The Return of the Shadows

Later, Rudra suddenly woke up with a gasp. He looked around and realized he was in his room.

“Babaji… did I save the town?” he asked.

The Sadhu appeared before him and smiled.

“Yes, Rudra. You saved the people.”

Rudra jumped in excitement and celebrated his victory.
But the Sadhu’s tone became serious.

“But Rudra… you still have much to learn. You must learn to control this power. This was only your first lesson.”

Before Rudra could reply, the Sadhu vanished. Rudra looked around the room, confused.

“He always disappears like that…” he muttered.

The next day in class, Rudra felt sleepy, his head resting on the desk.
The teacher entered the classroom and said,

“Students, today we have a new friend joining us. His name is Hiroshi, and he’s from Japan.”

Rudra lifted his head, blinking.

“Hiroshi… from Japan? Oh… so cool… but kind of boring,” he whispered to himself.

The teacher continued,

“From today, Hiroshi will be your classmate.”

Hiroshi stood up and said cheerfully,

“Hello, everyone! My name is Hiroshi Kimura. I’m 13 years old, and I’m very excited to study with you all.”

Everyone welcomed him warmly. Rudra smiled and waved.
Hiroshi came to sit beside Rudra, and soon they became good friends.

Far away, the Black Sadhu was performing a dark ritual, chanting mantras with his eyes closed and a twisted smile on his face.
Suddenly, one of his servants rushed in.

“Boss! We found the path to the Chakra Stone!”

The Black Sadhu opened his eyes sharply.

“What did you just say?”

The servant bowed and said,

“Yes, Boss. We got information about where the Chakra Stone is hidden.”

The Black Sadhu grinned wickedly.

“Hehehe… excellent. But first, we must get the Saktra — the key to unlock the Chakra Stone. We must take that boy’s bracelet. Do you understand?”

All the servants nodded in obedience.

Meanwhile, the Sadhu, who was meditating in silence, suddenly opened his eyes.

“No… I must protect Rudra,” he whispered.

After school, Rudra said to Hiroshi,

“Hey Hiroshi, tomorrow is Sunday! Let’s play cricket. I’m inviting you to join my friends’ match.”

Hiroshi tilted his head curiously.

“What is cricket?”

Rudra laughed.

“Hehe… you’ll find out tomorrow!”

Both of them waved goodbye and went home.
But as Rudra was about to reach his house, everything around him blurred.

In an instant, he disappeared.

When his vision cleared, he found himself in a dark jungle.
He looked around in confusion.

“Where am I? Am I dreaming again? Or… is this real? A jungle?”

He saw a group of people walking in the distance. Rudra shouted,

“Hey! Please help me!”

The people turned toward him — but as they came closer, Rudra froze.

They were Black Sadhus — dressed in dark robes, their faces half-covered, chanting softly.
Among them stood a tall figure holding a large magic staff. His presence was terrifying.

The leader stepped forward and said in a deep voice,

“Welcome, Rudra Singha.”

Rudra’s eyes widened in shock.

“H-How do you know my name?”