Indera Sarwajagat walked alongside Sekuik Mulya and Mahrani Ning Tiara, heading toward their residence.
Sekuik Mulya broke the silence: "Jagat, aren't you curious why I didn't pass down the Ancient Holy Dragon Mark to you?"
Indera Sarwajagat paused, then replied, "May I ask now?"
"You may," Sekuik Mulya permitted.
"What is its purpose? What advantages would I gain from inheriting it?" Indera Sarwajagat asked.
Sekuik Mulya answered without delay: "First, the bearer of the mark can travel freely across renowned places in Malura. Second, it aids the bearer in breaking through to the Seventh Stage—Superior Being. And third, possessing it signifies a connection to the Ancient Holy Dragon Clan."
Indera Sarwajagat narrowed his eyes. "So, it's the clan's reputation that allows free passage?"
"Exactly."
Then Mahrani Ning Tiara chirped in, "Indera Sarwajagat, should I call you senior brother now?"
"Call me whatever you like," he replied.
"Alright! Where are you from, senior brother?" she asked cheerfully.
"The southeastern reaches of Malura, from a small, remote village under the authority of Aryasana Majesta Empire."
Sekuik Mulya chuckled inwardly: "Hehe… so young, yet already a skilled liar, and with such a straight face."
...
..
Hours passed.
The day coming to an end, and the sky was now blood-red. Still, the three of them continued walking toward their residence.
Suddenly, Mahrani Ning Tiara gasped, "Look! The Nalar Flower Field! It's beautiful!"
A gentle breeze swept through, playing with her hair as she ran joyfully into the field.
Indera Sarwajagat watched in silence.
"She's like a child," he thought.
A soft smile curled Sekuik Mulya's lips as he looked on and said, "I don't know what lies within your heart, Jagat, but remember this—emotion is what makes a being truly alive."
Indera Sarwajagat stared pensively at Mahrani Ning Tiara. His gaze was sharp like jagged coral, weighed down by the countless paths he could walk.
Sekuik Mulya called out: "Call your junior sister. It's getting dark."
...
...
"Tiara, you'll be staying in the same house with your senior brother. Are you alright with that?" Sekuik Mulya asked.
"No problem, Master."
"You both should rest now."
Indera Sarwajagat and Mahrani Ning Tiara entered their shared house.
"Junior sister, that's your room. This one's mine," Indera Sarwajagat told her.
She nodded and headed into her room, throwing herself onto the bed.
"Huff... It's been so long since I walked this much," she mumbled. "Senior brother... Indera Sarwajagat… He's taking a different path from Master. Master isn't muscular at all, but kakanda... in a few years, I'm sure his body will grow strong and powerful."
She paused, staring at the ceiling.
"His eyes... they're so lonely."
And slowly, she drifted into a peaceful sleep.
SPLASH!
Moments later, Mahrani Ning Tiara was stirred awake.
"What was that? A river?"
She stepped outside toward the back door.
There, she saw Indera Sarwajagat, shirtless, soaking in the shallow, tranquil river while reading a book. Water glistened across his toned body.
With elegance, she walked toward him. Saying nothing, she adjusted her robes and sat gracefully on a stone bench facing a stone table in the garden.
Indera Sarwajagat turned to her.
Their eyes met—and the moment grew awkward.
He gave a slight nod with a faint smile. She returned the gesture.
Silence. Only the river whispered.
They had just met… yet here they were, sharing space with no words to fill the distance.
Mahrani Ning Tiara thought to herself: "Even when he smiles… those eyes remain distant."
At the same time, Indera Sarwajagat pondered: "Forgive me, junior sister. Love is a delicate chain—one that would only bind me from soaring toward my grand ambitions."
Realizing they had been staring at each other for too long, Mahrani Ning Tiara quickly averted her gaze, her heart pounding intensely. Indera Sarwajagat looked away just as swiftly, returning to his book.
"Aren't you going to cleanse yourself, junior sister?" he asked.
"Sorcerers don't need to bathe. We can just use core energy." With a snap of her fingers, her oily face and dull hair transformed into a pristine glow.
"Oh!" Indera Sarwajagat feigned ignorance.
How could he not know? He was once Eka Cakerawala, a Fourteenth Stage witch—an Heir of Eternity. All of Eka Cakerawala's knowledge now resided in his mind.
Still, Indera Sarwajagat was only seventeen years old. No matter how much knowledge he inherited, it could never forge his character overnight.
He was still himself.
Unlike Eka Cakerawala, he wasn't cold or indifferent. Experience shapes a person. Indera Sarwajagat was like a newly forged kris—still red-hot, yet to be sharpened, untested in the field of blood.
"Senior brother, I'm going to sleep now."
Indera Sarwajagat nodded.
She left the garden quietly.
---
The Next Day.
Sekuik Mulya launched a sudden punch. Indera Sarwajagat narrowly blocked it.
He countered, but Sekuik Mulya dodged and struck his left rib with a sharp elbow, pushing him back.
Scales of a dragon appeared around Sekuik Mulya, darting toward Indera Sarwajagat like arrows.
Indera Sarwajagat quickly activated his energy shield. It trembled violently, nearly shattering under the onslaught. Without delay, he sidestepped and struck from the flank.
The clash forced him back again.
"Good," Sekuik Mulya praised. "You didn't hesitate to make decisions. Keep training. Never abandon your routine. It's the foundation of an unbreakable sorcerer."
"Understood, Master."
Mahrani Ning Tiara, sitting cross-legged on a rock and absorbing natural energy, opened her eyes once the duel ended.
"Tiara, take this book. It's the Sword Technique of the Ancient Holy Dragon. With your current strength, it might be difficult to use it effectively. Only after you become a Superior Being will you wield it properly," Sekuik Mulya explained.
He then turned to Indera Sarwajagat. "Jagat, rest for now. Soon, you'll form your third core."
Indera Sarwajagat nodded.
"Senior brother, the way you and Master train is so unusual. I've never seen sorcerers practice this way. Most of us begin forming our cores at the age of seven or eight, so we grow up already used to channeling natural energy in our daily life," Mahrani Ning Tiara remarked.
Indera Sarwajagat responded: "Unusual doesn't mean impossible, does it?"
She chuckled softly. "True, senior brother. But it's very rare for sorcerers to build their bodies physically. One exception is Great Emperor Zarion Aryasana. His physique is sculpted—like all royals of Aryasana."
---
Abandoned Volcano
Indera Sarwajagat sat cross-legged, drawing natural energy into every vessel and sinew of his body.
He swiftly grabbed a Nalar flower and chewed it.
This time, things were different. Not only did he have to endure the pain of a thousand needles piercing his flesh, but also the agony of having runes carved into his back by Sekuik Mulya.
Sekuik Mulya sliced Indera Sarwajagat's back, exposing the spine within.
"UURRGHH!" he gritted his teeth, enduring the torment.
The third core had formed.
Sekuik Mulya was still inscribing runes down Indera Sarwajagat's spine with his clawed fingers. Blood soaked his back, pooling on the ground.
"Done," Sekuik Mulya said at last.
Indera Sarwajagat collapsed unconscious. Sekuik Mulya gently rested his head on his lap.