Chapter 53
Vikram read the passage about the Mind’s Eye over and over again. The description was irresistibly alluring.
The eye of the heart that pierces through essence itself. The moment one masters it, blind spots vanish, and every movement of an opponent can be perceived in full.
“If I learn this… I can defeat Radin.”
He already surpassed him in strength, speed, and technique. If he added the Mind’s Eye to that, he could subdue Radin as easily as an infant.
With that conviction, Vikram began searching for the method to awaken it. Yet no matter how much he combed through the library, no obvious guide appeared.
“It won’t be easy to find this alone.”
Searching through all those volumes by himself was no simple task. So he sought help from the elder who managed the archives.
The elder frowned.
“The manual on the Mind’s Eye cannot be borrowed. It is a problematic art, so it has been moved to the restricted section.”
“I only wish to read it once.”
Vikram asked politely, again and again.
After a long deliberation, the elder finally relented. The manual had been restricted due to side effects—not because it was truly forbidden.
“It is a book that must be read with caution. You were taught by Bow, were you not? I trust you possess the necessary prudence.”
“Yes. I will be careful.”
At last, the book was in his hands.
Vikram secretly read it multiple times. Once he had memorized its contents, he returned it to the elder and immediately began training to awaken the Mind’s Eye.
“To open the third eye… one must close the two.”
The monk who first awakened the Mind’s Eye had been blind. Though he lost his sight, he continued training without surrender. At some point, he felt as though he could see without eyes.
That enlightenment had been recorded and passed down.
Yet few attempted to learn it.
Because it was dangerous.
“…If unlucky, the body may suffer consequences.”
The Mind’s Eye was a spiritual sense.
An ability that essentially transcended the limits of living beings. Arts of this nature often brought side effects during their cultivation.
The possibility unsettled him.
But he steadied his resolve.
Such adverse cases were rare.
And Vikram had talent.
“I can do it.”
From the moment he set his goal, life regained its vigor. He trained and meditated tirelessly, striving to awaken the Mind’s Eye.
Gradually, progress came.
Even with his eyes closed, he could faintly sense objects around him. The eye within his heart began to make its presence known.
But he could not celebrate.
“…My eyes sting.”
“To open the third eye, close the two.”
It was no mere metaphor.
Vikram found himself unable to keep his eyes open for long. Whenever he focused intensely, pain throbbed deep within his eyeballs.
A rare side effect mentioned in the manual.
Unluckily, it manifested in him.
The moment he recognized it, fear bloomed in his chest.
“If I go any further… I’ll lose my sight.”
If blindness were the price for awakening the Mind’s Eye, it might be worthwhile.
But if he lost his vision and failed to awaken it, he would be left crippled—neither here nor there.
Vikram stopped training.
But it was already too late.
The pain worsened each day.
“What should I do…?”
He needed counsel.
Terrified, Vikram sought out his master. He expected a harsh rebuke.
Instead—
Bow praised him.
“Remarkable. The manifestation of such side effects means your training bears fruit. If you continue diligently, you may attain extraordinary enlightenment.”
Though the side effect was unfortunate, it indicated progress.
Vikram hesitated.
“But… at this rate, I may lose my eyes. Is there no treatment?”
“There is none. Side effects born from cultivating the Mind’s Eye cannot be cured. You knew the risk when you began, did you not?”
He had.
The Vikram of months ago had steeled himself for that risk.
But now that the possibility loomed as reality, his resolve shattered like glass.
What once felt like determination now seemed like youthful recklessness.
“If… I give up my eyes and still fail to awaken it. What becomes of me?”
“You must accept the trial given to you. Even if you fail to master it, the loss itself will temper you.”
A monk of Vritra must not fear loss.
To attain greater enlightenment, one must face greater trials.
Bow smiled encouragingly.
“You are progressing well. I am proud of you.”
Hearing that—
For the first time, Vikram felt that the man before him was unfamiliar.
He had believed he understood Bow—his thoughts, his convictions, his spirit.
He had been mistaken.
“…I cannot understand him.”
The man before him was a fanatic of enlightenment.
Vikram continued training.
But matters only worsened.
His vision dimmed day by day, and there was no sign of the Mind’s Eye awakening.
“…I’ll leave.”
Disheartened, he went to Yurgis.
He needed distance from the temple—even briefly—to escape the terror of impending blindness.
“Vikram… why did you sit down back then?”
Even now, his master’s voice echoed in his mind.
He wanted to shout back.
“Why does no one else stop?!”
He had endured over a decade of relentless training.
His master said it was not enough—but he could not understand.
“Isn’t this enough?”
When one thought about it—
Training until one collapsed from exhaustion was the strange thing.
How could anyone treat that as normal?
It felt like he had entered a race with no finish line.
For over ten years, Vikram had held first place.
Now he wanted his reward.
“…Let me enjoy myself before I lose my eyes.”
