Where Dreams Converged I

Sidharth held his breath as he stepped into the veranda. In the scorching afternoon heat, he wasn't expecting his family to await his return, yet he had hoped they would. His gaze lingered as he hesitantly observed the marble floor. His thoughts wandered once more; the ominous conversation with the drone quietly invaded—Why Avalon? Didn't they sign a peace treaty? Why now?—Once again, a labyrinth of questions presented itself.

Reigning in the uncertainty and a tinge of disappointment, his lips parted in a hesitant whisper: "I am home?"

Today, more so than ever, the desolation was haunting. Despite his mother's neatly arranged flower pot by the marble railing or even the meticulously crafted wind chime, he couldn't let go of his worries.

Sidharth lived in a world where geopolitics echoed like a colonist's fairy tale—a single supreme empire reigning over its sprawling territories. Boasting an ironic blend of democratic aristocracy. They have fought through the past century to realise a single ideal—A world without borders and without war.

With most of the world under their iron grip, the Imperials flaunt military prowess. From the infeasible conquest of Europe in the seventies till the infamous Asiatic war of the late nineties and early 2000s, the Empire has swept away the hegemony and enforced its dominance.

Yet four decades after their last conquest, the land once revered as the golden bird remains uncaged. A pride that they boasted, yet an eyesore for the Imperials. It was a situation that Sidharth wished didn't exist.

Shaking his head, he moved towards the shoe rack and knelt. His fingers pulled the aglet of his white sneakers, bringing the knot undone. The rack was very well organised—a testament to his mother's fixation towards cleanliness. Each rack housed footwear for separate occasions: formal, informal, sports and work.

He placed his pair on the empty spot and threw his worn-out socks into the yellow bin to his right. He then pulled out his football boots and placed them on the middle rack. With the formalities out of the way, he moved back to the front door, ready to enter.

<Retinal scan in progress> The home AI system 'Nia' buzzed with authority. <Please hold still>

Sidharth placed his eyes over the tiny orb at the door. It beeped as a blue light pulsated over his retina. There was a pause as the machine made a droning noise, similar to the drone he had encountered earlier. Something felt amiss, but he decided to ignore it. He wasn't new to tense situations like these, not when you are a citizen of one of the world's few free nations.

<...> Nia made an empty buzzing noise as its lens made a mechanical hum extending forward. Another wave of blue light scanned him from top to bottom before the lens retracted. There were three consecutive beeps following that as Sidharth lowered his brows.

<Sorry for the inconvenience; I am facing some database issues; please wait.> Nia replied as the green light surrounding the orb turned red.

Sidharth shook his head.

<Databse check completed.> After three minutes of intense beeping noises, Nia announced. Her tone buzzed with a cheer. <Welcome Home, Master Sidharth. And Happy Birthday.>

"Thanks..." Sidharth replied in a whisper. Another beep followed, signalling that the door's lock had been undone.

<You are welcome.> Nia buzzed with joy and synthetic surprise as the orb's colour changed to shade from pink and then green. <I hope you have a wonderful day ahead.>

Sidharth gave her a nod and pushed the door open.

As he stepped in, the cold breeze of the air conditioner welcomed him in their comforting embrace. After he walked from the scorching land outside, this was a paradise for him.

Heaven! This is Heaven!

He rejoiced as he entered the living room. Surprised by the empty couches, he looked towards the dining area only to find it in a similar condition.

Is something wrong? He wondered, his mind again wandering towards the muffled whispers and the strange drone. But they soon vanished as a faint aroma flowed over his nose, alluring him into its lovely embrace. If he had wished to follow its trail, it would have led him into the kitchen, his mother's magical workshop. But as much as he desired it, he stopped; as a benevolent son, Sidharth didn't want to face his mother's wrath, at least not on his birthday.

Sighing, he averted his gaze back towards the couch, and once again, he was welcomed with emptiness. Not wanting to dwell on it further, he moved towards the centre of the room, passing the royal-blue carpet, his amber eyes briefly looking at the embroidery. It was a scene from an ancient Greek myth that his mother loved: A young boy in tears stretched his hand towards the sky as the Goddess in white toga reached out for him; her fingers were burned as they barely brushed the mortal.

The meaning behind the scene was still vague to Sidharth, but watching the Goddess trying to help the boy despite the pain it brought to her made him appreciate the art. A show of mutual understanding between the divine and mortal as a new journey was about to begin.

Atop it floated a levitating table, its surface pulsating in a faint black glow. As Sidharth brushed his fingers across it, it changed colours fluidly to blue. A window flickered open, displaying the time, followed by an interface resembling a digital newspaper.

He clicked on the newspaper icon as the table morphed colours again, this time a black and white of the traditional paper. The headlines caught his attention:

'Mayuri Dodiya cancels 'Dune Of Time Tour' Amid Avalon's Renewed Assault on Eastern Front.

'The Famed Jodhpur Marwar Food Festival of Jodhpur Faces Possible Delays; Maharaja Karanvir Rathore Addresses The Press'

'RHA Sounds Alarm: Osian Renegade Nest Stirring After 20 Years Of Dormancy, Says Inspector Shruti'

'Calm Amid Rumours: PM Shekhawat Reassures Nation on Avalon Peace Treaty'

Taking a breath of relief, Sidharth powered down the levitating table as his eyes caught the carefully placed photo frames hanging on the wall to his right. There were six of them arranged in a descending pyramidal order. The one at the top was a seemingly decades-old photograph of a young man with long wavy hair tied into a bun, clad in an olive military jacket as he drove a jeep. He donned aviators, ready to challenge the world. Beside him was a young lady in her late twenties, her long curly hair flowing in the breeze, clad in a denim jacket, sitting beside the young man, holding his arm and smiling brightly. Her amber eyes were filled with joy and love. At the bottom of the frame, written in red ink, was 'Malem & Leela Missamari; 8th August 2010.'

