The street in front of the apartment was a scene of mechanical carnage. A black sedan sat idling in the middle of the road, its front end completely caved in as if it had struck a reinforced concrete pylon at highway speeds. Steam hissed from a ruptured radiator, and the engine block was visibly cracked.
The driver sat behind the wheel, his hands trembling and eyes wide with a shock so profound he couldn't even find his voice. On the sidewalk, Raj stood as still as a statue, his mouth hanging open.
At the center of it all stood Rudra. He looked down at his own body, patting his chest and arms with a confused expression. He didn't have a single scratch, a bruise, or even a tear in his school uniform.
"Dude..." Raj finally managed to croak, his voice cracking. "What in the hell was that?!".
Rudra looked at the totaled car and then back at his hands. "Honestly, Raj? I don't know," he admitted, his voice quiet with realization. He flexed his fingers, feeling a strange, humming energy beneath his skin.
"But ever since that monster attack in the square... I feel different. I feel light. Like the gravity of the world doesn't pull on me the same way anymore".
Raj walked over, cautiously poking Rudra's shoulder as if checking to see if he was still made of flesh and bone.
"Sure you are a strange creature," he muttered, still staring at the wreck.
Rudra looked down at the purple stone fastened to his wrist. How long have I been wearing this? he thought. 'Could it be that Arthur didn't just give me a necklace... he gave me something else entirely?.'
Later that afternoon, Rudra, Raj, and Priya sat in a small, crowded cafe tucked away in a corner of Mumbai. The atmosphere was lively, but the television mounted on the wall told a different story. A news anchor was speaking with a grave expression, her voice cutting through the chatter of the cafe customers.
"The number of monster attacks has increased significantly this month," the anchor reported. "More than 30,000 cases were recorded yesterday alone across the globe".
The screen shifted to show a stern man in a high-collared suit with turban. "With us today is Mr. Kant, the Chairman of the P.R.I.S.M. (Private Response & Integrated Surveillance of Monsters)," the anchor continued.
"Mr. Kant, what is the official stance on this unprecedented surge in monster activity?".
"We don't have a clear answer yet," Mr. Kant replied, his eyes tired. "But the data indicates that the frequency and intensity of these incursions are escalating at an exponential rate".
Priya watched the screen, her brow furrowed with worry.
"The attacks really are increasing here," she whispered, her hand instinctively going to her shoulder where the avian monster had nearly struck her.
Rudra, trying to lighten the mood, gave her a reassuring smile.
"I'm sure it's nothing that serious, Priya," he said.
"Monsters have appeared since the beginning of time. As long as we follow the safety rules and stay in the designated shelters, the Heroes will always be there to save us".
Priya looked at him, surprised by his confidence.
"You seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff," she noted.
Raj snorted. "He's been a hero fanatic ever since we were kids. He probably knows the blood type and favorite food of every Hero in the city".
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a waiter, though "waiter" seemed like the wrong word. The man was like a member of some street punk group and a scar in his face which make him even scarier, with that scarred face and a gaze so intense it felt like he was staring through their souls rather than taking an order.
"What do you want?" Rudra asked, his defensive instincts flaring as he stood up slightly.
"Your order, sir," the man rasped.
Raj blinked, looking at the man's terrifying appearance. "Wait... are you actually a waiter here?".
"Got a problem with that?" the man growled, leaning in.
"No! Of course not! Perfect service!" Raj squeaked, burying his face in the menu. After a few moments of high-tension silence, Raj pointed at a random item on the menu.
"What... what exactly is this dish?".
The man stared at the menu for a long beat.
"Hell if I know," he grunted.
The table went silent with awkward fear until a young waitress rushed over, hitting the man on the back of the head.
"Sorry! He's new here and hasn't memorized the menu yet," she apologized with a nervous laugh.
As the strange man lumbered away, Rudra's attention drifted back to the television. Mr. Kant was still speaking, and his words were becoming even darker.
"The public believes we can solely depend on Heroes," Mr. Kant was saying. "But the truth is that while monster attacks are surging, the number of Heroes remains the same. They can't be everywhere at once. If the attacks continue to increase at this rate, our projections show that Heroes will only be able to intercept about 50% of the threats".
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Rudra walked home with Raj, but he was unusually quiet, his mind replaying the news report and the feeling of the car crushing against his skin. He thought of Arthur Grey—the man who had lived in a moldy house in the outskirts, forgotten by the world he once protected.
When they finally got back to their apartment, Raj slumped onto the couch and pulled out his phone. Rudra stood by the window, looking out over the city lights.
"HEY, RAJ!" Rudra shouted suddenly.
Raj jumped, nearly dropping his phone. "What now? You trying to give me a heart attack?".
Rudra turned around, his eyes burning with a fire Raj had never seen before. "I finally decided what I want to become!".
Raj rolled his eyes.
"Good for you. What is it? An architect? A professional sleeper?".
"I am going to become a Hero," Rudra stated firmly.
Raj went dead silent, the joke dying in his throat. "Are you serious?".
"Yes, I am," Rudra replied.
"You must be out of your mind!" Raj stood up, pacing the room.
"Being a Hero isn't like the movies, Rudra. People die. Legends like Arthur die!".
"Maybe I am crazy," Rudra said, looking down at the bracelet on his wrist.
"But Arthur gave me this power for a reason. He saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. I won't let his death go to waste. If the world is running out of people to protect it, then I'll be the one to step up".
Raj stared at his friend for a long time. He saw the totaled car in his mind, and the way Rudra had stood between Priya and certain death. He sighed, a small smile finally breaking through his worry.
"Ahh... if that's what you really want, then you've got my back," Raj said, extending a hand.
Rudra grinned, shaking it. "That's exactly what I expected to hear".
"Alright then," Raj said, his tone shifting into one of a dramatic mentor.
"Before you go to the battlefield, you need to go through the four legendary steps of becoming a Hero!".
"Yes! Go for it!" Rudra cheered, caught up in the excitement.
Rudra paused for a second, squinting at his friend. "Wait... did you just copy that line from that 'Hero Academy' webtoon you been reading since last week?".
Raj's face went red. "HOW DID YOU KNOW?".