Chapter 1: A New Beginning

ANTARIKSHS POV 

I looked out the plane. The platform was bustling with all sorts of creatures, some humanoid, others much stranger. My heart felt heavy. I had just said goodbye to one of the greatest people I’d ever known—Professor Garud. My mentor for the past ten years, the man who had pushed me beyond my limits, who saw potential in me even when I couldn’t see it myself.

I was heading to Astralis University, and it was thanks to his unwavering support that I had even made it this far. I didn’t really feel like I deserved it. The weight of the achievement felt like it belonged to him more than me. It was all his hard work.

The prospect of a new life was terrifying. But I was relieved to know I'd at least be living in the hostel, with Pruthvi, my only friend. She was sitting across from me, her mouth wide open as she snored.

I couldn't resist—it was too funny. I snapped a picture of her. She looked hilarious, her hair sticking up in every direction. This is going to be a great memory, I thought.

An announcement sounded over the speakers, interrupting my thoughts.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, passengers. We are about to enter hyperspace in five minutes. If you prefer to keep your cells together, please shut your windows now."

I chuckled nervously, but my stomach turned. I had never been the best with space travel. My nerves were making it harder to breathe.

A space hostess came by to check our seatbelts. She gave me a polite smile. "Would you like any assistance?"

I tried to sound confident. "No, we're good." But my voice shook more than I had intended. I was terrified already and not exactly great at spontaneous conversations. Thankfully, Pruthvi was always my safety net.

I nudged her awake, and she shot up with a snort, blinking and rubbing her eyes. She glanced up at the hostess, then at me.

“Oh, thanks, I think my friend here will need a sickness bag and some gum,” she said, pointing at me with a grin.

The hostess smiled and moved on. I slouched in my seat, burying my face in my hands. This was going to be a long flight.

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A few hours later, Pruthvi was sprawled out on the bed in our newly decorated dorm room. Even though she had slept through the entire journey. Only waking up to snack on whatever food was around. I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep at all. My mind was racing with thoughts.

Classes would start in just a day, and there was so much to think about and prepare for.

Getting into Astralis University had been incredibly difficult, but staying here would be even harder. The FAEAU exam loomed in two years, and that would determine whether we’d stay or be kicked out. I had the support of Professor Garud in the first exam, but how could I possibly pass the second one with this dumb brain of mine?

I stared out the window, lost in thought, when I heard Pruthvi shuffle in her bed. She groggily got up with a huge yawn.

“Aah, that was a great sleep!” she exclaimed.

"Now I need some food."

Of course, she’d only gotten up to eat.

"Heey, Antariksh, let’s go get some food," she added, already bouncing on her feet.

"Okay," I shrugged, though my mind was still spinning. Maybe food would help take my mind off things. I wasn’t very hungry, still feeling a bit queasy from the hyperspace travel, but the thought of something to distract me sounded good.

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PRUTHVIS POV

Pruthvi sat across from Antariksh in the cafeteria, watching her poke at her food. She could tell something was off. Antariksh had barely touched her plate, and her brow was furrowed like she was solving an unsolvable equation.

"Hey, are you okay?" Pruthvi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Antariksh muttered, not meeting Pruthvi’s gaze. "Just... still a little spacesick, I think."

"Reaaallyy?" Pruthvi dragged the word out in disbelief, crossing her arms.

Antariksh let out a deep sigh. "Okay, fine. I can't hide anything from you," she admitted, sinking into her seat like a deflated balloon. Pruthvi’s face lit up with a smug grin—victory.

"I'm just... thinking," Antariksh continued. "Do I even deserve to be here? What if all the teachers think I’m not good enough? And what if I fail the FAEAU? I mean, I’m definitely doomed. Plus, Sameer and Neer will be here too—they're literally our teachers now!"

Pruthvi, unfazed, took a bite of her sandwich. "Oh yes, it’s their first year as teachers! And  I’m definitely not letting them have a good day. " she said, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Sure" Antariksh said while the sinking feeling in her stomach deepened further. She was hoping Sameer and neer did not have the same thing in mind.

-------

Back in the dorm room, Antariksh continued pacing, her thoughts swirling. Pruthvi watched her, arms folded, tapping her foot with the sort of rhythm you’d expect from someone who was thoroughly entertained by their friend’s overthinking.

