(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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High-Land Leaf restaurant...
Rudra stood silently,
"____"
The soft murmurs of conversation fading behind him.
In his palm floated the third and final fragment of the Brahmastra—
a radiant shard that pulsed with warmth, unlike the others. Its glow was gentle, almost nurturing. The aspect of Creation.
His gaze was transfixed by it, caught between reverence and the dawning weight of what was to come.
Then—
[DING...]
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
The system's voice followed, calm yet absolute.
[System Notification:]
[You have obtained the Third Fragment of the Brahmastra – Creation.]
[To initiate full assimilation, a balance must be achieved with the previously integrated aspects: Destruction and Preservation.]
[The Complete Brahmastra represents the eternal cycle of life: Creation – Preservation – Destruction.]
[DING...]
[ASSIMILATION TIME BEING CALCULATED...]
[DING...]
[Assimilation will require: 10 days.]
[During this period, host will enter a deep state of spiritual hibernation.]
[Warning!!!: Vulnerable state. Prepare environment. Alert allies. Initiation irreversible once begun.]
Rudra blinked, the words settling in his mind like the slow drift of ash after fire.
"_____"
'Ten days.'
Ten days without control.
Ten days where his body would lie dormant, helpless, as the final piece settled into his soul.
Uniting power, essence, and destiny.
He let out a deep, weary sigh, his breath catching slightly in his throat.
Sigh~
He closed the box slowly, the glowing light of the third fragment vanishing beneath the dark wooden lid.
Yet even with the lid shut, it felt as if the entire room pulsed with the energy it left behind.
His fingers lingered on the smooth surface of the box.
He wasn't just preparing for a ritual.
He was preparing to change.
To evolve.
To become something else entirely.
Without a word,
Rudra turned around and began walking toward the lounge, where the others awaited.
The warm glow of firewood danced along the walls of the quiet lounge.
The storm outside had passed, but inside, tension still lingered like fog that refused to lift.
Around the circular sitting area, the core members of Rudra's circle sat in silence, nursing cups of herbal tea or just lost in thought.
Shiva, arms crossed, leaned against the wall.
Sandeep and Ravi sat beside Mohan Bhargav, who was wrapped in bandages but insisted on being present.
Anish Shetty paced slowly, his fingers twitching from nervous energy.
Tarun and Rohit sat near the hearth, quietly watching flames crackle.
Amirtha, standing with arms folded, looked as though she'd aged a decade in a day.
Junoo stood beside her, his brows furrowed with quiet concern.
And Guru Arvind, ever serene, sat calmly, hands folded in his lap, watching the door as if he already knew.
The soft creak of footsteps on wood made them all look up.
Thud. Thud.
Rudra entered.
"____"
The box was no longer in his hands—
It was already open.
And in his palm, floating slightly above his skin, was the third fragment of the Brahmastra, humming gently like a heartbeat made of light.
Silence.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Only the fire dared to move.
Guru Arvind closed his eyes for a brief moment.
He already knew.
Since he was the one who handed over the final piece had been handed over.
The Brahmastra was ready to be made whole.
Rudra looked around the room, his gaze passing over each of them—
His friends, his mentor, the people who had become his chosen family and friends.
"Ten days,"
He muttered.
Everyone in the room looked at him with concern.
Rudra looked at Guru Arvind.
"I'll be in hibernation while it assimilates. The Brahmastra, it needs to form balance between all three aspects. Creation. Preservation. Destruction. The complete Brahmastra."
Ravi stood up, voice tense.
"Ten days? You're going to be... unconscious?"
Rudra nodded.
Nod~
"Like a spiritual cocoon, I think."
Mohan, despite his pain, managed a slight smile.
"Like a phoenix before it's reborn or something..."
Shiva uncrossed his arms.
"Where will you do it?"
"I think forest will do it."
Rudra said firmly.
"It's shielded. Private. I'll be safe there. If a fight breaks out public wont be affected by it."
