As silence filled the orphanage hall, Shiva sat motionless, absorbing the truth Amritha had revealed.
His entire life had just changed in a matter of moments.
The fire vision, the attack at the DJ event, his immunity to flames—
everything suddenly made sense, yet it felt overwhelming.
Seeing the turmoil in his eyes, Amritha gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Shiva..."
her voice was soft, full of motherly warmth.
Shiva looked up, his usual playful demeanor nowhere to be seen.
"Why didn't you tell me before, Ma?"
His voice cracked slightly, the weight of the truth pressing down on him.
Amritha sighed, brushing a hand through his hair like she used to when he was a child.
Sigh~
"I wanted to protect you, my son... I wanted you to live a normal life, away from this burden. But fate doesn't work that way."
"____"
"____"
Ravi and Sandeep exchanged glances, sensing the heaviness of the moment.
Tejas and Meena, too, remained silent, not wanting to interrupt.
Then, after a moment of hesitation, Amritha spoke again.
"There's something else you should know..."
Her gaze shifted towards Tejas and Meena, making them straighten up.
Shiva frowned, confused.
Frown~
"What is it?"
Amritha took a deep breath before revealing,
"Tejas and Meena's parents... they were also members of Brahmansh."
A gasp escaped Meena's lips as she clutched her brother's arm.
"Our parents... were part of the Brahmansh?"
she whispered, shock evident in her voice.
Tejas, though quieter, had a serious expression.
"That explains a lot... but why didn't we ever know?"
Amritha's eyes softened.
"Because they sacrificed everything to keep you both away from this world. They wanted you to live peacefully, away from the dangers they faced. Just like I wanted for Shiva."
The revelation left the room in deep silence.
Each of them processed the reality that their families had been connected to something much larger than they ever imagined.
Shiva, still overwhelmed, pulled Amritha into a tight embrace.
"I don't know if I'm ready for this... but I trust you, Ma,"
he murmured, his voice laced with emotion.
Amritha held him close, a mother comforting her son before the storm ahead.
Before anyone could process the emotional moment, the front doors of the orphanage swung open.
The sudden noise made everyone turn towards the entrance.
Two figures stepped inside—a man and a woman, their expressions grim, their presence demanding attention.
Tejas and Meena's parents.
Meena's eyes widened in disbelief.
"M-Mom? Dad?"
she whispered before rushing forward and throwing herself into their embrace.
Tejas followed behind, though much more composed.
Their mother, a regal-looking woman with sharp eyes, held Meena tightly, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead.
Their father, however, barely acknowledged the warmth of the moment.
His cold gaze immediately landed on Shiva.
A tense silence filled the air.
The father—Rajendra—exhaled sharply, shaking his head before turning to Amritha.
"I take it that the truth has been revealed,"
he said, his voice edged with disapproval.
Amritha nodded, not breaking eye contact.
"They deserved to know."
Rajendra scoffed.
"And look what happened in just one night. The city is already feeling the effects of Agni Astra awakening!"
His eyes narrowed dangerously at Shiva.
Shiva, who had remained silent until now, felt a strange unease under the man's gaze.
"What do you mean?"
he asked cautiously.
Rajendra clenched his fists.
"The fire at the DJ event wasn't an accident. It was a reaction to your awakening. The Astra inside you has started calling out to something—or someone."
Shiva's breath hitched.
His mind flashed back to the flaming Trishul, the vision of Dev, and his mother fighting...
Tejas, noticing the shift in Shiva's demeanor, frowned.
Frown~
"That doesn't make sense. Why would it happen now?"
Rajendra turned to him.
"Because Shiva was kept in the dark for too long. His Astra, his power—it's been dormant, but now that he's unknowingly touched its essence, there's no turning back. His very existence is like a beacon for danger."
A heavy silence followed.
Shiva swallowed, his hands clenching.
He wasn't sure what to feel.
Was it guilt? Fear? Or... was it the fire inside him stirring restlessly?
Amritha, seeing the tension rise, stepped in.
"Rajendra, I understand your concerns, but this is not Shiva's fault. The past is repeating itself in ways we never imagined. Instead of blaming him, we need to prepare for what's coming."
Rajendra glared at her but didn't argue.
Meanwhile, Meena still clung to her mother, shaken by everything.
"Mom, what's going to happen to us now?"
Her mother gently stroked her hair but didn't answer. Instead, she looked at her husband, waiting for his response.
The tension in the room hadn't settled when Tejas took a step forward, his jaw clenched.
"Why?"
His voice was sharp, laced with emotions he could no longer suppress.
