Swallowing the Cosmos
Chapter 25: I Promise: Calls from Home
A heavy silence filled the air as I stood at the entrance of the cave, gazing at the apocalyptic wasteland before me. The sky was painted with thick smoke, distant explosions rocking the horizon. Mutated beasts prowled the ruins, their guttural growls blending with the distant cries of survivors.
I clenched my fists. My body still hummed with raw power, my recent awakening surging through every fiber of my being. But amidst all that strength, a single thought gnawed at me.
Home.
[You've got about a hundred missed calls, by the way,] Chatur chimed in lazily. [And judging by the sheer volume, I'd wager your family thinks you're dead. Which, to be fair, is a reasonable assumption given your habit of jumping into chaos.]
I ignored his sarcasm and pulled out my communicator. Dozens of missed calls. My mother, my father, and Siya had all tried reaching me repeatedly. Even Riya, my three-year-old sister, had sent voice messages.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and tapped on Riya's name first.
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A Call from Innocence
The screen flickered before revealing Riya's beaming face. Her large, round eyes lit up as she squealed, "Veer bhaiya!"
I exhaled slowly, forcing a smile. "Hey, little one."
"You disappeared!" she pouted, crossing her tiny arms. "Mama was crying! Baba was mad! And I—I was scared…" Her voice wavered as her lower lip trembled.
My heart clenched. "I'm sorry, Riya. I didn't mean to scare you."
She sniffled but quickly wiped her face, forcing a determined expression. "It's okay! Because I know you're strong! I drew you as a superhero!"
She lifted a small sketchbook, showing a crayon drawing of me standing tall, surrounded by flames, with two glowing swords in my hands.
I chuckled. "You think I use swords?"
She giggled. "No, but superheroes always have swords! And capes! But you don't wear a cape, so I made your hair all spiky instead!"
I laughed. "It's perfect, Riya. You're the best artist ever."
She grinned proudly. "Promise me you'll come home soon, bhaiya."
I hesitated for only a second. "I promise."
"I love you bhaiya" bye
"Love you too" little girl bye....
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A Mother's Plea
As soon as Riya's call ended, my communicator rang again. "Mama Calling."
I answered.
"Veer!" My mother's tear-streaked face filled the screen, her voice shaking. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"I—"
"Do you think you can just run off like this? Do you think my heart can take it?" She sobbed, gripping the edge of her saree. "Veer, I don't care how strong you've become. I don't care what your abilities are. You are my son, and I will not lose you to this war."
I bit my lip, guilt creeping in like a slow poison. "Mama, I—"
"Promise me," she interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Promise me you'll come back."
I hesitated, then said, "I promise."
She exhaled shakily. "You always were a terrible liar."
I looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
Her voice softened. "Just… stay safe, beta. No mother should have to bury her child."
"I know," I whispered. "I'll come back."
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A Father's Advice
I barely had time to breathe before another call came through. This time, it was my father, Arjun Verma.
Unlike my mother, his face was devoid of emotion. His sharp eyes assessed me, as if calculating whether I had grown stronger since he last saw me.
"You're alive," he stated.
"Yes."
A long pause. Then: "How strong have you become?"
I took a deep breath. "I've awakened as a Psychic Master."
"Awakening Stage level 1"
His expression remained unreadable. "Good. Then listen carefully. This war isn't about who's the strongest—it's about who survives. Strength means nothing if you don't live to use it."
I nodded. "I understand."
He studied me for a moment before saying, "One more thing. Trust no one blindly. There are traitors within the system, people who see this chaos as an opportunity."
I frowned. "Do you have proof?"
"Not yet. But the moment I do, you'll be the first to know."
I absorbed his words. If my father was suspicious, then something big was brewing beneath the surface.
"Veer." His voice grew softer, almost hesitant. "Your mother won't say it, but I will. If you feel like you won't make it back… retreat."
I clenched my jaw. "I'm not running away."
His eyes met mine, unwavering. "Then don't die."
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Siya's Words & A Promise
I hesitated before calling Siya. My fingers hovered over the screen before I finally pressed it.
The call connected almost immediately. Siya's face appeared, her expression unreadable.
"You're alive."
I nodded. "I am."
A pause. Unlike my mother, she didn't cry. Unlike my father, she didn't interrogate. Instead, she simply said:
"You left without telling me."
I sighed. "I didn't plan to be gone this long."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Do you know how worried I was?"
I ran a hand through my hair. "I do now."
Another silence stretched between us. Then, quietly, she said:
"I thought I lost you."
Something in my chest tightened.
"I'm sorry," I said. "Truly."
She looked at me for a long moment before speaking. "Promise me, Veer. Promise me that if you come back alive… you'll stop running from what's right in front of you."
I inhaled sharply. I knew what she meant. Us.
For years, we had danced around this, pretending like we weren't more than just childhood friends. But if this war had taught me anything, it was that time wasn't guaranteed.
I exhaled slowly. "If I come back alive, I'll do more than that."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I'll ask you to be my girlfriend."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "You better not be joking."
"I'm not."
For the first time, she smiled. It wasn't her usual playful smirk or teasing grin. It was soft. Real.
"Then come back alive," she whispered.
"I will."
She nodded, then ended the call.
I stared at the blank screen for a moment before exhaling deeply.
[Whew,] Chatur whistled. [You just made a real promise there, hero. No pressure or anything.]
I ignored him.
I first planned to go back to the academy on 1st Feb but because of that crappy system Update I lost my consciousness and totay on 6th Feb I regained my consciousness but the world has turned upside down in just a few days.
It started on 2nd Feb and in just a few days more that 50000 peoples have already lost their lives in India.
This beast tide is really dangerous but I have to go.
I had battles to fight. But now, I had one more reason to survive.
I clenched my fists and stepped forward.
The battlefield awaited.
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ENDOFTHECHAPTER.....
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, check out my other novel, Restart: A Piece of Cake. Dive into an exciting time loop adventure. Available now!