"Well, I heard, Lewosito, that you have mastered your inner fire meditation. I hope now you can do the Frozen Fire training," Acharya said.
Lewosito replied, "Yes, Guru-ji. I can now. But still… Frozen Fire training, huh… I can do it."
Acharya Guru smiled proudly. "That's my boy."
The temperature in Manali was –3°C, while the temperature at Trimurti Mountain was –5°C.
Lewosito sat beneath the waterfall and took a deep breath. His entire body was shaking due to the freezing water crashing over him.
He inhaled deeply again and began to focus.
Slowly… slowly… the sound of the waterfall started fading from his mind. Lewosito began to feel warmth spreading inside him. His focus grew stronger and deeper during the Frozen Fire training.
Suddenly—
Fire erupted from both of his fists, even under the waterfall.
Lewosito had mastered Frozen Fire training—far earlier than expected.
Acharya was stunned. He folded his hands and whispered to himself,
"That's incredible… I am amazed. In just two days, he mastered the hardest training."
Unnoticed, Atharv was hiding behind the rocks, watching everything.
As soon as Atharv saw it, he froze.
Wait…
He mastered Frozen Fire already?
And that too so early?
Shock filled his eyes.
He himself told me that meditation is easy in a room but extremely difficult under a cold waterfall…
Then how did he master it so fast?
Atharv slowly looked down at his own hands.
His fingers trembled.
Without saying a word, he turned around and started walking toward a huge tree—a massive, ancient tree known as the strongest in the area. Its thick trunk stood firm, unmoving, as if nothing in the world could break it.
Atharv stopped in front of it.
He took a deep breath.
"Okay… now," he whispered.
Suddenly, he ran toward the tree at full speed.
Bang!
He smashed his head hard against the trunk. Blood immediately started dripping down his forehead—but he didn't stop.
Again.
Bang!
And again.
"I will do it!" Atharv shouted through the pain. "I will do it!"
Blood continued to flow, but his eyes burned with determination.
"I will obtain a mystical fist," he said, clenching his teeth,
"a fist that no one else in this world will ever have."
His vision blurred, yet his resolve only grew stronger.
"I am not the old Atharv anymore," he said quietly.
"Not after that dream."
"Eyaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Bang!
Atharv was gasping again and again. His head was swollen, bleeding continuously.
"Khi… eee… tch… gasp… gasp…!"
He ran again at full speed and smashed his head into the tree once more.
Bang!
He tried to stand up—but he couldn't. His head was bleeding badly. The ground around him was soaked with his blood, and Atharv collapsed, unconscious.
Snow started falling.
Morning — 10:30 AM
Atharv slowly regained consciousness. He found himself lying on a bed.
"My head… khi… eee… aa…" he whispered.
"How did I come here…?"
Riya said gently, "Guru-ji found you unconscious and brought you here. Your head was bleeding continuously. We were all worried about you. Just lie down now—I just changed your bandages."
Atharv replied weakly, "I should go for training."
Riya said firmly, "Are you serious? You are weak right now. Just rest for today."
"But I have to go," Atharv insisted. "I can't waste even a single day. Please try to understand."
"No," Riya replied. "You will sleep."
Just then, the door opened.
"What's going on here?" a woman asked politely.
Riya turned and said, "Elite Master Syrina, Atharv is not listening to me."
Syrina walked closer to Atharv and spoke softly, "Just rest for today. You can join your training again from tomorrow, okay?"
She leaned closer as she spoke.
"O… okay," Atharv replied, slightly shocked by her closeness.
That girl… Atharv thought. I saw her when Acharya Guru introduced everyone.
Riya said, "Now please rest for today."
"Yeah… okay," Atharv replied.
Atharv lay back on the bed.
Riya said, "Yeah… one more thing."
Atharv looked at her. "Yeah?"
Riya replied softly, "From tomorrow, Xeron will not be able to take your training anymore."
Atharv frowned. "Why?"
Last Night — 3:30 AM
Xeron suddenly woke up and came downstairs to drink water.
He picked up a glass, filled it, and drank.
Suddenly—
"Khi… eeeeyyaaaa—!"
"Hrk… khhh… gkkh…!"
