Outside the imperial residence, everything remained just as peaceful as it had been earlier that morning.
The sunlight continued to spread across the quiet gardens.
Birds moved between the trees, the distant sounds of Shaktiveer Territory slowly grew louder as people began their daily routines, and the gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers through the open spaces surrounding the residence.
Nothing outside suggested that anything unusual had happened.
Inside Vanshika’s private chamber, however, both women were still staring at the newborn in her arms.
Neither of them knew what they had just witnessed.
The faint glow that had appeared beneath Vivaan’s clothing had disappeared almost as quickly as it had come.
There was no trace of it now.
Vivaan himself looked perfectly peaceful.
His tiny fingers rested against Vanshika’s dress, his azure eyes slowly moving between his mother and the unfamiliar woman standing nearby.
The younger healer looked completely puzzled.
She glanced at Vanshika.
Then at Vivaan.
Then back at Vanshika.
“Did you see that?”
Vanshika didn’t answer immediately.
Her attention remained on Vivaan.
“I saw something.”
The healer waited.
“Do you know what it was?”
Vanshika’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m not sure.”
That answer seemed to make the healer even more confused.
Before either woman could say anything else, a faint pulse appeared once again.
This time, they both saw it clearly.
A soft light briefly moved beneath Vivaan’s chest.
It wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the room, but it was unmistakable.
The healer instinctively leaned forward.
Vanshika’s expression changed.
She immediately brought Vivaan closer.
The newborn didn’t cry.
He simply looked at his mother.
Vanshika studied him for several seconds.
Then, almost instinctively, she adjusted him in her arms and brought him closer to herself.
Her arms wrapped around his tiny body.
She leaned forward until his small form was safely nestled against her.
Her forehead slowly moved toward his.
Their foreheads touched.
For a moment, mother and son remained completely still.
Vanshika’s eyes closed.
Then she slowly pulled her forehead away.
Her eyes opened.
She stopped.
Something was visible on Vivaan’s forehead.
At first, it appeared to be nothing more than a faint blue light.
But as Vanshika looked closer, the shape became clearer.
Her eyes widened.
Then her expression changed completely.
Recognition.
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
“Oh…”
She looked at her son with a mixture of surprise and amusement.
“So that’s what you were doing.”
The healer looked confused.
“Lady Vanshika?”
Vanshika didn’t answer immediately.
Her eyes remained fixed on Vivaan’s forehead.
There, emerging naturally against his tiny skin, was a delicate crystalline pattern.
The Shaktiveer Soul Signature.
It wasn’t simply a mark.
The structure began from a brilliant central star shaped like a luminous diamond.
Its deepest blue crystalline body seemed almost transparent in places, allowing tiny points of light to shine through it.
A fine golden outline followed the edges of the central structure, giving the entire design an elegant, refined appearance.
Above the central star rose a long, narrow crystalline extension.
It stretched upward like an elegant blue crystal blade, gradually narrowing toward its highest point, where another tiny four-pointed star shone brightly.
Beneath the central structure, another elongated crystalline section extended downward, mirroring the upper portion and ending in another delicate star.
From the central core extended two magnificent symmetrical formations.
They curved outward to both sides of Vivaan’s forehead like crystalline wings.
Each side contained several layered blue structures, their sharp outer tips extending elegantly away from the center while their inner curves flowed back toward the central star.
Fine golden edges followed the crystalline contours.
Tiny white-blue points of light appeared throughout the design, resembling miniature stars trapped inside the blue crystal.
Around the upper and central sections, thin luminous curves formed delicate circular patterns, giving the signature an almost weightless appearance.
The entire structure was perfectly balanced.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
And unmistakably Shaktiveer.
Vanshika’s smile grew.
She looked down at the newborn.
“You’re only one day old…”
Her voice carried genuine disbelief.
“And you’ve already awakened my Shaktiveer Soul Signature.”
The healer stared at Vivaan.
“His…
what?”
Vanshika glanced toward her.
The healer looked completely lost.
“What is that signature?”
Vanshika didn’t immediately answer.
Instead, she carefully shifted Vivaan’s position.
Her right hand moved from behind his back, supporting him as she adjusted him comfortably against her thighs while remaining seated on the bed.
Vivaan’s tiny body rested securely against her.
Vanshika raised two fingers toward her own forehead.
She gently tapped the center of her forehead for a couple of seconds.
She removed her fingers.
The healer’s eyes widened.
A soft blue radiance appeared.
The same crystalline structure slowly emerged across Vanshika’s forehead.
The central diamond-shaped soul star appeared first, glowing with brilliant white-blue light from its center.
The deep royal-blue crystalline body surrounding it reflected the morning sunlight, while delicate golden borders traced every edge.
Above it, the elegant vertical crystal rose toward her hairline and ended in a small four-pointed star.
