The legend's massage
The intense battle was finally over. The cavern was quiet, lit only by the soft, crackling blue electricity from Karma's new Lightning Sword and Sambhab's floating blue fireball.
The team gathered around the ancient iron chest sitting on the stone pedestal. The heavy lid was already pushed open. Everyone leaned in, holding their breath, expecting to see a glowing, magical artifact or a weapon of mass destruction.
Instead, they saw three things.
First, a thick, dusty leather-bound book. Second, a strange, metallic cube covered in complex gears and glass lenses. And third... the entire bottom of the massive chest was completely overflowing with shiny, heavy, solid gold coins.
Kanha's jaw dropped so low it practically hit the floor. His eyes turned into literal dollar signs.
"Oh... my... god," Kanha whispered, his hands trembling with absolute joy. He plunged his hands into the chest, letting the heavy gold coins slip through his fingers with a beautiful clinking sound. "We are rich! Forget the Elite Class, I'm going to buy my own private island! I'm going to buy a lifetime supply of premium chips! Papa Kanha has hit the jackpot!"
Daizy giggled, watching Kanha happily stuff handfuls of gold coins into his pockets. "Kanha, you look like a greedy pirate."
"I am a wealthy pirate now, Bhabhi-ji (sister-in law)!" Kanha laughed, completely ignoring the tension.
While Kanha was celebrating his new wealth, Sambhab frowned. His tactical mind didn't care about the gold. He reached into the chest, carefully ignoring the coins, and picked up the strange metallic cube. It was heavy, covered in strange ancient runes, and had a single, glowing blue button on the top.
"This is incredibly complex machinery," Sambhab muttered, pushing his glasses up. "It looks like an old Pran-projector. Let's see what it does."
Without waiting for permission, Sambhab pressed the glowing blue button.
Whirrrrr... Click!
The metallic cube floated out of Sambhab's hands and hovered in the middle of the cavern. A bright beam of blue light shot out from its glass lens, hitting the dark stone wall.
The light flickered, static buzzed, and suddenly, a life-sized, three-dimensional holographic projection appeared before them.
It was a man. He looked to be in his early thirties. He wore a long, dusty traveler's coat, and a legendary silver sword with a dark blue hilt was strapped to his back. He had a sharp jawline, wild, messy hair, and a goofy, carefree smile that reached his bright eyes.
Karma completely froze. The Lightning Sword in his hand suddenly felt ten times heavier. His breath caught in his throat.
Swati gasped, stepping out from behind Daizy. Tears instantly pooled in her eyes.
It was their father. The legendary Lightning Lord.
The hologram of the man crossed his arms, leaning back as if he were resting against a wall. He gave the camera a cool, two-finger salute.
"Yo! How are you guys doing?" the father's voice echoed through the cavern. His tone was incredibly casual, like he was greeting an old friend at a tea stall.
"Dad..." Karma whispered, taking a trembling step forward. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He hadn't heard that voice in years.
Swati ran forward, reaching her hands out to the blue light. "Papa! Papa, you're alive?! Where are you? Why did you leave us?!"
Karma also stepped closer. "Dad, what is this place? What is this sword? Are you in trouble?"
But the hologram didn't look at them. It just kept smiling its goofy smile. The man scratched the back of his neck and continued speaking.
"If you are watching this, Karma, then it means it's really you," the father said. "First of all, congratulations! You turn sixteen this year, right? Man, time flies. You must be a handsome devil just like your old man."
Swati wiped her tears, sniffing loudly. "He can't hear us, Bhaiya. It's... it's just a recording."
Karma clenched his fists, swallowing the massive lump in his throat. He nodded silently, his heart aching, but he kept his eyes glued to the projection of his hero.
"And second," the father's hologram continued, pointing a finger gun at the camera with a wink. "Congratulations on becoming a Pranist! I'm so proud of you, son."
Karma sniffled, but a small smile broke through his tears.
