When Rudra opened his eyes, he found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
A ceiling that seemed to be moving.
Wait—
'No… the ceiling isn't moving. I'm the one moving back and forth.'
As his tiny body swayed gently, he turned his head with great effort, taking in his surroundings. He was lying in a cradle, the soft fabric cushioning his delicate frame.
An elderly woman sat beside him, gently pushing the cradle while reading a magazine in her hand.
And that's when realization hit him.
'Don't tell me… I've been reincarnated as a baby… again?!'
Heart racing, Rudra strained to lift his hand, his small fingers trembling as they finally came into view.
Tiny. Soft.
'Damn… it's real. I actually died. I actually met the Trimurti. And now… I'm a baby?!'
As his memories flooded back, so did his excitement.
'Wait… didn't they say they'd give me four random rewards? Where are they?!'
He needed to test them. Now.
His mind instantly went to all the overpowered main characters from fanfics he had read.
'Should I try breathing fire? No… maybe opening a portal would be cooler.'
Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth, summoning all his willpower—
WAAAH~
A loud, ear-piercing wail came out instead.
'Okay, that was a fail. Let's try something else.'
Determined, Rudra lifted both tiny hands, pointing toward the ceiling.
With great concentration, he rotated his wrist, trying to summon a portal like some kind of space-warping prodigy.
Silence.
Nothing.
A soft chuckle interrupted his focus.
"It seems you're awake…"
The elderly woman smiled, watching him with amusement.
"Wait here, little one. Grandma will get you some milk."
She set aside her magazine and walked to the kitchen, leaving Rudra alone with his crushed expectations.
'Why can't I open a portal? Didn't all those MCs in fanfics awaken their OP abilities at birth? Copying talents, mastering elements, becoming prodigies by age three… What kind of scam reincarnation is this?!'
Sigh~
After multiple failed attempts, Rudra finally gave up, letting out a defeated sigh.
Then a new problem hit him.
'My throat… it's dry… I need water…'
But all he could manage was a muffled,
"Neh~ Neh~"
Moments later, the elderly woman returned, picking him up from the cradle and holding him gently in her embrace.
"Here, here, little guy… drink slowly."
She checked the temperature of the milk before placing the feeding bottle against his lips.
The warm, soothing liquid flowed into his mouth, calming his parched throat.
As he drank, Rudra's thoughts slowly drifted.
"____"
The moment Rudra took his first sip, he froze.
His tiny eyes widened in shock.
Taste.
He could taste again.
A warm, rich sweetness spread across his tongue, igniting a long-forgotten sensation.
'Milk! Milk! Milk! I can finally taste! It's perfect!'
His vision turned misty as overwhelming emotions flooded in.
For years, he had lived in a world of bland nothingness, unable to experience the joy of flavors. Now, something as simple as milk felt like a divine blessing.
Noticing his reaction, the elderly woman narrowed her eyes in concern.
She gently pulled the feeding bottle away, checking its temperature again.
After confirming everything was fine, she carefully placed it back into Rudra's mouth.
This time, he greedily latched onto it, drinking with newfound enthusiasm.
The warm liquid soothed him, filling not just his stomach but also his heart.
'Maybe… this reincarnation isn't so bad after all…'
Owh~
With the bottle now empty, Rudra's tiny body relaxed.
His eyelids grew heavy, his exhaustion from earlier washing over him.
Within moments, he drifted into a deep sleep, still cradled in the elderly woman's arms.
Smiling softly, she carefully laid him back in his cradle, adjusting the blankets to keep him warm.
With a quiet hum, she turned on the fan, letting the cool air circulate through the room before leaving.
She made her way to the room next door, stopping before a closed door.
Knock, knock.
"Betty! Amrita, are you there?"
A few moments later, the door creaked open, revealing a young woman.
Behind her, another cradle rested in the dimly lit room, a small baby sleeping peacefully inside.