Xeron started vomiting blood.
"Hrk… khhh… gkkh…!"
He collapsed forward, blood spilling from his mouth again and again.
What… blood? Xeron thought in panic. Why am I vomiting blood?
He tried to speak—
"Khi… khi… eee—!"
No voice came out.
Tch… I can't speak…
Xeron looked down and noticed something on the floor.
A sharp piece of broken glass.
"Aa… a piece of broken glass…?"
Pain exploded inside his throat. Xeron clutched his neck, gasping—
"hh… hh…"
His legs gave up.
And he fell to the ground.
Present Day
After hearing all this, Atharv was shocked.
"Huh…?"
Riya said, "He recovered very quickly, because fist powers heal the body faster. But Xeron lost his voice permanently."
She paused, then continued seriously,
"I think he received divine punishment. He used extreme verbal abuse—towards me and some other students as well."
She added, "Here on Trimurti Mountain, if someone enters with bad intentions, they die immediately due to spiritual energy. And if someone repeatedly uses abusive language, their karma strikes instantly."
Atharv clenched his fists.
"He was abusive to me yesterday during training. I was angry at him… but I couldn't do anything."
Just then, the door opened.
"Oye, Atharv," Lewosito said.
He stopped suddenly. "Huh? What happened to your head?"
Atharv replied casually, "I fell straight on my head during training."
Riya said, "You guys can talk for ten minutes. I'm leaving."
She yawned. "Yaaawn… I'm tired."
Riya closed the door behind her.
Atharv said, "Well… I strictly have to rest today."
Lewosito looked at him. "How did you fall?"
Atharv replied casually, "I just slipped from the top area and fell down."
Then he smiled faintly and continued, "Come on, let's go and eat something. I'm hungry right now."
Lewosito rubbed the back of his head and said, "Yeah… fine. I'm hungry too."
They sat down to eat.
Atharv was chewing his food quickly—munch, munch.
Lewosito was also eating the same way, as if he hadn't eaten properly for days—munch, munch.
With food still in his mouth, Lewosito said, "After training, food becomes more delicious."
Atharv smiled. "Yes… you're right."
Both of them said together, "More chapati."
After the heavy snowfall, the sun finally came out, shining beautifully across Trimurti Mountain. Soft chirp… chirp… sounds filled the air as birds flew freely. Pigeons sat calmly in their nests, coo… coo…, while warm sun rays fell gently over the canteen area.
Lewosito and Atharv laughed together—for the first time in a month. It felt strange, almost unreal, like they hadn't laughed properly in a very long time.
Again, both shouted happily, "More chapati!"
Riya yelled from behind, "You guys already ate ten chapatis!"
Leaves slowly fell from the trees, rustle… rustle…, as the sunlight grew even brighter, making it feel like heaven had descended on Earth. In the jungle of Trimurti Mountain, doves sat close together, gently touching each other, while birds filled the morning with beautiful sounds—tweet… chirp… trrr…
The river flowed smoothly, almost silent, shhh…, reflecting the sunlight so brightly it looked like liquid silver. Fish swam happily beneath the surface, enjoying the peaceful morning.
Atharv and Lewosito kept eating, talking, and laughing. For a few moments, they forgot all their hardships.
For a few moments, Atharv forgot his pain… and his past.
For a few moments, Lewosito forgot his harsh training.
Atharv thought to himself, We enjoyed this conversation after such a long time. I am very happy today. I enjoyed my life—mostly because of Lewosito.
The sun shone brightly over the ashrams.
Atharv continued thinking, Sometimes I feel bad that Lewo lost his memory. But now… I will protect my best friend. I will promise myself—and him too.
"Atharv?" Lewosito said.
Lewosito looked at him. "Yes?"
Atharv said, "Give me your hand."
Lewosito thought, My hand?
He slowly moved his hand forward.
Atharv held it firmly. "I am going to protect you—anyhow, in any situation. I promise you."
Lewosito smiled softly and replied, "I am going to protect you too. This is my promise."
They locked their promise with their hands.
On the canteen window, two eagles sat quietly, watching the beautiful scenery. The sunlight made the snow shine even more—silver and bright. It was truly a heavenly morning.
