The room was silent.

  Sanjana sat cross-legged on her bed, hands resting on her knees, fingers trembling. Sam’s words lingered in the air, pressing against her chest like an unseen force, suffocating her.

  "What if my real identity is Sanjana? What if I’ve always been her?"

  Her own voice echoed in her mind, sharp and unforgiving.

  Ishaan.

  Adhitya.

  Her father.

  The sting of a blade against her wrist.

  The cold loneliness she had carried for years.

  Her failures.

  Her laughter.

  If this isn’t real, then what is?

  A sharp, searing pain split her skull, as though two selves were waging war inside her. Her breath grew unsteady, shallow. She clenched her fists. She needed to go deeper. Deeper into her mind. Into her memories.

  And so, she did.

  She dove into the abyss of her thoughts, letting the pain swallow her whole.

  ---

  A vision flickered before her—a vast blue-hued Nexus stretching endlessly. At its center stood a man dressed in white, his features blurred yet eerily familiar.

  Pain.

  Severe, gut-wrenching pain.

  Her mind spun.

  A metallic cot, carved with ancient inscriptions.

  A man lying unconscious on it.

  A name—Kavin.

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  Kavin…

  The source of everything. The one who created this world. The one who disappeared. The one who brought her here.

  His letters. His words. His absence.

  Her world shifted. The illusion cracked.

  And then—

  A voice.

  Deep, gentle, yet firm.

  "Desire is the cause of the never-ending birth and death cycle, my dear."

  Her pulse slowed. She knew that voice.

  "We all have desires. And for those desires, we chase illusions, forgetting the purpose of our existence."

  Her master. The old man outside her college—eccentric, wise, and often dismissed as a weirdo. He had once told her—

  "We believe in the temporary world. We crave it. We try to possess it, never wanting to let go. And that… is the root of all suffering."

  "Everything around you is temporary. The only thing that lasts is the kindness in you. Believe in none but yourself. Be you, my child. No matter how many forms the world takes, if you remain true to yourself, nothing can break you."

  "Yes, you do not belong here. But you are meant to serve here. Don’t forget your purpose."

  "Yet… don’t forget to be you."

  ---

  The pain ceased.

  Her mind cleared.

  She was Azhini.

  She was Sanjana.

  She was both.

  And she was neither.

  And now, she understood.

  The world didn’t define her. Not this one. Not the one she came from. Not the ones she would enter in the future.

  She was who she chose to be.

  Like climate change, the world around her shifted. People changed. She changed—often in ways even she didn’t recognize. Change was the only constant. Every form she had taken, every version of herself, was still her. Every decision she made was hers alone.

  First, she had to embrace herself. Love herself. Accept herself.

  Only then could she move forward.

  The tension in her brow eased.

  ---

  She took a deep breath, processing her thoughts.

  I am in the Solar Kingdom now. As Sanjana.

  Thinking of this world as a mere game no longer fit. That logic didn’t hold anymore.

  Kavin must have created a microcosm—a parallel world—using his own soul or consciousness. He gave the same level of awareness to every NPC he created. That means… they aren’t just NPCs anymore.

  Her stomach twisted.

  Is he nuts? If he created such a world, how does he plan to control it?

  Frustrating.

  No.

  She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down.

  Calm.

  Calm.

  Om…

  ---

  Her consciousness had been transferred into this girl, Sanjana.

  That meant she was Sanjana.

  Her emotions.

  Her responsibilities.

  Her life.

  They all belonged to Azhini now.

  But she also had to remain aware—she was only here for six years. No, five and a half. That was all the time she had.

  She needed a plan.

  Sanjana’s family needed stability.

  Her responsibilities had to be fulfilled.

  And above all—

  She had to obtain the Gem of Authority, Sūryā?raya.

  That goal would always remain at the core of her journey.

  ---

  Azhini gasped as her eyes flew open.

  The room remained unchanged—the bed, the soft candlelight flickering against the walls—but something within her had shifted. Her breathing was steady now, her mind clear.

  She touched her face, feeling the dampness of sweat and tears. The pain had been unbearable, but she had emerged from it with newfound clarity.

  And then, she noticed him.

  Sam was beside her, silent as ever. His posture was relaxed yet attentive, as if he had been there for a long time. But when? She hadn’t sensed his arrival. Had he been watching over her this whole time?

  "Are you alright?" His voice was careful, gentle. "You don’t have to push yourself so hard. We can take it slow. I’ll be here."

  His voice carried warmth. Concern etched across his features. As if he were coaxing a child.

  Azhini’s lips curved into a small, tired smile. "I thought you were angry at me?"

  The young man pouted sligh

  tly, shaking his head. "How could I be? You’re the only one I have now."

  Azhini’s heart clenched at his words.

  Warmth.

  After everything, there was warmth.