Junoo stepped forward.
"We'll keep watch. Around the clock."
Sandeep grinned despite the seriousness.
Grin~
"Like hell we'll let anyone get near you."
Amirtha said nothing at first,
But when she finally spoke, her voice was tight.
"Then we'll make these ten days count. Because when you wake up…"
Her eyes flicked toward the window, where the sun is setting.
"…Who knows the fight might be already over."
The forest search party had departed an hour ago—
Shiva, Sandeep, Ravi, Mohan Bhargav (still moving slowly under his bandages), Guru Arvind, and the others were scouring the quieter edges of Ooty's dense woodland for a place strong in natural energy and hidden from prying eyes.
A place where Rudra could sleep for ten days… safe.
Back at The Highland Leaf, silence ruled.
The lounge was dimly lit, warm with the smell of herbal tea and sandalwood incense.
Rudra sat by the window, a half-filled glass of water in his hand, condensation trailing slowly down his fingers.
His eyes weren't focused on anything in particular—
Only the thoughts swirling within.
The third fragment pulsed faintly inside the wooden box resting on the table beside him.
Across the room,
Anish's wife sat quietly, watching her boys—
Rohit and Tarun—
As they sat cross-legged and played a game of cards, since they cant participate in the search.
Amirtha moved silently toward Rudra,
Her presence as grounding as ever.
She stopped beside him, leaning down slightly so only he could hear her.
"You don't have to carry everything alone, Rudra,"
She whispered, her voice soft but firm.
"We're not here just to fight by your side. We're here to share the weight too. Let us."
Rudra glanced at her, startled by the warmth in her words.
Her hand rested lightly on his shoulder—
A brief moment of connection, yet full of meaning.
Before he could respond, Junoo stepped forward.
She crossed the room with purpose, her boots silent against the polished wooden floor.
Her expression was calm, but her aura simmered like an active volcano.
"You hibernate, Rudra,"
She said clearly, standing now beside Amirtha.
"You sleep, get stronger—do what you must. But no one,"
Her eyes began to gleam with a subtle but unmistakable red glow, the mark of her Astra flaring to life,
"No one touches you while I still breathe."
A soft hum of energy pulsed through the room as her Astra responded to her conviction.
The air tightened.
Rudra blinked, then looked down at his water—
Smiling faintly at their fierce loyalty.
That strange warmth stirred in his chest again, one that didn't come from any astra or training.
It came from them.
From family.
He finally spoke, voice low but sincere.
"Thanks… both of you."
And for the first time in days, some of that crushing weight on his shoulders… lifted.
An hour passed...
The quiet was interrupted not by words,
But by a strange tension in the air—
Like the forest itself was holding its breath.
At the back of the Highland Leaf, near the kitchen exit,
Birds suddenly scattered, taking flight in rapid succession.
Then came the low rustling—
Leaves shivering, bushes parting.
Anish's wife, who had been preparing a warm herbal tea for herself, stood near the back door, awaiting the forest team's return.
Her eyes narrowed.
That wasn't human movement.
She stepped forward cautiously, peering through the trees—
And her breath caught.
From between the trees emerged a doe, calm and unbothered.
Behind her came a wild boar, then a black panther, its eyes gleaming amber under the shade.
Squirrels, owls, mongooses, even a massive python slithering silently in the rear—
All creatures that would never normally gather in one place.
And leading them, sitting triumphantly atop a deer's antlers like a royal general riding into court, was—
Hammy.
Tail twitching.
Eyes wide and sparkling.
Wearing a tiny acorn helmet made from an actual acorn shell.
She made a chirping call, which only Rudra could have truly understood,
But even without knowing the language,
The pride and chaos in her presence was unmistakable.
Anish's wife stumbled back, stunned.
Not out of fear—
But disbelief.
"____"
She rushed down the hall.
"Rudra!"
She called, voice half-laughing.