The elderly woman smiled as she addressed her.
"Beti (daughter)... I'm going to the nearby medical shop to get my medicine. Can you keep an eye on Rudra next door?"
Hearing the request, Amrita's gaze softened.
She turned toward the window, looking at Rudra's sleeping form in the other room.
Then, she nodded.
"Of course, Ma. Don't worry."
Satisfied, the elderly woman gave her a warm nod before stepping out, heading toward the medical shop.
After shutting the door, Amrita walked toward the chair beside the cradle, where a baby slept peacefully.
She sat down, her gaze lingering on the child.
Her expression was complicated—a mix of love, sorrow, and determination.
Everything had been going well... until that day.
The day that changed her life forever.
She leaned forward, gently pressing a soft kiss onto the baby's forehead.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Shiva… you are the reason I continue to live."
A single tear escaped her eye, falling onto her child's soft skin.
The moment it touched him—
Sizzle.
The tear evaporated instantly.
Amrita's breath hitched.
Her eyes widened in shock.
"No… it can't be…"
Before she could process what had just happened—
A sudden flicker caught her attention.
From a nearby candle, a tiny flame broke free, twisting unnaturally as it hovered in the air.
Then—
WHOOSH!
The fire lunged forward, circling baby Shiva in a hypnotic dance of flames.
He stirred.
Then, his eyes fluttered open.
The moment he did, the fire expanded violently, spreading across the room.
Amrita stumbled back.
"Shiva!"
She took a step forward, instinctively reaching for her son—
But the flames roared, surging toward her like a living barrier.
The fire pushed her back, preventing her from getting any closer.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
'Damn it… the fire is spreading fast!'
Panic surged through her veins.
She could feel it.
This wasn't ordinary fire.
It was Astra Fire.
The flames of Agni Astra.
Her mind raced.
'This isn't normal fire… I can't extinguish it easily… unless it's controlled…'
Her eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for a way to contain the flames.
Time was running out.
Shiva's power was awakening.
And if she didn't act fast—
Everything would burn.
'If only I had my Jal Astra…'
Her fingers clenched into fists.
If she had her water-based Astra, she could extinguish this fire without even lifting a finger.
But she didn't.
And now, she had to find another way—
Before it was too late.
Meanwhile, on the other side where Rudra was sleeping—
[Ding…]
A sudden mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
[Danger detected near host...]
[Host is in no condition to face the danger...]
[System interference initiated to protect the host...]
[Consuming the flames of Agni Astra...]
Rudra's eyes snapped open.
His mind raced as he tried to process the situation.
'What danger?!'
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening—
A sudden pressure built up in his forehead.
Then—
A symbol emerged.
A closed eye—right in the middle of his forehead.
And then—
It snapped open.
Blinding light exploded from it, illuminating the entire room.
At the same time—
The raging flames that had been about to consume Amrita—
Froze mid-air.
Then, like a living creature, the fire shifted.
It started to coil and twist, forming a shape—
A serpent.
🔥 HISSSSS—! 🔥
The fiery serpent let out a terrifying hiss, its body undulating as it turned toward the window.
Amrita's eyes widened in horror.
'No… that's the room where—'
Realization struck like lightning.
Rudra.
She lunged toward the window, heart pounding in her chest.
But—
She froze.
What she saw left her speechless.
The fiery serpent had reached Rudra's crib.
But it wasn't attacking him.
Instead—
It was being pulled in.
Sucked toward the Third Eye glowing on Rudra's forehead.
A powerful suction force erupted—
Dragging the entire fire serpent into the glowing eye.
WHOOSH!
Within seconds—
The serpent of flames vanished.
Swallowed whole.
Then—
The Third Eye slowly closed.
And disappeared.
The room fell into absolute silence.
Rudra lay there, completely stunned.
His mind blank.
One thought echoed in his head:
'Why… why was that fire serpent coming for me?'
