There were battles.
There were wars.
There were giant biomechanical death monsters from the future.
There were god-prisons beneath the Arctic.
There was the Null Sovereign.
There was literally the end of times.
And somehow—
None of that prepared Aarav for the terror currently glowing on his phone screen.
MOM CALLING
Rohan leaned against a frozen pillar, already laughing like a traitor.
"This," he said, pointing dramatically, "is the real final boss."
Absolutely.
Without question.
Aarav stared at the phone like it contained nuclear launch codes.
"I would rather fight the Titan Hunter again."
Mira folded her arms.
"Coward."
Easy for her to say.
She had never faced an Indian mother with unanswered calls.
Selene looked genuinely concerned.
"Is she stronger than the Null Sovereign?"
Rohan answered immediately.
"Yes."
Nysera, standing elegantly in the background like an ancient goddess judging modern stupidity, nodded once.
"Accurate."
Even she agreed.
Wonderful.
Aelina tilted her head.
"I have studied maternal emotional response patterns."
A pause.
"They are terrifying."
Finally.
Science.
Validation.
Aarav took a deep breath.
Then answered.
The video call connected instantly.
Which meant—
She had been staring at the phone.
Waiting.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
His mother's face appeared on screen.
Sharp eyes.
Zero patience.
Infinite emotional authority.
And behind her—
His older sister was already holding popcorn.
Traitor by blood.
His mother stared.
Silent.
Deadly.
Aarav smiled weakly.
"…Hi, Mom."
Silence.
Then—
"Are you alive?"
Strong opening.
"I am."
"Physically?"
Less comforting.
Aarav glanced at the frozen god-prison behind him.
"…Mostly."
His sister leaned into the frame.
"Mom said if you joined a cult, she wanted names."
Rohan whispered from behind,
"Technically…"
Aarav glared him into silence.
His mother narrowed her eyes.
"Where are you?"
Now.
This was the difficult part.
Because "Arctic prison beneath reality with my future wives" felt like the wrong answer.
He chose diplomacy.
"…Out of town."
His sister nearly fell laughing.
His mother was not amused.
"Do not test me."
A wise warning.
Very wise.
Before Aarav could attempt another lie—
Aelina stepped into frame.
Because apparently, peace was illegal.
Silver hair.
Blue eyes.
Perfect posture.
Beautiful enough to cause immediate family complications.
She gave a small, polite bow.
"Hello, Mrs Sharma."
Silence.
Total silence.
His mother blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then slowly—
"Who is that?"
Rohan physically left the frame because he could no longer survive.
Aarav opened his mouth.
No words came out.
Because how exactly did one explain this?
Fortunately—
Mira also stepped into frame.
Because suffering travels in groups.
Dark hair.
Violet eyes.
Arms crossed.
It looked like elegance and violence had signed a legal agreement.
She nodded once.
"Hello."
His sister dropped the popcorn.
His mother blinked again.
Dangerously calm.
"…Aarav."
That tone.
Every child knew that tone.
It meant judgement was loading.
And then—
Selene appeared.
White-gold hair.
Golden eyes.
A literal war queen standing in the background, like mythology, had joined a family call accidentally.
She said, with complete seriousness—
"I have been told introductions are important."
His mother stared at the screen.
Then at him.
Then back at the screen.
A pause.
Then—
"Why are there three supermodels behind you?"
Rohan hit the floor laughing.
Gone.
Spiritually deceased.
Even Nysera looked like she was enjoying this.
Traitors.
All of them.
Aarav chose honesty.
A terrible decision.
"Mom…"
He took a breath.
"They're from the future."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
His sister whispered,
"…He did join a cult."
Fair.
Very fair.
His mother looked at him with the exact expression mothers reserved for disappointing science projects.
Then—
"Explain."
Unfortunately, that was a full novel.
Aarav rubbed his forehead.
"Okay, so technically there was a secret lab under grandfather's old mansion—"
"Of course there was."
"—and there were time hunters—"
"Naturally."
"—and bio-engineered girls from different centuries."
"Obviously."
"—and I may or may not be connected to the fate of civilisation."
Silence.
His mother stared.
Then looked upward.
Possibly asking God for patience.
Possibly asking for better children.
Both are valid.
Finally—
She asked the most dangerous question.
"Do you like any of them?"
The room froze.
The Arctic itself paused.
Even time said absolutely not.
Aarav nearly died.
Rohan, somehow alive again, whispered,
"Critical hit."
Critical indeed.
Aelina looked away too quickly.
Mira suddenly found the wall fascinating.
Selene stood like judgement but slightly pinker than usual.
Nysera dared to smile.
Aarav coughed.
"That is… a complicated geopolitical issue."
His sister screamed, laughing.
His mother closed her eyes.
Then opened them with terrifying peace.
"Good."
That was suspicious.
Very suspicious.
She adjusted her glasses.
"Bring them home."
Silence.
Aarav blinked.
"What?"
"If girls from the future are risking their lives for my son, I will at least feed them properly."
That was somehow more emotional than expected.
Aelina looked genuinely touched.
Mira looked confused by kindness.
Selene seemed to treat this like a diplomatic summit.
His sister leaned into the frame with full villain energy.
"And if one of them is becoming a bhabhi, I want details."
Aarav wanted death.
Immediately.
Preferably by meteor.
His mother delivered the final verdict.
"You are coming home."
"Tomorrow."
"And bring all of them."
The call ended.
Just like that.
No escape.
No negotiation.
Only destiny.
Silence followed.
Then—
Rohan stood, wiping tears of laughter.
"…Congratulations."
A beat.
"You survived the apocalypse just to die in your living room."
Correct.
Painfully correct.
Aarav looked at the girls.
At Aelina.
Mira.
Selene.
Nysera.
And the terrifying future ahead.
Not war.
No time collapse.
Family dinner.
Honestly?
He wasn't sure they'd survive.
Mira broke the silence first.
"What is a bhabhi?"
Rohan smiled like a demon.
"Oh, this is going to be incredible."
And somewhere in the universe—
The First Origin probably laughed.
Because after everything—
This was the future Aarav had chosen.
And it was somehow even scarier.