The next day soft glow of dawn filtered into the cave, casting a warm light over the sleeping children. One by one, they began to stir. Their groans of discomfort echoed in the quiet, breaking the silence. Ravihiro, seated cross-legged near the entrance with Kageha resting by his side, opened his eyes as he sensed their awakening.
"You're awake," Ravihiro said, his tone calm but firm.
The conscious girl from earlier helped the others sit up. The two boys and one of the girls looked around in confusion, their eyes settling on Ravihiro.
"Where… where are we?" asked one of the boys, his voice hoarse.
"You're in a cave, safe for now," Ravihiro replied. "I found you surrounded by beasts. Now, who are you?"
The children exchanged glances before one of the boys spoke up. "My name is Aryan, and this is my twin sister, Anaya," he said, gesturing to the girl beside him. Both had dark hair and striking amber eyes, though their frames were frail from malnourishment.
"I'm Vedant," said the second boy, who had a lean but muscular build, his complexion slightly tanned from what must have been years of exposure to the sun.
"And I'm Sharvani," said the conscious girl from earlier, her voice steadier now. She had a sharp, confident gaze despite her earlier fear.
Ravihiro nodded, his piercing gaze scanning each of them. "I'm Ravihiro," he said simply. "You don't look like wanderers. What's your story?"
The group fell silent, their expressions shifting to a mix of anger and sadness. Finally, Aryan spoke, his voice trembling. "We were abandoned by our clan."
"Abandoned?" Ravihiro's voice sharpened, though he kept his composure.
"Our clan values only those who can cultivate rapidly,"Aryan continued, bitterness lacing his tone. "They tested us when we turned ten, and when we failed to meet their standards, they cast us out. Called us useless."
Anaya clutched her brother's arm. "They said we weren't worth the resources to train… that we'd be better off dead."
Vedant clenched his fists. "We tried to survive on our own, but it wasn't enough. The beasts started coming after us, and…" His voice trailed off.
Sharvani added, "They used a beast-attracting compound on us before abandoning us, just to make sure we wouldn't survive."
Ravihiro's jaw tightened. Though his own family had its flaws, they had never been so cruel. He recalled his parents, who had high expectations but never went so far as to discard him. These children had been stripped of their dignity, treated as expendable.
He looked at them, their small, fragile frames bearing the weight of rejection and betrayal. A memory of himself, cycling through a storm with despair in his heart, flashed through his mind. These children were not much different from who he had been back then.
He says what your clan did is neither wrong not correct because why would anyone waste their energy on useless things .But you are not completely useless."Your clan threw you away because they couldn't see your worth," Ravihiro said, his voice low but resolute. "But that doesn't mean you're worthless."
The children looked at him, hope flickering in their eyes for the first time.
Ravihiro stood, his presence commanding and almost overwhelming in the confined space. "If you want to survive, you need to fight. You need strength."
He paused, his gaze softening slightly. "I can teach you. I'll show you how to grow stronger—not just in cultivation, but in will and spirit."
The children's eyes widened.
"You mean… you'll be our master?"Anaya asked hesitantly.
"Yes," Ravihiro replied firmly. "But only if you're willing to endure hardship. I won't go easy on you."
The cave fell silent as the children processed his words. Finally, Aryan stood, shaky but determined. "I'll do it. I don't care how hard it is—I'll prove them wrong."
"I will too," Anaya said, her voice matching her brother's resolve.
Vedant and Sharvani exchanged a glance before nodding in unison.
"Good," Ravihiro said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Then from now on, you're my disciples."
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the cave, Ravihiro turned to look outside, his expression unreadable. A faint breeze carried a strange, distant sound—a whisper, almost like laughter.
He narrowed his eyes. This jungle held more secrets than it seemed.