"I know what you're thinking," the father laughed. "You're probably super curious, right? 'Oh wow, Dad, how did you know I would become a pranist ?' Well, honestly... I always knew you had the spark in you. You just needed time. That map you found in the closet? I designed that metal box myself. It had a pure Pran-seal on it. It was completely impossible to open unless someone with awakened Chakra touched it."
Kanha, who was still holding a fistful of gold, suddenly puffed his chest out proudly. "See that? My Matter Manipulation unlocked the family mystery! You can thank me later, bro."
"And speaking of the box..." the father's projection chuckled nervously, rubbing his chin. "You guys probably saw all that gold in the chest, right?"
"Oh yeah, we did!" Kanha cheered happily.
"Yeah... about that," the father smiled a highly mischievous, unapologetic smile. "I kinda... stole all of that gold from a bunch of high-level Shadow Cult members when I was young and wild. They were pretty mad about it. So, if any weird guys in masks try to kill you for it... my bad!"
The entire team froze.
Daizy blinked slowly. Kanha looked down at the gold coins in his hands. Sambhab's eye began to twitch violently.
"Wait," Sambhab said, his voice completely flat. "So the Elite Assassin squad that just tried to murder us... was tracking this treasure because Karma's dad robbed them twenty years ago?"
Kanha slowly dropped the gold coins back into the chest. "Karma... your dad was a menace."
Karma couldn't help it. A short, watery laugh escaped his lips. Even in death, his father was causing pure chaos.
"Anyway, I should wrap this up," the father's projection said, his face finally turning a little serious. "Listen to me, Karma. If you are watching this recording... it means I am probably already dead. I couldn't be there to protect you and Swati. Take care of your mother. Protect your sister. And use my Lightning Sword to carve your own path. I love you, son."
Karma pressed his hand over his heart, closing his eyes. "I will, Dad. I promise."
"Oh! Wait! Hold on!" the father's projection suddenly shouted, waving his hands frantically as if he had just remembered something terribly important.
Everyone snapped to attention.
"I am so sorry, I completely forgot to tell you the most important part!" the father laughed awkwardly, striking a cute, apologetic pose. "This underground cavern is heavily booby-trapped! Opening that chest and activating this projector completely turned off the structural seals!"
Sambhab's face went completely pale. "What does that mean?!"
The hologram gave them a bright, cheerful thumbs-up. "It means the entire cave is going to violently collapse and crush everything inside in about... oh, ten seconds! Good luck, kids! Run fast! Bye!"
Click.
The projector turned off. The blue light vanished.
For two entire seconds, there was absolute, pin-drop silence in the cavern.
Then... RUMBLE!!!
The ground violently shook. Massive cracks appeared on the walls. Huge chunks of the stone ceiling began to detach and free-fall toward them. A deafening roar of collapsing earth filled the air.
"HE SET A SELF-DESTRUCT TRAP?!" Kanha screamed at the top of his lungs, grabbing his head in absolute panic.
"Your father is a madman!" Sambhab roared. He didn't waste a single millisecond. He leaped forward, grabbed the thick leather book, snatched the projector cube, and forcefully slammed the heavy iron lid of the chest shut.
"RUN!" Karma screamed, completely snapping out of his emotional moment.
Karma grabbed Swati by the waist, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. His new 3rd Chakra flared to life, covering his legs in bright blue lightning.
"My gold! Wait, let me take the gold!" Kanha cried, trying to open the chest again.
"Forget the gold, you idiot!" Daizy yelled, grabbing Kanha by the ear and physically dragging the massive Vanguard toward the exit.
"Ahhh! My ear! My money!" Kanha wailed as rocks the size of cars began to smash into the ground right behind them.
Sambhab led the way, firing blasts of Black Hell Fire to vaporize any falling debris blocking their path. Karma ran at god-like speed, lightning trailing behind him, making sure Daizy and Kanha were right beside him.
