Night Watch: South Wing Shadows
The clock struck 00:12. The nursery glowed with the soft cyan throb of the cradle's sunburst runes, their glows like a sluggish heartbeat—except for the fact that this heart of theirs had an inbuilt firewall and intruders' detection system.
Sharath, eyes shut, the epitome of infant innocence, lay there. In fact, he was conducting a clandestine operation under a cover-up that reeked slightly of milk and triumph. 🐧 [LOGGING: ONGOING OPERATION — "BEDTIME COUNTERINTEL"]
The silence was shattered—not by a bang, but by the soft click of the bookcase panel of the nursery opening. Out came a hooded servant, tiptoeing like they were practicing for "Most Suspicious Person Alive." They pulled out an empty scroll (not an empty scroll) and tucked a crystal orb under Sharath's bed with all the nonchalance of a cat concealing something it shouldn't have nipped.
🐧 [SECURITY FLAG: PICKED UP COVERT CHANNEL BETWEEN NURSERY BOOKCASE & LIBRARY ANNEX — POTENTIAL INSIDER THREAT]
Sharath knew. The instant the intruder pivoted away, he let out The Wail. Not some ordinary cry—this was a precision-tuned, eardrum-shaking, guilt-tripping sound weapon of mass parental mobilization.
Rune-shields burst red, guards stormed in, and the servant stood stiff mid-turn, crystal sphere seized before they could blink. Captain of the Guard—half armor, half temper—read out charges of high treason.
🐧 [MISSION SUCCESS: CRIB-LAN COMPROMISED DEVICE SECURED. BABY STATUS: HERO MODE ENABLED]
Sharath took his pacifier with the gravity of a general being awarded a medal, then dozed off again into "sleep." Even legends need their sleep.
Moon-Mop Diplomacy
The silence returned—until a gentle scritch-scritch echoed from beneath the wardrobe.
Out popped the Moon-Mop. Six legs. Disco-ball fur. Eyes that contained the knowledge of someone who'd watched too many kitchen floors. It trotted along with a tiny scroll in its mouth and left it just within Sharath's rune boundary like a diplomatic messenger leaving a peace treaty.
The scroll opened by itself.
"Forest waits. Prove will. Dispel false guardian."
Prior to questioning being possible, the Moon-Mop disappeared—either into the closet or some other plane of dust bunnies.
🐧 [ANALYSIS: POTENTIAL QUEST HOOK FROM TREE-ENTITY. RECOMMENDED STATUS: 'SIDE MISSIONS – PENDING CRAWLING SKILL']
Sharath mentally bookmarked it for later. You couldn't exactly go careening off into magical woods without learning how to walk first.
Deep-Link Dialogue
At 1:47 a.m., Sharath opened a neural conversation with his perpetually vigilant AI companion.
S: Can you puppet the crib-net to crack that scroll?
🐧 [ALREADY DONE. DECRYPTION COMPLETE: IT'S A MAP — ROUTE LEADS BELOW ESTATE INTO ROOT-VAULTS.]
S: That's good. Will investigate once I have, you know… legs.
🐧 [IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE: 6–8 MONTHS. ADVISORY: TRY NOT TO SPARK AN UPRISING BEFORE THEN.]
Sharath laughed—a strange, fizzy sound suppressed by his blanket. Somewhere in the outside world, a guard moved restlessly, as though they'd caught the faint whisper of something old and potentially adhesive.
Tree-Lightning Spying
An easy ping from the window rune cut the silence. Sharath's gaze jerked to the woods beyond estate walls.
There, on the fringe of the trees, a soft green luminescence pulsed, and in its heart hovered two golden spheres the diameter of shields. They suspended in the darkness, without blinking. Observing. Waiting.
The air grew charged—not with a sense of fear, but with the same feeling you get right before a thunderstorm erupts.
🐧 [ENTITY DETERMINED: TREE-LIGHTNING. POWER LEVEL: COMPETENT WITH SMALL GOD. STATUS: INTERESTED, OBSERVANT.]
Sharath replied with a measured mental tingle—no hostility, simply alertness. The orbs winked out, then dispersed into the forest light. Crickets went back to their singing as if nothing had occurred.
He wasn't sure if the Tree-Lightning was friend or enemy, or merely a curious neighbor. But something convinced him that it would not be the last encounter.
Cradle OS Upgrade v1.2
Before the evening could drift fully into darkness, 🐧 [INITIATING CRADLE OS UPDATE: VERSION 1.2]
Patch notes:
Included Duck-Loofah Intrusion Filter – because who knew rubber ducks had become spy-level operatives now.
Integrated Gift Network into Crib-LAN – your cuddly unicorn is now officially included in your security enclave.
Boot animation: dancing sunburst lions (optional, but really fabulous).
As holographic lions danced over him, Sharath's dreams began. Somewhere far into the network of his crib, packets of code and magic flew around like fireflies, locking up, checking out, ready for whatever absurd adventure tomorrow would require.
And if those adventures just so happened to include more Moon-Mops, Tree-Lightning gods, or a daring incursion into the Root-Vaults—well, he'd be prepared. Eventually.
After all, someone never saved the world before breakfast without getting a good nap first.