### Chapter 1: The Weight of the World
Shiva worked as a software engineer in one of the most prestigious IT companies in the country. Every day, his routine was set in stone: he left for the office at 8 a.m., returned home by 6 p.m., exchanged a few quiet words with his parents, then retreated to his room. He lived a life of predictable monotony, burdened by debts taken to marry off his sisters and support his aging parents. Despite his respectable salary, not a single rupee went toward personal joy.
Once a bright-eyed boy who smiled freely, Shiva had become a man with a weary gaze. Reality had carved away his optimism. His only solace came from novels—tales of cultivation, hidden universes, ancient mysteries, yoga, and the awakening of chakras. These stories offered him the only form of escape.
One evening, after the same worn routine, Shiva lay on his bed, eyes closed, a fresh chapter of his favorite cultivation novel behind him. He whispered to himself, "Is the universe really alive? Can I awaken my chakras like Lord Shiva? I'm so tired of this life... but I can't bring myself to end it. Let's sleep."
The next morning mirrored all others. He prepared food for his parents, dressed for work, and left the house with a quiet nod. At work, he was unexpectedly summoned to HR. Confused, he entered the office only to hear the words that shattered his life: he was accused of sexual harassment.
"But I only asked her out," he protested, his voice trembling.
Nobody listened. Not his coworkers, not his friends. He begged them not to tell his parents, fearing the emotional toll would be too great. But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Even the girl, who had known him for years, turned her back.
Dazed and broken, Shiva left the office. On his way home, he witnessed a man trying to kill himself by jumping in front of a truck. Shiva pulled him back just in time.
"Why would you do this?" Shiva asked.
The man slapped him. "My girlfriend left me! I was trying to impress her. That girl right there!"
He pointed to a furious-looking young woman. Shiva gave a bitter laugh, apologized, and walked away.
When he reached home, he found his parents asleep—or so he thought. Something was wrong. His father's hand held a phone, but his chest no longer rose and fell. Neither did his mother's. He checked the last call on the phone and saw a name he knew well—his best friend.
The friend had told them that Shiva had raped a girl.
Shiva collapsed at their feet, unable to cry. His grief was too deep, too scorched to bring tears. He clung to them and whispered, "What did I do wrong?"
---
A sharp noise and bustling voices woke him. Shiva opened his eyes to an unfamiliar place that felt oddly familiar. His chest still ached with sorrow, but his body felt... different. He was younger, smaller.
Before he could process what was happening, a boot struck his side. A smug ten-year-old stood above him—Drake Armstrong, grandson of the village chief.
"What are you looking at? Come here so I can beat you up!"
The surrounding children laughed. The villagers looked on with quiet pity.
An old man with a wooden stick intervened. "Drake, you bastard! I told you not to bully Sun or I'll beat the hell out of you."
Drake sneered. "Wait till my father returns from the border, old man. You'll regret this."
He and his entourage fled.
The old man helped Shiva to his feet. This was Ling Han, known in the village as Old Ling—a former warrior turned cripple, the man who had once saved a baby from a river ten years ago.
They walked back to their small hut on the village edge. Inside, Old Ling sighed and looked at Shiva.
"Why do you always let them hit you? Why don't you fight back? I won't live much longer, Sun. You saved me, and I saved you. I gave you your name because of your smile. But now\... now you're silent. Please, say something."
Moved by the man's sincerity, Shiva finally spoke. "Okay, Old Ling. Stop. Just give me some time."
Old Ling smiled faintly and lay down on his straw bed. Shiva looked at him—this broken man who had nothing yet gave everything—and sighed.
Both of us are the same, he thought. Lost and alone.
And with that, he stepped outside, under a sky that suddenly felt far larger than he had ever imagined.
---
*To be continued...*