"Antariksh, you’ll be fine," Pruthvi said, trying to sound calm but with a smirk playing at her lips. "Stop overthinking it. Go to sleep, and tomorrow morning we’ll look at our timetables. We’ve got an entire day to prepare and freak out in an organized way. It’s going to be fine, trust me."

Antariksh collapsed back onto her bed with a dramatic groan, pulling the blanket over her face like it could somehow shield her from her own anxiety. But before she could even catch her breath, a pillow came flying out of nowhere and smacked her right in the face.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Antariksh yelled, glaring across the room at Pruthvi, who was wearing a smirk that could only mean one thing.

"Pillow fight!" Pruthvi shouted with a mischievous grin, already reaching for another pillow.

Antariksh’s face immediately broke into a grin of her own. "Oh, it’s on!" she declared, grabbing her pillow with the speed of someone who'd been waiting for this moment. With a battle cry, she launched the pillow toward Pruthvi with all the force she could muster.

The pillow sailed through the air and landed squarely on Pruthvi’s head.

"Take that!" Antariksh laughed, feeling lighter for the first time since they’d arrived.

Pruthvi didn’t miss a beat. With an exaggerated swoosh, she swung her pillow back at Antariksh, knocking her off balance. "You’re not getting away that easy!"

And just like that, the room erupted into a full-on pillow fight and laughter echoing off the walls. For a moment, all the worries about classes, exams, and the future disappeared as they let themselves enjoy the chaos.

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SAMEERS POV

I looked at the empty classroom. I had arrived 30 minutes early, even though it was my first class ever. My heart raced as I glanced around the vast space, the silence almost deafening. It wasn’t the lesson itself that had me nervous—chemistry was my thing. I loved the subject, and sharing that passion with students was something I’d been looking forward to. But this was Astralis University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the galaxy. And the first two years in this classroom would be filled with about 200 students.

I gulped, trying to steady my nerves. It was a daunting number, no doubt. But I knew the best way to calm myself: make this space mine.

I started setting up the classroom, pulling out the banners and posters I had carefully packed. Some were science fair projects I had collected over the years—beautiful examples of creativity and discovery. A few were my own, relics from my student days, while others were made by students I had mentored. I floated around the classroom, hanging them up, creating a space that felt welcoming and inspiring.

This room was going to be the start of something amazing. I wanted it to feel like a place where chemistry wasn’t just learned, but lived.

As I finished, I couldn't help but feel the excitement rise again. Today wasn’t just about teaching; it was also the day I would see Pruthvi and Antariksh again. The thought of them brought a smile to my face, the kind that lingered despite the nerves. It had been eight years ears since we had last met, but I still remembered them like it was yesterday.

I paused for a moment, lost in thought. The first time we met played vividly in my mind, as if I were reliving it again. I could still remember Antariksh’s bright energy, her spontaneous nature that drew people to her. Pruthvi, always the steady one, with her humor and practicality, balancing Antariksh’s wild ideas with a grounded approach.

My father, Garud Pawan, a respected teacher at the Plutonian Academy, used to host these annual science fairs—an event I always looked forward to. The first one that Antariksh attended was particularly memorable. It had been during my final two years at the academy, just before I left for Astralis and my teacher training.

We had been setting up tables and chairs for the fair. Neer, always the perfectionist, was tweaking his model, completely absorbed in getting everything just right. I left him to it and headed back inside to check on things. That’s when I spotted them—two younger students at the dining table, sitting side by side. They were deep in conversation, and in front of them, next to my model, was another one—almost an exact replica of mine.

Curious, I walked over. The girl with brown, curly hair looked up at me first, giving me a calm, polite smile. But it was the other girl, with short, vibrant purple hair, who spoke up first. She was jabbing at their model as she talked, her words spilling out in an endless stream. She didn’t even seem to notice me until her friend nudged her gently.

"Hi! You must be Sameer, Garud Sir's son, right?" she blurted out, clearly startled but recovering quickly. I nodded, amused by her sudden burst of energy.