The entire Howling Valley underground was tearing itself apart. The Core Four sprinted up the ancient stone staircase as the world literally collapsed into dust behind their heels, courtesy of the legendary, incredibly chaotic Lightning Lord!
The ground beneath the Howling Valley completely caved in, sending up a massive cloud of dust that covered the night sky.
BOOOOOOM!
Fifty yards away from the collapsing crater, the Core Four and Swati burst out of the tree line, diving face-first into the safe, soft grass. They were completely covered in gray dust, soot, and dirt, panting heavily as they watched the ancient underground cavern bury itself forever.
For a full minute, the only sound was their heavy breathing.
Then, Kanha slowly lifted his head from the dirt. He slammed his fists into the ground, tears streaming down his dirty face.
"MY GOLD!" Kanha wailed at the top of his lungs, pointing dramatically at the sinkhole. "Millions of rupees! A private island! Premium snacks! All gone! Crushed under rocks because Karma's dad forgot to install a pause button!"
Karma lay on his back, staring up at the moon. Despite the near-death experience, despite the exhaustion, and despite Kanha's loud crying... Karma started to laugh. It started as a small chuckle and quickly turned into a loud, genuine laugh that echoed through the quiet forest.
Daizy looked at Karma, her heart fluttering slightly. It was the brightest, most carefree laugh she had ever heard from him. She couldn't help but smile, letting out a soft giggle herself.
Sambhab pushed himself up, dusting off his uniform. He carefully secured the heavy leather book and the projector cube in his bag. "Well, tactically speaking, we survived. We secured the artifacts. And most importantly, we learned that Karma's father was an absolute lunatic."
"He was awesome," Swati whispered, her eyes shining as she looked at the glowing blue sword resting in her brother's hand.
After safely dropping Swati back home—with strict orders to never tell their mother about the explosion or the assassins—the Core Four finally caught a late-night train back to the city.
Scene Shift: The Academy Gates
It was past midnight when the team finally walked up the massive stone steps leading to the main gates of Vedas Heritage Academy. They were exhausted, bruised, and their Elite uniforms were torn to shreds.
But as they approached the towering iron gates, they stopped dead in their tracks.
Standing in the center of the entrance, blocking their path, was a massive silhouette. He wore a messy librarian outfit, and a large black raven with silver eyes sat perched on his shoulder.
It was Lord Rudra. The Ultimate King.
His aura wasn't leaking, but the sheer, suffocating pressure of his presence made the air feel incredibly heavy. He looked furious.
"Do you four have any idea what time it is?" Rudra's voice was dangerously low, rumbling like distant thunder. "Sneaking out of the academy. Going into an uncharted Class-A Danger Zone. Without permission. Without backup."
Kanha nervously hid behind Sambhab. "Uh oh. Papa Rudra is mad."
"I should expel all of you right now," Rudra continued, taking a slow, heavy step forward. "Do you think you are invincible just because you won a little tournament round?"
Karma stepped forward. He didn't look down. He didn't apologize. He simply stood tall, the moonlight reflecting off his dirty face.
Strapped firmly to Karma's back was the newly awakened weapon. The silver blade caught the moonlight, and the dark blue hilt let out a faint, crackling spark of blue electricity.
Rudra's furious lecture completely stopped.
His eyes locked onto the sword. The heavy, suffocating aura around the Ultimate King instantly vanished, replaced by a shocking, absolute stillness. Kael, the raven, let out a soft, surprised squawk.
Rudra slowly walked toward Karma. His hands, which had crushed monsters and broken mountains, were visibly trembling.
The most feared man in the academy, the Ultimate King, fell to his knees right in front of the sixteen-year-old boy.
"Lord Rudra?" Karma asked, his eyes widening in confusion.
Rudra gently reached out and touched the dark blue hilt of the Lightning Sword. The moment his fingers grazed the metal, a single, heavy tear escaped his eye and rolled down his scarred cheek. Then another. And another.
The terrifying Lord Rudra was crying.