"There's… there's a zoo outside! No, a forest—forest is outside!"
Rudra, who had been resting near the lounge's fireplace, instantly sat up.
His eyes widened.
He knew.
Hammy had returned.
He stood, pushed the door open, and stepped into the back garden just as the last light of day melted into twilight.
Dozens of eyes turned to him—
Predators and prey alike—
Yet none moved.
They simply watched.
And right in front,
Hammy gave the most dramatic salute imaginable for a squirrel—
One paw across her chest, chin tilted sky-high, tail curled like a cape.
"REPORTING BACK, BOSS!"
She squeaked in her high-pitched tone only Rudra could understand.
"ALL THE FOREST'S FRIENDS WHO'D LISTEN TO ME—I BROUGHT 'EM! THEY WERE A LITTLE WHINY AT FIRST, BUT I TOLD 'EM, 'HEY, OUR GUY'S ABOUT TO NAP FOR TEN DAYS, SO YOU BETTER SHOW SOME RESPECT!'"
Rudra stared for a beat—
Then slowly, a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Of course you did,"
He said softly.
Junoo, Amirtha, and the others stepped outside, blinking at the surreal procession.
Some gasped.
Others simply stared in awe.
The forest had come to protect its son.
Rudra stepped barefoot onto the dew-kissed grass,
The night breeze brushing past his hair as if nature itself was greeting its child.
The forest creatures instinctively stiffened, wary of the human presence—
But when they looked into Rudra's eyes, they didn't see a man.
They saw one of their own.
His aura was calm—
Not commanding, but inviting, like the warmth of sunlight through dense leaves or the steady rhythm of falling rain.
The aura of Nature's Son.
The panther lowered its head.
The doe blinked, slowly.
Owls rotated their heads toward him,
And even the old python slithered closer, curling gently like a question mark in the grass.
Birds chirped inquisitively.
A porcupine sniffed his leg. A fox tilted its head, ears flicking.
Then, one by one—
They began to speak.
Not in human language—
But in emotion, in images, in chirps, growls, and subtle body language that Rudra could understand perfectly,
Thanks to the system and his bond with nature.
A small parrot fluttered onto his shoulder and squawked,
"He's not like the others."
A monkey climbed down from the roof eaves and whispered in chittering tones,
"He smells like trees… and stars."
A mongoose sat upright.
"Why does he feel like the wind we remember?"
Rudra smiled gently, crouching down and placing his hand on the cool earth.
"Friends,"
He said softly,
"I need your help."
He raised a hand and gestured to Junoo, who stepped forward with a rolled parchment she had fetched from Rudra's room.
She handed it to him silently.
Rudra unrolled the sheet and placed it on a flat stone, revealing a hand-drawn sketch of a crimson gemstone set in a black-threaded necklace—
The same worn by Dev's servants.
He pointed at it.
"This… if you see any human wearing this necklace, anywhere in the forest or nearby, I want you to alert the people at the Highland Leaf, or me. You can do it however you like—call, whistle, tap the windows, scratch the doors. Just signal us."
The animals looked at each other, then back at Rudra.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Something about this felt different.
This wasn't a command.
It was a plea—
Filled with trust.
The owl blinked solemnly.
The panther gave a low growl of understanding.
The parrot fluttered to the stone, staring at the drawing.
"Bad people wear this?"
Rudra nodded.
Nod~
"Yes. Very bad."
Then, one after the other,
The animals made noises of agreement.
Some chirped.
Some hissed.
Some just nodded.
Nod~
The python raised its massive head.
"We will watch. We will listen. No snake… no hawk… no deer will miss this."
Rudra let out a slow breath.
Gratitude radiated from him, silently echoing through the trees.
Hammy bounced onto Rudra's shoulder and thumped her chest.
"TOLD YOU! He's our guy!"
A small squirrel nearby chittered something about Hammy being "dramatic,"
But even that was filled with warmth.
