It was early morning.
Saloni could clearly feel that all the extra training she did last week… barely made any difference.
Yesterday was her test, and even after all that effort, she barely reached Level 2 — only because when that man said something, Jake, the instructor, took her watch and modified it to Level 2.
Today again, she was sitting in the library.
Now this place wasn't just about books for her…
It was also where she met that strange man—almost every single day.
Even she didn't understand why she waited for his words now.
She just felt one thing—he genuinely cared.
Why he cared, that was still a mystery.
And maybe that's why she had come to the library again… searching for answers she couldn't name.
She sat quietly for some time.
Soft whispers from a few girls, the sound of pages turning, the warm light filtering in—
And then, just like always, without any sound, he was already there.
Saloni wondered,
How does he always know when I'm here?
But she didn't dare ask.
He stopped near her table.
"What happened?" he asked in his calm voice,
"Your face looks even heavier today. Why so upset?"
Everything Saloni had been holding inside suddenly felt ready to burst out.
"Why shouldn't I be upset?" she snapped softly.
"You're the one who stopped me from leaving.
I was going home…
There, even without an element, I was fine.
But here? I'm nothing.
Not strong, not improving… I can barely even get past Level 1."
The man didn't argue.
He didn't throw advice at her.
He just looked at her—silent, steady.
After a moment, he said,
"Tell me something.
What exactly hurts you more—
the fact that you can't go home…
or that you're not strong enough here?"
Saloni's lips parted but no words came out.
She lowered her gaze.
First for a few seconds…
Then for a whole minute…
Then some more.
The silence in the library felt like a weight.
Finally, he broke it.
"I wasn't supposed to tell you this yet," he said with a tired sigh,
"But sooner or later you were going to find out.
So I guess it's better if I tell you myself."
Saloni lifted her head.
"What truth?" she asked, her voice rough.
"What do you even know about me?"
He shook his head faintly.
"I know more about you than you know yourself," he said,
"But that's not the point.
The point is—you're like me."
Saloni frowned sharply.
"What? Are you crazy?
How can I be like you?
I'm a normal person, you're a normal person—end of story."
He gave a tired little smile.
"No. It's not that simple," he said.
"You don't realize it, but you carry many scents within you—
even I can't decode all of them.
But there's one scent…
one that's just like mine.
And the one I'm talking about—it belongs to the higher kind. Very rare.
Usually found only among those of the upper order.
I don't know how someone so young, with such low strength, ended up here…
But if you did end up here, it means there's a big reason behind it.
And the only reason you're still weak is because you're here, in this academy."
Saloni murmured,
"And… if I wasn't here, then what?"
He met her eyes directly.
"I can't give you full power. I don't have that much.
But…
I can awaken you.
Enough that you'll become much stronger, very soon."
Saloni's heartbeat quickened.
"How?" she whispered.
isko Eng mai likho proper english mai yani normal english words ka use karna
"Come with me," he said simply, and without any further explanation he turned and started walking.
Saloni stood frozen for a moment, then slowly followed him, caught between fear and curiosity.
As soon as they stepped out of the library, a cool draft moved through the corridor. Tall windows lined both sides of the wall, and soft golden light fell through them in straight lines across the floor. He didn't walk fast; his steps were steady. Even so, Saloni had to walk a little quicker than usual so she wouldn't fall behind.
On the way, they passed several parts of the academy.
First was the long reading‑hall corridor, where notice boards were covered with new rules and the latest ranking lists. Then they walked past the outer wall of the training building, where distant sounds of practice echoed—shouts, the slap of feet on mats, and the dull thuds of fists hitting wooden dummies.
In some places old stone pillars stood with the academy's ancient symbols carved into them. Here and there, blue lanterns hung on the walls, glowing faintly even in daylight, as if some small spell inside them never slept.
Saloni watched everything only half‑heartedly—half her attention on the buildings around her, half on the man's back in front of her, and the rest lost in her own questions. *Where is he taking me? If he isn't a teacher, then who is he? And if he is… why does he care so much about me?*
Slowly the busier parts of the academy faded behind them. Fewer students walked these halls now. The passages grew narrower and quieter, the walls cleaner, the floor almost untouched. It felt like this section was almost forbidden for normal students.
After a while, they reached a part of the academy she had never seen before.
Finally, they stopped in front of a door.
It was a room unlike any she had seen. The door had a heavy iron frame, the white walls inside looked spotless, and the floor had a faint metallic shine. The air itself felt colder here, as if the temperature in this place was always a few degrees lower than the rest of the academy.
Saloni stopped on the threshold, quickly glancing around. There were no other doors nearby, no windows, just a long empty corridor and this one lonely door.
"Come inside," the man said, without even turning to look at her.
"This room feels… too grand," she whispered.
"Don't be scared. Just come in," he repeated.
Something in his voice made her move, even through her hesitation.
They sat quietly for a while.
Her eyes scanned the room, but her mind was stuck on his earlier words—my scent… rare… half power…
Suddenly, he stood up and disappeared into a smaller chamber.
When he returned, he held a bowl filled with a deep red liquid.
Saloni flinched.
"What… is that?"
"You don't need the details," he said calmly.
"Just know this—
for you, it's nothing less than an elixir."
"…Alright," she said softly, half unsure, half trusting.
Her heart was pounding, but she couldn't look away from the bowl.
After a long silence, he spoke again.
"Saloni, come here. Sit."
His tone made her more uneasy.
The walls felt like they were inching closer.
Still, she slowly moved and sat near him.
He placed the bowl in her hands.
"Hold it.
When I say so, drink it.
And no, it's not blood—even if it looks like it. Understand?"
Saloni nodded without a word.
He shifted behind her, sitting at a slight distance.
Then he raised both his hands toward her back as if trying to catch invisible air.
He muttered something under his breath—words she'd never heard before.
A faint tremor ran through her spine.
After a minute, his voice changed.
Clear. Sharp.
"Saloni… drink.
Just a little."
But the moment the words hit her,
as if some other force moved her hand—
she drank the entire bowl in one gulp.
His eyes widened.
"This girl—!"
He sprang up, panic flooding his face.
"She never listens! Not even once!"
For the first time, real fear flickered across his features.
He rushed toward her, as though even he no longer had full control over what was about to happen next.
Ye admi kon hai ? Is this man a beastman?
And is Saloni also a beastman? Is that what this salon is helping?If Saloni is really a beastman, will humans be able to accept her?
To know what will happen next, keep reading what defines me.