The heavy silence that descended on the lab after Dhruv and Anika left was no longer punctuated by the warm laughter of friends. The humble dinner table now resembled a war council. Dr. Rudra and Yang Lee sat still, their food a silent reminder of their past.
Yang Lee's mischievous nature had utterly disappeared. His piercing eyes, which had a moment earlier gleamed with mischief, were now dark, all-knowing. He came closer, his voice hardly above a whisper, but it carried the impact of a thunderclap.
"Do they know about them?" he whispered, his eyes following the direction in which Dhruv and Anika had stepped out of sight.
Rudra regarded him, a flash of puzzlement on his face. "Who?" he asked, truly baffled by the inquiry.
"The Dashanan," Yang Lee said, the name a single, heavy word. "Do they realize the full scope of their power? What they're capable of?"
"Not all of it," Rudra replied, his tone just as deep. He brushed his hand through his hair, a tired motion. "They are aware of the Dashanan. They are aware that they killed their parents. But they don't know the complete truth about Dashanan's power."
Yang Lee nodded simply, his face not showing any expression. He then leaned in even closer, his voice dropping even lower. "And do they know about TED?"
Rudra's shoulders drooped. "No," he replied, his tone equally low. "It's too early for them to meet TED. They're mad people." He hesitated, his eyes clouded with a troubled expression. "I will allow them to meet only when Dhruv and Anika's training is complete."
Yang Lee nodded simply. "They don't need to know the 'why' yet," he replied with a flat tone. "They only need to know the 'how.' How to become stronger. How to live. The rest can wait."
"By the way," Yang Lee said with a slight softening of expression. "What is the full form of TED?"
Rudra's lips curled into a small smile. "The End of Dashanan," he told him, and from his chest came a low rumble of chuckle.
Yang Lee's eyes flashed in understanding."That motherfucker Dash named it, right?" he said, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yes, that damn motherfucker," Rudra replied, and both men shared a short, quiet laugh.
A silence fell between them, the laughter giving way to a more serious atmosphere. Yang Lee stood up from the table, his movements smooth though for an old man. "I have to sleep early in order to wake early," he declared, his tone once again serious. "Goodnight."
He walked off down a long corridor, vanishing into the darkness. The actual work was going to start.