World of 48H ( chapter 30)

Jaipa hovered in mid-air, his small body bobbing gently, as if weightless. He addressed Rudra with unexpected formality.

"I, Jaipa, from the World of 48H, greet my master."

Rudra blinked, taken aback for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief. But soon, he dropped his act, his expression flattening into a bored, deadpan look. After a long pause, he asked, his voice flat and unamused, "So, keys can talk now?"

Jaipa stared at him, the disappointment in his gaze palpable. "No, they can't."

Rudra raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. "So... you're not a key?"

"I am," Jaipa responded, puffing out his chest slightly.

Rudra stared at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity. "Are you... dumb, master?" Jaipa asked, a sarcastic edge to his words.

Rudra, unfazed, just kept staring, his mind clearly racing with questions. "So why can you talk then?"

Jaipa paused, hovering in thought. "I can't believe this kid is my chosen one," Jaipa mused inwardly, feeling a deep sigh building up. But he quickly snapped out of it.

"Let me explain it for you, master," Jaipa said, donning a mask of respectful patience, even though his internal thoughts suggested otherwise. "Keys are spiritual beings. Once they accept an owner, they can't talk or appear in the physical world unless they have an ability tied to it. The ability to appear in the physical world is almost unheard of."

He caught himself mid-sentence and quickly shifted gears. "Why am I explaining this? I should be talking about myself."

Rudra, with his signature flat expression, gave Jaipa a long, unblinking stare. Jaipa continued, shifting to a more self-important tone.

"I am a special case."

Rudra's face twitched, a spark of interest now replacing his earlier disappointment. He leaned forward, curiosity evident in his posture. "Why is that?"

At Rudra's question, Jaipa's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing with something close to caution. "I can't tell you that."

Rudra kept the same flat expression, his voice remaining level. "Why not?"

Jaipa's voice dropped, and for a moment, it sounded almost serious. "If I tell you more about it, you will die. Without even being able to resist it."

Rudra didn't flinch, his tone as deadpan as ever. "I see."

Jaipa, a little surprised at Rudra's lack of reaction, narrowed his eyes. "What's with you? Aren't you supposed to ask why again? Or blame me for not telling you more?"

Rudra shrugged, not even sparing Jaipa a second thought. "Why should I waste my energy on those things?"

A heavy silence descended over the room, making the air thick with the tension. It was the kind of silence that hung between two people caught in an unsaid understanding.

Rudra, however, broke the silence suddenly, as if a thought had just struck him like a lightning bolt. With a sense of urgency in his voice, he asked, "Hey... Jaipa, right?"

Jaipa turned, his expression already hinting at something sarcastic. "What is it, master?"

"Can you drop the 'master' thing and just call me Rudra?" Rudra's tone was impatient, as if he couldn't wait another second.

Jaipa smiled, though there was a touch of mischief in his eyes. "Yes, master," he said, before adding with a sly grin, "I thought you were a cold guy."

Rudra ignored the jab, his face serious as he leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "You said you're a special case. Then… do you also have special abilities?"

Jaipa paused, a slight chuckle escaping him. "So that's what this is about."

After a moment of exaggerated thought, Jaipa replied, his voice lowering. "I have an ability. But... it's a low-class one," he said, almost shyly.

Rudra raised an eyebrow. "Ha. A useless key who can only talk, huh?"

Jaipa blinked, suddenly alert. "Hey, I can hear you, you know!"

But he continued with a bit more pride, "It is a useful ability, I think."

Rudra snorted in response. "You think your ability is useful, but no one else does, huh?" He leaned in, clearly intrigued. "So, what is it? Tell me."

Jaipa looked almost smug now. "It's an ability to read informations"

Rudra's expression changed in an instant, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait, are you joking? You can read informations? Really? Like Memories?"

"Memories is also a kind of information so yes i can"

Rudras face remained serious, though his tone was tinged with both satisfaction and a hint of disappointment. "It's useful, I guess, but it's not exactly combat material. I can't use it in a fight, so it's not much help if things come to blows."