His parents turned to him, brows furrowing at the sudden confrontation.
"Why did you keep this from us?"
Tejas demanded, his hands balling into fists.
"You knew everything—about the Brahmānsh, about the Astras, about what Shiva was! You knew and still—"
he took a sharp breath, trying to control himself,
"—you left Meena and me in the dark."
Meena, still holding onto their mother, glanced between them nervously.
Even she wanted answers.
Their father, Rajendra, sighed, rubbing his temples.
"We did it for your own good."
Tejas scoffed.
"For our good?! You think finding out the truth like this is good?"
His voice rose.
"We had a right to know! We deserved to know!"
Their mother, Avni, finally spoke.
"Tejas, you and Meena were never supposed to be dragged into this world of war. We wanted to keep you safe, away from this madness."
Tejas shook his head in frustration.
"And what? Let me find out only when it's too late?"
His voice dropped, but the hurt was evident.
"You didn't even trust me enough to tell me the truth about myself."
Meena looked up, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Rajendra exhaled.
"Because our family has an bloodline type Astra too."
Silence.
Shiva, Rudra, and the others turned to Rajendra in surprise.
Tejas narrowed his eyes.
"What...?"
Rajendra continued, his voice firm.
"Our family's Astra is called Simha Astra—the Lion Astra. It grants the wielder enhanced agility, immense strength, and endurance. But it's not just a power boost."
He looked straight at Tejas.
"The longer you fight, the stronger you get. For every ten minutes, your strength, stamina, and speed increase by 10%."
Tejas' breath hitched.
"Imagine a fight lasting an hour,"
Rajendra said.
"That's a 60% increase in physical power. If it lasts two hours, you'd be an unstoppable force."
Meena's eyes widened.
"Then… why hide it?"
Avni placed a gentle hand on Meena's shoulder.
"Because power like that comes with a cost. The Simha Astra awakens in battle. The more you fight, the more instinct takes over. If you're not trained properly, the Astra will push you to keep fighting even when it's unnecessary. You could lose yourself."
Tejas stood there, stunned.
He had always been fast, always had good stamina—but now it all made sense. It wasn't just talent. It was in his blood.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, finally, Tejas muttered under his breath,
"You should have told me."
His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the resentment beneath it.
Rajendra met his son's gaze, but this time, there was no argument. Only regret.
As the conversation between Tejas and his parents grew intense, Ravi and Sandeep exchanged worried glances.
The air in the room was thick with tension, and things were only escalating.
Ravi nudged Sandeep and whispered,
"We need to lighten the mood before someone throws a punch."
Sandeep smirked and cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention.
Smirk~
"Well, well, before we get too carried away with all these heavy revelations… I think we should talk about something more important."
Meena and Shiva frowned at him in confusion, while Rajendra's sharp gaze landed on the duo.
Ravi grinned mischievously.
"Like… Shiva and Meena's new relationship!"
Silence.
"____"
"____"
Then, all at once, heads turned toward Shiva, who visibly stiffened.
Meena's eyes widened, and a deep blush crept up her cheeks.
"RAVI!!"
she shrieked, slapping his arm.
But the real trouble came when Rajendra's expression darkened.
"What?"
His voice was calm, but the underlying warning in it sent chills down Shiva's spine.
Shiva immediately raised his hands.
"I-It's not what you think, Sir! It just… happened!"
Rajendra folded his arms, his face unreadable.
"Explain."
Shiva looked around for support, but all he got was Tejas sighing, Meena covering her face in embarrassment, and Ravi & Sandeep enjoying the chaos they had created.
He swallowed hard.
"W-Well… Meena kind of… proposed? And the crowd was cheering… and I—uh—couldn't say no?"
Rajendra's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You couldn't say no?"
Shiva instantly regretted his choice of words.
"I-I mean, I was surprised! And then everyone was looking at me, and—Look, I really respect Meena, and she's great, but—"
Before he could finish, Avni, Meena's mother, placed a calming hand on her husband's arm, giving Shiva a scrutinizing look before turning to her daughter.
"Meena, is this true?"
Meena, still red-faced, muttered,
"Yes, Mom… I like him."
Rajendra let out a long sigh but didn't press the matter further—for now.
However, the look he gave Shiva clearly said
'We'll talk later.'
With the awkwardness still hanging in the air, Rajendra suddenly turned his attention to Amirtha.
"Enough of this,"
he said sternly.
"I want an explanation, Amirtha. Why are three ordinary kids—who have no connection to Astras—being dragged into this mess?"
His piercing gaze flickered toward Rudra, Ravi, and Sandeep.
