The sun barely touches the horizon, yet the river seems endless and alive. I feel the gentle sway of the currents even on land, as if the river follows me everywhere. My tiny hands instinctively grasp at the water, and to my surprise, it responds. It bends, flows, and curves around me like an obedient servant.
"Karna… careful, my child," Radha whispers, her hands guiding mine as I try to lift a small puddle from the riverbank.
I look up at her, confused. My tiny chest heaves as I try to understand what I just did. The water didn't spill—it hovered, shimmering like a liquid mirror.
"How… how did I do that?" I whisper to myself.
Adhiratha smiles faintly, placing a protective hand on my shoulder. "It's your gift, Karna. Be careful, but don't be afraid. You are special."
I feel a strange warmth in my chest. Not just from their presence, but from something deeper—a hum, a pulse, a life that isn't entirely mine. The Book of Water Affinity, placed within me by Goddess Ganga, guides my tiny hands and unformed thoughts. Every movement I make, every sensation, seems already understood, already mastered.
Even simple acts—lifting a cup of water, touching the river's edge, letting it slip through my fingers—are flawless. I realize, even as a child, that my adaptation ability granted by Lord Shiva's third boon works without my conscious thought. The world responds to me, teaching me without words.
At night, lying in the small hut Adhiratha built by the riverbank, I feel a strange echo of memory and destiny. I don't remember my first life clearly, only fragments—faces, places, feelings—but they are distant and yet familiar, like a song I've forgotten the words to.
"Sleep well, Karna," Radha whispers, tucking a blanket around me. "Tomorrow is another day. Learn, grow, and never fear the river or the world."
I close my eyes, feeling the hum of life in the river and in my own veins. Even as a child, I sense that my path will not be ordinary. The world may test me, humans may betray me, and gods may watch—but I will endure.
Because even now, tiny Karna, abandoned yet blessed, feels destiny stir in his bones.