Thud… Thud…
The hurried footsteps of Amrita echoed through the corridor as she rushed toward the room.
Throwing the door open, she sprinted to the crib and swiftly scooped Rudra into her arms.
Her breath was uneven, her heart pounding in her chest.
She anxiously scanned the tiny baby's body.
Any burns? Any injuries?
Sigh…
Seeing that Rudra was completely unharmed, Amrita let out a deep breath of relief.
But then—
Her brows furrowed.
She narrowed her eyes at the infant in her arms.
'What… exactly are you, little one?'
How could a baby absorb the flames of an Agni Astra?
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't even humanly possible.
And then—
'DEE… DEEPIKA PADUKONE?!'
The moment Rudra saw Amrita's face, he internally screamed.
In his past life, she was one of Bollywood's leading actresses!
How could he possibly mistake her face?!
But before he could process this shocking realization—
Something more important struck him.
'Wait… That's not important right now!'
Shaking off his disbelief, Rudra's mind raced.
'System! Are you there?!'
He called out, hoping that the mysterious notifications earlier weren't just a dream.
Then—
[GOOD EVENING, HOST.]
A calm mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[I AM THE HOPE SYSTEM. I AM ALSO YOUR THIRD EYE, YOUR GUIDE, AND YOUR PARTNER IN THIS ODYSSEY.]
[AND HOST, DO NOT WORRY—I AM NOT A PARASITIC SYSTEM. I AM PART OF YOU.]
Rudra's eyes widened.
'YES! I FINALLY GOT A SYSTEM!'
He internally cheered, feeling the rush of pure joy.
This wasn't a hallucination—this was real!
The System's Function
'Hope System, what can you do?'
Suppressing his excitement, Rudra quickly asked about its functions.
A moment later, the system responded—
[HOST NEEDS TO REACH THE AGE OF 16 TO UNLOCK SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.]
[UNTIL THEN, SYSTEM CANNOT REVEAL ITS FULL CAPABILITIES.]
[HOWEVER, SYSTEM WILL GIVE A SMALL HINT: HOST IS ADVISED TO PERFORM GOOD DEEDS BEFORE THE FUNCTIONS ARE UNLOCKED.]
Rudra's excitement deflated slightly at the answer.
'So, I have to wait…?'
Still, the hint about doing good deeds intrigued him.
Before Rudra could ask further—
A new series of notifications rang in his mind.
[DING…]
[HOST HAS BEEN AWARDED FOUR RANDOM BOONS FROM THE TRIMURTI.]
[DING…]
[HOST HAS GAINED THE THIRD EYE. (THAT WOULD BE ME, TECHNICALLY.)]
[DING…]
[HOST HAS GAINED A DIVINE BODY (LOCKED) WITH OTHERWORLDLY CHARM.]
[DING…]
[HOST HAS RECEIVED A BLESSING: DESTINED ONE TO BE WITH FATE.]
[DING…]
[HOST HAS RECEIVED A BLESSING: NATURE'S SON.]
Rudra's mind spun.
These weren't ordinary gifts.
They were boons from the Trimurti themselves.
A slow grin spread across his face.
'Whatever this world has to offer me… I won't waste this chance.'
His tiny hands curled into fists with determination.
'I'll enjoy this life to the fullest!'
While Rudra was internally celebrating, a soft giggle escaped from his tiny mouth.
Amrita blinked.
Her stern expression softened.
For some reason—
She suddenly found herself smiling back.
Her fingers gently brushed against Rudra's tiny cheek.
"How can you be so cute?"
Her heart melted.
Without even thinking, she snuggled him closer and started playing with him.
Even though she didn't understand what had happened earlier…
Even though she didn't know if this baby was like her son…
There was one thing she was certain of—
This little one had saved her life.
**********************************************************************************************************************************************************
(Author's POV)
(A/N): I hope you guys enjoying the story.
And Sorry for the late update...
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!