"It's happening…"
I stood barefoot in the backyard, feeling the cool grass between my toes, but I barely noticed it. The fading warmth of the setting sun soaked into my skin as the evening breeze whispered around me. But I wasn't paying attention to any of that.
The pulse.
It was back.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Like a tiny heartbeat thudding inside my chest.
"The armor…" I murmured, pressing a hand against my chest, feeling the steady thrum of power beneath my skin.
For weeks now, I had felt something stirring. Like an itch I couldn't quite reach, a faint buzz in the back of my mind. But tonight?
It was different.
The warmth in my chest flared without warning.
"Whoa—!"
I stumbled back, tripping over a stray garden hose and landing flat on my butt.
"Okay, ow…" I winced, rubbing my backside.
The warmth didn't stop.
It spread through me, pulsing stronger with each beat. It was like… getting dunked in a hot tub filled with solar energy.
"Great. Either I'm about to spontaneously combust… or this is something worse."
I stared at my hands, half-expecting them to burst into flames.
Nothing.
"Not even a cool glow?" I muttered, pouting. "Come on, at least give me some sparkles…"
Nope. Nada.
The universe had a sick sense of humor.
That night, the dream came again.
Same battlefield. Same blazing sun.
But this time… I was wearing it.
The Kavach and Kundal.
Golden armour fused to my skin like it belonged there, shimmering like molten sunlight. And in my hands?
Vijaya.
The legendary bow.
I stood tall, power humming through my veins, ready to take on whatever challenge lay ahead.
"You are ready…" A deep voice echoed through the dream, calm and steady.
"Ready for what?" I asked, but no answer came.
"Patience."
I blinked.
"Patience? Seriously? I'm an eight-year-old with cosmic sun powers, and you want me to be patient?"
Before I could complain further, the dream faded.
"Wait! Don't go! I have questions!"
But of course… I woke up.
"Great. Thanks for the cryptic pep talk."
Over the next few weeks, the pulse got worse.
It showed up at the most inconvenient moments.
Like when I was helping Mom stack boxes at the store.
"Careful, Ethan, that one's heavy!"
Heavy? I barely noticed the weight as I lifted the box like it was filled with cotton candy.
"Got it, Mom!" I said cheerfully…
And then I realized I was holding a box that weighed about as much as a small elephant.
Crap.
I nearly dropped it but managed to place it down gently.
Mom blinked. "Huh… I thought that one was heavier."
"Uh… must've been… balanced better?" I mumbled, flashing my best innocent smile.
"Hmm…"
She narrowed her eyes at me.
I bolted before she could ask more questions.
To control the pulse, I started meditating.
"Breathe… focus… control…"
I sat cross-legged in the backyard, eyes closed, trying to center myself.
But my mind had other ideas.
"Okay, focus… think of the sun… warmth… light…"
Pizza.
"Wait, what?"
I shook my head, trying again.
"Feel the energy… steady… calm…"
Hot dogs… with extra mustard…
"Damn it!" I groaned, opening my eyes.
Concentrating while hungry? Worst idea ever.
The more my power grew, the harder it was to hide.
My parents weren't dumb.
"Ethan, you've been spending a lot of time outside," Mom said one evening, watching me carefully. "Is something wrong?"
"No, Mom," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just… trying to stay in shape."
"Since when do eight-year-olds worry about staying in shape?" Dad chimed in, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh… fitness is important, Dad!"
"Hmm…"
Their eyes lingered on me for a moment longer than I liked.
They're onto me…
It happened on a Sunday afternoon.
I was helping Dad move some furniture around the house.
"Ethan, grab that side," Dad said, gesturing to the heavy wooden cabinet.
"Okay!"
I grabbed it… and lifted it like it was made of feathers.
Dad froze.
"Uh… Ethan?"
"Y-Yeah, Dad?"
His eyes darted between me and the cabinet.
"Did… you just lift that by yourself?"
"Um…" I panicked. "Nope! Definitely not! You… lifted most of it! I just… gave a little push!"
"Right…" Dad said slowly, his eyes narrowing.
Too close.
And then… it happened.
One summer afternoon, while I was practicing in the yard, trying to stabilize the pulse, I felt it.
Stronger.
Deeper.
The pulse surged, harder than ever before.
"Whoa…!"
I staggered, my knees hitting the ground as warmth flooded my veins.
Not now… not yet…
But the pulse didn't care.
It was like trying to stop a freight train with a paper towel.
"No… no… stay down!"
I clenched my fists, gritting my teeth as I fought to suppress it.
For a brief moment… I felt it.
A golden glow shimmered across my skin, faint but unmistakable.
The Kavach and Kundal.
They were waking up.
"Crap…" I whispered, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
I barely managed to suppress it in time.
But I knew…
I couldn't hold it back forever.
Lying in bed that night, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing.
"The armor is waking up…"
I knew what was coming.
And I wasn't ready.
Not yet.