“We were so excited to meet you! I’m Antariksh, and this is Pruthvi,” she said, gesturing to the calm girl beside her. Pruthvi gave me a small wave, the kind that said she was used to Antariksh’s high-energy introductions.

“Nice to meet you, Antariksh,” I replied, smiling.

Antariksh was already diving into the next part of her speech, barely stopping for breath. “This project of yours—it’s almost the same as mine! I thought my idea was totally unique, but when I showed it to Garud Sir, he just laughed and showed me yours!”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the coincidence. “It’s fine—we can work on it together. What are you thinking?” I asked, genuinely curious about her approach.

Before Antariksh could start, Pruthvi jumped in, cutting her off with a wry smile. "Okay, I’ve run out of patience listening to you, Antariksh. I’m going to set up my stuff at my own table. See you later, and I’ll come by your table too.”

Antariksh waved her off, not missing a beat. “See ya, Pruthvi!” she called after her, before launching into a full-blown explanation of her project ideas. She was smart, no doubt about that. But what struck me the most was her enthusiasm. She talked so fast I could barely keep up, but her passion was infectious.

We spent the rest of that day setting up our models, charts, and representations in the chemistry section of the fair. Antariksh’s energy never flagged, and by the end of the day, we had a fully interactive setup that drew quite the crowd. It was the start of a friendship between the four of us—Pruthvi, Antariksh, Neer, and me. We loved each other's company and spent most of our free time working on projects, talking about science, or just hanging out.

But two years later, Neer and I had to leave. We were headed to Astralis for a five-year course, followed by another three years of teacher training. It was hard to say goodbye, but we promised we’d keep in touch.

Now, here I was, eight years later, standing in a classroom at Astralis University, about to teach my first chemistry class. And today, I’d be seeing Antariksh and Pruthvi again after all these years.

I wondered how much had changed since then.

The eight years apart had been tough. Teacher training had taken me far away, and life had pulled us in different directions. But now, fate had brought us back together, and I couldn’t help but wonder how much they had changed and how much I had myself.Would they still be the same? Would we slip back into our old dynamic, or had time made us strangers? Would it be weird now that I was a teacher?

Either way it would soon be time to find out. The bell would ring and a new chapter of our lives would begin.

I left the classroom once everything was set up, watching as students began filing in. As soon as the bell rang, I took a deep breath and stepped back inside. My palms were sweaty, but I steadied myself. This was it—my first class as a teacher.

I walked up to the front, turned to face the sea of students, and cleared my throat. "Hello students," I began, my voice wavering just a little before I found my rhythm. "I am Sameer Pawan, your chemistry teacher for this year."

I gave a brief introduction, talking about my background, my love for chemistry, and what they could expect from the course. As I spoke, my eyes roamed over the crowd. Hundreds of students, most of them looking at me with curiosity, some already scribbling notes.

And then I spotted them.

Pruthvi and Antariksh, sitting together just like old times. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I saw them both. Pruthvi gave me a small nod and a smile, ever composed. Antariksh, on the other hand, was quieter than I remembered, but she gave me a shy smile.

I smiled back at them, the nervousness in my chest easing just a little.

"Okay, let's begin with a question," I said, scanning the room. I threw out a difficult one, something meant to challenge the class right from the start. A few hands shot up, and among them, I noticed Pruthvi’s. But Antariksh’s hand stayed down.

I called on a few students who had their hands up, but none of their answers were quite right. I nodded politely, offering some guidance, but I was hoping for something more. When I circled back to Pruthvi, she answered confidently, nailing it.

While I was pleased with her answer, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment that Antariksh hadn’t volunteered. I expected her to be as eager as she used to be.

But then I caught something out of the corner of my eye. Pruthvi leaned over to Antariksh, whispering something, and I saw Antariksh mouth a quick response before Pruthvi mouthed a thank you in return.

Relief washed over me. Antariksh was still sharp, still helping. But why hadn’t she answered herself? What had changed in her that made her hold back?

Finally, the class was over. I had found my rhythm, and the lesson had turned out to be fairly engaging. As students trickled out, I began gathering my things, mentally preparing for the next class.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pruthvi and Antariksh approaching me. "Hi, Sameer! How are you doing?" Pruthvi asked, grinning.

