Inside the cavern, Kris and Marceline prepared to leave.
Taking one last look around, Kris noticed Vasant standing near the giant rat's corpse.
The only body that hadn't dissolved.
Quietly approaching, Kris gave him a gentle glance.
"You knew him?"
"Yeah... Well, I used to. He's certainly not who he used to be."
"Then—"
"No. That doesn't matter right now."
"...Right."
"Are you two going to take much longer? I'd really like to get out of this hole already."
"Ah, we're coming."
Without another glance, Marceline crawled her way out of the cavern.
Kris turned back to Vasant. After resting a hand on the giant rat's head, the merchant rose to his feet.
"Let's go. I want to leave this place too."
"Right."
Vasant turned and started walking away, while Kris watched his back for a moment.
Then he followed him out of the cavern, carefully stepping around the bones scattered across the floor.
Outside the cavern, the entrance was littered with the bones of the Corrupted.
Farther away, Marceline sat beneath a tree, idly playing her bass.
The forest felt different.
The whispers were louder.
Deeper within the woods, animals emerged from their shelters, finally reuniting with their groups.
The stench of decay was no longer as strong.
Vasant paused for a few moments, his eyes closed as he felt the change in the air.
When he opened them again, his gaze settled on Kris.
More specifically, on the gauntlet.
"Looks like someone didn't make it through the battle."
Kris turned toward the confused rat before noticing he was staring at the gauntlet.
"Ah. Sorry about that."
"It's fine. It was only a prototype. How did you even get it to work?"
"You could say my body is its battery."
His eyes drifted to Kris's arm, now completely darkened.
"And your arm?"
"It ran out of energy. Won't be usable for a few hours, but it'll go back to normal."
"I see..."
"Mind if I borrow it?"
"Borrow it?"
"Of course. It belongs to you now, after all."
"Right... Well, it's not like I can do much with it right now anyway."
Using his other hand, Kris removed the adapter and handed it over.
"I'll give it back later."
With the adapter now in hand, Vasant turned to leave.
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Take a look at it. Maybe even finish it."
"Go talk to Sphatik Pramukh. Same place as before. He'll receive you while I'm busy."
"Sounds good."
"See you later."
"Later."
Kris walked over to the bassist, listening to her play.
Vasant didn't even look back, continuing down the trail.
All the while, he took in the forest around him.
It had been years since he had heard the whispers so clearly.
Since he had breathed so calmly, enjoying a relief he had long since forgotten.
Yet his mind wandered.
Back to the memories of an old friend.
.
.
.
|Flashback|
In a quiet workshop, with its workbench cluttered with tools and half-finished prototypes,
Vasant sat hunched over one that had been giving him trouble.
A gauntlet capable of converting energy.
However—
POW
The crystal battery failed once again.
"ये बेकार चीज़ें किसी काम की नहीं..."
("These worthless things are useless...")
"काश मैं किसी तरह उच्च-गुणवत्ता वाले क्रिस्टल हासिल कर पाता..."
("If only I could get my hands on some high-quality crystals...")
With a sigh, he set the gauntlet aside and reached for another prototype.
A collector.
Wrench already in hand, he carefully prepared himself to—
BLAM—TLING! TLING!
The door burst open, the bells jingling in protest.
His hand slipped, nearly stripping the screw.
"त्च्, अब कौन है—"
("Tch, now who is—")
"वसंत!"
("Vasant!")
"बिल्कुल... यही होना था।"
("Of course... who else would it be.")
A brown-furred rat came skidding to a stop in front of him, struggling to catch his breath.
Vasant propped his feet up on the workbench and crossed his arms, the collector still in his grasp.
He waited, brows furrowed.
After several deep breaths, the rat finally looked up at his friend with bright, gleaming eyes.
"मैंने कहा था न?"
("I told you so, didn't I?")
|Flashback End|
|Vasant POV|
Abhay.
The finest rat I ever knew.
We were born only a few litters apart, deep within the caves of Mahaguha.
So, ever since we were little pups, we had been close.
The war brought Mahaguha down, forcing us into the wasteland.
Those who weren't killed by monsters were taken by disease.
Somehow, the two of us made it through all of it and eventually found our way here.
After everything we'd endured, we swore we'd grow old together.
So we opened a shop.
A place where we'd sell all the prototypes we managed to make.
Those first years were rough—heh.
We barely had any materials to work with, often making do with scavenged scraps and sticks.
And the forest's loop certainly didn't make things any easier.
Then the first crystal was successfully refined, and we had an idea.
A mechanism for navigating the exit.
It took days of trial and error, but eventually we figured out how it worked.
The polarity of the entrance.
And just like that, we went from two beggars to the greatest Neechari inventors around.
We thought we were only getting started.
That we'd grow alongside our people.
Rebuilding what we had lost.
