(A/N):
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Sara guided him toward the dining area, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder.
The table responded to their presence, extending smoothly, its surface warm and inviting.
A small robot rolled forward.
It was nothing like the grand humanoid machines Krishna had imagined.
This one was simple.
A single floating square body, matte white, with two thin metal wire-arms extending from its sides.
Beneath it, a single wheel hummed softly as it moved.
It stopped precisely beside Krishna and gently placed a plate in front of him.
The dish was… unfamiliar.
The base was a rich purple, glossy and softly steaming, shaped like a shallow dome.
From its edges curled several squid-like legs, darker in color, arranged neatly rather than grotesquely.
The aroma was warm, slightly sweet, with a deep savory undertone that made his stomach react instantly.
"Vel'thra Stew,"
Sara said lightly.
"Aurelia-style. Mild. I told them not to overdo the spice."
Krishna hesitated for exactly one second.
"...."
Then he took a bite. His eyes widened.
The texture was perfect. Tender without being soft, rich without being heavy.
The flavor bloomed slowly, layers unfolding one after another, savory first, then a subtle sweetness, followed by something faintly oceanic yet comforting.
"…This is really good,"
He said honestly, taking another bite.
The robot emitted a pleased little chime and rolled away.
[-Chime]
Sara didn't say anything.
"...."
She rested her elbow on the table, her chin in her palm, watching him eat.
Her smile was gentle, unguarded, the kind that came from simply seeing someone you loved exist safely in front of you.
She didn't ask questions.
Didn't probe his memories.
Didn't mention the hibernation or the month that had passed.
She just watched her son enjoy his meal.
Krishna noticed her gaze after a moment and glanced up. He asked confusedly.
"What?"
Sara shook her head softly, smile widening just a little.
"Nothing, I just missed this."
He paused, spoon hovering mid-air. He replies quietly.
"…Me too,"
And for a while, they sat there like that.
A mother watching. A son eating. No urgency. No perfection.
Just a moment that felt… right.
Krishna was halfway through another bite when the wall to his left rippled.
Not opened. Rippled, like liquid disturbed by a passing hand.
-Ripple
The air shifted.
A tall figure stepped through as if the wall had politely moved aside just for him.
He wore a tight, white armored bodysuit that hugged his frame without restricting movement, its surface layered with subtle geometric lines that pulsed faintly with restrained power.
It wasn't decorative. It was functional. The kind of armor that didn't need to prove anything.
On his chest gleamed a military insignia.
Sector–28.
A single sector made up of several solar systems bound under one command.
This world, the one Krishna and his family lived on, was Astraea Prime.
A jewel planet positioned at the heart of the sector, stable, prosperous, and strategically irreplaceable.
The man removed his helmet as he stepped fully into the room.
Indian features, sharp and familiar.
Red hair cut in a faded military style.
A neatly groomed mustache curved into a shape that reminded Krishna faintly of Tony Stark.
His expression was cold at first. Professional. Habitual.
Then his eyes landed on Krishna.
The change was instant.
"...."
The stiffness melted away, replaced by a genuine smile that softened his entire face.
"There he is,"
The man said warmly.
Sara turned, and her expression shifted immediately.
"Ram."
Krishna straightened slightly.
"...."
His father.
Ram crossed the room in long strides and took a seat beside Sara, the armor retracting partially into a more relaxed configuration.
He reached out and ruffled Krishna's hair without asking permission.
"Still eating like the world might steal your food,"
Ram said with a chuckle.
-Chuckle
"Good. Means you're healthy."
Krishna snorted he don't feel uncomfortable he felt blessed.
-Snort
"You disappeared for a month."
"Sector business,"
Ram replied lightly with a sigh.
-Sigh
"Apocalypses don't stop themselves. We need to make sure we have our eyes on them."
Sara's eye twitched.
-Twitch
"...."
Ram cleared his throat quickly and leaned back, a grin spreading across his face.
-Grin
"Anyway,"
He said, rubbing his hands together,
"I brought something for my dear snorty-nose brat."
"…I don't snort,"
Krishna muttered with a hump.
"Oh, you absolutely do."
Before Sara could intervene, Ram reached into a small compartment at his waist and pulled out a tiny cube.
It was no bigger than half a thumb.
He placed it gently on the floor.