Amirtha exhaled, her gaze landing on Rudra first.
"Actually… I suspect that Rudra might be an Astra wielder."
Tejas, Meena, and even Rajendra frowned in surprise.
Shiva turned to Rudra, eyes wide.
"Wait, what?"
Rudra, who had been calmly observing the conversation.
Rajendra studied Rudra carefully but didn't push further.
Instead, his attention shifted to Ravi and Sandeep, who looked surprisingly unfazed.
"And what about these two?"
Rajendra asked, his voice carrying clear disapproval.
"They don't have Astra blood. Why are they involved?"
Amirtha's eyes softened slightly.
"Because they refuse to back down."
Ravi smirked.
Smirk~
"Damn right we won't."
Sandeep crossed his arms.
"Yeah. We've come too far to turn back now."
Rajendra's frown deepened.
Frown~
"That's not a good enough reason to throw yourselves into danger."
But Amirtha shook her head.
"They've already seen too much. If we don't bring them into the fold properly, they'll be left vulnerable. The only way to ensure their safety is to train them."
Avni looked at her husband, concerned.
"But they aren't Astra wielders…"
Amirtha nodded.
"True, but that doesn't mean they can't become one.
Shiva blinked.
"Wait… what do you mean?"
Amirtha looked at Ravi and Sandeep.
"There are many Astras provided by the Gurukul. Some Astras have no specific lineage—they can choose their own wielders. But to gain their ability, one must first earn the Astra's approval."
Ravi and Sandeep exchanged excited looks.
"So you're saying…"
Sandeep grinned.
"We can actually get our own Astra?"
Amirtha nodded.
"Yes. But the question is—will the Astras accept you?"
After Amirtha's explanation, Rajendra exhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The weight of the situation was pressing down on him, and for the first time that night, he allowed himself to voice his frustration.
"Do you have any idea what you've done, Amirtha?"
His voice was low, but the underlying anger was undeniable.
"I do,"
Amirtha said, her tone unwavering.
"And I would do it again."
Rajendra clenched his fists, trying to control the storm of emotions within him.
"You don't understand. Keeping your whereabouts a secret, letting the world believe you were dead—it was already a dangerous gamble."
His sharp eyes darted to Shiva.
"But this? You've been raising the son of Dev? Do you know what kind of scandal this will create when the council finds out?"
Shiva flinched at the bitterness in Rajendra's words.
Even though he had expected some resistance, he hadn't expected this level of hostility.
"I'm not my father,"
Shiva finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.
Rajendra let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.
"Maybe not. But the world won't care about that. Do you know what kind of paranoia the council has about Dev's return? Even if you swear to never use your power, even if you prove yourself a hundred times, the mere fact that you exist will make you a threat in their eyes."
Silence settled over the room.
Tejas and Meena looked at their father in disbelief.
"So what are you saying, Dad?"
Tejas asked.
"That we should abandon Shiva just because of who his father was?"
Rajendra's jaw tightened.
"I'm saying that protecting him is going to be a nightmare. The moment the council learns about this, we'll all be forced to answer for it. They'll demand explanations. They'll see it as a betrayal."
He turned to Amirtha again.
"And the worst part? You didn't just hide yourself—you hid Dev's child."
He let out a hollow laugh.
Haha~
"Do you even realize the consequences of that?"
Amirtha's gaze didn't waver.
"I do. And I accept them."
Rajendra looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head.
"That's easy for you to say. But the rest of us? We'll have to stand before the council and justify why we helped you."
His hands curled into fists.
"I've risked my position for you, Amirtha. I kept your survival a secret. I turned a blind eye when I suspected you were still in hiding. And now… now you've placed us in the middle of something even bigger."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"How am I supposed to explain this to the council?"
For the first time, there was a trace of exhaustion in his eyes.
He wasn't just angry—he was afraid.
Amirtha, however, remained calm.
"I never asked you to lie for me, Rajendra. You made that choice yourself."
Rajendra stiffened.
"And as for the council…"
she continued,
"I will face them myself. I don't need you to protect me."
Rajendra stared at her, a mix of frustration and something else—something almost like guilt.
He shook his head, letting out a tired sigh.
"You never change, do you?"
Amirtha smiled faintly.
"Neither do you."
For a long moment, no one spoke.
The weight of what was coming hung heavily over them.
Shiva finally broke the silence.
"So… what now?"
Rajendra glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
"Now? Now we prepare for the inevitable."
His gaze hardened.
"Because one way or another, the council will find out. And when they do… we need to be ready."
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone!!!
Which will motivate me more.