Rudra did not sleep like other children.
His body required rest, yes—but his mind never drifted into helpless darkness. Even as an infant, awareness remained like a steady flame, observing without effort.
Night after night, while the palace slumbered, Rudra watched.
He listened to footsteps beyond walls.
Counted breaths.
Felt intentions ripple through the air.
The system recorded everything.
—
[Dharma–Karma Chronicle: Passive Observation Active]
[Threat Detection: Minimal — Ongoing]
—
At three months old, Rudra turned his head before sound reached him.
At six months, his gaze followed guards hidden behind pillars.
At one year, servants began whispering.
"The prince watches like an old soul," one murmured.
"Do not say such things," another hissed. "Walls hear."
They were right.
—
By the time Rudra reached two years of age, the first attempt came.
It was subtle.
A trusted nurse.
A sweet-smelling paste mixed into milk.
A poison designed to fail slowly—plausible, deniable.
The nurse's hands trembled as she approached the cradle.
Rudra looked at her.
Directly.
Unblinking.
Her heart pounded violently.
She felt exposed, stripped bare of lies.
The system spoke.
—
[Threat Identified]
[Intent: Lethal]
[Source: Close Proximity]
[Authority Level: Insufficient — Manual Intervention Required]
—
Rudra moved.
Not like a child.
His small hand slapped the cup aside with sudden force.
Milk spilled across the marble floor.
The nurse gasped.
At that exact moment, the door burst open.
Royal guards rushed in, alerted by a pressure none of them could explain.
The nurse collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
"I was forced," she cried. "They threatened my family!"
King Rajendra arrived seconds later, eyes cold.
"Take her," he ordered.
As she was dragged away, the king turned toward the cradle.
Rudra met his gaze calmly.
The king felt it again—that pressure.
That quiet demand for responsibility.
That night, the king doubled palace security.
Rudra logged the event.
—
[Dharma Ledger Updated]
[Injustice Observed]
[Response: Self-Preservation]
[Outcome: Neutralized]
—
Years passed.
Rudra grew.
Fast—but not unnaturally so.
By age three, he spoke clearly.
By four, he asked questions that unsettled ministers.
"Why does the law protect those who break it?" he asked once during court.
Silence followed.
The minister stammered an answer.
Rudra listened.
Then said, "That is inefficient."
The system acknowledged.
—
[Insight Logged]
[Dharma Comprehension: Above Norm]
—
By five, Rudra trained daily.
Not with toys.
With wooden weapons scaled to his size.
His instructor sweated as the child parried blow after blow without panic.
"Your Highness," the man said carefully, "you do not hesitate."
Rudra tilted his head.
"Hesitation gives injustice time," he replied.
That night, alone in his chambers, the system finally addressed him directly.
—
[Dharma–Karma Chronicle: Direct Interface Unlocked]
[User Age: 5]
[Role: Dharma Authority (Dormant)]
[Current Limits: Physical Vessel]
[Recommendation: Controlled Growth]
—
Rudra closed his eyes.
"So you are not my master," he thought.
[Correction Accepted]
[Function: Support & Amplification]
"Good," Rudra replied mentally. "Then observe."
Outside the palace, a riot broke out.
Merchants beaten.
Guards bribed.
An official fled.
Rudra felt the imbalance like an itch beneath skin.
He stood at the balcony, small hands gripping stone.
Not yet, he told himself.
The system logged restraint.
—
[Dharma Ledger Updated]
[Restraint Applied]
[Merit Accumulated]
—
Far away, in a mountain cloaked in ash and silence, Parashuram paused mid-training.
He looked toward the horizon.
"…So," the immortal warrior murmured, lips curling into a smile, "you have arrived."
Back in the palace, the crown prince turned away from the balcony.
He returned to training.
Time would come.
And when it did, the world would not be ready.
-- chapter 3 ended --