Shortly after Rudra runaway from home. Arthur was still fighting that monster. Monster was cocky and had no chance winning against Arthur. Arthur fighting like that in this old age you can only imagine what kind of monster he was in his prime. When monster was about to loose an another shadow come from the door.
"You? I didn't expected you to come directly"
In present the morning air in Mumbai felt heavy, thick with a tension that Rudra couldn't shake. His mind was a chaotic blur of the previous night's horrors. Arthur Grey—the man he had thought was merely a local drunk—was dead. The image of the white sheet covering the old man's body was burned into Rudra's retina. Arthur had fought at light speed, a retired hero holding back a talking monster just so Rudra could escape.
Arthur is dead... how could this be? Rudra thought, sitting on a weathered park bench, his head buried in his hands.
'That monster... it wasn't like the ones on the news. It was intelligent. It was strong enough to kill a legend'.
His hand drifted to his pocket, fingers brushing against the cool, smooth surface of the necklace Arthur had entrusted to him. It wasn't just a piece of jewelry; it was a target. The monster had called it a "stone," and Arthur had sacrificed everything to keep it out of their master's hands. With a trembling hand, Rudra pulled it out.
The purple stone sat silently in his palm. Without thinking, he looped the black thread around his wrist, fashioning it into a makeshift bracelet. The moment the metal touched his skin, he felt a faint, rhythmic throb, like a second heartbeat. What is so important about you? he wondered.
"A MONSTER! THERE'S ANOTHER MONSTER ATTACK!"
The sudden scream from the crowd shattered Rudra's thoughts. Panic erupted in the square as people began to trample one another, fleeing from a dark shadow descending from the sky.
'Another attack?' Rudra's heart hammered. It's been less than two days since the last one.
'Could it be the lizard-creature from last night?'
He sprinted toward the chaos. When he reached the center of the square, he realized this wasn't the talking monster. It was a winged beast, a bird-type monster with a jagged beak and eyes that burned with mindless hunger. It was much bigger than the ape-creature and no less deadly.
The Heroes hadn't arrived yet. The crowd was trapped. Rudra scanned the area, his eyes locking onto a familiar figure.
"Priya!"
The new girl from his class was paralyzed with fear, her books scattered across the pavement. As she turned to run, her foot caught on a jagged piece of debris. She slipped, falling hard as the avian monster let out a piercing shriek and dived, its talons extended.
Rudra didn't hesitate like his legs move on his own. He wasn't a hero, and he didn't have superpowers, but he couldn't stand by and watch her die. He lunged forward, throwing himself between Priya and the descending beast.
"You can't just eat whoever you want!" he roared, standing his ground even as his knees shook.
He was terrified. The monster was inches away, its foul breath hitting his face. But as Rudra braced for the impact, something impossible happened. The monster suddenly screeched in pain, its eyes widening with a primal, soul-deep fear. It flapped its wings frantically, veering away from Rudra as if it had just stared into the sun. It fled into the clouds, disappearing as quickly as it had arrived.
"Huh? What... what was that?" Rudra panted, his adrenaline beginning to crash. He turned to Priya, reaching out a hand.
"Are you okay?"
Priya looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and awe.
"Yeah... but Rudra, what did you just do? It looked like it was terrified of you."
"I... I don't—"
Suddenly, a white-hot spike of pain drove into Rudra's skull.
"AHHHHH!"
He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head. As the world around him blurred, a flood of violent, ancient images surged through his mind: great wars between celestial beings, rivers of fire, and a dark, towering silhouette that looked like a demon smiling through the smoke of a burning world.
'WHO ARE YOU?!' Rudra screamed internally.
A low, echoing chuckle resonated in the back of his mind. The purple stone on his wrist let off a single, sharp spark of golden light. Then, the darkness took him. And soon he passed out.
Rudra opened his eyes to the sterile white ceiling of a hospital room. A doctor stood over him, checking a tablet.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
"You passed out after that incident at the square," the doctor explained.
"You've been out for about three hours. But I have to say, your reports are... unusual. Your body is in a state of health that shouldn't be possible for a seventeen-year-old. It's like your muscle density and vitals have been optimized. After some monitoring you will be good to go.", after that doctor left.
Before Rudra could process this, the door burst open. Raj and Priya rushed in.
SMACK!
Priya's hand connected with Rudra's cheek.
"What were you thinking, jumping in front of a monster like that?" she demanded, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"I was just trying to save you..." Rudra muttered, rubbing his face.
Raj sat on the edge of the bed, his voice trembling. "Man, what am I supposed to tell your dad if you die? Just... be chill for once."
After a flurry of promises to "run away next time," Rudra was discharged. As he and Raj walked back toward their apartment, Raj couldn't stop talking about the event.
"I still can't believe you scared off a monster just by shouting at it," Raj said, shaking his head.
"I wish I could have seen the look on its face. Wait... are you blushing? Are you still thinking about Priya?"
"NO, I'm not!" Rudra snapped, his face turning a deep shade of red.
"YOU TOTALLY ARE!"
In his embarrassment, Rudra turned to shove Raj and accidentally stepped off the curb into the busy Mumbai street.
"Rudra, LOOK OUT!" Raj screamed.
A black sedan, traveling at nearly sixty kilometers per hour, slammed directly into Rudra's side. The sound of crunching metal echoed through the street.
Raj froze, his heart stopping. The driver of the car sat behind the wheel in total shock. But as the dust settled, Rudra stood up and brushed off his shoulder.
"Oh, man... I'm really sorry about that," Rudra said, looking at the driver.
Then he looked down. The front of the car was completely totaled—the engine block was crushed and the hood was crumpled as if it had hit a solid steel pillar. Rudra, however, didn't have a single scratch on him. Not even a bruise.
His gaze slowly shifted to his wrist.
The stone.
"…So this is what you are," he whispered.