the world, the Royal Malwai Army," Bakshi Mirchand Raya encouraged the soldiers.
"All the 32 lakh soldiers of the Royal Malwai Army are welcomed to Marinabad," said Commander Rehman Shabab.
"What an honorable speech by the two greatest fighters in the world. Now it is my turn. Starting tomorrow, y'all will begin your training, and a group of 7 judges will give you scores," the Vice Commander announced.
"You're the future, my dear sons and daughters. I owe you for your determination to serve the nation. After a long time, even girls will be participating in the programme. This is the beginning," Pannival said warmly.
"Keep your guards up, you're already being tested," Bakshi Shaturga warned, before adding, "But don't be scared," to motivate them all.
"I didn't think there would be such a huge crowd," Vahalla said, amazed by the sight of so many people gathered in one place.
"This is the Royal Malwai Army, my final destination," Shailya said, looking tense.
"Don't feel tense. This is just the beginning. You need to climb to the top to protect this planet," Vahalla said seriously.
"God, why was I chosen?" Shailya wondered aloud.
"Because you are the rightful person chosen by Rakkan," Vahalla replied.
"Rakkan?"
"He is the highest and strongest in the whole Universe."
"What about Gods and Deities?"
"There are several universes, to be precise, seven. Rakkan is the strongest in our Universe and among the others. He is even stronger than some Gods and is comparable to Supreme Gods."
"Oh dear, Rakkan is this powerful."
"Indeed."
"I will meet him someday," Shailya said, determination in his eyes.
As Shailya stood there, absorbing the weight of his new reality, a sense of destiny washed over him. He knew that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was ready to face them. The revelations about Rakkan and the universes ignited a fire within him. His journey was just beginning, and the stakes were higher than he could have ever imagined.
In the shadows, a mysterious figure watched Shailya intently. "The time is near," the figure whispered. "He will play a crucial role in the coming conflict."
Shailya, unaware of the watchful eyes and the larger forces at play, felt a surge of determination. With Vahalla by his side, guiding him, he took his first step towards a destiny that would shape not only his future but the fate of the entire world.
[To be continued in Chapter 6]