"Ah, good as ever!" I replied with a smile.

Antariksh stood slightly behind her, smiling widely but staying quieter than usual. "We missed you a lot," she said, her voice soft but warm.

Before I could respond, Pruthvi, being her spontaneous self, pulled the three of us into a tight group hug. Surprised, I laughed, and a wave of emotion surged through me. In that moment, I thought fiercely, Nothing had changed. Despite the years and the distance, we were still best friends.

When we finally let go, I noticed that Antariksh had tears in her eyes. She had always been the more emotional one, and it warmed my heart to see that hadn't changed.

"Oh, Antariksh!" Pruthvi teased with a laugh. "You know what? We should catch up at the cafeteria during lunch break. It'll be just like old times."

I nodded in agreement, feeling a sense of nostalgia wash over me. They both waved goodbye, and I watched them leave, my heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time.

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AGNIS POV

I looked around the office. It really was a beautiful place. The glass balcony gave a perfect view of the world outside, with the light of the binary star system shining down on Astralis University’s planet. The whole day seemed bathed in a soft golden hue.

I wasn’t entirely sure if I was a good teacher yet, but I definitely knew more than enough physics to ignite some curiosity in these random university students. Sigh. I still couldn't believe I ended up as a teacher here. The only real upside was that I’d have enough time to finish my paper and research, and hopefully, I’d leave this place sooner than expected. But that would take time.

If I was being honest with myself, though, the fact that Sameer and Neer were also here made things a little more bearable.

I was sitting at my desk, gazing out at the spacecars zooming past outside, when I heard my phone chime. I enlarged the screen in front of me, looking at Sameer’s message. “Meeting some old friends from Plutonian. Guys, come to the cafeteria.”

I groaned inwardly. This Sameer… didn’t he realize how jealous students would get if they saw us hanging out with others from the academy? Not to mention, what would the other teachers think? But then again, I didn’t really care what they thought. I just wasn’t particularly thrilled about meeting random students in the middle of lunch.

Still, I decided to head down to the cafeteria. Neer joined me along the way.

“How was your class?” Neer asked.

“Could’ve been worse,” I muttered.

Neer raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Really? That bad? Did you stammer? Forget your notes? Make silly mistakes?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course not. The students were just a little… annoying. My next class is a bunch of freshers. Hopefully, they’re not as bad.”

Neer let out a low chuckle. “Wow, you’re really enjoying this teaching gig, huh?”

------

At the cafeteria, we found Sameer’s message pinging us the location coordinates. He'd provided the exact table number, column, and row. We spotted his pinpointed location in the three-dimensional matrix arrangement of the floating tables, and a side-by-side elevator took us to his  level.

“Hi!” Sameer greeted us with his usual enthusiasm.

“Hello,” Neer replied as we approached.

And then my eyes met with those which adorned purple pupils. And I was instantly transported back in time.

ANTARIKSHS POV 

Pruthvi and I were sitting in the cafeteria, chatting with Sameer, when the elevator opened nearby. Out stepped Neer, followed by someone who immediately caught my attention. He had a pale, angular face, an air of calm arrogance, and the kind of presence that turned heads without effort. As our eyes met, I felt an electric jolt of recognition, as if I were being transported back in time.

-------

It was my second year at Plutonian Academy. The academy itself was incredible, and I was thriving alongside Pruthvi and Sameer. On this particular day, we were gathered at Garud Sir’s house, waiting for Neer to join us and take a look at our project. The science fair was nearing its end—the judges were tallying up the points—and we had some free time to wander around, admiring other students' work.

Finally, Neer emerged from the bustling crowd, and he wasn’t alone. "Hey everyone, meet my friend Agni," he said, gesturing to the guy walking behind him.

The moment I saw him, I was stunned. He was the most striking person I had ever seen. Tall, impossibly tall, with glowing red eyes that practically burned. And there I was, gaping at him like an idiot, my mouth probably hanging open.

"Antariksh!" Sameer’s voice snapped me out of my daze. "Why don't you explain our project to Agni while Neer and I check on Dad? We’ll be back with some snacks."

I nodded, though my brain was still reeling. "Hey, I’m Akhand Antariksh Parmanu," I said, feeling instantly foolish. Why was I giving him my full name like I was at some formal introduction?!

