Pranith finally saw Rudra and Dhruva riding on horses. On Dhruva's horse sat a small girl, crying softly — she was the one Dhruva had saved earlier.
While observing their movements, Pranith suddenly heard a voice echoing in his mind.
"Welcome back, Pranith."
Pranith smiled, recognizing the voice instantly.
"Took you long enough to contact me, Tarkshya."
"Well, I had my duties to attend to," Tarkshya replied lightly. "So, are you getting used to your role?"
"There are still so many things I don't understand here," Pranith said.
"Don't worry," Tarkshya assured him. "All questions will be answered through time itself."
As Tarkshya spoke, Rudra began behaving strangely. "Tarkshya, Rudra is acting differently," Pranith said.
"I think his past trauma is haunting him again," Tarkshya answered. "Trauma? What do you mean by that?"
"Yes," Tarkshya said, his tone softening. "A trauma that never left him. Whenever he sees something burning — even a piece of paper — he loses control of his senses."
As Tarkshya spoke, Rudra's eyes widened. His entire body froze; sweat rolled down his face as his muscles stiffened. He couldn't
keep his balance and fell from the horse.
Pranith watched in alarm.
"As you can see," Tarkshya continued, "his entire body has been paralysed by fear."
"I never thought I'd see Rudra like this," Pranith said quietly. "So what happened in his past?"
"The time will tell you his story," Tarkshya said. "But I will say only this — on that day, he lost everything. He watched his entire childhood burn in fire."
Pranith frowned in frustration. "You never give me the full story. But how will Rudra ever come out of that trauma?"
"You will bring him out from his slumber," Tarkshya said calmly.
"Are you mad?" Pranith asked, startled. "I can't speak, and no one can see me. How can I help him?"
"You are the only one who can," Tarkshya said.
"Then tell me how."
"Simple," Tarkshya replied. "Get into his mind and speak to him. Make him come back."
"You're telling me to go into his mind and talk to him?" Pranith asked. "Alright, let's give it a try."
He slowly approached Rudra, who lay motionless on the ground. Dhruva was shouting Rudra's name, trying desperately to wake him.
Placing his hand on Rudra's forehead, Pranith let his spirit enter Rudra's consciousness.
What in the world am I doing? he thought. I never imagined I'd be stepping into someone else's mind like this.
He found himself standing in a vast, dark space. In the centre sat Rudra — alone, weeping quietly.
Pranith walked closer and stood in front of him, but Rudra didn't react.
Can't he see me? Or is he ignoring me? Pranith wondered. He spoke softly. "Rudra…"
His voice echoed through the darkness. Rudra's heart began pounding as he looked around, terrified.
"Who are you?" he shouted.
Pranith blinked, surprised by Rudra's fear.
"Don't be afraid," Pranith said. "I'm here to help you."
"Help me?" Rudra's voice shook. "How can you talk to me here? Why would you want to help me?"
"The answers will come," Pranith replied. "But not now. This isn't the time to sit alone and cry over your past self."
"What else can I do?" Rudra whispered. "Whenever I see fire, I remember my family dying in front of me. My friends were taken away by evil people. I was just a child — I couldn't do anything. My entire town was reduced to ashes. And now, it's happening again. Every time I see those flames, I freeze."
"Fear," Pranith said quietly. "The greatest villain in everyone's life. Each person fights it every single day. Those who defeat it become who they truly are meant to be. Fear hides within — overcome it, and you can create wonders."
Rudra slowly lifted his head.
"I… I still have things I must protect," he said.
"Then go, Rudra," Pranith urged. "There are people outside
waiting for hope — waiting for you. Protect them. Rise and fight."
"I don't know who you are," Rudra said, "or how you can speak to me, but… thank you. I'll put my life on the line to protect them."
"I know you will," Pranith said with a faint smile. "Now go — and teach that group a lesson."
With those words, the dark void dissolved around Rudra. His eyes opened.
Dhruva's relieved face appeared before him.
"Finally!" Dhruva said. "You were paralyzed for two whole minutes!"
"Sorry for worrying you, Dhruva," Rudra replied, sitting up.
"Are you feeling okay now?" Dhruva asked. "I tried using healing magic, but it didn't work. I didn't know what else to do. Thank the spirits you're back."
"I'm fine," Rudra said. "Thank you for caring."
"It's okay," Dhruva said. "But if something's wrong, tell me next time."
Rudra nodded. "Alright. Let's go — people are waiting to be rescued. But first, we need to stop this fire. If we don't, the whole town will burn to ashes."
"Leave that to me," Dhruva said confidently. "I have a plan."
He turned to the little girl and smiled. "Do you want to see a big magic?"
The girl's tears faded into curiosity as Dhruva began chanting.
Meanwhile, Tarkshya's voice spoke again in Pranith mind. "You did great, Pranith. I think you can handle the rest."
"Alright," Pranith replied. "We'll meet again soon."
As Tarkshya's presence faded, Pranith turned toward the other side of Via Minor. The sun had already risen, casting light over the ruined town. Children were crying, and the townspeople were bound and held hostage by over a hundred armed soldiers.
Why so much destruction? Pranith thought. Is this because Rudra killed those five men? No… there's something more to this.
The villagers knelt on the ground, trembling. Children were tied to wooden posts. Two adventurers — the guild leader and a B-rank woman — fought desperately against the enemy.
Their leader sat watching the battle with amusement, until a strange sound echoed through the air. A massive gust — a swirling storm of wind and water — swept through the streets, dousing the flames and passing through the heart of the town.
From within that tempest rode two figures — Dhruva in front with the little girl, and Rudra behind him. The fire was gone, extinguished completely.
For a moment, the town fell silent. The people of Via Minor stared at Rudra and Dhruva with awe and hope, while the enemy soldiers stood stunned by the immense magical power.
"That was some strong magic," Rudra said.
"It's called Storm-Tide Veil," Dhruva explained. "A combination of water and wind magic. But that's not what matters right now — we've got a bigger problem ahead."
High above, Pranith watched them, silently observing. Rudra turned to Dhruva. "How many do you think there are?" "More than a hundred," Dhruva replied.
Just then, a body came flying through the air — the B-rank adventurer who had been fighting earlier. Dhruva extended his hand,
using wind magic to stop her fall.
"Are you alright?" he asked, catching her gently.
She nodded weakly, exhausted. Dhruva offered her a healing potion. "You've done well. Rest now — we'll handle the rest."
Turning to Rudra, he asked, "Are you ready?"
Rudra grinned. "I was waiting to hear that. Let's finish what they started."
On the other side, the enemy's second-in-command laughed loudly.
"What's taking you so long, Rudra? Afraid after seeing our numbers?"
Rudra smirked. "Get ready, Dhruva. lets finish this "
Pranith stood above, watching the coming storm of battle unfold.