Chapter 5 — Shadows Over Yeringham
Moonlight spilled over the manicured gardens of House Yeringham, turning the white stone paths into silver ribbons. The estate, usually tranquil, seemed too still—almost holding its breath. Rudra stood near the large bay window of the eastern wing, his small frame perfectly composed, hands clasped behind his back. Four years old. But every thought, every movement, belonged to a man who had lived a thousand battles.
[SYSTEM ALERT: 5 unidentified hostile targets detected within 50 meters. Lethality: HIGH. Probability of neutralization solo: 63%]
His crimson eyes scanned the shadows. The intruders moved with precision, silent and deadly—an assassin team. He already knew their goal before they acted: eliminate anyone standing between them and the family, and escape before guards noticed. Standard procedure. Predictable. Foolish.
He exhaled slowly. "So they've already come."
[SKILL READY: APPRAISAL | ACTIVE]
[TARGET ANALYSIS: Assassin #1 – Physical Strength: Above Average | Weapon: Dagger | Mana Skill: Minor, concealed]
[TARGET ANALYSIS: Assassin #2 – Agile, dual-wield | Mana Skill: Poisoned darts]
Rudra's lips curved faintly. This won't take long.
He stepped lightly onto the hallway floor. Every movement was deliberate, calculated. The faint creak of floorboards under his weight was countered by a layer of invisible mana threads, dampening sound, making him a phantom.
[SKILL ACTIVATION: CREATION | INVISIBILITY THREADS | SUCCESS: 100%]
The first assassin approached the nursery wing, unaware of the silent watcher. He raised his dagger to strike Elise, the maid, whose scream would have been the alarm for the rest of the estate.
Rudra's small hand shot out. Threads of mana, nearly invisible, wrapped around the assassin's arm. One subtle tug, and the dagger snapped harmlessly to the floor. A second thread coiled around the assassin's neck, lifting him slightly off the ground.
[SYSTEM ALERT: COMBAT INITIATED | STRATEGY: NEUTRALIZE WITH MINIMAL NOISE]
The assassin gasped, struggling, but before he could react further, a thin, sharp thread sliced silently across his throat. He crumpled to the floor, blood trickling in a whisper. Not a scream. Not a panic. Just… gone.
Elise blinked, frozen in disbelief. "…He… he's just a child…"
Rudra's crimson eyes glanced toward her. Calm. Controlled. "Stay behind me."
The remaining assassins converged, sensing something wrong. Shadows moved unnaturally fast, a blur that twisted through the hallways. Rudra's body was small, but his aura—his mana—was oppressive. Every thread of energy around him was a scalpel, precise, lethal.
[SKILL ACTIVE: IMMUNITY | POISON RESISTANCE | ACTIVE]
Poisoned darts flew. Rudra's body shifted instinctively, mana layers absorbing the projectiles midair, dissolving them into harmless light. Each step, each flick of his hand, dismantled their attacks without breaking a sweat.
One assassin lunged with a twin dagger strike. Rudra's hand extended—a single invisible thread coiled around the first dagger, twisting it out of the attacker's grip, while a second thread snapped the second dagger's blade. The man fell back, stunned, exposed.
[APPRAISAL UPDATE: Threat Neutralization: 2/5 | Remaining: 3 | Efficiency: MAX]
A cold calculation crossed Rudra's mind. I can end this in seconds. But if I move too fast… it draws attention. Guards are already questioning the silence.
So he slowed slightly, forcing them to underestimate him. A false opening—a lure. The moment the third assassin committed to an attack, Rudra's mana threads moved impossibly fast, invisible, slicing tendons, locking joints, and dismantling weapons.
Within less than a minute, the hallway was silent. Except for the faint sound of breathing and the shiver of disturbed air. Three assassins neutralized, incapacitated but alive—except one, a surprise from behind.
The fourth assassin had made it past his calculated perimeter. Headed straight for the study. Headed straight for Mark and Regina.
Rudra's eyes snapped. Not happening.
He moved faster than sound—or at least it felt that way. Creation skill engaged: a perfect, white mana blade materialized midair. Threads extended from the floor to the ceiling, slicing a path of calculated destruction, ensuring the assassin would never reach the study.
[SKILL ACTIVATION: CREATION | MANA BLADE | SUCCESS: 100%]
[TARGET APPRAISAL: Assassin #4 – Lethal Potential HIGH | Neutralized]
The man crashed to the ground, unconscious, and the blade vanished as silently as it appeared.
Mark and Regina, from the study doorway, finally witnessed him. Their son—four years old—stood alone in the hallway, calm, composed, and lethal. His hands hung at his sides, crimson eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight.
"…Rudra…" Regina whispered, voice trembling.
"Yes," he said softly, "they wanted to hurt you."
Her face paled. "We thought… we thought he was just a child…"
He tilted his head. "I am a child in body. Not in mind. Not in skill. And not in will."
Mark clenched his fists. Pride, fear, and something else—realization—flooded him. His son was no longer just a child to be protected. Rudra was a force unto himself.
The fifth assassin remained, hiding in shadows near the servant quarters. Rudra could feel him—the faintest fluctuation of mana, the tiniest heartbeat out of rhythm.
[APPRAISAL UPDATE: Target #5 – Hidden | Threat Level: MAX | Countermeasures: PREPARE]
Rudra smiled faintly, a predator in a child's frame. He moved invisibly, threading the hallways, landing exactly behind the target. A single, precise motion.
[SYSTEM ALERT: ASSASSIN NEUTRALIZED | SUCCESS: 100%]
He exhaled once. Silent. Controlled. Efficient.
The estate was safe. For now.
Morning broke slowly over House Yeringham. Candles flickered as servants and guards stumbled out from hiding, trembling, astonished. The bodies of five intruders lay scattered, neutralized, and yet untouched by careless violence—except where necessary.
Mark knelt, inspecting the scene. "Rudra… my son… this… this is…"
"Calculated," Rudra said simply, voice calm. "All threats neutralized. Household safety: 100%. Casualties: 0."
[SYSTEM ALERT: FAMILY PROTECTION SUCCESSFUL | THREAT LEVEL: LOW]
Regina's hands shook as she placed them on his shoulders. "You… saved us."
"Yes," he said softly. "I will continue to do so. But this will not stop. Others will come. They always do."
Mark's face darkened. "Then we prepare. We strengthen. He stays under no one's control. Not Lorien. Not the Royal Council. Not anyone."
Rudra looked out the window, crimson eyes reflecting the early sun. Calculating. Predicting. Planning.
[SYSTEM ALERT: GLOBAL THREAT DETECTION INITIATED | RECOMMEND STRATEGIC MONITORING | POTENTIAL TARGET: Rudra Yeringham | STATUS: HIGH]
A cold smile crossed his face. "So it starts again… the world wants to use me. This time, though…"
He clenched his small fist. Tight. Determined. Deadly.
"…I will control the board."
Outside, shadows moved, lingering in the early sunlight. The game had begun. And this time, Rudra would dictate every move.