Agni smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Akhand Antariksh Parmanu, huh? I'm Agni Sarp. Should I call you Antariksh, Akhand, or Parmanu?"

Before I could answer, he continued, "I think I’ll go with Parmanu. You’re pretty short after all." He chuckled, clearly amused with himself.

I bristled at the mention of "Parmanu." It was what Dr. Sanki—my father—would call me, and I hated it. The name held too much bitterness. But Agni didn’t know that. Still, the insult stung, and for a brief moment, I wondered how someone so good-looking could be such a jerk.

"So, chemistry project, huh?" he asked, casually scanning our model. "I never really cared much for chemistry. Physics is where the real science happens. What’s this thing about?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words seemed to tangle up in my throat. Just as I was fumbling to explain our project, Pruthvi appeared out of nowhere, saving me from further embarrassment. I had never been more grateful for her impeccable timing.

"Heeey Antariksh! I brought you some gummy stars!" she shouted, waving the bag in front of me. Agni’s gaze flicked toward me, and I could feel his judgment without him even saying a word.

"Heh, gummy stars?" I stammered. "I don’t like candy, Pruthvi! What are you talking about? I’m not a kid!" I tried my best to sound nonchalant, desperately hoping to hide the fact that I had an undeniable sweet tooth.

Pruthvi shot me a confused look. "What are you talking about? You’re obsessed with gummy stars. You’ve got, like, five bags in your room—" She stopped abruptly, noticing Agni for the first time. Her eyebrow arched. "Who’s this?"

Agni, with that ever-present smirk, didn’t miss a beat. "I’m Agni," he said smoothly, his voice taking on a flirty edge. "Hello, gorgeous. And you are?"

Pruthvi, unfazed, gave him a polite smile, but I could tell she wasn’t buying his act. "Pruthvi," she said, her tone neutral. "You must be Neer’s friend."

"That I am," Agni replied with a wink.

Sameer and Neer had returned just as I was trying to calm my racing thoughts. Sameer began explaining the project further, his words clear and confident, while Agni just stood around, looking mildly interested but distant. I couldn’t help it—my eyes kept drifting toward him, as if they were magnetically drawn to the back of his head even as he and Neer began to walk away.

“Helloooo, Earth to Antariksh?” Pruthvi’s voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality.

“What?” I blinked, trying to act normal, but the mischievous grin on her face told me I was in trouble.

“Wow, bestie. Do you like him or something?”

“W-what?! No! Why would you even think that?” I stammered, feeling my face heat up.

“Because you were staring at him the whole time!” she said, raising an eyebrow, clearly enjoying herself.

“I did not!” I protested, my voice a bit louder than I intended. I glanced nervously around, hoping Sameer hadn’t noticed anything.

“Fine, whatever you say.” Pruthvi shrugged, but the smirk on her face told me she wasn’t letting it go. I mentally cursed myself. How had I let it show so easily?

------------

It was true though—I had never forgotten my first encounter with Agni. I had only seen him a couple of times since that day at the science fair, but I remembered each one vividly. And now, there he was again trailing right behind neer into the cafeteria.

Was he a student? No, that didn’t make sense—he had to be a teacher, he was around the same age as Sameer and Neer. I was lost in thought again, staring without realizing it, when Pruthvi nudged me, that same teasing smirk on her face.

I widened my eyes at her, silently begging her to keep quiet and not make it so obvious. Of course, she just giggled under her breath.

“Hey Antariksh, this is our friend Agni. He’s a physics teacher here now,” Sameer said, oblivious to the whole situation. He seemed to have completely forgotten that Agni and I had met before.

“We’ve met,” Agni said, his deep voice carrying a hint of amusement. Oh no. He remembered. “At Garud sir’s science fairs."

“oooh. Yeah, I remember now,” Sameer said, grinning widely. “Those were some great days, huh? I can’t believe I forgot.”

Agni gave a brief, almost dismissive nod. “Sure, great days,” he said, his voice cold but calm. His eyes flicked toward me for just a second, and I felt a wave of unease wash over me. He still remembered—everything. My heart raced as his gaze lingered, sharp and calculating.

