"Breathe… focus… control…"
The cool night air kissed my skin as I stood barefoot in our small backyard, my palms stretched out toward the sky. The moonlight illuminated the dew-laden grass, but it was the sun's warmth lingering in my veins that I was focusing on.
I was eight years old now.
Five years.
Five years of hiding my powers.
Five years of training in secret.
Each night, when my parents were sound asleep, I would slip out of bed, silently tiptoe through the house, and step into the quiet embrace of the night.
At first, it was frustrating. My body brimmed with power, but I couldn't control it. I tried to lift small objects, only to accidentally crush them. I tried to create light, but all I managed were weak flickers that died out before they could take shape.
"Karna's strength isn't just brute power," I reminded myself, echoing the lessons buried in my memories. "It's discipline. Mastery."
But that was easier said than done.
Maybe I was approaching this wrong…
One evening, I stood in the middle of the yard, bathed in the soft glow of twilight. The warmth of the fading sun lingered on my skin, and I realized something. The sun… it's the key.
Karna was the son of Surya, the Sun God. His power came from the very essence of the sun. And I was trying to control it… without connecting to it.
"Alright… let's try something different."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the last traces of sunlight soaking into my skin.
Feel it… don't fight it.
Slowly, I let the warmth flow through me, allowing it to spread like a gentle wave. My heartbeat slowed, and for the first time… I didn't force it.
That's when I felt it.
A pulse.
A tiny spark.
Faint, but alive.
My eyes snapped open, and I focused that warmth toward my palm.
"Come on…"
A flicker.
A glow.
And then… light.
A soft golden orb hovered above my palm, small but steady. The warmth of the sun danced at my fingertips, and for the first time, I felt… connected.
"I did it…" I whispered, awe washing over me.
But the moment didn't last. The light flickered, and before I could stabilize it, the orb collapsed, dissipating into the night.
"Damn…" I muttered, frustration tugging at me.
Over the next few months, I practiced relentlessly. Every evening, I stood under the setting sun, drawing its energy into me. I didn't rush. I didn't push.
I listened.
And slowly, the connection deepened.
I learned how to absorb sunlight, storing its warmth within me like a battery. I figured out how to release it in short bursts, creating small orbs of solar energy. I discovered that sunlight healed me faster. Small cuts and bruises vanished within seconds when I focused on channeling that warmth.
"Ethan, dinner's ready!" My mother's voice echoed from the kitchen.
"Coming, Mom!" I called back, wiping the sweat off my forehead.
My parents had no idea what I was doing. And I wanted to keep it that way. I couldn't risk them finding out.
"They wouldn't understand."
So, I became a master of deception.
During the day, I was just an ordinary kid—playing baseball in the park, doing my homework, helping my mom in the store. At night, I trained in secret, pushing my body beyond its limits.
"You're getting stronger…" I told myself, feeling the warmth in my veins intensify with each session. "But it's not enough."
Then… the dreams began.
They started as whispers. Fleeting images. A battlefield bathed in sunlight. A warrior clad in golden armor, standing unyielding against impossible odds.
At first, I thought it was just Karna's memories bleeding into my mind. But then… I saw something different.
Me.
I stood where Karna once stood—the armour of Kavach and Kundal gleaming in the sunlight. The weight of celestial power wrapped around me like a second skin.
"It's coming…" a voice echoed through the dream.
I woke up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest.
What the hell was that…?
The dreams drove me harder. I wasn't satisfied with just manipulating light anymore. I wanted more.
I started experimenting with my strength—testing the limits.
Lifting weights? Too easy. I had to start using bags filled with stones just to feel challenged. Running? I could sprint faster than any kid my age, and I never got tired.
But strength wasn't everything. Control was key.
"Focus on precision," I reminded myself.
I practiced gripping eggs without crushing them, using just enough force to hold them steady. I trained with marbles, balancing them on the tips of my fingers without letting them roll.
Slowly… my control grew.
One evening, I was practicing in the yard, attempting to hold a steady orb of sunlight while simultaneously focusing on keeping my strength in check.
"Steady… focus…"
The orb hovered in my hand, but then… I heard footsteps.
"Ethan?"
My heart stopped.
Shit!
I extinguished the orb instantly and turned to see my dad standing in the doorway, his brows furrowed.
"What are you doing out here so late?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Uh… just… practicing baseball moves," I blurted, hoping he wouldn't question it. "Trying to improve my hand-eye coordination."
He stared at me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright… but don't stay out too late, buddy. It's getting cold."
"I won't, Dad," I promised, exhaling in relief as he walked back inside.
But that moment stuck with me.
How long can I keep this up? I wondered, guilt gnawing at the edges of my mind.
My parents trusted me. They loved me.
And I was lying to them.
But I didn't have a choice.
"I can't tell them… not yet."
It was a week after that incident when I felt it for the first time.
A pulse.
It happened during my evening training, just as the last rays of sunlight kissed the horizon.
A warmth surged through my chest, deeper and stronger than anything I had felt before.
"What… is this?"
I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the pulse of power beneath my skin. It wasn't just the energy of the sun.
It was something more.
"The armor…" The realization hit me like a freight train.
The Kavach and Kundal were stirring.
They weren't awake yet… but they were close.
"Soon…" I whispered, a mixture of excitement and dread swirling in my chest.
"Soon, I'll be ready."