The next day began under a dim, grey sky. It hadn't rained, but the clouds loomed low, heavy with something more than water. Aarav's world was spinning, not with fear, but a sense of growing responsibility. Whatever he had seen last night—those glowing eyes—wasn't just a dream.
He met Meera and Rishi early at their usual meeting spot behind the school. The moment he mentioned the man outside his building, Rishi's expression turned grim.
"I saw someone too," Rishi said. "Outside my window. He didn't move. Just… watched."
Meera's voice dropped. "I think we're being monitored."
Aarav pulled the cube from his bag. Its cracks were glowing brighter, forming symbols—ancient, almost alien. It pulsed faster as Rishi placed his shard beside it.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the air—not from the cube, but from everywhere around them.
"You are not ready."
The sound made the grass shiver. They turned in every direction, but no one was there.
Then came another message, this time from the cube:
Entity Activity Confirmed. Class: Shadow Walker. First Manifestation Detected.
"What's a Shadow Walker?" Meera asked.
Aarav gulped. "Something that walks between worlds."
At school, everything felt heightened. Teachers stumbled over lessons, the clock blinked irregularly, and two students reported sudden migraines. A girl fainted during PE. Aarav noticed tiny flickers in the air—like glitches. Rishi called it "code cracking."
"Reality's bending," Rishi whispered.
They didn't feel safe. So, after school, they headed to the old watchtower near the lake—somewhere quiet, away from everyone. Inside, they placed the cube and shard together on the floor.
The moment they did, the room filled with light.
A projection unfolded—figures in robes, speaking in a strange language, then switching to clear words:
The Axis Guardians were chosen not for strength, but for harmony. When the universes bleed, guardians rise. You are Earth-17's last defense.
The message faded.
Meera was the first to speak. "There are more like you. Other Aaravs. Other universes. And they might be sending things here."
Aarav looked out through the cracked windows of the tower. The lake shimmered. Then, in the reflection, he saw them.
Figures.
Three tall silhouettes standing across the shore, unmoving. They weren't there when he looked directly, only in the reflection.
"Don't look straight at them," he whispered. "They're only in the mirror."
The trio backed away.
Suddenly, one of the figures moved.
A flash of light burst from the cube. A protective field surrounded them. The figures stepped back and vanished into a shimmer.
Rishi was shaking. "That wasn't human."
Aarav clenched his fists. "We need to train. Fast. We can't just discover powers—we need to master them."
That night, Aarav went home and created a list—each power, each limit. He practiced controlling gravity by floating objects. He sent sparks through his fingertips. He lifted dumbbells with ease.
But more than that, he meditated. Not for calm, but to center himself. The cube pulsed in rhythm with his breath.
Meera messaged him: "They're coming again. Be ready."
Aarav replied: "Let them come. We won't run anymore."
He wasn't just a boy.
He was a Guardian.