Phantom covonent: Spiritbound Ascension

The Journey Begins

Today was the day. Arman and his friends were heading to Jaisagar City—a trip that was supposed to be just for fun, but for him, it was something more. Training.

He picked up his phone and dialed his friends. "Let's meet at the Social Meet Travel Agency," he said. Everyone agreed, and with that, he was ready to leave.

Downstairs, his father sat in the living room, reading the newspaper. As Arman approached, he greeted, "Hey, Dad, I'm leaving."

His father lowered the paper and looked at him. "So… you're really going?"

And then, to Arman's surprise, his father's eyes welled up with tears.

"Oh, my kid! You've grown up so much—you're going on a trip alone!" he cried dramatically.

Arman sighed, shaking his head. "Dad, it's just a trip. I'll be fine."

His mother appeared from the kitchen, arms crossed. "Did you take everything you need?"

"Yes, Mom, I did," he assured her.

"Alright, take care, son," she said, patting his head.

With that, Arman left for the agency.

Meeting the Group

As he arrived at Social Meet Travel Agency, he was surprised by how crowded it was.

"Wow, this place is busy," he muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd for his friends.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder with a firm smack.

"Hey, Arman! Here you are!"

He turned around to see Riyan grinning at him.

"Wow, man, you're in good shape! I thought you'd take longer to get here," Riyan teased.

Arman rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, thanks for covering for me with my parents."

Riyan smirked. "No problem. I told them you were at my house that night. But seriously, when I told you to leave back then, why didn't you listen?"

Arman sighed. "Can we not talk about that? It was my fault, okay?"

Before Riyan could respond, a voice called out, "Hey, guys!"

Arman turned to see Ayesha waving at them, walking toward them with Zubair beside her. She had long black hair and was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, while Zubair—a tall guy with golden-brown hair—walked beside her casually.

"How are you guys?" Ayesha asked cheerfully.

Both Arman and Riyan replied in unison, "We're good. What about you?"

"I'm perfectly fine! I ran into Zubair on my way here, so we came together," she explained.

Zubair crossed his arms. "So, where exactly are we going?"

"Jaisagar City," Arman replied.

Riyan raised an eyebrow. "Wait, why there?"

The Night Before

"Jaisagar City? But why?" Arman had asked the spirit the previous night.

"Because that place has a vast amount of spirit energy. It's the perfect place for training," the spirit explained.

Back in the present, Arman gave a different answer. "Well… I've never been there before, and there are a lot of cool places to visit."

Riyan shrugged. "Fair enough. Let's go, then."

Registration

The four of them headed toward the agency's entrance and approached the reception desk. A woman, probably in her thirties, was seated behind it.

Riyan stepped forward. "Excuse me, miss. Can you tell us more about the trip program mentioned in your pamphlet?"

Before he could finish, the receptionist smiled and interrupted, "Of course! I just need your names, ages, and payment."

"Uh… sure," Riyan said. "I'm Riyan Khan, 18 years old."

She nodded, typing his details into the computer. "Next?"

Arman stepped forward. "I'm Arman Maniyar, also 18."

Ayesha followed. "I'm Ayesha Bano, 17."

And finally, Zubair said, "Zubair Malik, 19."

The receptionist finished typing and handed them four tickets. "That will be 1,000 rupees in total. The trip will last 15 days, and you'll be staying at Hotel Mira Bagh Palace in Jaisagar City."

Arman paid the amount, and the receptionist pointed toward the bus area. "Head to Bus No. 7 for departure."

The group nodded and left for the bus.

The Journey Begins

The bus was nearly full when they boarded. Arman and Ayesha sat together, while Riyan and Zubair took the seats behind them.

A few minutes later, a man stepped onto the bus. He looked like a tour guide—dressed in a formal shirt with an ID card hanging around his neck.

"Hi, everyone!" he announced. "I'm Kabir, your guide for this trip! We will now depart for Jaisagar City!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bus rumbled to life and started moving.

Arman took a deep breath.

The bus moved at a steady pace, gliding down the road as lush green fields stretched endlessly on either side. The golden sun cast a warm glow over the landscape, and cows grazed lazily in the distance.

Arman and Ayesha sat side by side, gazing out the window, taking in the peaceful scenery.

Just then, a small girl walked up to them, her eyes full of curiosity. She looked to be around ten years old.

"Hi!" she chirped. "Are you two a couple?"

Arman choked on air, coughing as Ayesha's face turned bright red.

"Oh—no! We're just friends!" Arman quickly clarified.

The little girl giggled. "Oh, so you're just friends? No worries!" She beamed. "By the way, I'm Meera, and I'm ten years old!"

Ayesha, still blushing, smiled and gently pinched the girl's cheeks. "Oh wow, you're so cute, Meera!"

Arman smirked. "You certainly don't talk like a ten-year-old…" he muttered under his breath.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Ayesha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Arman replied quickly, looking away.

Meera tugged on Ayesha's sleeve. "So, are you guys going to Jaisagar City too, Big Sis?"

"Yes, we are!" Ayesha said with a nod.

Meera's face lit up with excitement. "Yay! That means I'll be with you the whole time! Will you play with me when we get there?"

Ayesha chuckled. "Of course! I'd love to!"

"Yay!" Meera clapped her hands.

Just then, a woman's voice called from behind them.

"Meera! There you are!"

A lady, likely in her early thirties, approached them. She gave them a polite smile before looking at her daughter. "I hope my little one hasn't been bothering you."

"Oh no, not at all!" Ayesha assured her. "She's adorable!"

The woman smiled in relief. "That's kind of you."

Meera turned back to Ayesha. "Oh! Before I go, are you both traveling alone?"

Ayesha shook her head. "Nope! We're here with our friends!"

At that moment, Riyan and Zubair leaned over from the seats behind them and waved.

Meera waved back excitedly. "Hi, big brothers!"

Zubair grinned. "Hey, kiddo!"

"Alright, Meera, let's go back to our seats," her mother said, gently pulling her away.

Meera pouted but then turned back to Ayesha. "Don't forget your promise, Big Sis! We'll play when we reach Jaisagar City!"

Ayesha laughed. "I won't forget! I promise!"

With that, Meera and her mother walked back to their seats.

Arman let out a breath and leaned back. "Wow, she's got a lot of energy."

Ayesha smiled softly. "Yeah… but she's sweet."

The bus continued down the road, carrying them closer to their destination.

Their adventure in Jaisagar City was just beginning.