One of the male eagles gently placed his wing over the other. They looked like best friends.
Then, with a powerful whoosh, both eagles spread their wings and flew away into the open sky.
Night — 10:00 PM
Lewosito was gasping—gasp… gasp… gasp.
His breathing was fast and uneven as he ran with two full water buckets, his arms burning with pain.
After finishing this part of the training, he drank water—gulp… gulp… gulp—and immediately dropped to the ground.
He began doing push-ups on the bamboo sticks.
"1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7…"
After some time, he stood up again and started water-bucket squats.
"1… 2… 3… 4…"
Minutes passed.
"…96… khii ee… 97… 98… khii ee… 99… 100."
"Gasp… gasp… gasp…"
Acharya Guru stepped forward and said calmly,
"Okay. You have completed today's task."
Lewosito straightened his back, still breathing heavily.
"But," Acharya continued, "there is one more new training I am going to give you. After that, you will do your Frozen Fire training."
He looked directly at Lewosito.
"Are you ready?"
Lewosito wiped the sweat from his face and replied without hesitation,
"Yes, Guru-ji. I am ready."
Acharya nodded and said,
"This training is called Invert Discipline."
He explained slowly,
"In this training, the trainee is hung upside down, with the head facing downward and the legs secured above."
"This position causes blood to rush toward the head, creating intense pressure, dizziness, and loss of balance."
"The trainee is given two small bowls in their hands."
"Below you will be a large bucket filled with water, and above you will be an empty bucket."
"The task is simple—but extremely difficult."
"You must collect water from the lower bucket using the small bowls…"
"…and transfer that water into the upper bucket while remaining inverted."
Lewosito listened carefully, his eyes widening.
"This training is something different… and very difficult," he said in shock.
Acharya looked at him and said firmly,
"So now—start."
Lewosito was hung upside down. Blood rushed to his head instantly, and his vision blurred.
He dipped the bowls into the lower bucket, carefully collecting water, then lifted his arms upward and poured it into the upper bucket.
His arms trembled.
His head throbbed.
Lewosito was struggling a lot.
Drop by drop, he kept transferring the water. Each movement became harder than the last, but he didn't stop.
What the hell is this training? Lewosito thought.
This is much harder than it looks… and these bowls are so small. It will take a long time to complete this.
Still, he continued.
Again.
And again.
The Next Night: The Cycle of Zero (Polished Version)
The night was a frozen void.
Lewosito hung upside down from the wooden frame, his legs tightly locked around the wooden supports. His vision blurred into streaks of red and black as blood rushed violently toward his head. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Gasp… gasp…
Each time he lowered the small bowls into the bucket below, his muscles screamed in protest. His arms trembled as he slowly raised them, pouring the water into the upper container. The world spun violently, yet he forced his body to obey.
When the Invert Discipline finally ended, there was no rest.
He grabbed the two heavy water buckets and began to run.
Snow fell endlessly, sharp and merciless. At –5 degrees, it pierced his skin like thousands of needles. His breath came out in broken clouds as his feet crushed through the frozen ground. When his legs finally gave in, the training shifted again.
Bamboo push-ups.
1… 2…15…
His fingers slipped against the wet bamboo. His balance broke.
He crashed into the snow.
"Zero."
Acharya Guru's voice echoed through the darkness, calm and absolute.
"The rule of the mountain does not change, Lewosito. If you fall, the past means nothing. Begin again."
Lewosito's fingers were raw, torn, and bleeding. His arms shook violently. Still, he said nothing. Without hesitation, he placed his fingers back onto the sharp bamboo.
1… 2… 3…
He was no longer fighting pain.
He was imprisoned by his own resolve.
One Month Later: The Iron Will
Days melted into months of unending suffering.
Lewosito ran again and again, the two water buckets now feeling less like tools and more like extensions of his own arms. His breathing had steadied, but his limits still existed.
During bamboo push-ups, his strength finally collapsed at the twenty-fourth repetition.
He fell.
"1…" he whispered.
Without waiting for an order, he restarted.
Acharya Guru stepped forward. His shadow loomed large.
"Enough. Move to the Iron Pillar."
Lewosito's eyes lifted.