The forest had spoken.
And Nature had chosen.
As the moon climbed higher into the sky, bathing the Highland Leaf and its surrounding forest in a soft silver glow, the last of the animals began to depart.
One by one, they faded into the darkness—
Hooves padding silently, wings slicing the night air, tails disappearing into the underbrush.
Each having made a silent vow to Rudra.
The air was calm again, filled only with the distant hum of cicadas and the whisper of leaves.
Rudra stood quietly at the edge of the clearing, watching them leave.
His hand rested gently on Hammy, who remained perched on his shoulder—
Her tiny form unusually quiet, as if she too understood the gravity of what was to come.
A few feet behind, Amirtha and Junoo stood in silence, giving Rudra space, though their eyes never left him.
"____"
"____"
Then—
"HOI!"
A familiar voice broke the stillness, loud and brimming with energy.
Sandeep emerged from the treeline, leaves tangled in his hair and dirt on his boots, but his grin was so wide it looked like he'd just won a tournament.
He jogged toward them, waving with both hands.
Rudra turned, raising an eyebrow.
Sandeep stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath but excited.
"I found it, Rudra! The spot. It's perfect. Deep in the forest, near a natural spring. There's a clearing surrounded by thick trees—completely hidden, peaceful, no foot traffic. It even has an old stone formation in the center, like some ancient circle. Like the forest made it just for you!"
Junoo's eyes narrowed in curiosity.
"You sure it's safe?"
After some time...
One by one, the others returned from their scouting task—
Shiva, Ravi, Mohan Bhargav, Anish Shetty, Guru Arvind—
Each with mud on their boots and fatigue in their steps.
Some had found caves tucked between ridges, others only dead ends or exposed paths that wouldn't do.
But when they heard Sandeep's enthusiastic report about the hidden spring clearing—
Its serenity, natural camouflage—
A shared silence passed between them.
"____"
"____"
"____"
Even Guru Arvind gave a thoughtful nod, his wise eyes narrowing in contemplation.
Nod~
"This might be the place,"
He said quietly, looking at Rudra.
Rudra gave a slight nod, not speaking much—
Nod~
But the certainty in his expression said enough.
With the decision settled, they all stepped into the dining area.
Inside, long wooden tables had already been set by the staff before their leave.
Steam curled from bowls of hot rasam, plates filled with jeera rice, freshly baked rotis and grilled vegetables were the dishes Anish's wife had helped prepare.
The scent of ghee, garlic, and spices warmed the air.
Everyone gathered around—
A ragtag unit of warriors, mentors, and survivors—
Seated shoulder to shoulder as though it were just another night.
But it wasn't.
Not with what was to come.
Rudra sat at the center table, flanked by Amirtha on one side and Junoo on the other, their presence grounding him.
Across from him, Shiva and Sandeep were already arguing about who had to do the dishes if a challenge was issued.
"Bro, I'm the one who found the spot! I should be exempt!"
Sandeep declared with a mouthful of roti.
Shiva rolled his eyes.
"You tripped over a root and landed in the clearing. That doesn't count as 'finding' it."
Everyone laughed.
Hahaha~
Even Mohan Bhargav, arm still in a sling, managed a chuckle.
Chuckle~
"If I wasn't bandaged, I'd be dragging you both to do the work."
As the dinner continued, the energy shifted.
Slowly, the conversation calmed.
Plates emptied.
Laughter faded into quieter voices.
There was something special about the moment—
As if they all knew this might be the last dinner together for a while.
Rudra sat in silence, sipping warm soup.
"____"
He looked around the room.
When his eyes met Amirtha's, she offered a small smile.
"We'll watch over you,"
She whispered.
"Just eat and rest for now."
Junoo simply said,
"And when you wake up, this world won't know what hit it."
Rudra didn't reply.
He reached for another bite—
the final meal before hibernation, before fully awakening the compleate Brahmastra.
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(Author's POV)
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