Chapter 14 Order
The relentless exchange of blows echoed through the deserted, narrow street.
"BOOM! BOOM!"
The assassin's daggers, infused with dark, corrupted prana, slammed against Rudra's iron blade with bone-shattering force. Each impact sent a jarring vibration straight through Rudra's arms, turning his muscles to lead and his breath to shallow gasps. He was on the absolute verge of breaking. His body, already exhausted from hours of grueling training at the academy, simply could not keep up with the overwhelming strength of an awakened warrior.
With a malicious smirk, the assassin spotted Rudra's stance faltering. He feinted a high strike, then brutally pivoted, driving his boot into Rudra's ribs while simultaneously twisting his wrist with a sweeping slash.
The agonizing pain forced Rudra's fingers to loosen. His iron dagger slipped from his grasp, clattering loudly against the cold cobblestones and sliding into the darkness of the alley.
Defenseless and battered, Rudra stumbled backward, his back hitting the rough stone wall of a building. He looked up, his vision blurring. The assassin raised his black-steel blade, a cold, victorious gleam in his eyes as he prepared to deliver the final, lethal cut.
"Die, brat," the cloaked figure hissed, bringing the blade down.
But the strike never landed.
"BOOM!"
The air itself seemed to rupture as a blinding shockwave of golden-white light descended from the heavens. Before the assassin's blade could touch Rudra, a hand encased in a solid, radiating barrier of pure life-energy caught the razor-sharp metal barehanded.
It was Meera.
Her eyes, usually filled with gentle warmth, were now blazing with a terrifying, primal fury. With a single, fluid motion of her other hand, she struck the assassin's chest. The impact shattered his protective barrier instantly, sending him crashing into the ground. Before he could even think of escaping, Meera pinned him to the earth with one hand, her immense prana locking his joints and sealing his energy channels so completely that he couldn't even move a finger. She deliberately held back her full strength, intending to keep him alive to find out who had planned this cowardly attack.
The moment the assassin was secure, Meera spun around, her fierce expression instantly melting into pure, trembling maternal panic. She rushed to Rudra's side, her hands shaking as she touched his bruised face.
Seeing his split lip, the dark purple bruises swelling on his wrists, and his torn, dirt-smeared academy uniform, a sharp, suffocating ache pierced her heart.
"Rudra... oh gods, Rudra," Meera whispered, her voice cracking with a mixture of gentle concern and barely suppressed tears. "My sweet boy, I'm here. I'm so sorry I was late. Where does it hurt? Speak to me, please."
Rudra looked up into his mother's frantic, tearful eyes. The adrenaline that had kept him standing finally vanished, leaving behind a wave of crushing exhaustion. He managed a weak, reassuring smile.
"I am... fine, mom," he murmured softly. "Just... really tired."
As the words left his lips, his eyes closed, and he fainted, his limp body collapsing forward into his mother's protective embrace. Meera gathered him into her arms, holding him tightly against her chest as if she could shield him from the entire world.
Without losing a second, Meera channeled a soft, warm stream of healing prana into Rudra's body to stabilize his condition, then rushed him directly to the medical facility within the River Moon Society.
An hour later, the quiet, rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor filled the sterile, white hospital room. Rudra lay peacefully on the bed, his face pale but his breathing deep and steady.
The local chief physician stepped over to Meera, who was standing by the bedside, her hand holding her son's bruised fingers.
"How is he, Doctor?" Meera asked, her voice low and tight.
"He is completely out of danger, Lady Meera," the doctor reassured her with a respectful bow. "His bones are intact, and the minor internal bruising is already healing thanks to your immediate treatment. He is simply suffering from extreme physical and mental exhaustion. His body forced him into unconsciousness to begin the recovery process. He will likely wake up tomorrow morning with nothing more than a heavy appetite."
Meera let out a long, shuddering breath, smoothing a lock of dark hair away from Rudra's forehead. "Thank you. Please ensure the security around this ward is doubled."
"Of course, Lady Meera."