Below the central core, the matching elongated structure extended downward.
On either side, the magnificent crystalline wings unfolded across her forehead, each composed of several sharp, curved blue crystal sections connected into one seamless design.
Tiny luminous stars appeared throughout the structure.
Thin, almost transparent circular lines surrounded parts of the mark, moving so subtly that they seemed almost alive.
The blue, white, and gold combination matched Vanshika perfectly.
Her midnight-blue hair framed the glowing mark.
Her Cosmic Azure eyes within moving stars reflected its light.
The elegant long earrings at her ears caught the morning brightness, their refined blue, white, silver, and golden details complementing the soul signature.
The mark didn’t merely sit upon her forehead.
It seemed to complete her appearance.
The already extraordinary beauty of Vanshika became even more striking with the Shaktiveer Soul Signature illuminating her forehead.
The healer could only stare.
“Lady Vanshika…”
Her eyes moved between Vanshika and Vivaan.
“What exactly is that?”
Vanshika smiled.
She looked at Vivaan’s forehead again.
Then she gently tapped his tiny forehead with one finger.
Nothing happened.
The signature remained.
She did again with her own Shakti.
Vanshika’s eyebrows lifted.
“Interesting.”
She tapped his forehead again.
Still nothing.
The healer stepped closer.
“It didn’t disappear.”
Vanshika nodded.
“No.”
She looked at her son with increasing amusement.
“He can control whether it appears.”
The healer’s expression became even more stunned.
“He’s one day old.”
Vanshika smiled proudly.
“I know.”
“He shouldn’t even know how to control something like that.” Healer said.
“Not consciously.” Vanshika said with a smile.
Vanshika looked down at Vivaan.
His tiny hand had already found the edge of her dress again.
“Apparently, nobody told him that.”
The healer stared at the baby.
“He awakened it…
and he’s already controlling its visibility?”
Vanshika gently touched the side of his face.
“Seems like he really did inherit everything from me.”
She leaned down and kissed him.
Vivaan blinked.
The healer remained frozen.
Her professional curiosity finally overcame her hesitation.
“May I verify something?”
Vanshika looked toward her.
The healer carefully approached.
“He’s truly only one day old?”
Vanshika gave her an amused look.
“You were here yesterday.”
“I know, but…” Healer tried to say.
The healer looked at Vivaan again.
“I still can’t believe it.”
She carefully examined the signature without touching him.
The crystalline mark remained perfectly visible.
The healer slowly shook her head.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Vanshika’s expression became thoughtful.
“You wouldn’t have.”
The healer looked at her.
“Why?”
Vanshika’s gaze lowered toward Vivaan.
“Because almost nobody knows about it.”
The healer became even more curious.
“Then what is it?”
Vanshika didn’t answer immediately.
She looked at Vivaan’s forehead once more.
Then she gently adjusted his blanket.
“It’s Shaktiveer Soul Signature.”
The healer repeated the words silently.
“Shaktiveer…
Soul Signature.”
She looked at Vanshika’s forehead.
Then at Vivaan’s.
“And he inherited it from you?”
Vanshika smiled.
“Yes.”
She looked at him affectionately.
“Just like everything else.”
Her eyes lingered on his hair, his face, and finally his eyes.
“His eyes.
His hair.
His face.
His skin.”
She gently touched his cheek.
“And now this too.”
She smiled.
“You really did inherited your mom’s everything.”
Vivaan moved one hand.
Vanshika laughed.
“Don’t look so proud.”
The healer smiled despite her amazement.
Then Vanshika suddenly became still.
Her attention shifted.
She could sense something within Vivaan.
Something she hadn’t noticed before.
Her expression changed slightly.
She looked deeper.
There was something unusual inside him.
Something vast.
Something she could feel but couldn’t immediately place.
Her eyes narrowed.
“Mahāshakti…”
The word left her almost unconsciously.
The healer tilted her head.
“What did you say?”
Vanshika immediately looked at her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Vanshika gave her a calm smile.
“Nothing.”
The healer clearly didn’t believe her.
“Lady Vanshika…”
“I said nothing.” Vanshika excused.
Her tone remained gentle, but there was no invitation to continue the subject.
The healer understood.
She didn’t ask again.
At that moment, the chamber doors opened.
The elderly medical master from the previous day entered carrying several carefully prepared herbs and a small bottle filled with a medicinal potion.
She immediately bowed her head respectfully.
“Good morning, Lady Vanshika.”
Vanshika nodded.
“Good morning.”
The elderly woman approached the bed.
Her eyes soon fell upon Vivaan.
She stopped.
Her expression became puzzled.
The strange crystalline signature was still shining on the newborn’s forehead.
The old woman stared at it.
Something about it felt familiar.
She had seen it before.
Yesterday.