With exaggerated flair, he waved his hand dramatically.
"Behold."
The cube hummed.
[-Hmmm...]
Panels slid apart. The structure expanded outward, unfolding in precise geometric sequences.
It grew rapidly, reshaping itself, doubling, then tripling in size, mechanical seams glowing briefly before vanishing altogether.
With a final soft thump, the construct opened.
-THUMP.
Something inside stretched.
Then stepped out. It was massive.
Already the size of a full-grown Doberman.
Its body was jet black, sleek and powerful, fur absorbing light instead of reflecting it.
The build was unmistakably canine, but broader, heavier, with a lion's presence beneath the dog-like frame.
A sharp tail extended behind it, tapering into a pointed tip that looked disturbingly like a devil's spear.
Its eyes opened.
Two primary eyes on each side of its face.
And beneath them, three smaller eyes, aligned vertically, glowing faintly red.
A crimson streak ran diagonally across its body like a brand.
The creature tilted its head, sniffed the air once… then sat obediently, tail flicking with restrained energy.
Silence fell on the dinning table.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Sara's smile vanished. Her face darkened. Slowly. Dangerously.
Ram, on the other hand, looked unbearably proud.
"Isn't he magnificent?"
Ram said, gesturing grandly.
"This, my family, is a Varkyron Hound."
Sara's glare sharpened.
"...."
Ram continued, blissfully unaware.
"Apex alien pet species. Extremely intelligent. Highly territorial. Bonded for life to its master. Classified as 'mildly catastrophic' in civilian zones."
Sara's fingers tightened against the table.
"It's only two months old,"
Ram added cheerfully.
"Already fully grown."
Her aura dropped a degree. As she spoke in a low voice slowly.
"You brought, a Varkyron Hound into my house."
Ram nodded enthusiastically.
-Nod
"For Krishna!"
The hound turned its head toward Krishna.
All seven eyes locked onto him.
It stood, walked forward with heavy, silent steps, and stopped right in front of him.
Krishna froze he had a pretty bad experience with dogs his past life.
Then, without warning, the massive creature lowered its head and pressed it gently against Krishna's knee, tail flicking once.
"...."
A low, pleased rumble echoed from its chest.
Bond established at that moment.
Sara's face darkened further.
"...."
Ram leaned back, hands behind his head, satisfied. He said proudly.
"See? Perfectly safe."
Sara turned her head slowly toward him.
"Ram,"
She said sweetly. Yes. Sweetly.
The Varkyron hound whimpered and scooted closer to Krishna.
-Shudder.
"...."
Ram swallowed he felt like he was hallucinating dark aura and a demon face appeared behind his lovely wife.
"…Yes, dear?"
The air around Sara shimmered.
Krishna sighed, reaching down instinctively to pat the hound's head.
-Sigh
"Dad," he said calmly, "I think you should start running."
The system, watching invisibly, whispered to itself:
[Oh!!!]
[This is going to be good.]
The temperature in the room dropped another degree.
Krishna felt it instantly.
If he didn't act now, his father was about to experience consequences that even Sector–28 armor wouldn't save him from.
He stepped forward.
"Mom,"
Krishna said gently, placing himself between Sara and Ram.
"It's… okay."
Sara paused hearing her son.
He crouched beside the massive Varkyron hound and ran a hand along its jet-black fur.
The creature leaned into the touch immediately, all seven eyes softening as a satisfied, low hmm rumbled from its chest.
-Hmmm!!!
"I like the present," Krishna continued. "Really."
Ram blinked by the sudden assist of his son.
Sara's expression faltered just a little.
Krishna smiled faintly.
"I'll call him Ace."
Ace's tail flicked sharply once, then twice.
Bond confirmed.
In Krishna's mind, another image overlapped the present.
A bat-shaped silhouette. A dark cave. A loyal hound at a vigilante's side.
Ace the Bat-Hound, he thought, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.
"...."
Sara watched her son pat the Varkyron hound, saw how naturally the creature responded to him, and finally let out a long, controlled sigh.
-Sigh
The violent pressure in the air eased.
But her eyes slid toward Ram.
Slow. Sharp. Promising.
This was not over.
Ram straightened slightly, sensing future retaliation on a spiritual level. He muttered.
"…Worth it,"
Sara didn't respond.