Leaving a squad of elite Rakshak sena guards outside Rudra's room, Meera's soft demeanor vanished once more. The quiet, cold anger returned to her eyes. She dragged the bound, unconscious assassin from the holding cell and made her way to the secluded, dimly lit chambers of Atmika, the Soul Weaver.
Inside the mystical sanctum, incense smoke curled lazily through the air. Atmika sat in a meditative pose, her eyes opening the moment Meera stepped through the heavy wooden doors.
"I felt the disturbance in the city's energy," Atmika said, her voice like a soothing, distant whisper. "What happened?"
"An assassin tried to kill Rudra," Meera said, throwing the bound captive onto the stone floor. "He bypassed the security of the River Moon Society. I need to know who is behind this, Atmika. Look into his soul."
Atmika's eyes narrowed. Without a word, she stepped forward and knelt beside the bound man. She placed her pale, elegant hand directly over his forehead. Her eyes began to glow with a deep, ethereal purple light as her consciousness plunged into the deep, dark labyrinth of the assassin's mind.
Using her soul-weaving techniques, Atmika bypassed his physical brain, digging straight into his subconscious memories. Images flashed before her—hidden meeting rooms, maps of Pataliputra, and a dark, shadowy figure giving orders.
Deep... further, Atmika commanded herself, pushing her spiritual energy deeper to unmask the leader.
Suddenly, as she neared the core of his memories, she encountered a pitch-black, twisted runic seal wrapped tightly around the assassin's soul. It was a vicious, forbidden trigger.
A suicide seal! Atmika realized, her eyes widening in shock.
Before she could withdraw her consciousness—
"BOOM!"
The assassin's head suddenly detonated, exploding in a horrific spray of dark, corrupted energy and blood. A powerful shockwave of destructive prana rippled through the room. Meera reacted instantly, raising a solid barrier of golden life-energy to shield herself and Atmika from the blast.
As the dark smoke settled, the headless corpse slumped to the floor.
Atmika wiped a stray drop of dark, tainted blood from her cheek. Despite the horrific fail-safe, her glowing purple eyes slowly returned to normal, carrying a heavy, chilling revelation.
"I saw it," Atmika whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "The seal... the structure of the memories. It was them. The Order of the Dark Age."
Hearing that name, Meera's face turned incredibly pale.
The Order of the Dark Age was a twisted, traitorous cult of humans that had existed since the early days of the global invasion. They believed that humanity was fundamentally weak, flawed, and destined for extinction. Instead of fighting the invading alien entities, they worshipped them. They believed that by allowing the alien monsters to conquer Earth, humans could merge with them, mutate, and gain easy, corrupted power. They were the ultimate traitors—the internal bastards of human society who actively sabotaged defensive lines and slaughtered their own kind to curry favor with the invaders.
"How is this possible?" Meera whispered, her hand tightening into a fist. "They managed to penetrate the River Moon Society. This is the most secure residential area in the entire federation."
"Which means," Atmika spoke, her expression grim, "the corruption has spread far deeper than we feared. Many moles have successfully entered our higher-ups."
Meera closed her eyes, a shadow of painful memories crossing her face. "If the Order is active inside Pataliputra... Shikhanda will go on the verge of a total breakdown again."
Atmika's gaze drifted toward the window, looking out over the quiet city lights. "I still remember that day so clearly. Years ago, when Shikhanda first discovered the death of his mother due to order. He was furious, filled with rage he found a major cell of the Order hiding in the southern bases. The sheer, terrifying anger he displayed... the raw, blazing fury of the Inferno Lance. The absolute bloodshed and the brutal, merciless cleanup he carried out. It is still so vivid in my mind. He showed no mercy to those traitors."
Meera opened her eyes, her gaze hardening into steel. The gentle healer was gone, replaced by a leader ready to protect her family and her people.
"We tried to build a peaceful federation, Atmika. We tried to govern with laws and structure. But weeds cannot be reasoned with; they must be torn out by the roots," Meera said, her voice cold and resolute. "It looks like we will need that Shikhanda again. A thorough, ruthless cleanup of Pataliputra is required."