Until they arrived.
...
I had been so lost in thought that I didn't even realize I'd reached the shop.
I pushed the door open, hearing the worn bell above it chime.
I calmly walked past the dusty shelves, looking over every prototype I had made, and every one we had made together.
This old shop was starting to show its age.
Just like me.
To think I'm already thirty-two years old. I always laugh at Prakash for being old, yet I'm getting closer and closer to his age myself.
How time flies.
Reaching the workbench, I set the gauntlet down before taking a seat in the old chair.
It was a project the two of us had spent months designing, yet in the end, we never managed to finish it.
We wanted to use crystals for more than simple artifacts and lamps.
To push them further.
Looks like...
I'll have to finish it alone.
...
|3rd POV|
"तुम क्या कह रहे हो?"
("What are you talking about?")
"मुझे स्वीकार कर लिया गया! मैं वीर बनने वाला हूँ!"
("I got accepted! I'm going to become a Veer!")
"..."
"क्या हुआ?"
("What is it?")
"वीर बनना? अभी? तुम्हें ज़रा भी अंदाज़ा है कि तुम क्या कह रहे हो?"
("Becoming a Veer? Right now? Do you have any idea what you're saying?")
"म-मतलब— हाँ, समझता हूँ। मैं हमारे लिए लड़ूँगा—"
("I-I mean— yeah, I do. I'll fight for ou—")
He was cut off as Vasant slammed both hands onto the workbench.
"तुम अच्छी तरह जानते हो कि बाहर वे चीज़ें क्या कर सकती हैं! तुम अपनी ज़िंदगी इस तरह क्यों फेंकना चाहते हो?!"
("You know exactly what those things out there can do! Why do you want to throw your life away like this?!")
"हाँ, मुझे पता है! लेकिन कोई कुछ करना नहीं चाहता था, इसलिए मैं करूँगा!"
("Yeah, I know! But nobody wanted to do anything about it, so I will!")
"क्या? मरने के लिए?!"
("What? To get yourself killed?!")
"मैंने इसमें बिना सोचे-समझे कदम नहीं रखा! इसी लिए मैं तुमसे बात करने आया हूँ।"
("I didn't jump into this without thinking! That's why I came to talk to you.")
He took a deep breath, looking at his friend with complete sincerity.
"मुझे तुम्हारी मदद चाहिए। एक हथियार बनाने में।"
("I need your help. To build a weapon.")
|Vasant POV|
I had already laid out my tools and the remaining parts.
Since I don't need to worry about the battery anymore, maybe I can actually make some progress this time.
Before I could begin, the bell above the door chimed.
Not expecting any customers, I leaned forward curiously to see who it was.
A rat stepped inside, adjusting his glasses as he looked over the shop's shelves and scattered parts.
In his hands was a medium-sized wooden box.
"स्फटिक प्रमुख?"
("Sphatik Pramukh?")
At the sound of my voice, he spotted me and walked over.
"तो तुम यहाँ हो।"
("There you are.")
"मुझे लगा तुम सभा-भवन में होंगे। यहाँ क्या कर रहे हो?"
("I thought you'd be at the hall. What are you doing here?")
"मैं वहीं जा रहा था, लेकिन मैंने तुम्हें सड़क पर सिर झुकाए घिसटते हुए देखा।"
("I was on my way there, but I saw you shuffling down the street with your head hanging low.")
"ओह। मैं इतना खो गया था कि तुम्हें आते हुए भी नहीं देखा।"
("Oh. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice you.")
Maybe I'll get some rest after I'm done.
"और तुम? यहाँ किसलिए आए हो?"
("And you? What brings you here?")
"मैं उस यात्री की एक चीज़ ठीक करने आया हूँ। बाद में सभा-भवन चला जाऊँगा।"
("I came to fix something for that traveler. I'll head to the hall afterward.")
"समझ गया। और वह क्या है?"
("I see. And what would that be?")
"एक वस्तु जो मैंने उसे दी थी।"
("An item I gave him.")
"ओह? तो क्या तुम्हें... ऐसी किसी चीज़ की ज़रूरत है?"
("Oh? Then perhaps you're in need of something... like this?")
He set the box on the workbench and opened it, a green glow spilling from within.
T-Those are...
"उच्च-गुणवत्ता वाले क्रिस्टल। कुछ फ्यूज़र टूट गए, इसलिए मैं उन्हें उन क्रिस्टलों से मुआवज़ा देने वाला था जो उन्हें ऊर्जा देते थे। लेकिन मुझे लगता है कि तुम उनका कहीं बेहतर उपयोग करोगे।"
("High-quality crystals. A few of the smelters ended up breaking, so I was planning to compensate them with the crystals that powered them. But I think you'll make much better use of them.")
"तुम्हें सच में यकीन है?"
