ASRAN SERIES- ACROSS THE BORDER

Chapter - 51

“What do you mean? I slipped when I tried to sit on the cot,” Peter said with blushing cheeks.

“I know… You cutie…” Robert teased him and made Peter angry.

“Do you have a death wish?” Peter asked him and sent blazing glares his way.

Robert shivered and acted as if he was afraid of Peter while swiftly moving away from him. He then said, 

“I will go inform dad and Elly that you are awake. They would be rejoiced to know that you have finally woken up after all these days. We were all worried about you and I almost had to control my urges to not knock you on your head to wake you up.”

Just when he was about to leave, he turned around and said, “Oh, yes! I forgot to mention that your aunt Linda is also here.”

He then did not stay around and ran outside like wind while shouting out everyone’s name. Peter looked at his back and suddenly had a pain in his chest.

‘What is happening to me? Am I also turning into Ashes because I ate his ashes...’ He wondered but then he did not see any external changes in his body.

‘What am I thinking? It was all a dream… It must be a dream… There is no way I would have met the Ashes Lord even if it’s only a replica,’ Peter thought and shook his head in denial.

But then it all felt like its too real and he could not ease the discomfort in one corner of his heart. Just when he was pondering whether he should leave the tent to greet the others, James came rushing inside the tent.

“You are really awake! I couldn’t believe my ears when Robert told me about it. How are you feeling? Is there any discomfort you are experiencing in your body? I did try to find the antidote to cure you but I was not sure if it would work on you as it was already too late when we brought you here… Now that you are looking fine, I am glad that that antidote did really work,” James spoke continuously in a nervous way while examining him.

He could not understand why he was saying everything out. He was not someone who would like to speak a lot. But now he is talking out of his ordinary way and that too he just spoke his mind without any filters.

He looked at Peter with doubtful eyes. ‘Did this kid have gained some power after being in a coma for a long time?’ He wondered. 

“No, I did not gain any power,” Peter answered him and they both got shocked at the same time.

“How did you know what I was thinking?” James asked and that time Peter too asked,

“How am I able to read your mind?”

“Something is not right with me…” Peter said and stood up from the cot.

“Careful! If you make sudden moves, you might fall,” James said and hurried towards Peter to hold him.

But Peter did not need his help as he did not feel any pain anymore. He felt refreshed and his mind was clear. He heard the commotion outside the tent and so looked at James with a questioning gaze.

‘Is this kid always had such an imposing aura with him?’ James wondered and then immediately answered, 

“My team is excited to meet you, Peter. Should we go outside the tent?” 

“Yes, let’s go…” Peter said and walked in the front.

‘What am I asking for this kid's permission? I should have asked him to rest more instead of facing the crowd,’ James thought.

“I can still hear your thoughts and… everyone else’s. Also, please do not worry about me as I am doing fine. I do not have any more poison in my bloodstream and I …” Peter stopped speaking and stared at Linda who was standing at the end of the crowd.

A small knowing smile crossed his lips and he mumbled, “I caught a traitor among the braves…”

When the militants gathered around Peter, they realized that he had changed a lot. His hair had now turned grey in a matter of minutes and his eyes had changed to ashes color as well. He looked a lot more mature to his age compared to the meek look that he had before.

“What happened to you? Why do you look so changed? Even when I left you a few seconds before you were fine!” Robert exclaimed in astonishment.

“I don't know,” Peter said with a straight face.

When he woke up he felt that he was not actually cured and the poison was still there inside his body. But then he noticed a bit of ash that was stuck in his hands. He realized that the dream he saw might actually be real.

He then licked the ashes on his hands just before James came in. At once, he felt some changes inside him and he knew that he is not his old self any longer.

He now felt like he had got some visions as well along with his mind-reading powers. The overwhelming changes inside him wonder if this was a blessing from the Ashes Lord himself?

He was able to feel and see the differences between each individual and their traits. At that time, he moved near his aunt Linda and asked her, “Who are you?”

James hurriedly walked near them and explained to him, “It’s your aunt, Linda, James. You haven’t met her in a while, so you might have forgotten. She is your father’s sister,” James told him.

“No! She is not my aunt! Who are you? You are not one of them as well. I can see it in you. You better reveal yourself before I turn you into Ashes,” Peter moved very close to her and warned her.

Robert blinked his eyes as he noticed Peter stand guard against her and his imposing aura threatening him as well.

“Peter, what are you doing?” Robert asked him.

“I am weeding the rooted plant from the braves,” Peter told him.

Everyone then turned and looked at her with doubtful eyes. But then they did not see any difference and they could not understand why Peter was saying that she was not his aunt.

“Peter, are you angry with your aunt? I am sorry, I could not stop your parents well on time from leaving this country. But trust me, My love for you is always true,” Linda lifted her hand to caress his head.

Peter immediately moved away from her and grabbed her hand before it could touch him. He then asked in a stern voice,

“Are you going to reveal yourself to them or should I tear your mask apart with my hands?” 

“Peter, are you implying that she is an imposter?” James asked him while wielding his weapon against Linda.

“That’s correct! She is an imposter and that’s what I have been trying to tell you all, from the time she was here. But then no one believed me. I even saw her turn her head towards me without turning her body. When I told everyone they just laughed it off saying that I was drunk,” Draven shouted from behind them and then rushed through the crowd towards Peter.

“Where is my aunt Linda?” Peter asked the clone Bairania sent.

His eyes turned dark red and blue flames raised from his body which made everyone move away from them. Even James was afraid to see Peter glow all of a sudden.

He did not know whom he should wield the weapon against as he was confused because of the sudden turn of events.

“So you met that coward! He is just a replica of Ashes Lord and how could he think that he could stop us? He could not even fight with us and so he went to hide right when the war broke. But I now know for sure that he gave you all his powers and he must have turned to ashes by now.” The clone said to him.

She then had a mocking smile on her face and told him, “Just because the Ashes Lord created him doesn’t mean that he is the rightful Ashes lord. Anyway, since he is already dead, I have nothing to fear now. I will bring this whole universe under my feet now. Haha haha haha…”