Instead, she gestured for Krishna to sit.
"Eat," she said calmly. "We'll talk."
Ram cleared his throat and reached into a compartment on his armor, pulling out a thin, translucent tablet.
He slid it across the table toward Krishna.
The display lit up instantly.
[EDUCATIONAL PATH SELECTION]
Dozens of disciplines scrolled past.
Some were already highlighted.
[✔ Military Strategy, Command & Combat]
[✔ Survival & Extreme Environment Adaptation]
Ram folded his arms. "Those two are mandatory."
Krishna looked up seeing two course were already selected for his school.
"Family decision," Ram continued. "Your grandparents on both sides agreed."
Sara nodded once. Firm. Unyielding.
-Nod
Krishna didn't argue.
"...."
Instead, he scrolled. Paused.
Then selected two more.
[✔ Cinematic Arts & Narrative Direction]
[✔ Interactive Simulation & Game Design]
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Ram blinked seeing the choice his son has made.
"You… what?"
Sara tilted her head slightly.
"Those aren't common choices."
Krishna met their eyes, calm and certain.
"I want to change entertainment," he said simply.
The words landed heavier than expected.
Not rebellion. Not whim. Purpose.
Before either parent could respond—
[🎉🎊💥]
Confetti exploded directly in front of Krishna's face.
"...."
A pair of hands clapped wildly.
A whistle shrieked.
[-WHISTLEEEEE!!!]
[YES! YES! YEEEEES!]
Only Krishna could see it.
The Entertainment System appeared, now wearing a bright green mask with a wide, exaggerated grin unmistakably reminiscent of Jim Carrey's Mask persona.
It dabbed at its eyes with an imaginary handkerchief.
[I'm not crying,]
It sniffed loudly.
[SNIFFFFF!!!]
[This is just… SYSTEM PRIDE!]
It threw its arms around an invisible audience.
[MY BOY HAS A VISION!]
Krishna resisted the urge to sigh.
"...."
Ram studied his son carefully, then leaned back.
"…Entertainment," he repeated thoughtfully.
Sara's gaze softened as she looked at Krishna.
"Then you'll do it properly," she said. "No half measures."
Krishna nodded.
-Nod
"I will."
Ace let out another pleased hmm, settling at Krishna's side like a living shadow.
-Grrrr!!!
The tablet locked in the selections.
[PATH CONFIRMED]
Ram folded his arms, expression turning lightly formal, the way it always did when duty brushed against family.
"You'll be attending Helios Vanguard Academy," he said. "Sector–28's primary integrated institution. Military, science, culture, everything in one place."
Krishna looked up little stunned.
"That close?"
Ram nodded hearing his son's suprise.
-Nod
"Five minutes by ground. Less if you fly."
Sara smiled faintly. "Which means," she added, "you may use your bike."
Krishna's eyes flickered with interest.
"It starts in a week," Ram finished. "Use the time to Observe. Don't rush."
Krishna nodded once.
-Nod
"I will."
[AFTER A WEEK...]
A week passed. Not slowly. Not quickly. Just… smoothly.
And then the morning arrived.
Krishna stood before his bike, his parents on either side of him.
The machine was breathtaking.
Sleek, predatory, sculpted as if speed itself had been given form.
Its surface shimmered with layered alloys that shifted color subtly depending on the light.
The frame hovered a fraction above the ground, humming with restrained power.
If anyone from his past life, especially a bike enthusiast, saw this…
They would sell organs. Plural.
This wasn't just a bike.
It was freedom.
Dual-mode transport.
Ground propulsion for precision and control.
Aerial conversion capable of full flight in under a second, mechanical segments folding and shifting seamlessly as anti-grav systems ignited.
It had been Sara's gift.
His thirty-first birthday present.
By this universe's standards, still very much a child.
Krishna swung his leg over the seat.
The moment he settled in, the bike came alive.
Panels slid outward, locking into place along his arms, legs, and torso. Lightweight protective gear wrapped around him like liquid armor, snug but flexible.
A helmet formed around his head, sealing with a soft hiss.
-Hiss
The visor ignited.
A radiant blue glow spread across it, transparent from the inside, brilliant from the outside.
He looked like a professional racer moments before launch.
Sara stepped forward and adjusted his collar instinctively, despite the armor.
