Veilguard South Wing, Training Chambers – Afternoon
The air in the chamber felt colder than it should've. White stone walls, humming lights, and silence. Arjun sat on a bench, fidgeting with the bandages around his wrist, eyes locked on the swirling Shakti reservoir display flickering beside him.
Dharan stood near the center of the room, arms crossed, posture immovable. He hadn't spoken in minutes. When he finally did, it was without preamble.
"You want to know about second powers."
Arjun nodded. "I've been thinking… this whole thing—Shakti, chakra awakening—it can't just stop with one ability, right? There's got to be a way to unlock more."
Dharan didn't react. Not with a smile. Not with a sigh. Just stared at him, impassive.
"There is," he said, voice calm but carved from stone. "But it is not common. Nor is it free."
Arjun leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "So it's possible. A second chakra. Second power."
"Possible," Dharan confirmed. "But rare. Only those who fully master their first chakra—years, decades of control, meditation, refinement—may attempt the second."
"How many people have done that?"
Dharan answered without pause. "Roughly two hundred. Alive. Out of millions of Shakti users across generations."
Arjun whistled, low and impressed. "Okay. That's… rare."
Dharan continued. "And mastering a second does not come quickly. Those who rush it lose control. Powers clash. Chakras destabilize. Some are driven mad. Others implode from within."
Arjun blinked. "Implode?"
"A metaphor," Dharan said, not clarifying further.
A beat of silence. Arjun shifted uncomfortably. "And the third chakra?"
Dharan's gaze sharpened slightly—not anger, not surprise, just colder.
"No one has ever awakened a third."
"But there's got to be a way, right? A theory?"
Dharan didn't move. His voice was even, heavy with finality. "There is a ritual. It is called Triveni-Tapas. Those who have mastered two chakras may attempt it. It does not unlock a third."
Arjun tilted his head. "Then what's the point?"
Dharan stepped forward, the faint echo of his boots filling the room.
"It is a month-long ordeal," he said. "No food. No water. No sleep. You survive solely on your Shakti. Alone. In the Shakti Silence Zone."
"That sounds… horrible," Arjun muttered.
Dharan ignored him. "If you endure, your body changes. Something opens. One of your two chakras—just one—may reveal a hidden power. A sixth gift. Something not listed. Something personal. But it does not grant a third chakra. No one has achieved that. And no one who has attempted to force it has survived."
The words landed like iron on Arjun's shoulders.
"Wait… so the most I can ever have is two chakras. And maybe a secret power from one of them. That's it?"
"For now," Dharan said. "And even that is beyond what most ever reach. The majority of Shakti users never awaken a single chakra. You are already… abnormal."
Arjun smirked. "You say that like it's a compliment."
"I say it like it's a warning," Dharan replied, flatly.
They fell into silence again. Arjun's mind buzzed. One power. Maybe a second. Possibly one hidden gift if he nearly dies doing some ancient monk punishment ritual.
Stoic silence. Absolute discipline. No shortcuts.
He exhaled through his nose. "Y'know, I was really hoping for a cheat code."
"There is none," Dharan said.
"Thought so."
Dharan turned to leave, but paused at the door.
"You should train as if the power you have is the only one you will ever receive. That is the mindset that ensures survival. Anything more is a gift. But only after the price is paid."
With that, the door slid shut behind him, leaving Arjun alone with the slow hum of the chakra scanner and the bitter weight of hard truths.