Sidharth chuckled.

Mom and Dad look like two teenagers in love.

In the row below was a picture of his sister standing before a monastery, holding hands with their parents. Her raven hair was dishevelled and messy. As she smiled, he could see her missing teeth, making Sidharth smile; he loved teasing her about it. At the bottom were the words inscribed in blue ink: 'Aisha's 5th Birthday Gangtok; 28th July 2018'.

Besides, it was the picture of a baby wrapped in a white blanket, his eyes closed as Leela held him in her embrace. A tearful Malem sat beside her, consoled by teenage Aisha, who wiped his tears. 'Welcoming Sidharth To Our Lives Kolkata; 24th April 2027'

The last three pictures were of four of them together, hiking the hills of Meghalaya, basking in the beaches of Andaman and finally sitting together in this very living room. Each picture held a memory of them that they will never forget.

Washed over with a wave of nostalgia, Sidharth gazed at the final picture. Those days were over, and yet he longed for them.

Those were good times.

He smiled once more before moving forward.

But still, where is everyone?

He wondered as his eyes fell on the open door at the corner of the living room that connected the living area to the balcony outside. Usually, it would be closed to keep out the warm afternoon winds.

Sidharth walked to the end of the living area and towards the right corner, moving past the bronze sculpture of a Roman soldier, about half his height, clad in armour emblazoned with an eagle on its chest; its face was adorned with a burly beard and eyes staring intently as if waiting for battle. He held a spear in his right hand longer than him as he stood over a platform in attention.

Once near the door, Sidharth could hear muffled whispers.

"Are you sure?"

"I mean, doesn't this happen every year?"

"Lokesh, these skirmishes have been going on for the past two decades."

"Trust me, it is just a routine skirmish."

Sidharth didn't mean to eavesdrop and instantly regretted hearing his father speak. But like they say, curiosity always gets the best of us. He slowly craned his head from the corner of the door frame, trying to catch a glimpse of him while praying he didn't get caught.

And there he was, Malem Zou, standing straight, his hands holding the cylindrical railing firmly as he gazed downwards on the garden below. His wavy black hair was now neatly cut short, his face had a few wrinkles, and his black eyes weren't those of the adventurer but those of a man who had to protect what he loved.

In his left hand, he held a black-looking device; it wasn't the trending smartphone of the day and age but a more old, borderline ancient keypad phone he only used for office calls, that too, the more important ones.

"Look," Malem sighed as he slowly walked towards the railing. His obsidian eyes flickered with frustration. "I understand your concerns regarding the sudden escalation, but we both know, this happens all the time."

"No, it's not the father in me speaking." He sighed again as he shook his head. "See, I don't want to argue politics over call, I am just a soldier; you are the one who calls the shot. But even so please understand I am on a leave."

Sidharth held his breath as he hid himself by the doorframe.

Are they ordering him to return?

"I get it, I really do." Malem's voice was calm as he tried to reason. "But we just signed the peace treaty with them... It's barely been three months, Lokesh."

"I know," He sighed again as he held tightly onto the railing. "I know, the Imperial are known for their treachery, but even for them a breach so soon can prove costly...With other Asian colonies still bearing signs of rebellion, I don't think the Emperor would bat an eye on us, unless his thirst for conquest is more than his want of consolidation."

"Fine..." Malem gave a defeated sigh. "But not today or this week. It's my son's birthday, and I am not missing it...It might be unfitting of me since you look up to me as a model officer, but even if the unrealistic invasion were to begin tonight, you would not have me. This is more important."

Sidharth who had been quietly watching the scene unfold, took a step back. Eavesdropping was a bad habit, he had been taught that. Although sometimes the curious mind can't help it. But even then, to hear the name Imperials being mentioned was enough. There was no need to pry any further. It would only give him reasons to overthink.

Nodding to himself, he quietly retracted from the doorframe. Retracing his steps on a tiptoe towards the dining hall, where the second corridor led to the two bedrooms and his mother's study inside.

*****

A/N This chapter has been six months in the making. The story that goes behind the making of this is something, that can have a novel of itself, but today it's not about that journey but appreciation to those who were by my side. I want to give my thanks to my team:
Dev, Cosmo, Dhruv Nihalani, Priyansh Tanna, AV, Mdarien, Ron and Tushar Jeet Kumar Ohri, for being there for me through my toughest time. It was hell, or maybe worst but they stood by my side. Then my parents, Mom and Dad and my younger brother Adi, If you hadn't made me believe in myself when I had no hopes in my own self, I don't think I would be able to move forward with the confidence I have today. This chapter, no this entire series is only possible because you are always here by my side. Like a sturdy wall you never let me fall.

This series: Avalon is my love letter to anime as a whole and at the same time it is also filled with my love for Honkai Impact 3rd and Kiana Kaslana. It is my love, my joy and also the playground of my inner-child. And as I open the doors again, all I can say is Thank You, for being the best community, however small, for my stories. I love you all.

And again your support means the world to me. No it means the universe to me.