Eklavya did not know what that voice truly was, nor did he understand where it came from or what it ultimately wanted from him. Yet the first line it spoke had pierced him deeper than any blade ever could. It told him that he was weak, and no matter how desperately he tried to deny it. That statement rang with undeniable truth.

  He had stood on that battlefield surrounded by destruction. Spirit Warriors and other warriors who were more powerful than him and in the end. He had still been a spectator, watching others bleed while he remained powerless to change the outcome. That realization hollowed him out completely, leaving behind a silence so heavy that even his emotions felt distant, muted, as though separated from him by an invisible wall.

  He did not respond when Anshvi asked him if he was fine, nor did he turn his head to look at her even once. To Anshvi, that silence was more terrifying than any battlefield she had ever stepped onto. She had always believed, or perhaps forced herself to believe, that Eklavya held no feelings for her, that their interactions were nothing more than coincidences of circumstance and shared danger.

  Yet in recent days she had noticed subtle changes that she could not ignore. The way he spoke more freely around her, the way his gaze lingered a fraction longer than necessary, the quiet care hidden beneath his usual restraint. Those small shifts had planted something fragile inside her heart, something she had not allowed herself to name, and now that fragile thing trembled violently as she watched him withdraw completely.

  Cutting her off without explanation. And that fragile thing was a hope that he would have feelings towards her as well like she has.

  That fear was real, sharp enough to hurt, and she did not attempt to hide it from herself. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, wanted to shake him, to demand that he look at her the way he had before. But the expression on his face stopped her from doing any of that.

  His eyes were open yet empty, his tears falling without sound or resistance, and it felt as though he had already stepped somewhere she could not follow.

  She remained silent as he finally moved, rising slowly and turning toward Elder Sahas, his voice steady despite the storm raging within him as he addressed everyone present. “Let’s return to the clan.”

  That single sentence ended everything. It ended the battlefield, ended the aftermath, and ended whatever fragile moment might have existed between them. Anshvi could only listen and follow as he lifted Ishant onto his back, securing him with careful movements that betrayed how deeply ingrained responsibility had become within him, before rising into the air and flying toward the city without looking back.

  One by one, the members of the Rudra Clan followed, their formations loose and silent, exhaustion weighing down every movement. Anshvi and Ashish remained at the back, watching Eklavya’s figure grow smaller in the distance. And even from afar she could see that his posture had changed, straighter yet heavier, as though he were carrying far more than just his injured father.

  As they traveled. Anshvi’s thoughts grew darker, her heart unsettled by the way he had shut her out completely. Ashish noticed her silence and drifted closer, his tone gentle as he asked, “What happened?”

  She did not answer him immediately, because she already knew what he would say, and a part of her desperately wanted to hear it anyway. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, uncertain, as she asked, “Brother Ashish, does Eklavya look a little different?”

  Ashish smiled knowingly and shook his head, amusement softening his features as he replied, “Oh! So, that’s the matter. Don’t worry, he will come to his senses after we arrive in the clan. By the way, tomorrow is a festival at night. Why not you both go together at night?”

  “But—” she began softly, doubt creeping into her voice, but Ashish interrupted her before she could spiral further, saying, “Don’t worry, I will convince him today.” His confidence was contagious, and she smiled faintly despite herself, increasing her speed as she flew ahead to catch up to Eklavya, clinging to the hope that perhaps this distance was temporary. That whatever wall he had erected could still be broken.

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  She reached his side and asked again, “Are you fine?” Only then did she truly notice the terrifying detail she had missed before. That even while flying, his tears had not stopped, his eyes remaining open and unblinking, bloodshot veins visible against whites that looked almost lifeless.

  Her heart tightened painfully as she reached into her storage ring and pulled out a handkerchief, lifting her hand to gently wipe away his tears. But before she could touch his face he turned sharply toward her, his red-rimmed eyes meeting hers with a cold distance that made her freeze.

  She understood immediately that he did not want her touch, and without a word she withdrew her hand and returned the handkerchief to her storage ring. Her chest aching as she fell back slightly, giving him the space he demanded without saying so.

  Just before the city came into view, as the towering structures of Trapura emerged beneath darkening clouds. Eklavya spoke internally to Magha, his resolve hard and unyielding. ‘I have decided to leave the city. Tomorrow night.’

  Magha smirked within his consciousness and replied calmly, ‘Hmm, that’s good. You understood that staying here is not going to help you grow.’

  Eklavya shook his head inwardly, correcting him with bitter clarity. ‘I already knew on the day I let those two Grandmasters escape from the forest. That I can’t live like before.’

  Magha denied him immediately, his ancient voice firm. ‘No, the day you received the inheritance of two God Emperors, it became clear that you would never be able to live like before.’

  By the time the conversation ended, the entire Rudra Clan had arrived, though there were no cheers or celebrations waiting for them. Because too many were injured, and too many had died. This had not been an easy victory, and the silence that greeted them reflected that truth more accurately than any triumphant cry ever could.

  Eklavya landed first, his eyes immediately finding his mother standing near the hallway, her face pale with fear as she rushed forward. Without wasting time, he carried Ishant toward his room. His mother followed closely behind as Anshvi, Ashish, and the Elders trailed them with heavy expressions.

  Eklavya laid Ishant carefully upon the bed and stood near his head as Elder stepped forward, checking his pulse with practiced precision.

  After a tense moment, the Elder smirked faintly and said, “Nothing to fear about. He is fine. He just overexerted his ki channels, and there are some internal injuries.” A collective exhale passed through the room as tension eased slightly.

  Then one by one the Elders made their way out, allowing alchemists to take over. Across the clan, hallways filled with injured members, many unable to return to their rooms and seeking immediate treatment, making the chaos unavoidable yet necessary.

  Rain began falling over Trapura City at the same moment. Heavy droplets washing blood from stone as though the heavens themselves mourned the cost of survival. Eklavya left Ishant’s room without treating his own injuries and began walking toward his quarters, his body aching but ignored completely.

  Anshvi followed him and caught his hand, stopping him as she said firmly, “First sit here. I will treat your injury first.” He looked at her briefly before using his other hand to free himself from her grip. His movements were gentle but absolute. His mother and brother noticed but did not intervene, trusting Anshvi to handle him, though she too found herself unable to stop his retreat.

  She followed him to his room and stopped the door just before he could close it, pushing it inward and stepping inside. He ignored her presence and sat on the bed cross-legged, finally speaking as he asked, “Why are you here?”

  She stood before him and replied softly, “Of course to treat you,” pulling bandages and medicine from her storage ring. He closed his eyes and said, “I can do it with my own hands.” When she asked him why he was acting differently now, demanding an answer, he replied coldly, “It’s not like there was something between us from the beginning, by the way. And I don’t need to give you an answer.”

  The words struck her harder than any blow. The fear she had carried became certainty in that moment, and she believed that whatever feelings she had sensed from him days ago had vanished completely.

  What she did not know was that the truth was far more complicated, that his feelings for her had not disappeared but had grown stronger through the crucible of battle, only to be buried deliberately beneath layers of self-denial and fear.

  The voice that had called him weak had convinced him that attachment was a distraction he could not afford, and so he sealed those emotions away, choosing isolation over vulnerability.

  Magha spoke again within him, his tone sharper this time. ‘Do you know what you are doing? At least give her an answer.’ Eklavya nodded inwardly before speaking aloud, forcing himself to smile as he said, “Please, leave me alone right now. I will treat myself.”

  Anshvi looked at him carefully and said quietly, “Thanks for giving me a clear answer, but you don’t need to give me a forced smile.” He nodded once, unable to argue, and she left the room without looking back.