The hallway was quiet, as Rudra, Amirtha, and Junoo made their way to Room H-1.
The air felt colder here—
heavier, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Rudra inserted the key into the lock.
A soft click, and the door creaked open.
The moment they stepped inside, all three froze.
The room was a disaster.
Furniture lay overturned, the mattress had been half-ripped from the bedframe, and dust clung to every surface as if it hadn't been touched in years.
Drapes fluttered softly in the breeze from an open window, their edges torn.
Something about the mess didn't feel random—
It was almost… feral.
"What the hell…"
Junoo whispered, stepping cautiously inside.
"This wasn't like this when he checked in."
Rudra muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm sure of it."
Amirtha covered her mouth, her voice muffled as she muttered,
"This looks like a storm passed through."
Without a word, Rudra motioned for them to fan out and search.
They combed through the room—
opening drawers, shifting overturned furniture, checking under the bed.
And then Junoo's voice cracked the silence.
"Guys… over here."
Rudra and Amirtha hurried to her side.
She had crouched near the bed, her face pale. Rudra knelt beside her and looked.
Scattered just beyond the wooden frame, partially hidden beneath a torn bedsheet, lay a handful of bones.
Dry. Discolored.
Jagged at the ends, as though they'd been—
"Crushed,"
Amirtha said, her voice trembling slightly as she knelt down to examine them.
"These bones... they've been shattered. Could you take a look at the bite marks? Something with a tremendous bite force did this. And recently."
After one final sweep of the room, Rudra stood by the door, scanning every corner once more.
No personal belongings.
No letters.
Nothing to tell them who the old man was—
or what he had been.
"Junoo,"
Rudra said, turning sharply.
She straightened up from where she'd been dusting herself off.
"Yeah?"
"Call housekeeping. Have them clean this place top to bottom. I want this room spotless and secure."
Junoo nodded and pulled out her phone.
"On it."
Rudra didn't wait.
He stepped into the corridor, pulling out his phone as he made his way toward the empty garden patio behind the building.
He dialled the number.
It rang only once.
"Rudra."
The familiar, grounded voice of Guru Arvind came through the receiver.
"Guruji…"
Rudra exhaled.
"We may have a situation. Last night—an old man showed up at the hotel. Seemed normal. Registered, stayed in Room H-1. But there was something off about him. My surveillance picked up something strange…"
He paused, collecting his thoughts.
"A shadow. Not human. Slender frame, two horns. The man—he appeared right after it. Like it birthed him."
There was silence on the line.
"____"
Heavy, tense.
Then Guruji's voice dropped to a grave tone.
"You're certain it wasn't a camera glitch?"
"I reviewed the footage all night. No distortion. No cuts. He appeared out of thin air."
Guruji exhaled slowly.
"Then it may not have been a man at all. It could be…"
He hesitated.
"…a demon. Or an evil jinn."
Rudra's eyebrows furrowed.
"Jinn?"
"Some take human forms. Some possess bodies. Others create illusions so perfect that even trained eyes fail to catch them. But they leave behind signs—bones, dust, unnatural messes. All of it fits."
Rudra glanced up toward the windows of Room H-1, his expression grim.
"Then what should I do?"
"For now, watch. If it is what I fear, this won't be the last you see of it. Don't confront it without knowing what you're dealing with. It might not have shown its full face yet. And Rudra…"
Guruji's voice grew softer, serious.
"Do not underestimate it. These beings thrive on pride. One mistake, and it won't just be you in danger—but everyone inside that hotel."
Rudra nodded, swallowing the tightness in his throat.
"Understood."
They exchanged a few more words before Rudra ended the call, the screen going black in his hand.
He stood still for a long moment, the wind whispering through the trees around The Highland Leaf.
"____"
The silence felt louder now.
Rudra stepped inside, the door to the garden clicking shut behind him.
His expression was sharp, focused, but something in his shoulders said he hadn't slept well.
He found Amirtha near the reception.
Since Junoo was with the housekeeping staff who were cleaning H-1.
"I'm heading out,"
Rudra said curtly.
Amirtha looked up, a frown already forming.
"To where?"
"I don't know yet,"
He replied, grabbing his coat.
"But I can't sit still knowing that thing—whatever it is—is out there. I'm going to search for it."
Her eyes narrowed with concern.
"You're going alone?"
"Yeah. For now. But I want you to keep an eye on the surveillance feed. If that old man shows up again—anywhere near our sector or this hotel—I need to know immediately."
Amirtha stood there for a second, then gave a tight nod.
Nod~
"Alright. I'll take over the system."
Rudra was about to turn when a chime echoed faintly—
not from a phone, not from any device.
It rang inside his mind, like a bell dropped in still water.
[Ding...]
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[New Task Generated...]
[Mission: Stop the Demon
Details: A demon has arrived in Ooty with the intent to release his brother, who is sealed in one of the forgotten places.
Reward: Random BGM added to BGM Booster Library, 45 HP]
Rudra blinked.
