The skies above Mahishmati darkened—not with storm clouds, but with something greater.
As the temple bells rang without being touched, and birds flew in chaotic circles across the horizon, every man, woman, and sage within a thousand yojanas felt it:
Something had changed.
From the ancient mountain where Rudra had entered two years ago as a ten-year-old boy, a blinding pillar of light erupted into the heavens, piercing the clouds, illuminating the day like it were dawn again.
And from the center of that pillar… he walked out.
Rudra.
But he was no longer a boy.
His height towered over most warriors. His shoulders bore the weight of divine might. His eyes held a storm within them—calm yet terrifying. A red Trinetra, the Third Eye, now faintly marked his forehead, sealed but humming with cosmic energy.
The years he had lived inside the trial realm were unknown, but in truth, he had lived nearly a quarter of a century within that realm. And now, at age twenty, his physical presence alone made trees bend, birds silence, and seasoned warriors tremble.
He had become a Maharathi—a title few achieved in a lifetime.
And at that moment…
The Sky Spoke.
A voice deeper than oceans, louder than thunder, yet filled with serene divinity echoed across Bharatvarsha:
> "Behold! He who walked the path of Dharma and burned his Karma in divine flame…"
"He who carries the wrath of Rudra and the will of the righteous…"
"He who has awakened the Fire of Mahadev's Trinetra… the Pralay-Agni!"
"To him, we bestow the Akashic Title: 'Pralayavatar'!"
"For he shall descend not to protect peace, but to destroy Adharma with fire absolute."
---
Meaning of the Title: Pralayavatar
The Akashvani needed no interpreter, but the meaning resonated in every scholar's mind:
Pralayavatar – "The Incarnation of Annihilation."
A title reserved only for those who embodied the balance-breaking fury of Mahadev's third eye—not to preserve balance, but to reset it when the world strayed too far from Dharma.
---
Mahishmati's Reaction
The kingdom of Mahishmati fell into stunned silence.
The guards posted outside the trial mountain dropped their weapons in disbelief.
When the blinding light faded and Rudra finally returned—clad in new armor gifted by the celestial realm, with twin blades 'Samhaar' resting on his back—the people fell to their knees.
His father, the mighty Maharathi and king, dropped his gada unknowingly. His hardened eyes welled up with tears—not because his son had returned…
…but because a god had walked out of the fire.
His mother, holding her breath, stumbled forward—and though Rudra was now a grown man, taller than her, broader than his father, he knelt before her and placed his head at her feet.
"Your son has returned, Mata," he whispered.
She broke down.
His sister was five when he goes for the trail and now a seven year old little girl
Ishita looked at her Brother with stars Shining in her eyes "Bhaiya you have become soo tall now" said while indicating from her small hands
Rudra carried her in his powerful arms with doting smile in his face
and said "our gudiya has also grown and become very powerful right"
"Yeah! Yeah!" showing her small muscles😂😂
His grandfather, Maharathi Warrior, stared for a long moment—before smiling the smile of warriors who knew:
"He has surpassed us."
---
Spy Networks & The Other Kingdoms
But Mahishmati was not the only one shaken.
In Hastinapur, spies disguised as merchants rushed to their shadowy masters.
In Gandhar, in the forests of Panchal, in the courtyards of Anga, and even in distant Kalinga—news spread like wildfire:
> "The Prince of Mahishmati has returned. Two years inside. Twenty years grown. A Maharathi already. And he bears an Akashvani Title… 'Pralayavatar.'"
Kings held emergency councils. Some sent marriage proposals. Others sharpened their knives in fear.
One minister in Magadh whispered,
> "We must track this boy. If he ever stands against our prince… there will be war."
But even they knew—this was no ordinary prince.
---
Hidden Guardians' Silent Acknowledgement
Among the hidden warriors of Mahishmati—the Atirathis and Maharathis who protected the kingdom in secret—none dared to test him anymore.
Even his uncle, who was a great Maharathi, watched Rudra walk by with reverence.
They could all feel it:
> He was no longer training to become the greatest. He already was.
---
Fate Stirred: The Year of Destiny
Yet even as Mahishmati celebrated, and the heavens thundered with Rudra's return, the stars themselves shifted.
For this very year—a Trickster would be born.
A child who would walk the line between truth and deceit.
Whose words would bind kings and unmake alliances.
The Chaliya—the world would come to call him by many names, but his wit would shake empires.
And far away in a forest blessed by lord Indra, another child was born—who will become great Archer in future.
Two children of fate…
…
…
and one incarnation of annihilation.
---