Ah, the child is finally here. I watched as he crawled the last few feet, his will burning bright even as his physical body failed. I was just about to greet him when he collapsed at my feet.
"Uh-oh, he lost consciousness."
Did I push him too hard? Perhaps. This small, mortal shell could only handle so much. He sought truth, but his fragile mind was not ready for the full weight of it.
I knelt, a gentle energy flowing from my hand and into his form. His exhaustion melted away, his body mending itself in an instant. A physical recovery was simple, but his mind still needed to rest.
"Let's recover his strength and have the chat in a dream, yes."
It was a simpler way. I could speak to his spirit directly, without the filters of his weary mind. I needed him to be whole to truly receive what was coming. The desire he sought would take more than just words to fulfill; it was a memory he had to ingrain in his being.
I reached the peak and felt myself float up, landing in front of the silhouette of a person lying on what appeared to be a hammock. He was positioned above my height, and I could feel his gaze on me, filled with interest and amusement.
The surroundings were unfamiliar, and I asked, "Where am I, and who are you?"
"You, my child, are at the peak of Kailash," he replied. "And I am a devotee of Lord Shiva. Since he could not break his meditation, I am here to meet you in his place. So, tell me what you desire." His voice was a soothing balm, calming me down.
"I want my family back," I said, the words a raw whisper.
"A difficult desire, overturning death," he mused. "Could you not just make do with something simple like immortality or invincibility?"
"Immortality and invincibility are simple wishes?" I asked skeptical.
"To my kind, inquisitive child,
Your mortal perspective on such matters is quaint. From where I sit, immortality and invincibility are simple because they are material. They are wishes about the physical world—modifications of the body, a fortress of flesh against time and harm. To a being with even a fraction of divine power, altering matter is a triviality. It is like a master architect simply changing the material of a wall from brick to steel. A complex task for a mortal, yes, but not a fundamental challenge to the laws of creation.
Your desire, however, is a different matter entirely. You do not wish to merely change a wall; you wish to rebuild the very foundation of a house that has long been finished. You seek to reverse a death, to undo a natural end, to pull a soul back from the journey it has already taken. That is a wish that warps the fabric of existence itself. It is a spiritual and existential desire, far more fearsome and complex than mere physical permanence. That is why it is difficult and why the consequences will be yours to bear."
"I understand. But my choice is already made."
"Fine, Fine. I knew this would be a troublesome ordeal but I'll agree since it's doable. Normally, your wish would be difficult to fulfill, with the little amount of power I can exert in this era," he continued. "But the future of the world you are in gives us a chance to manipulate the odds in our favor. Since my presence here is quite thin, I can't directly fulfill your wish. Instead, I will show you a path. It is perilous, but if you succeed, you will have your parents back. But as I said, 'Rudra' if you embark on this path, there will be consequences, and if you want to succeed, you have to get stronger. Be sure to live up to your name, child."
I took his words to heart. "I will try my best."
"Now listen carefully and commit everything I say to your memory, for you will only have one chance, one fleeting opportunity to succeed. You see, in the future, there will be a moment that will allow for an alteration to the timeline. However, you can't send back anything physical, and the ride will not be made for you. You will have to jump on yourself and fare against the tides. But before departure, death looms at every corner. So first, you must survive."
"What do I need to do?"
"For now nothing, go back to your new house and prepare yourself for the moment to come and remember 'Doing what is right is always difficult, but it is no reason for us to step back. Always walk the path of Dharma(Righteuosness), even if it looks like you have to walk alone, keep in mind, those who walk the path of Dharma(Righteuosness) are never vulnerable for I protect those who protect the Dharma(Righteuosness).' Now go train or something to get stonger."
"How?" I asked, confusion creeping into my voice.
"How would I know?" he replied with a hint of amusement. "You are named 'Rudra,' one blessed by Shiva himself. Just do something, for you have barely unearthed your potential. Now go, it is time."
"Wait, who are you?" I asked as I felt mysef pushed away from the peak but I recieved no answer all I heard was a melody of a flute being played but that in itself was an answer enough.
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Looking back now, I finally understood. The being I had spoken to on the peak of Kailash was Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu.
The myths say it is he who steers the progress of the world, and when things get bad, he comes down to guide it to the right path. I don't know if the Marvel Universe follows that mythology, but in that moment, it felt like the only truth.
It wasn't just the final encounter. My entire journey had been a series of questionable coincidences.
I don't remember the faces of those who guided me—the man who told me to walk the Kedarnath climb, the priest at the temple who led me to Kailash, or even the Sadhu who taught me how to unburden my mind.
The only face I recall is Guruji's at Rameshwaram, the anchor of my journey.
I don't know if he was testing me or guiding me—perhaps both—but the truth that had been veiled to me was now terrifyingly clear. They were all mirrors, reflecting my own path back to me. Now, I have direction, and I know what I want to do.
I have to get stronger. I will have to live up to the name Rudra. My journey to bring back my family will be difficult, but I'm ready to face the storm.
(A.N. - And so the goes MC's another trip to the mountains again with many more to come. I think I should rename the novel 'Marvel / DC - Tale of the Mountain Man.😮💨)