"____"
His heart stuttered for half a beat before he steadied himself.
If the system had spoken about it, then it is really a demon.
'So… First the ghost story now a freaking demon,'
He thought.
'It's real. A full-on demon. And worse—he's not alone. Sealed bro... huh...'
He inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders.
"Looks like this just became official."
Sigh~
He muttered to himself with a sigh.
Amirtha tilted her head.
"What?"
"Nothing,"
He said, brushing it off.
"Just keep watch, okay? I'll be back before sunset. Hopefully."
She gave him a look, but nodded again.
Nod~
"Be careful."
He offered her a tired smirk.
"Aren't I always?"
With that, Rudra stepped out of The Highland Leaf, the morning mist clinging to the ground like the breath of the unknown.
Somewhere in Ooty… a demon was on the move.
In a saviour quest to save his brother.
The narrow streets of Ooty bustled with the usual morning chatter—
vendors calling out their specials, children chasing each other past roadside tea stalls, and tourists meandering through the mist that clung like a veil over the hills.
Rudra tightened the strap of his bag as he stepped into the local bike rental shop tucked between a souvenir store and a small eatery.
Rows of gleaming two-wheelers stood like silent sentinels waiting to be chosen.
The shopkeeper, an older man with oil-streaked fingers and a cigarette tucked behind his ear, looked up.
"Need a ride, brother?"
"Yeah,"
Rudra nodded.
"Just for the day. Something fast and quiet."
Within minutes, he was astride a black Enfield, its engine purring to life beneath him.
The cold metal and the rumble under him steadied his thoughts.
"____"
Nod~
He gave the man a quick nod,
adjusted his jacket, and kicked off from the market, weaving through the streets.
He stopped at parks, temples, and tea shops—
any place the old man might've gone to or been spotted.
At one point, he even doubled back to the bus station and questioned a few porters, showing them a quick sketch he had drawn on his notepad.
Some shook their heads, others didn't even look.
Each place he searched…
Every alley he peeked into…
yielded nothing.
The old man had vanished—
like smoke.
By the time the sun dipped lower toward the horizon, the chill had grown sharper, and so had Rudra's frustration.
He had spent a whole day searching for him, stopping only to eat his lunch in the afternoon at a small restaurant.
He parked the bike near the edge of a cliff that overlooked the terraced hills blanketed in green and leaned on the seat, staring off into the foggy valley.
"This isn't just some game, where after searching around, he would meet the one he was searching for."
He muttered, hands clenched in his lap.
"If that thing's real… then his brother—whatever's sealed away—might be worse."
He pulled out his phone to check in with Amirtha but paused as a strange sensation prickled his spine.
For a moment,
it felt like someone—
or something—
I was watching him from the trees behind.
He turned quickly.
Nothing.
The trees stood still, their long, bony branches reaching toward the sky.
Rudra narrowed his eyes, scanning the patch of woods where that cold, invisible gaze had prickled the back of his neck.
"____"
Nothing.
No shifting leaves.
No snapping twigs.
No flicker of movement.
Just silence.
Heavy and deliberate.
He stepped forward, boots crunching on gravel as he approached the spot cautiously.
His eyes swept the undergrowth, every sense on alert.
But there was only the breeze, stirring a discarded wrapper caught on a branch.
He waited another moment, unmoving—
listening.
Still nothing.
Finally, with a muttered breath,
"Maybe I'm just tired,"
He turned back, the unease in his gut lingering.
Climbing back onto the rented Enfield, Rudra gunned the engine and let it roar to life.
As the mist rolled in around him, he rode off—
back toward The Highland Leaf, his expression grim and tired.
Later That Evening –
Hotel Front Porch
The sky had turned a dusky purple when Rudra parked the bike outside the hotel.
The warm lights spilling out from the windows were a welcome contrast to the creeping gloom of Ooty's early evening.
He walked up the steps slowly, empty-handed, shoulders heavy with the weight of failure.
Amirtha was waiting by the entrance, arms crossed, worry in her eyes.
Junoo peeked from behind the front desk, looking hopeful.
But one glance at Rudra's face told them all they needed to know.
"Nothing?"
Amirtha asked softly.
Rudra shook his head.
"Vanished. Not a trace anywhere."
Junoo sighed and stepped back into the lobby, the disappointment sinking in.
As Rudra stepped through the door, he cast one last glance over his shoulder—
toward the distant street and the mist-covered trees.
Days turned into weeks.
The misty chill of Ooty settled into their bones, but so did a sense of routine.
Despite Rudra's initial urgency,
the trail of the old man had gone cold.
No new sightings.
No strange occurrences.
The town remained quiet, almost too quiet.
The locals returned to their lives, and so did the staff and guests of The Highland Leaf – Restaurant & Inn.
Rudra eventually stopped chasing shadows.
Instead, he fell into a rhythm.
Managing the hotel alongside Amirtha and Junoo, fine-tuning operations, dealing with guests, and occasionally teasing Junoo whenever she dozed off behind the reception desk.