("Are you sure about this?")
"बिल्कुल। तुम हमारे लोगों के लिए पहले ही एक नायक हो।"
("Of course. You're already a hero to our people.")
A hero?
"अच्छा, मैं चलता हूँ। मेरा अंदाज़ा है कि तुमने उन दोनों को अकेले ही सभा-भवन भेज दिया होगा, है ना?"
("Well then, I'd better get going. Let me guess—you sent those two to the hall by themselves, didn't you?")
"आ-अह। हाँ।"
("A-Ah. Yeah.")
"कितनी गैर-जिम्मेदार बात है। मैं जाकर उनका साथ देता हूँ। फिर मिलते हैं।"
("How irresponsible. I'll go keep them company. See you later.")
"फिर मिलते हैं।"
("See you later.")
He then left, entrusting the crystals to me.
A hero?
I'm no hero.
The real hero already...
|3rd POV|
"एक हथियार... बनाना?"
("Build... a weapon?")
Vasant frowned, looking away.
"तुम जानते हो कि मैं हथियारों के बारे में क्या सोचता हूँ।"
("You know what I think about weapons.")
"हाँ, मुझे पता है। लेकिन मुझे तुम्हारी ज़रूरत—"
("Yeah, I know. But I need yo—")
"नहीं। मैं यह नहीं करूँगा।"
("No. I won't do it.")
"वसंत..."
("Vasant...")
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned his back on his friend.
The light in Abhay's eyes dimmed slightly as he scratched his arm.
"तुम्हारे बिना मैं नहीं कर पाऊँगा। कृपया..."
("I can't do it without you. Please...")
"नहीं। इसे छोड़ दो। तुम बस अपनी ज़िंदगी बर्बाद कर दोगे।"
("No. Give it up. You're only going to throw your life away.")
"किसी न किसी को यह करना होगा।"
("Someone has to do it.")
"लेकिन वह कोई तुम नहीं हो।"
("But it doesn't have to be you.")
"मुझे पता है।"
("I know.")
"लेकिन वह मैं ही होऊँगा।"
("But it will be me.")
He stared at his friend's back, waiting for a response.
None came.
With a sigh, he looked away and started walking toward the door.
"किसी न किसी को यह करना होगा। मुझे पता है कि अंदर ही अंदर तुम भी यह जानते हो।"
("Someone has to do it. Deep down, I know you understand that too.")
"हम सभी के पास एक विकल्प होता है। तुम ही मरने का चुनाव कर रहे हो।"
("We all have a choice. You're the one choosing to die.")
"हाँ। यही मेरा चुनाव है।"
("Yes. That's my choice.")
When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back one last time.
"अलविदा, वसंत।"
("Goodbye, Vasant.")
The bell chimed.
Then silence swallowed the shop.
Vasant lowered himself into his chair and picked up one of his prototypes.
His hand trembled as he tried to tighten a screw.
After that day, Abhay saved many lives.
He charted new tunnels and evacuated endangered outposts.
In the months that followed, hardly a week passed without Abhay leading another rescue.
The Neechari came to recognize his efforts, and those who admired him eventually followed him as part of his unit.
Yet, only a few months later...
After setting out to investigate a suspected source of the Corrupted,
his squad never returned.
For days, Vasant locked himself inside his shop.
Not a single rat had seen his face.
Prakash had begun to worry and was on the verge of paying him a visit.
But then, he came out.
And headed straight for the surface.
Even he didn't know why.
Did he want to find him?
To make amends?
Or was he simply searching for a place where he, too, could disappear?
He didn't know.
And perhaps—
he never would.
|Vasant POV|
And I abandoned him.
At the moment he needed me most.
We had always been together.
Whenever the world knocked me down, he was there to offer me a hand.
And yet, I turned my back on him.
I don't know if I'll ever be able to make amends.
Or if we'll meet again in whatever comes after.
I don't deserve to be called a hero.
I never did.
For a brief moment, I remembered the times we used to climb to the surface.
Whenever we got too lost in our projects and needed time to think.
We would sit on the hills overlooking the great lakes and listen to the whispers together.
I hope Vishkar welcomes you with open arms.
Goodbye, old friend.
Goodbye...
Abhay.
|3rd POV|
Completely focused, Vasant worked.
Tools and materials moved constantly across the workbench as he grabbed one after another without pause.
From a box beneath the table, he retrieved another gauntlet.
Using what steel he had left, he bent and reshaped it into a structure similar to the first.
He removed the valve from the wrist, prioritizing a steady flow of energy.
Instead of housing two crystals in a single gauntlet, he split them between both, sacrificing power for greater control.
On the inner side of each one, he installed a small calibrator.
Through hours of trial and error, he never once lost focus.
His eyes never left the gauntlets.
After hours of relentless work,
the Energy Adapter was complete.