"Don't push it," she said, smiling.
"And if anything feels off—"
"I'll call," Krishna said.
Ram placed a hand on his shoulder, firm and steady.
"Observe first. Act later."
Krishna nodded calmly listening to his father and mothers advice.
-Nod
"Got it."
Ace sat nearby, watching intently, tail flicking once as if memorizing the moment.
Krishna revved the bike lightly.
-VROOOOOMMMM!!!
The road ahead unfolded, guiding lines illuminating automatically.
He lifted a hand in farewell.
"See you."
And then—He launched.
The bike surged forward smoothly, power restrained but eager.
Krishna accelerated down the road, the wind rushing past him as Astraea Prime revealed itself in motion.
Towering structures rose on either side, architecture that blended art with function.
Buildings curved instead of cutting the sky, surfaces alive with shifting light and energy veins.
Walkways layered above and below each other, traffic flowing in three dimensions with practiced harmony.
People passed by. Humans. Aliens. Robots.
Most of them mixed-race, features blending in ways his old world had never imagined.
Horns beside human eyes.
Metallic limbs paired with organic skin. Wings folded neatly against coats.
Floating drones conversing casually with pedestrians.
No fear. No tension. Just life.
Krishna slowed slightly, taking it all in.
The culture shift was immense.
Yet… not overwhelming.
Somewhere behind his visor, his golden eyes sharpened with quiet resolve.
"This is where it starts," he murmured.
Only he heard the system whisper back, smug and delighted.
[Oh kid… this is where you make history interesting.]
Ahead, the spires of Helios Vanguard Academy rose into view.
And Krishna accelerated.
The skyline curved away as Krishna slowed, the towering structures of Helios Vanguard Academy rising before him like a quiet promise.
There was no grand gate.
No monumental entrance declaring authority.
Instead, the ground beneath the academy dipped subtly, drawing him downward as if the planet itself had opened a passage just for him.
Krishna followed the slope into the underground access zone.
It was… empty.
Not abandoned. Not neglected.
Simply unused at the moment.
The space was vast and clean, lit by soft bands of light embedded in the walls and ceiling.
As he rolled forward, a single square platform ahead of him lit up green.
He guided the bike onto it.
The moment his feet touched the floor and he stepped aside, the platform's color shifted from green to red.
The bike hummed softly, then sank smoothly into the ground as if swallowed by liquid metal.
Almost immediately, another platform nearby rose up and glowed green, ready for the next arrival.
Efficient. Silent. Final.
From the pillar beside him, a translucent screen slid outward.
[IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED]
[Please present I-Bracelet,]
A calm voice requested.
Krishna raised his wrist. The bracelet pulsed once.
"...."
A thin beam scanned across it, lingering for a fraction of a second before retracting.
[IDENTITY CONFIRMED]
[STUDENT: KRISHNA]
[PARKING SLOT ASSIGNED]
A soft chime sounded.
A data packet streamed into his bracelet.
[PARKING TICKET RECEIVED]
The screen retracted back into the pillar as if it had never existed.
Ahead of him, the wall shimmered.
A path unfolded, light bending inward as a circular blue portal formed, its surface rippling like calm water disturbed by breath.
Krishna paused for half a second.
Then stepped forward.
The sensation was brief. A cool pressure. A gentle pull.
And then—He stepped out into open air.
Sunlight greeted him.
He stood on the academy grounds.
Behind him, the wall he had emerged from was already solid again, seamless and indistinguishable from the rest of the structure. No portal. No trace.
The grounds stretched wide and open, layered terraces of greenery and smooth walkways flowing naturally into one another.
Students were scattered across the area in small groups, some walking, some floating slightly above the ground, others accompanied by drones or mechanical companions.
Voices carried softly.
Laughter. Conversation. Calm anticipation.
Krishna adjusted his posture, the armor retracting smoothly as he stood there in simple attire once more.
New world. New school. New life.
Somewhere deep inside his vision, unseen by anyone else, the Entertainment System leaned forward eagerly, mask grinning wide.
[-GRIN]
[Well,] it whispered theatrically, [welcome to the stage.]
Krishna exhaled slowly.
And took his first step into Helios Vanguard Academy.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
There will be two chapters a week(Monday and Tuesday)
If delayed I would post it on Wednesday or Thursday.
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!