Amirtha made sure everything ran smoothly in the restaurant.
Her natural leadership and calm presence made her a favourite among both staff and guests.
Malla's food had started drawing loyal customers—
Some even returned more for his spices than the scenic mountain views.
Junoo, bright and bubbly as always, held the front desk with surprising professionalism.
But behind the smiles and paperwork, her ears were sharp.
She still asked Rudra, every few days, if anything strange had come up.
Every time, Rudra just shook his head.
But deep down, he knew.
The silence was temporary.
The quiet was a lie.
Because he remembered the old woman's warning.
About the curse.
About the new moon.
About how death always came to those who owned this place.
So every night, before sleep—
or what little of it he allowed himself—
Rudra stared at the lunar calendar pinned to the wall behind his desk.
The next new moon was approaching.
And he was waiting.
"____"
Rudra sat in his usual chair by the reception desk, staring blankly at the calendar.
The next new moon was just a few days away.
The image of that horned shadow still lingered at the back of his mind, like a smudge on an otherwise clear window.
But right now, his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar ringtone.
Shiva Calling...
He sighed and answered.
Sigh~
"Yo, Rudra!"
came Shiva's excited voice, the screen lighting up with his smiling face.
"You won't believe what just went down!"
Rudra raised an eyebrow but smiled.
"Let me guess—you finally used your brain before your fists?"
"Haha, very funny. No—I just wrapped my first mission with Meena and Tejas! We took down an entire drug syndicate!"
Hearing the excitement, Rudra waved toward the kitchen.
"Amirtha! Junoo! Come here, it's Shiva."
Amirtha stepped out, drying her hands, just as Junoo skipped down the stairs.
When they saw Shiva's face on the screen, Amirtha's eyes immediately lit up.
"Shiva!"
She called, smiling fondly.
"Did you eat properly? You're not skipping meals, right?"
"Maaa,"(Mom.)
Shiva groaned dramatically.
"We just finished a mission, and you're already on me about food?"
Junoo burst out laughing.
Rudra snorted.
Snort~
"You're lucky she wasn't there—she'd have made you pack snacks and wear a scarf."
Meena leaned into the frame from Shiva's side.
"To be fair, he did make a grand entrance. Jumped off a rooftop, flipped his hair midair, and punched the gang leader like he was shooting a movie scene."
Tejas added,
"I'm pretty sure he paused just to strike a pose."
"Did not!"
Shiva said defensively, clearly flustered now.
Amirtha tilted her head with a teasing smile.
"My handsome boy showing off already? Don't forget you're still grounded for that one time you blew up a bathroom."
"Ma, you promised never to bring that up again!"
Shiva practically whined.
Rudra leaned closer to the camera with a serious expression.
"It's okay. I recorded this call."
Junoo gave a cheeky grin.
"We'll save it for his wedding."
Everyone laughed, including Meena and Tejas, while Shiva covered his face with his hands.
"I hate all of you."
Amirtha's smile softened as she looked at her son.
"I'm proud of you, Shiva. Just... stay careful."
"I will,"
He said, looking genuinely touched.
The call ended with more laughter and teasing, and the cosy inn quieted again.
But as Rudra placed the phone down, his eyes drifted back to the calendar.
Two days to the new moon.
Rudra leaned back in his chair, staring at the flickering flame of a nearby lamp, lost in thought.
Amirtha walked over, carrying a folded shawl.
She draped it over his shoulders gently and sat beside him.
Her voice was calm but curious.
"So... have you decided?"
She asked, looking out the window into the mist-covered hills of Ooty.
Rudra glanced at her.
"Decided what?"
She smiled faintly.
"Your identity. The name you'll use when you're protecting this sector as a Brahmanash. You'll need one, Rudra. The people deserve a name they can call when they're in danger... and your allies need a symbol they can follow."
Junoo, nearby, leaned on the counter, intrigued.
"Yeah... what'll you be? Shadow Warrior? Flame Avenger? Something with 'X' in it, maybe?"
Rudra chuckled but then grew silent.
Chuckle~
"____"
He closed his eyes and thought of the new moon.
The horned shadow.
The demon in disguise.
The bones under the bed.
The people of Ooty slept unaware while danger crept closer.
A name formed in his mind.
Not loud. Not flashy.
But strong. Steady.
Ancient.
He looked up.
"Kaal-Nayan."
Junoo blinked.
"Whoa. That's... intense."
Amirtha nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly with thought.
"The Eye of Time... You've chosen a heavy name, Rudra."
He gave a small smile.
"I'm not doing this for fame. If I must become a shadow, then let it be one that watches. Waits. Protects. Kaal-Nayan—the one who stares down the darkness... even when no one else sees it coming."
Junoo whispered,
"That actually gave me chills."
Amirtha placed a hand over Rudra's.
"Then so be it. From this day forward, the protector of this sector shall be known as Kaal-Nayan."
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone!!!
Which will motivate me more?