Prologue — The Fall
Darkness.
The air was thick, silent, unmoving.
Vihaan Sen lay still—unable to move, his body numb. Something was wrong. Everything was wrong. He could feel the weight of his limbs like lead, his breath shallow and sharp.
But more than the pain, it was the fear… and the betrayal.
Adrian's face flashed in his mind. The laughter. The moment they turned away.
They left me…
And then—a voice.
Soft. Smooth. Ancient and commanding.
"Do you want to live?"
Vihaan's eyes, barely open, twitched toward the sound.
"Do you wish for power?"
A chill ran through his spine.
"Do you want revenge?"
The voice echoed through the black abyss… and something inside him—something buried—responded.
But before he could speak—
FLASH.
Light. Noise. Students laughing. A school hallway.
The School Corridor
Clack. Clack. Clack.
Vihaan Sen's footsteps echoed faintly down the tiled corridor as he walked with his head low, hoodie up, shoulders slightly hunched.
The hallway buzzed with early morning chatter. Students leaned against lockers, showing off phones, comparing grades, laughing like they didn't have a care in the world.
Vihaan moved through them like a ghost. He wasn't invisible—just ignored. Or worse, noticed.
"Look who's here," a voice sneered behind him.
Vihaan didn't turn around. He didn't need to.
Brayden Knox stepped up beside him with that smug, slappable grin on his face. "Morning, pyramid food," he chuckled, elbowing Vihaan's side.
Julian Cross, hanging back with his phone, was already recording. "Smile, Vihaan. Gotta make today's content."
Vihaan said nothing. He kept walking.
That's when Miles Granger—tall, silent, always looming—shouldered him hard into the locker.
A metallic clang. A few students turned to glance, then quickly looked away. This was routine.
"Oops," Miles muttered flatly, walking past.
Vihaan rubbed his shoulder. He didn't wince. Not anymore.
"Tsk, tsk," came a sweet, venomous voice.
Alicia Vorn. Tall, gorgeous, perfectly dressed even at 8 AM. Her lips curled in a mocking smile as she leaned in just enough to make her presence suffocating.
"You're not crying already, are you?" she whispered. "The day just started."
Her perfume was expensive. Her tone, poisonous.
Vihaan said nothing.
She clicked her tongue and walked away, heels echoing confidently through the corridor.
That's when someone finally walked up beside him—not to hurt, but to smile.
Adrian Blake.
"You know," Adrian said, nudging him with a smirk, "one day you're gonna throw one good punch and knock Wolfe's whole squad out like bowling pins."
Vihaan gave a small, humorless chuckle. "Yeah. One day."
"Come on, man. You can't let them keep walking over you like that."
"I'm used to it."
"Doesn't mean you should be."
Adrian's voice was light, but his words were sharp. He gave Vihaan a slap on the back, then walked with him toward their class.
Vihaan stared ahead, silent.
At least he stayed.
The Classroom & the Announcement
The classroom buzzed with lazy energy.
Sunlight filtered through dusty windows as students slouched in their chairs, chatting, scrolling, throwing paper balls when the teacher wasn't looking.
Vihaan sat near the back—his usual spot—notebook open, but empty. His pen spun slowly between his fingers, his mind somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Adrian sat beside him, tapping his fingers to a beat only he could hear.
Then the door opened. Ms. Claire Hargrove stepped in—neat blazer, hair tied back, heels sharp. The room silenced. No one wanted to get on her bad side.
She stood at the front, papers in hand. "Before we begin with today's lesson, I have an announcement."
The air tensed with curiosity. Even Alicia looked up from her compact mirror.
"Your class," Ms. Claire began, pausing for effect, "has been selected for this year's International Educational Exchange Program—"
Gasps. Shouts. A pencil dropped. Someone screamed, "No way!"
"—to Egypt," she finished.
Students erupted. "We're going to the pyramids?!" "Are we flying there?" "Deadass, this is real?!"
"Settle down," Ms. Claire said, raising a hand. "It's fully sponsored by the school's cultural grant. No cost to your families. However—" her eyes swept the class, "only those with a clean disciplinary record will be allowed inside the pyramid excavation site."
Vihaan didn't react. He simply stared at the board, unmoved.
"You look like you just got sentenced," Adrian muttered beside him.
"Not interested," Vihaan replied quietly.
From the front row, Alicia Vorn turned slightly. "Why would he be interested?" she said, just loud enough. "Doubt they'll let him in wearing secondhand sneakers."
A few snickers followed.
Vihaan didn't move.
Ms. Claire glanced sharply in Alicia's direction. "That's enough."
Alicia gave a dramatic sigh and leaned back in her chair, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.
Adrian whispered, "Ignore her."
Vihaan didn't respond.
Outside, the sky was a clear, perfect blue.
Adrian's Persuasion
The final bell rang, and chairs scraped against the floor as students rushed out like prisoners set free.
Vihaan packed his things slowly, methodically. He wasn't in a rush—never was.
Adrian leaned against the desk beside him, arms crossed. "You're really not going?"
"Why should I?" Vihaan replied, not looking up.
"It's free. Historical. Out of the country. Pyramids. That's kinda insane, don't you think?"
"Sounds like a headache."
"Sounds like a way out of this place for a few days."
Vihaan paused.
"You're always in your own bubble, man," Adrian continued. "I get it, life's not… fair. But maybe seeing a bit more of the world could help."
Vihaan zipped his bag without replying.
Adrian sighed, then gave him a light jab in the arm. "C'mon, Liora would want you to go."
That hit harder than expected.
Vihaan turned to look at him for the first time.
Liora. His little sister's smile, the way her eyes lit up when he told her stories about ancient myths and legends.
"You'll bring me pictures of the pyramids, right, bhaiya?"
His lips tightened.
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "She deserves to see it through your eyes, doesn't she?"
Vihaan looked out the window. The sky had turned golden. A plane soared through the distance, trailing a faint white line behind it.
"…Fine," he said softly.
"That's the spirit," Adrian grinned, slapping his back.
Vihaan didn't smile.
He had no idea that beneath the sands of Egypt, fate had already prepared his grave… and his rebirth.
Written by Ghost_Writer_2020
Copyright © 2025 GhostWriter
All rights reserved. This story is an original work of fiction by the author. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or adaptation without explicit permission is strictly prohibited.