Prologue

Advika, 25, recently retired from her perilous career as a spy for the Indian government. She's faced trauma that most couldn't bear in a lifetime. Now, all she craves is the one thing her life lacked-normalcy. A quiet, boring life free from the shadows of her past. But she'd never admit it, even to herself. To desire simplicity feels like weakness. Yet, deep down, that's all she wants-something real, something safe.

Karna, born a suta but kshatriya by heart, is a man who defied everything society forced upon him. Humiliated, cursed, and denied his rightful place, all he ever longed for was to learn weaponry-archery, his true calling. Though denied by every royal and guru, he carved his own path, mastering the art despite them all. Now, he seeks the respect and glory he's been denied, determined to claim his place in Hastinapur, the very kingdom that rejected him. He's no longer just a man-he's an enigma, a force of sheer will.

But what happens when Karna, through mysterious forces, arrives in Advika's house? In a clash of instinct and fear, she attacks first, questions later. Their worlds, separated by centuries and desires, suddenly collide. One seeking peace, the other seeking glory. Both wanting the impossible.

Advika wanted a simple life after the storms of her past. But maybe it was too much to ask.

Karna wanted respect and honor in the land that spurned him. But maybe that, too, was too much to ask.

Though their lives are worlds apart, something powerful connects them, pulling them into a moment neither can explain. Two souls, bound by destiny, stand before each other in an era foreign to them both.

And as they each seek what they desire most, one truth becomes clear-when the universe conspires to grant your deepest wishes, there's always a price.

The question is: at what cost?

Earlier known as 'fragment of time and reality'