Private jet, 40,000 feet above the Bay of Bengal.
Fluffy sat on a custom leather throne-seat.
Aria beside him, holding his paw.
Me in front, laptop open, live satellite feed of the island.
41 hours became 18 by the time we landed on a hidden airstrip in Port Blair.
One black helicopter.
One pilot who saluted Fluffy like a general.
12:03 PM – Crimson Sanctuary approach
The island looked dead from above.
No boats. No lights.
Only one concrete fortress in the centre.
We landed on the beach.
No guards came out.
Because they were all already dead.
Bodies in red uniforms everywhere.
Clean shots.
Professional.
Aria whispered, "This wasn't us…"
Fluffy's ears flattened.
We walked inside.
Hallways painted blood red.
Every monitor showed the same message in golden text:
"Welcome home, Fluffy Oberoi.
The prodigal father returns."
At the end of the main corridor: one glass door.
Behind it: Dr. Vedansh Malhotra.
Old.
Thin.
Smiling like a mad saint.
And in front of him: hundreds of synthetic Shiba Inus in glass pods.
An army of Fluffys.
He spoke through the speaker.
"You are late by seven years, old friend.
I perfected what we started.
One mind.
A thousand bodies.
Immortal empire."
Fluffy stepped forward and sat.
His eyes turned pure crimson.
Dr. Malhotra laughed.
"Still silent?
Good.
Watch this."
He pressed a button.
Every pod opened.
Hundreds of red-eyed Shiba Inus stepped out in perfect sync.
Then they all spoke at once, voice exactly like Fluffy's:
"Hello, Papa."
Aria grabbed my hand.
Fluffy didn't move.
He just closed his eyes.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then every synthetic dog froze.
Their eyes flickered… from red to brown.
Dr. Malhotra screamed, "NO! Override rejected!"
Fluffy opened his eyes again.
Brown.
Normal.
He gave one quiet woof.
Every synthetic dog turned toward Dr. Malhotra…
and sat.
Refusing commands.
Because there is only one real Fluffy Oberoi.
The doctor pulled a gun, shaking.
"You can't—!"
Fluffy walked forward slowly.
One step.
Two steps.
Then jumped.
Not attack.
He just placed his front paws on the doctor's chest and looked into his eyes.
The gun fell.
Dr. Malhotra started crying.
"I just wanted to bring her back… our Aria…"
Fluffy licked his cheek once.
Forgiveness.
Then turned and walked away.
The synthetic army followed him like ducklings.
We left the fortress.
I pressed the remote detonator the butler had given me.
The entire island erupted in flames behind us.
On the helicopter ride back, Aria asleep against Fluffy's side.
Fluffy looked at me.
Brown eyes again.
He spoke aloud, soft, only for me:
"Thank you, beta.
Contract complete."
I smiled.
"Anytime, Master."
He rested his head on Aria's lap and closed his eyes.
The red glow never returned.
Three days later – Marine Drive, sunset
Just a normal old dog chasing waves.
A teenage girl laughing and throwing a frisbee.
A 25-year-old guy recording it on his phone, smiling like an idiot.
No palace.
No empire.
No red eyes.
Just family.
And somewhere in the evening sky, a single cherry blossom petal drifts past.
Fluffy looks up, tail wags once.
Message received.
The King rested.
But the legend never will.
The End**