Close to Peace
The leaders of the various factions of the Pranvar clan had gathered in the immaculate, richly decorated palace courtroom, accompanied by their families. Among the attendees were Ashura, head of the Avantaveera military and chief of external affairs, along with his five squad leaders; Elder Jeron and his new wife, the twenty-one-year-old Amirthya woman, Kaira; the head of the thirteen noble families who oversaw the ministries of Avantaveera—Finance, Health, Education, Justice, Law, and Transport; and Sabo, the chief military trainer of the Avantaveera forces.
King Devansh Pranvar sat upon his throne, Queen Rekha Augustine beside him, composed and regal. Their children were seated on either side—Adhrivan and Yodhika to Devansh’s right, and Rudraaj and Rudhransh to Rekha’s left—each maintaining the decorum expected of royalty.
Quiet conversations filled the hall as waiters from the Amirthya clan moved gracefully among the guests, serving food and drinks with practiced smiles that reflected both duty and pride.
Devansh surveyed the gathering.
“Everybody,” his voice rang through the hall, and all eyes turned toward him. “Thank you for coming to the banquet I arranged today. First, I extend my gratitude to all members of the Amirthya clan who have waited upon us and served food and drinks.”
A gentle smile spread across their faces as they bowed.
“I kindly request you to leave the courtroom now,” Devansh continued, “as we must proceed with a few internal matters.”
The Amirthya members clasped their hands in namaskara and exited the courtroom with quiet grace.
Jeron turned to Kaira and smiled.
“You may leave and join my other wives in my chambers, my devoted one. I will come after this.”
She bowed, smiling, and walked out.
A nobleman in his fifties, standing behind Jeron, chuckled.
“You forgot your wife’s name again, didn’t you, old man?”
“Yes,” Jeron replied lightly. “How many can I remember?”
Once the last Amirthya member had left, Devansh stood up from the throne.
“We have gathered today to celebrate two things. First—Mrs. Prathi Pranvar, please come forward.”
A woman in her thirties stepped ahead. A small bump was visible beneath her attire.
“We have a mother among the Pranvar clan.”
The hall gasped—surprise and joy rippling through the crowd.
“The last time this happened was twenty years ago,” Devansh continued. “I need not tell you how rare this is. Her safety now precedes even my own. I expect all necessary arrangements to be made.”
He turned toward Ashura.
“Yes, my brother,” Ashura replied solemnly.
Devansh bowed and touched Prathi’s feet. One by one, everyone in the hall bowed as well.
“Please return to your husband, Prathi,” Devansh said warmly.
After she did, he continued.
“Now, for the second announcement. Our weapon—Wamon—has been tested successfully.”
A collective gasp rose, followed by thunderous applause.
“The credit goes to the chief of our Research and Development division, Dr. Chaithra, and to the head of our military, Ashura Pranvar, along with his team—the Ashura Warriors. Unfortunately, Dr. Chaithra could not attend due to her work, but I thank her, and our clan’s pride—Ashura and his warriors—from the bottom of my heart.”
Devansh applauded, and the hall followed. Ashura and his five squad leaders bowed.
After a moment, Devansh raised his hand, and the applause faded.
“Now you understand what this means,” he said, his tone turning grave.
“We are close, my fellow Pranvars. We will leave this small island and step into the world. We will show them what we are capable of.”
He paused.
“And then—we will bring the world to its knees.”
The courtroom erupted into cheers and cries of triumph.
“We are closer than ever,” Devansh declared. “Closer to our peaceful days.”
Laughter, tears, and joy filled the hall.
Except for one.
Yodhika’s fingers pressed on the chair’s armrest.
Yodhika walked into Site A, slower than usual.
Rudhra was already warming up, swinging his sword in wide arcs through the air. He wore a windbreaker and sweatpants—his preferred attire for combat. He bounced lightly on his feet.
“You ready, Princess?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied, her voice dull as she took her stance.
Rudhra surged forward at full pace, bringing his sword down in a vertical strike. Yodhika slid backward, snapping the rod in her hand open. With a click, it extended into a trident.
Clank.
Rudhra’s blade struck the ground.
She thrust the trident forward. Rudhra reversed his swing along the same path, deflecting it cleanly. His brows drew together as he continued attacking, forcing her to block left and right.
“You don’t seem in your zone today,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Her movements suddenly sharpened.
Energy erupted from her core in a massive wave. Rudhra was hurled several meters back. Bone cracked, skin tore—but months of enduring the same attack had taught his body how to respond. Flesh and bone rejoined as he landed on one knee.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he said, grinning.
He sprinted sideways, then charged in a zig-zag pattern. Grabbing the yellow door of a wrecked car, he held it like a shield, keeping his sword low and hidden behind him.
Yodhika released another blast.
Rudhra slammed the door’s base into the ground, gripped its top edge, and vaulted over it. The door was ripped away by the blast as he flew through the air toward her.
Her trident shot forward.
Mid-air, Rudhra spun, swinging his sword in a circular arc that matched his rotation. Metal rang as he deflected the trident. His legs followed through toward her face.
Yodhika dropped to one knee.
As Rudhra passed overhead, she drove the trident upward.
It pierced straight through his chest.
Momentum dragged them both backward. They hit the ground hard, the trident twisted inside him. Rudhra twitched once—then went still.
Yodhika sat up slowly, blood splattered across her suit and face. She stared at him, then stood and walked around his body. Gripping the trident, she pulled it free.
His chest began to reform—organs knitting, bones sealing, skin closing.
Yodhika knelt briefly and held his hand. Just for a moment. Then she released it and walked away.
Rudhra sat up slowly, wiping blood from his back.
“You really are the best, aren’t you?” he said, smiling.
She didn’t respond.
“Thank you,” he added. “For understanding me. You haven’t tried to make physical contact since our talk.”
Yodhika stopped.
She turned and stared at him.
“What happened?” Rudhra asked.
“What are you doing after this?”
“I… I’ll collect my replacement clothes and head home.”
“Could you spend some time with me?”
“For what?”
“I want to show you something.” Her face was unreadable.
“Is it important?”
“Yes.”
He hesitated. “Okay. Where should we meet?”
“I meant now.”
Rudhra frowned. “I’ll grab my clothes and—”
“No. Come with me now.”
Tension crept into his posture. “My clothes are a mess, Princess.”
“Ok, then collect your clothes and meet me at the palace gate as soon as possible.”
Rudhra placed his hands on his hips, annoyance flickering across his face. After a moment, he sighed.
“Alright. I will be there.”
Both of them walked out of Site A.
(To be continued)
Karun G Nath 
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