Pop. Pop. Pop.
One after another.
From his neck to his spine, from his arms to his legs—64 meridian points, once locked since birth, began unlocking.
Vikram's body trembled violently, but he didn't move. He breathed. Deep and slow. He followed the manual's rhythm. Let the energy flow, don't resist. Let the body absorb, let the pain pass through.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
His forehead, his chest, his lower dantian—one after another, like celestial gates unsealing.
For hours he sat, motionless in agony and wonder, as a silent storm of energy danced inside him.
—
Dawn Breaks
The first light of morning spilled through the cracked window panes.
Vikram opened his eyes.
The pain had subsided. The fire was gone. What remained was a stillness—a calm like never before. As he breathed in, he felt the air flow through his nose, down his throat, and spread through his body in soft spirals.
It wasn't ordinary breath. It was mana. Pure, atmospheric energy.