For the briefest moment after Vivaan had been born.
At the time, she had been too overwhelmed by the happiness of safely delivering the child to pay much attention to it.
She had thought perhaps the exhaustion had caused her eyes to play tricks on her.
Now it was unmistakably there.
“Lady Vanshika…”
Vanshika looked toward her.
“Yes?”
The elderly woman pointed carefully toward Vivaan’s forehead.
“That mark…”
Vanshika waited.
“Was it there yesterday?”
Vanshika nodded.
“Yes.”
The old woman’s eyes widened.
“I thought I had imagined it.”
She looked at Vivaan again.
“It only appeared for an instant.”
Vanshika asked, “Did you notice anything else?”
The medical master shook her head.
“No.
Only the mark.”
She paused.
“I thought perhaps I was simply too happy to notice things properly.”
Then her gaze shifted toward Vanshika’s forehead.
Her eyes widened again.
The same beautiful crystalline design was glowing there.
“Wait…”
She looked between mother and son.
“Lady Vanshika…
you have the same mark.”
The younger healer looked at her.
“You noticed it too?”
The elderly woman nodded.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
She looked at Vanshika.
“What is that strange signature on your forehead…
and His Highness’s?”
Vanshika remained calm.
“It’s called the Shaktiveer Soul Signature.”
Both women looked at her.
Neither understood.
The younger healer quietly repeated the name.
“Shaktiveer Soul Signature…”
The elderly medical master exchanged a glance with her.
They clearly had questions.
But neither felt it was the right moment to press her majesty for explanations.
Instead, the old woman placed the herbs and medicinal portion on the nearby table.
“How are you feeling today, Lady Vanshika?”
Vanshika nodded.
“Much better.”
The elderly medical master examined her carefully.
After making certain that she was genuinely recovering, she pushed the medicinal potion slightly closer.
“Drink this.
It should relieve the remaining pain considerably.”
Vanshika picked up the potion.
“Thank you.”
The two healers prepared to leave.
Before stepping outside, the younger healer looked back at Vivaan.
Her expression immediately softened.
“He’s really adorable.”
The elderly medical master smiled.
“And handsome.”
The younger healer nodded enthusiastically.
“Very handsome.”
She glanced back toward the room.
“Just look at his face.
He really inherited Lady Vanshika’s beauty.”
The old woman laughed quietly.
“He’s a newborn.”
“I know.” Younger healer said.
The younger healer smiled.
“But even now you can tell.”
The elderly woman shook her head.
“Stop imagining what he’ll be like years from now.”
“I’m only saying he’ll grow into a very handsome young man.” Younger healer shared her thought.
Elderly woman think carefully before saying.
“And when that happens, he’ll still be Lady Vanshika’s son.”
The younger healer laughed.
“Of course.”
They stepped into the corridor.
The door closed gently behind them.
For a moment, the two women walked side by side in silence.
Then the younger healer sighed.
“I still didn’t get to hold him.”
The elderly medical master glanced at her.
“You frightened him when you tried to take him.”
“I barely moved him.” Younger healer defended herself.
“He didn’t care.” Elderly woman whispered.
The younger healer looked disappointed.
“He only wanted his mom.”
Neither woman noticed that Vanshika was still visible through the partially closed doorway.
A small amused smile appeared on her face.
She had been listening.
“I was only teasing her anyway.”
Both women turned around.
The younger healer looked surprised.
“Lady Vanshika?”
Vanshika smiled.
“I wasn’t really going to let you take him.”
The healer stared at her.
“You were joking?”
Vanshika nodded.
“Perhaps.”
The younger healer placed a hand over her heart dramatically.
“Then I was tricked.”
Vanshika laughed.
“You survived.”
The elderly medical master shook her head with amusement.
The three women shared a brief laugh.
Then the younger healer looked toward the closed door again.
“Still…
he’s really adorable.”
“He is,” the old woman agreed.
They continued down the corridor.
But when they reached the end, both women stopped.
Someone was standing outside the entrance to the private chamber.
A man.
He had apparently been waiting there for some time.
The younger healer froze.
Her eyes widened.
She looked at the elderly medical master.
The old woman was equally surprised.
Neither of them had expected anyone to be there.
The younger healer lowered her voice.
“Who is he?”
Her eyes moved toward the man standing silently near the door.
“And what is he doing here?”
The elderly medical master stared at him.
Her expression became cautious.
“I don’t know.”
The younger healer looked toward the entrance again.
“Who allowed him into this part of the residence?”
The man remained silent.
He didn’t move.
He didn’t explain why he was there.
He simply stood outside the chamber where Vanshika and her newborn son were resting.
The two women exchanged another uncertain glance.
For the first time that morning, the peaceful atmosphere of the imperial residence felt slightly different.
And neither of them knew why.
To Be Continued…