That night, Mahesa returned to the hut with a mind in turmoil. The image of his master meditating on the hilltop, holding a faded parchment that radiated strange energy, kept spinning in his head. The burning curiosity made it hard to sleep, overpowering the fatigue after a whole day of training. He had to know more.
Night after night, Mahesa kept thinking about what he had seen. The image of Andini surrounded by silent wind and the faint glow of that mysterious parchment seemed to carve itself into his heart. Something about the parchment felt... important. Too important to be hidden. And in his young and ambitious mind, that curiosity slowly turned into something darker.
In the days that followed, Mahesa became quieter, more observant. He carried out his training as usual, showing obedience in front of Andini, but secretly he looked for another chance to confirm what he had seen that night. Driven by unbearable curiosity, he managed to catch Andini once more interacting with the mysterious parchment while she was deeply immersed in meditation in another hidden spot.
Mahesa's heart raced every time he peeked from behind the trees. The parchment seemed to glow from within, radiating an aura that couldn't be explained by ordinary logic. The air around it even felt different—thicker, more alive. There was no longer any doubt in his heart. That parchment was the true source of Andini's power. And why... why had he never been told about it?
From these stolen observations, a conclusion began to form in his mind. That mysterious parchment was the real source of his master's strength. The high-level Wind and Earth techniques taught to him were merely the surface. The true power, the deepest understanding, was hidden in that parchment—the one Andini had never openly shown or taught him.
"So... all this time, I've only been given crumbs," Mahesa thought bitterly, his eyes gazing blankly at the star-filled sky. "What am I to her? Just a backup disciple? A tool?"
And with that conclusion, a cold, bitter disappointment grew in Mahesa's heart. Why would Master hide this from me? he thought bitterly. Aren't I her only disciple? Her most talented student? Doesn't she trust me? After all I've done, after she saved me?
Dark memories of his past, feelings of being unwanted and distrusted, resurfaced—now mixed with the heartbreak toward the figure he had respected all this time.
Suddenly, he was small again. The abandoned child living in narrow alleys, looked at with disgust by merchants, kicked by city guards. It was Andini who gave him shelter, food, and purpose. But now, his gratitude was eroded by one haunting question: If she truly trusted me, why hide that power?
The disappointment from feeling untrusted became perfect fuel to ignite his emotions and anger. A flame of desire to own that power, to surpass his master, to no longer be a 'stray boy' dependent on someone's kindness, now burned uncontrollably. He felt entitled to that power. He believed he was the one who should unlock the parchment's full potential, not his overly cautious and secretive master.
I'm the one who trained hard for years. I sacrificed my childhood. I proved myself. And now... she's holding back the most important part from me? Mahesa muttered in his heart, his eyes reddened with suppressed rage. If that power can take me to the top of this world, why should I wait for her to be 'ready' to give it to me?
An evil plan began to form in his mind. Cold, cruel, but felt so logical to a mind distorted by ambition and old wounds. He had to possess that parchment. And there was only one way.
That night, Mahesa prepared dinner as usual—a task he often did for his master. But this time, his hands trembled slightly as he secretly added a colorless powder from a poisonous plant he had once found in the forest into Andini's favorite herbal soup. His face remained calm, hiding his deadly intent behind it.
"Master, dinner is ready," he said respectfully as usual as he served the food to Andini, who had just finished her meditation.
Andini smiled, tired but warm, at her student. "Thank you, Mahesa. You're always reliable." She didn't suspect a thing, took the bowl of soup, and began eating slowly.
Mahesa sat across from her, trying to appear normal, but his heart pounded. He waited.
Moments later, after nearly finishing the soup, Andini's expression suddenly changed. She frowned, clutching her stomach. A strange nausea followed by waves of hot and cold coursed rapidly through her body. Her energy flow felt blocked, chaotic. This wasn't ordinary fatigue. This... was poison!
Her eyes widened in horror, staring blankly at the soup bowl in her hands. How could this be? Who...?
Then her gaze slowly lifted, meeting Mahesa's eyes across from her. The student she had saved, nurtured, taught. The student who now looked at her not with respect, but with a cold, calculated expression and a flash of ambition no longer hidden.
In that moment, amidst the physical pain from the poison and the coldness piercing her soul, Andini understood. The bitter truth hit her like a hammer. Not an outsider. Not an unknown enemy. The culprit... was Mahesa. Her own beloved student.