"Three hours," Acharya continued. "If you slip for even a second, you return to minute zero."
The iron pillar was freezing—so cold it burned his skin on contact. His forearms locked around it, muscles screaming as the metal stole his body heat. His grip failed.
He slipped.
Again.
And again.
Each time, he stood up in silence.
There was no anger in his eyes now.
Only a quiet, terrifying focus.
Six Months Later: The Part of Life
Pain was no longer an enemy.
It had become part of him.
Lewosito no longer reacted to suffering—he simply existed within it.
Acharya Guru made the training crueler. The Invert Discipline was reversed. Now, Lewosito had to transfer water from the upper bucket to the lower one, fighting gravity while inverted. Precision replaced strength.
His head throbbed violently.
He did not care.
The dizziness was gone.
The blur had vanished.
His mind was as clear as the mountain air.
Three hundred finger push-ups.
Four hundred squats.
They passed like seconds.
His body transformed—thicker, denser, refined. Every muscle hardened, every movement sharpened. He was no longer being built.
He was being forged.
16 July 2026 — 6:00 AM: The Master of Shunya
Exactly one year.
For the last time, the Heavenly Sun rose above Trimurti Mountain, painting the snow in silver and gold.
Lewosito stood near the waterfall.
He looked different.
His face was sharp, clean, and calm. His long hair was tied back tightly, revealing focused eyes that carried no hesitation. As he removed his training shirt, his body revealed itself—dense muscle, deep cuts, a powerful six-pack formed through suffering rather than vanity.
He stepped beneath the waterfall.
The freezing water crashed down with the force of a falling building.
Lewosito did not flinch.
He ignited the Fire Fist.
For ten continuous hours, he remained perfectly still.
The waterfall roared.
The cold tried to crush him.
Yet the flames on his fists remained calm—stable, silent, absolute.
No steam.
No struggle.
Only Frozen Fire.
When he finally opened his eyes, the waterfall itself seemed to tremble behind him.
He had crossed the human boundary.
He was no longer just fire.
He was the fire the world would come to fear.
Lewosito stepped out from beneath the waterfall. The cold water slid off his body as steam slowly faded from the air. He picked up his shirt, wore it calmly, and began walking toward the monastery.
The mountain was silent.
Near the stone path, Acharya Guru was already waiting.
"So, Lewosito," Acharya said, his voice steady, "you have completed today's training."
"Yes, Guru-ji," Lewosito replied respectfully.
Acharya nodded. "I appreciate your effort. One full year… without complaint."
Lewosito smiled faintly.
Acharya continued, folding his hands behind his back.
"But listen carefully. Six months still remain to complete your eighteen-month training. From now on, your training will not be the same as before."
Lewosito's eyes sharpened. "I am ready, Guru-ji."
Acharya smiled and gently placed his hand on Lewosito's head.
"You are the most sincere student I have ever trained. Go now. Eat properly, and rest. Tonight… your next training will begin."
"Yes, Guru-ji. Thank you… for becoming my teacher."
Lewosito walked back to his room, lay down on the bed, and within minutes, fell asleep.
The Dream
Darkness.
A heavy, suffocating blur filled his vision.
Lewosito found himself lying on cold ground. His body was broken, soaked in blood. He couldn't move his arms. Every breath tore through his chest.
Gasp… gasp…
Pain screamed through his ribs.
A figure stood in front of him.
A tall, shadowy silhouette—faceless, unclear, unreal. The air around it flickered, as if the memory itself was unstable.
The figure raised one hand… pointing directly at him.
A voice echoed—low, calm, merciless.
"Goodbye, Lewosito."
BOOM.
Lewosito jolted awake.
Gasp—gasp—gasp!
His heart was racing. His fists clenched tightly as sweat rolled down his face.
"…Again," he whispered.
The same dream.
The same words.
This dream had first appeared one year ago, on the very first day he began training in Mumbai.
Then it vanished—completely silent for an entire year.
And now… for the past few days… it had returned.
But this time, it felt clearer.
Heavier.
More real.
Lewosito stared at the ceiling.
Who the hell are you…?
who the hell...
TO BE CONTINUED
CHAPTER 7.1 THE LAST SIX MONTHS I