“Parmanu and I go way back,” Agni added, the smirk on his face barely noticeable but enough to send a chill through me.

I froze. Why did he have to bring up that name again? My palms were starting to sweat. Stay calm, Antariksh, I told myself, but it was hard to ignore the knot forming in my stomach.

“Oh wow you used to call her parmanu, right?” Sameer laughed, oblivious to the tension growing between Agni and me. “That’s a throwback.” He grinned at me. “Maybe we should start calling you that again?”

“No, please don’t,” I said quickly, my voice coming out more anxious than I intended. I glanced at Pruthvi, hoping she wouldn’t chime in and make this worse, but she was already smirking. She had definitely noticed how on edge I was.

Agni’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Don’t worry, Antariksh,” he said in a low voice. “It suits you.”

I swallowed hard, forcing a tight smile in response. Why was he being like this? It felt like he was testing me, and I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t trust him—not one bit.

“So, Agni,” Pruthvi interrupted, probably sensing the awkwardness between us, “what brings you to teaching here?”

Agni didn’t even bother to look at her directly, still focused on me for a moment longer before shifting his gaze toward her. “I’m here for research,” he said coolly, his tone distant. “Teaching’s just something to fill the gaps between.”

“Oh?” Pruthvi asked, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of research?”

Agni’s expression hardened as if the conversation wasn’t worth his time. “Quantum dynamics. Photon manipulation.” He said it so casually, as if it was the simplest thing in the universe. “But teaching’s not my endgame. Just a means to an end.”

I stayed silent, my stomach doing somersaults. Agni's arrogance made me feel small, and I hated how much it affected me. I couldn’t figure him out—was he purposely trying to unsettle me? I felt Pruthvi nudge me with her elbow, trying to lighten the mood, but I couldn’t bring myself to relax.

“That’s impressive,” Sameer chimed in, his usual cheerful self. “I told you he’d be great for the university,” he added, grinning at Neer.

Neer nodded in agreement, sipping his drink. “Yeah, it’s good to have you here, Agni. We could use more people with your kind of expertise.”

Agni shrugged, clearly uninterested in the compliments. “I’m here for now. We’ll see how long that lasts.”

I could feel my pulse quicken every time Agni spoke. He had this aura of control, like he was always one step ahead, and it made me feel like I was being judged constantly. I wasn’t sure if he remembered everything about our old encounters or if I was just overthinking, but I didn’t want to stick around long enough to find out.

Sameer, as always, tried to keep things positive. “We’re all here to help each other out,” he said, his smile never fading. “Right, Antariksh?”

I blinked, pulled from my thoughts. “Y-yeah,” I stammered. “Of course.”

I could feel Agni’s gaze on me again, and it made my skin crawl. I didn’t know what his deal was, but something told me I should be careful around him. I just hoped he didn’t stay around long enough to complicate things further.

“Well,” Neer said, standing up and stretching. “Let’s get going, Agni. We’ve got things to prep before the afternoon classes.”

Agni gave a curt nod and stood, his towering figure casting a shadow over me as he walked past. I didn’t dare look up at him, my eyes fixed on the table. As he and Neer walked away, I finally let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

“Well,” Neer said, standing up and stretching. “Let’s get going, Agni. We’ve got things to prep before the afternoon classes.”

Agni gave a curt nod, rising with the kind of imposing grace that made me feel even smaller. As he moved, his shadow loomed over me, and I could almost feel the tension he carried with him—strict, unapproachable. I kept my eyes locked on the table, refusing to meet his gaze. There was something unnerving about him, something cold and distant. As Agni and Neer walked away, I finally let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, my chest loosening in relief.

“Hey, Antariksh?” Sameer’s voice broke the silence, pulling me back into the moment. His cheerful tone, now tinged with concern, made me shift in my seat. “You’ve been acting kinda weird today... something’s different.”

I looked up at him, my heart still racing, my mind swirling with thoughts. Could he sense it too? The unease, the anxiety that had hit me the moment Agni walked in? I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “I-I’m fine,” I muttered, forcing a shaky smile. But Sameer’s gaze lingered, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he didn’t believe me.

He exchanged a glance with Pruthvi, who smirked knowingly. I felt my stomach drop.

