The moment Rudra was born, the kingdom of Aryavarta trembled.
Not violently.
Not destructively.
As if the land itself had inhaled.
Within the grand royal palace, sacred fires flared without being lit, and temple bells rang across the capital despite no hands touching them. Priests froze mid-chant. Soldiers straightened unconsciously. Animals outside the city grew silent.
In the royal birthing chamber, Queen Sharmila screamed one final time—and then fell silent.
A cry rose.
Strong.
Clear.
Dominant.
The midwives froze.
"That cry…" one whispered. "It is not the cry of a helpless child."
The newborn did not thrash or wail endlessly. His eyes opened almost immediately, dark pupils steady, unfocused yet strangely aware.
The crown prince had arrived.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," the chief physician said, kneeling. "A healthy son. The heir to Aryavarta."
King Rajendra stepped forward slowly.
He had faced warlords, conspiracies, and assassins without blinking—but now his hands trembled faintly as he looked upon his son.
The moment Rudra's tiny fingers curled around his father's thumb, something ancient activated.
—
[Dharma–Karma Chronicle: Syncing New Vessel]
[Host Body: Stable]
[Royal Bloodline: Confirmed]
[Authority Node: Dormant — Awaiting Growth]
—
The king stiffened.
A pressure—not painful, but undeniable—pressed against his chest. Instinctively, he bowed his head slightly to his own newborn son.
The court astrologer gasped.
"Your Majesty," he whispered urgently, eyes wide. "The stars— they have rearranged."
Before the king could respond, a guard burst into the chamber and dropped to one knee.
"Sages," the guard said, voice shaking. "Rishis from all directions. They are already at the palace gates."
—
They came without summons.
Sage Vashishta.
Sage Bhrigu.
Sage Angiras.
Ascetics whose names were spoken only in hymns.
The palace courtyard filled with an impossible presence.
The moment they stepped inside, Rudra stopped crying.
His gaze locked onto them.
One by one, the sages halted.
"This child…" Vashishta murmured. "He is watching us."
The eldest sage stepped forward, staff striking the marble floor once.
"O King of Aryavarta," he said, "do not mistake this birth as fortune alone."
King Rajendra knelt without hesitation.
"We sense a convergence of dharma," the sage continued. "A soul forged in injustice, reborn in authority."
They entered the chamber.
The air thickened.
Rudra's small body glowed faintly—not with light, but *presence*.
The sages did not hesitate.
They raised their hands.
"By my authority," declared Sage Angiras, "I grant him wisdom that matures faster than flesh."
[Boons Received]
• Accelerated Cognitive Growth
"I grant him strength that does not rot with age," said Bhrigu.
[Boons Received]
• Eternal Physical Scaling
"May weapons bow to his intent," intoned Parashar.
[Boons Received]
• Supreme Weapon Affinity
"May fear never find a home in his heart," said another.
[Boons Received]
• Absolute Fear Immunity
Blessings layered upon blessings.
Not reckless.
Not excessive.
Balanced for a ruler, not a beast.
The system observed silently.
Then responded.
—
[Dharma–Karma Chronicle: Amplification Protocol Active]
[Evaluating Boons…]
[Compatibility: Perfect]
[Amplification Applied]
• Accelerated Cognitive Growth → Innate Insight
• Eternal Physical Scaling → Divine Growth Curve
• Supreme Weapon Affinity → Weapon Resonance (Passive)
• Absolute Fear Immunity → Mental Dominion
—
Rudra felt it.
Not power flooding him—but *structure* forming around his existence.
He did not cry.
He did not struggle.
He accepted.
One sage frowned slightly.
"This child…" he murmured, "he does not merely receive."
"He *commands*," another finished quietly.
The sages stepped back.
"It is done," Vashishta declared. "Raise him well, O King. Not gently."
The king nodded solemnly.
"I will raise him as a king," Rajendra said. "Not as glass."
The sages departed as suddenly as they had arrived.
The palace slowly returned to breath.
Night fell.
In the cradle of gold and silk, Rudra lay awake.
His infant body slept—but his soul did not.
Memory aligned.
Divinity remained sealed.
The system hovered like a ledger etched into reality.
[Dharma Authority: Locked]
[Condition: Maturity + Choice]
Rudra's thoughts were calm.
"This life," he reflected, "will not end on a street."
Outside the palace, thunder rolled once—clear sky, no clouds.
Far away, unseen, Shiva watched.
"He will not beg dharma," Mahadeva said.
Parvati smiled softly.
"He will enforce it."
Below them, the crown prince of Aryavarta slept.
The world believed it had gained an heir.
It had gained a reckoning.
-- chapter 2 ended --