He had earned a considerable amount of gold through his work outside the temple. In the city, he drowned himself in wine and expensive meals, spending his nights in the company of multiple women.
But the anxiety never faded.
Of course it didn’t.
Even now, the pain in his eyes was steadily worsening.
The more desperate a man becomes, the more easily he wavers.
***
“Vikram. I’ve heard there may be someone who can heal your eyes… Would you like to meet them?”
Albert the merchant made the suggestion.
Vikram did not expect much. But like a drowning man clutching at straw, he nodded.
The next day, someone came.
Vikram stared at the figure in shock.
“What is this…?”
The person wore a pitch-black robe. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. The robe hung loosely, hiding all body shape, and the shadow beneath the hood was unnaturally deep.
A strange voice seeped out.
“You carry an eye within your heart… If you wish, I can help it open.”
“…Try.”
Vikram accepted without hesitation.
The unknown being glided forward and extended a hand.
Tap.
A fingertip touched his forehead.
A violent headache exploded through him.
Vikram winced—
“…My sight has returned.”
The world came into focus more clearly than ever before. Colors were vivid, as if freshly painted.
Overcome with relief, Vikram spoke.
“Thank you! How can I possibly repay—”
“There is no need for such joy. That was merely a temporary measure. In ten days, the Mind’s Eye will close again.”
The Mind’s Eye had opened briefly.
Soon, the light would fade once more.
The euphoria drained from him.
Panic surged.
No matter what, he did not want to lose this vision.
“How can I truly cure my eyes?”
“It is not simple. If you wish for my continued assistance… you must pay a very high price.”
The robed figure asked in return,
“What can you do for me?”
Vikram struggled.
Then bowed his head.
“…Anything.”
“Good.”
The deal was struck.
***
Deep in the night.
Vikram ran through a shadowed forest, breath ragged.
In his hand was a worn leather glove.
“The Gauntlet of Grandmaster Solas.”
One of the sacred relics symbolizing the Order of Vritra.
Vikram had managed to steal it.
Now he fled, avoiding the monks’ eyes.
It had been possible because of the Mind’s Eye, the artifacts given by his new master, and the trust others placed in him.
The monks who had spent years beside him never imagined betrayal.
…All but one.
“Vikram!!”
A thunderous shout struck his ears.
Startled, he turned.
His former master.
Bow.
“What madness drove you to this?!”
Bow’s voice roared like an enraged beast. Vikram had never seen him this furious.
Fear flickered in his chest—but he concealed it.
“Can you not simply let me go? I would rather not raise my hand against you.”
“Enough nonsense. Explain yourself. Why commit such an act? If you wish to leave here whole, choose your words carefully.”
Vikram smiled faintly.
“There is nothing left for me to learn here. Even you are no longer my equal.”
“Foolishness has blinded you!”
Golden radiance gathered around Bow’s body as he clenched his fists.
In response, Vikram slipped on the stolen gauntlet.
Master and disciple collided.
Their movements mirrored one another like shadows.
“The Mind’s Eye… and a sacred relic.”
Predict the opponent’s movement with the Mind’s Eye.
Augment strength with the relic.
With both, he could defeat anyone.
…But plans rarely match reality.
The tense balance shattered quickly.
Thud—thud-thud-thud!
Bow’s strikes rained down mercilessly.
The limits of one who relied on shortcuts were clear.
Vikram was beaten without pause and crashed to the ground.
Bow spoke to the fallen disciple.
“You remain unenlightened because you are exactly like this. Come back. I will retrain your spirit from the beginning.”
“…Please… just let me go. I need this relic to save my eyes.”
Clutching the glove, Vikram pleaded.
Bow scoffed.
“Are your eyes so precious? Precious enough to abandon everything you’ve built?”
“Don’t speak so lightly of something that isn’t yours!!”
Vikram shouted, veins bulging in his eyes.
“You talk about sacrifice and trials—Bow! If your own eyes were failing, would you still speak so calmly?!”
For the first time, Bow fell silent.
He should have answered yes.
But the words would not come.
He himself had never imagined life without sight.
“You’re a hypocrite!”
Staggering to his feet, Vikram shouted.
At the same moment, daggers wrapped in black light shot toward Bow.
Bow leapt back, deflecting them.
Figures in black robes emerged from the shadows.
Among them stood one holding a staff adorned with numerous bells.
Seeing this, Vikram lowered his head quickly.
“Master… You came in person.”
“The tiger before you was beyond your capacity. You have done well.”
The being who had helped open his Mind’s Eye stepped forward and lifted him up.
“My disciple… let us return to our sanctuary.”
“Yes, Master.”
Vikram followed.
Bow tried to pursue.
But the robed figures blocked his path.
All he could offer was his voice.
“Vikram! Come back—!”
“That is not where you belong!”
The traitor did not look back.