“You sure?” Sameer asked again, more insistently this time. “You seemed pretty out of it while Agni was here.”

I flushed, heat rising to my cheeks. “I was not!” The words tumbled out of me too fast, too loud. I winced, realizing how defensive I sounded.

Sameer raised his hands in mock surrender. “Whoa, chill out, Antariksh. I’m just asking. Seriously, what’s going on?” He glanced at Pruthvi, seeking answers. “You know what this is about?”

Pruthvi grinned, her eyes dancing with mischief. I shot her a look, silently begging her not to make things worse. But, of course, this was Pruthvi.

“Oh, she’s just a little freaked out about the future here at Astralis,” she said, her tone light and breezy. “And, you know...” She leaned closer to Sameer, her voice dropping into a teasing whisper. “She’s totally in love with Agni.”

My heart stopped. My face burned as the words registered, my muscles freezing in place. Did she really just say that?!

“What?!” I blurted, my voice high-pitched and panicked. “No! I’m not—Pruthvi, stop it!” I could feel the heat rushing up my neck and to my ears, my embarrassment like a tidal wave crashing over me.

Sameer’s eyes widened in disbelief, blinking as if trying to process what Pruthvi had just said. “Wait... really?” His voice was filled with shock, and he raised an eyebrow. “You... like Agni?”

“No!” I practically shouted, my voice cracking. “I don’t! She’s just messing with you—Pruthvi, stop it!” I glared at her, but she only giggled, clearly enjoying my misery.

Pruthvi, ever the tease, leaned back in her chair, grinning from ear to ear. “Come on, Antariksh, don’t be shy. You were staring at him the whole time. I could practically see the hearts in your eyes.”

“I was not!” I stammered, my pulse racing as I struggled to defend myself. “I... I was just... distracted, that’s all!”

Sameer chuckled, shaking his head. “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day. Antariksh Parmanu, thrown off by someone like Agni. Guess he’s got more of an effect on people than I realized.”

I groaned, sinking lower into my seat, wishing I could disappear. The teasing was unbearable, but worse than that was the gnawing discomfort growing inside me. Sameer wasn’t just my friend anymore. He was my teacher. And suddenly, all this playful banter felt wrong. I couldn’t talk to him the way I used to. There were boundaries now—lines I wasn’t supposed to cross.

I shifted uncomfortably, stealing a glance at Sameer. He was laughing with Pruthvi, but something about his expression seemed different. More distant, more reserved. As if he, too, was aware of the invisible wall that had sprung up between us the moment he became “Professor Sameer” and I became his student. The carefree dynamic we once had felt... out of place.

I chewed on my lip, wondering if things would ever feel normal again. Was I even allowed to joke around with him like this? Was it okay for us to still be friends?

Pruthvi’s laughter snapped me out of my thoughts. “Oh, come on, Antariksh, it’s not that serious. Agni’s just... well, he’s Agni. A bit of a jerk, sure, but who isn’t?” She winked at me. “And besides, you’ve always liked a challenge, haven’t you?”

I scowled, shooting her a glare. “I don’t like him,” I muttered, though my voice lacked any real conviction. “He’s... he’s just... arrogant. And annoying.”

Sameer chuckled again, but this time his tone softened, more thoughtful than teasing. “Hey, don’t stress about it, Antariksh.” He leaned forward slightly, his expression more serious now, the playful glint gone from his eyes. “Astralis is a big step, but you’re going to do fine here. You’ve got the brains, the determination... and you’re tougher than you think.”

I blinked, taken aback by his sudden change in tone. The Sameer sitting in front of me now wasn’t the laid-back guy I used to banter with. He was... a professor. Someone older, wiser. Someone who saw the bigger picture.

“And if Agni or anyone else gives you a hard time,” Sameer continued with a reassuring smile, “just remember you’re here for a reason. You belong at Astralis. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t.”

I stared at him, my embarrassment slowly fading as his words sank in. Sameer wasn’t teasing me anymore. He wasn’t poking fun or laughing at my awkwardness. He was... looking out for me. Like a teacher would.

“And don’t overthink things too much,” Sameer added. “This is a new beginning for all of us.”