As days passed, Shivansh's training intensified. His mastery over Astra and Shastra had grown to an exceptional level. With unwavering dedication, he had learned the sacred arts, harnessing divine energy into his arrows. Now, he could summon arrows at will, command them with his thoughts, and strike with precision beyond ordinary human limits.
Yogi observed him with pride. "You have progressed far, Shivansh," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "Your control over your bow is remarkable. You can summon and shoot arrows faster than the eye can follow. But tell me, what would you do if the enemy doesn't fight in the light?"
Shivansh frowned, confused. "What do you mean, Guruji?"
Yogi's eyes darkened. "Your enemies will not always fight in daylight, in open fields. Some will attack from the shadows. Some will strike in the dead of night. Darkness can be a warrior's greatest weakness or his greatest ally. If you can't see, how will you fight?"
Shivansh pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I.... I do not know."
Yogi with a serious expression, "you have learned much, but remember– your enemies won't always stand before you in the light. Not all battles are fought under the sun. Some of the most dangerous foes will come at you from the shadows, striking when you least expect it. What will you do then?"
Shivansh frowned, thinking for a moment.
"I... I don't know, Guruji. What should I do?"
Yogi nodded knowingly. "That is why your next training will be ShabdbhediBaan Vidya– the ability to strike a target based on sound alone."
Shivansh's eyes widened. "A blind strike?"
Lucky, who had been listening intently, whistled. "Whoa! You mean, like... hitting targets without seeing them? That sounds insane!"
"Yes," Yogi confirmed. "You will learn to hear the whisper of the wind, the results of leaves, the heartbeat of your enemy. And when the time comes, you will strike with absolute precision."
Shivansh's determination flared. "Then teach me Guruji."
Yogi chuckled. "Shivansh, you must prepare yourself for it. This will not be easy– it will demand more from you than anything else you have learned so far."
Shivansh clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. "I am ready, Guruji . I will do whatever it takes."
Yogi smiled. "Good. Then be prepared. We begin at nightfall."
The First Trial — A Lesson in Failure
As darkness fell, Shivansh and yogi stood in an open field, surrounded by towering trees. The moon was hidden behind heavy clouds, making the night pitch- black.
Yogi blindfolded Shivansh. "You must rely on your ears, not your eyes," he instructed. "I will release a wooden disk into the air. You must listen and shoot it down before it lands."
Shivansh took a deep breath, gripping his bow tightly.
Whoosh!
A disk was thrown into the air. Shivansh quickly aimed and fired. Miss.
Another. Miss.
Again. Miss.
Frustration crept in. He could hear the object but couldn't pinpoint its location fast enough.
Shivansh gritted his teeth. "Guruji, this is impossible! I can't hit what I can't see."
Yogi's voice remained calm. "Is it impossible? Or is your mind clouded by doubt?"
Shivansh inhaled deeply, trying to focus.
He repeated the exercise. Another failure. Then another. And another. Each time, the arrow landed far from the mark. His frustration grew, and his confidence wavered. "Guruji, this is impossible."
Yogi sighed. "That is your problem. You are too reliant on your eyes. Your ears must guide your hands. You are trying to see the target instead of feeling it. Close your mind to all distractions."
Shivansh exhaled sharply. "So do I do Guruji."
Yogi walked closer, his voice low but firm.
"A warrior does not rely on his eyes.
When you were a child, did you know how to walk? No. You stumbled, you fell, but you felt your way through it. This is not different. You must stop thinking and start trusting your instincts."
Lucky grinned. "Yeah, bro. Just vibe with it!"
The Second Attempt — Embracing the Darkness
Hours passed. Shivansh kept failing.
Each missed shot chipped away at his confidence.
Yogi observed his frustration. "Enough for tonight," he declared. "Meditate under the waterfall tomorrow morning. You must learn to hear beyond the noise."
The next morning, Shivansh sat under a roaring waterfall, eyes closed, ears open.
The deafening sound of crashing water drowned all else, but slowly, he began to pick out smaller noises– the wind, the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves.
That might, the training resumed.
Yogi threw another disk.
Whoosh.
Shivansh listened. This time, he focused not just on the sound but on the silence between sounds.
Twack! His arrow stuck the disk mid-air.
He gasped. "I did it?"
Yogi smiled. You listened."
Shivansh's heart pounded with excitement. He had found a new way to perceive the world.
The Ultimate Test — A Battle in the Dark
But the yogi was not finished.
"You have taken your first step," he said.
"But now, you must prove yourself in a real challenge."
That night, Shivansh was taken to a dense forest. "Tonight," Yogi said, "I will attack you from the shadows. You must defend yourself without sight."
Shivansh's heartbeat quickened. The forest was silent. Too silent.
Suddenly – whoosh! – an arrow was fired at him.
Twack! Shivansh dodged.
Then another. Twack! He barely deflected it.
The attacks grew faster. Shivansh's body moved instinctively, dodging, deflecting, countering. The air whistled with the sound of arrows.
He shut out all thoughts, all fears. He became silent.
Then– he heard it.
A faint sound. A shift in the air. The pull of a bowstring.
Now!
Twack! Shivansh fired his arrow– and struck Yogi's arrow in mid- air.
Silence followed.
Then yogi laughed, stepping into the light.
"You have done it, Shivansh. You have conquered the darkness."
Shivansh exhaled, his body trembling. He had won.
Yogi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, you are truly ready."
Shivansh smiled. He had come so far.
But deep down, he knew– this was just the beginning.