"You found it," Rudra whispered, his voice cracking with decades of buried grief. He looked up at Karma, seeing the exact same wild, teal eyes of the man he had lost. "You actually found this."
Daizy, Kanha, and Sambhab stood in stunned silence. They had never seen an adult—let alone a legend—break down like this.
Rudra took a deep, shaky breath, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. He slowly stood back up, looking at the four confused teenagers. He gave a soft, watery chuckle.
"Come to my office," Rudra said quietly. "It is time you knew the truth."
Scene Shift: The Flashback
Rudra's office was dark, lit only by a single desk lamp. The Core Four sat on the leather sofas, completely silent, while Rudra poured himself a glass of water.
Rudra leaned against his desk, looking at the Lightning Sword resting on Karma's lap.
"Your father," Rudra started, a fond, nostalgic smile crossing his face. "Was an absolute, undeniable idiot."
Kanha gasped softly. "Wait, really?"
"Oh, absolutely," Rudra laughed, shaking his head. "When I first met him, we were both are psyco . I was already famous for my pran energy manipulation technique . I was serious, brooding, and strictly disciplined. And your father? He was a complete crazy. He was exactly like you, Kanha, but ten times more arrogant and way too chill for his own good."
Karma blinked in surprise. "My dad was... chill?"
"He used to wear bright floral shirts to underground death matches," Rudra recalled, his smile widening. "He chewed bubblegum while dodging fireballs. He didn't care about rules, he didn't care about the 7 Council, and he definitely didn't respect my authority."
Rudra pointed to the deep, jagged scar running across his face.
"One day, he pushed me too far," Rudra said, his eyes darkening slightly with the memory. "We were at a training camp. He accidentally spilled his hot tea all over my favorite combat boots and just laughed about it,and said I demanded a duel. He accepted, still chewing his damn gum."
Rudra walked over to the window, looking out at the stars.
"It was the most intense fight of my youth," Rudra whispered. "I thought I was the fastest in the world. But your father... his blue lightning was unnatural. He moved like a ghost. At the peak of our fight, he managed to break through my absolute defense. He swung that exact sword you are holding, Karma. Slash. He gave me this scar across my face."
Daizy gasped softly, covering her mouth. To scar the Ultimate King was an impossible feat.
"I was shocked. And then... I got incredibly angry," Rudra chuckled darkly. "I unleashed my Prime form. I beat him so brutally that he flew through three brick walls. I broke his ribs, his arms, and probably his ego. When the dust settled, I walked over to him, expecting him to beg for mercy."
Rudra turned back to Karma, his eyes shining with deep respect.
"But he didn't beg," Rudra said softly. "He was lying in the rubble, completely covered in blood, missing a tooth... and he was laughing. He looked up at me and said, 'Man, you hit really hard. Teach me how to do that.'"
Rudra smiled, wiping a stray tear from his eye. "He was arrogant, he was a fool, but he was a sheer genius. Right then and there, I made him my first and only disciple. We fought together, drank together, and bled together. Until the Shadow Cult took him from me."
Rudra walked over to Karma and placed a heavy, warm hand on the boy's shoulder.
"I have been secretly training you because I saw his shadow in you," Rudra said, his voice filled with pride. "But today, seeing you return with his blade, surviving the Howling Valley... you are no longer just his shadow, Karma. You are the storm he left behind."
The room was silent. Karma looked down at his hands, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and closure. He finally understood his father. He wasn't just a legend; he was a human, a fighter, and a friend.
"Now," Rudra said, his tone suddenly shifting back to his strict, terrifying teacher voice. "Since you four decided to play hero and skip your exams, you are all going to run five hundred laps around the academy tomorrow morning at 4 AM."
"FIVE HUNDRED?!" Kanha shrieked, falling off the sofa.
Karma, Daizy, and Sambhab just laughed, the heavy weight of the night finally lifting from their shoulders. The past was revealed, the sword was claimed, and the team was stronger than ever.