A sharp pain shot through Adarsh's head as he woke up, his body drenched in sweat. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his vision swam as he sat up in his bed. A strange sensation washed over him, something alien yet familiar, as if the very air around him had changed.
He rubbed his temples and looked around his small, dimly lit room. The worn-out wooden desk, the cracked mirror on the wall, and the stack of old textbooks were still there—yet something felt… wrong. The air shimmered faintly, tiny specks of light dancing like fireflies in the corners of his vision.
His heart pounded. What the hell was happening?
With a shaky breath, Adarsh stood up and moved toward the window, pushing aside the thin curtains. What he saw made his blood run cold.
The familiar skyline of his city, once filled with high-rise buildings, neon signs, and endless streams of traffic, had changed into something straight out of a fantasy novel. Towering magic spires, suspended walkways glowing with blue energy, and floating islands defying gravity stretched across the horizon. Gone were the noisy streets filled with cars and honking horns—in their place were flying carriages, colossal creatures soaring through the sky, and people cloaked in robes, wielding glowing staffs.
He stumbled back, his breath hitching.
This wasn't the world he knew.
Just yesterday, the world was one of science and logic. Technology ruled every aspect of life, from education to communication. Everything was built on the foundation of machines, electricity, and progress.
But now… everything had changed.
A New Reality
Adarsh's school—Delhi Magic Academy—had once been an ordinary institution, filled with dull classrooms, overworked teachers, and lifeless lectures. But when he arrived that morning, it was unrecognizable.
The school gates had turned into a towering archway inscribed with glowing runes, and beyond them stood an enormous castle-like structure, stretching high into the sky. Floating lanterns hovered in the air, illuminating the entrance with a golden glow. The once-boring school grounds were now teeming with students in enchanted robes, discussing spell theories, practicing incantations, and summoning elemental creatures.
Adarsh felt like an outsider.
While the students around him marveled at their newfound abilities, he remained as powerless as ever. Nothing had changed for him.
His hands clenched into fists. He was still a nobody, still the son of a struggling merchant who could barely afford tuition, still the older brother of a disabled stepsister, Riya, who couldn't even walk.
Meanwhile, those born into wealth and power had effortlessly adapted to this new world. Among them was Nandini Verma, the daughter of the wealthiest man in the city. She walked through the academy with an air of superiority, already hailed as a prodigy, already mastering magic as if she was born for it.
Beyond the City—A World of Monsters
But it wasn't just the academy that had changed.
Beyond the city walls, the world had become a nightmare.
The news was filled with horrifying reports—wandering magical beasts, once thought to be mythical, now roamed the lands, preying on humans. Giant wolves with glowing eyes, fire-breathing serpents, and creatures capable of tearing through buildings with a single swipe of their claws.
People whispered of the "Demon Zones", regions outside human civilization where chaos reigned. Those who were weak, those who had no magic, were nothing but prey.
And Adarsh? He was among the weak.
A World That Favored the Strong
Despite the grand towers, the magical teachings, and the allure of power, this new world was cruel.
Status still dictated everything. Those who awakened magic were revered, while those who remained powerless were discarded like trash. Magic determined one's fate—the strong ruled, and the weak suffered.
Adarsh gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him.
Even in this rewritten world, he was at the bottom.
But deep within his chest, something stirred. A strange energy he had never felt before. Something hidden. Something waiting.
As he looked up at the glowing towers of Delhi Magic Academy, a cold determination filled his eyes.
This world may have changed, but he refused to be the same powerless nobody.
If magic ruled this world, then he would master it.
And one day… he would stand above them all.