Jaipa continued, a bit more animated, "My ability lets me read the informations of everything — living beings, non-living things, even dead bodies or rocks. Anything that has a information s, I can read it."

Rudra's face was flat as rock but also a look of suprisie was on his face and he couldn't help himself. "What did you say?" he yelled, almost as if in disbelief no it was as he spoke loudly "You can read informations... even from non-living things?"

Jaipa grinned, his eyes gleaming with a rare excitement. "Right, right! It's an awesome ability, isn't it?"

Rudra, still taken aback, nodded slowly. "Yeah… that ability is something," he muttered under his breath, before going silent, his mind processing everything.

"Can you continue explaining?" he asked, his voice more measured now, yet still holding an edge of curiosity.

Jaipa hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Well, I've just awakened this ability, so I don't really know what all it can do. I don't even know how far its limits go."

Rudra was visibly disappointed, but his interest was piqued nonetheless. It's an extraordinary ability... he thought. The fact it works on non-living things is beyond anything I imagined. But how does that work when non-living things ? Or is this key messing with me? I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Rudra's gaze drifted to a nearby table, cluttered with random objects. His eyes settled on a worn-out book that looked as though it had been through decades of neglect. He picked it up, staring at it for a moment before turning to Jaipa. "How?" he asked, his voice quiet but intense.

Jaipa waited for him to continue, but when no more words came, a flash of irritation crossed his face. "Do you not know how to talk properly, Rudra?"

Rudra shot him a glare, his patience running thin. "How do I use the ability on this book?" he asked again, his voice flat.

Jaipa's face lit up with a smug grin. Now it's my time to shine, he thought, reveling in the chance to teach Rudra something.

"Do you think it's easy to learn how to use this ability?" Jaipa began, his voice dripping with arrogance. "It took me a week to learn how to even start using it! Do you know how much effort I had to put in? But... you've got me, the genius of the 48H! I'll guide you, and maybe, just maybe, you'll learn fast. But no promises. It took me a while, and I'm not sure if you can handle it in a month. But I'll try."

Rudra stood silent for a moment, then spoke up, his tone surprisingly eager. "Can we try it now?"

Jaipa stared at him, a little taken aback. "I thought your day was supposed to be a pain for you?"

Rudra immediately responded, "No, no, it's fine. I'm completely alright. Let's start now."

Jaipa nodded, a small approval in his gaze. "Fine then. Sit on the floor."

Rudra complied without hesitation, sitting down as Jaipa continued,

Jaipa's voice cut through the air, quiet yet urgent. "Now, concentrate. Close your eyes and look inward. When you can see your inner self, there will be two keys: me and your first key. You just need to spot me, and I will give you a glass. Whatever is inside, you must drink. But—" he paused, his tone deepening with a serious edge. "Let me warn you: don't approach your first key right now."

Rudra frowned, still unsure. "Why is that?"

Jaipa's expression darkened for a split second, his voice lowering with an unspoken threat. "Can you do as I say? If you don't want to get consumed by it, never approach it. Not now, not ever."

Rudra nodded slowly, understanding the weight behind Jaipa's words. There was something in his tone that carried a gravity, something that made him take the warning seriously.

"Alright," Rudra muttered to himself, steeling his mind. As he concentrated, a strange sensation overtook him. It was as if he were fading, slipping into a world that didn't quite exist yet felt deeply real. But there was an odd sense of safety within him, as though he were cocooned in something protective.

What is this feeling? Rudra wondered, as a chill crawled down his spine. It felt like someone was constantly watching him. He spun around, scanning the space for any sign of presence, but there was nothing, just an unsettling stillness.

What is this...? he thought again, his heart pounding as his eyes searched the vast, endless expanse.

But the more he looked, the more he saw something. Golden threads. They stretched across the world around him, pulsating like stars scattered across a universe. They glowed with an ethereal light, shining like a cosmic web, endless in all directions.

These threads... Rudra thought, a sense of awe creeping into him. It's like they're part of me. Like they're the reason for my existence itself.

He reached out to touch one, his fingers trembling, but then his thoughts grew more frantic. What are they? What's their purpose?

He had seen plenty of strange things already, but this—this was something beyond his understanding. He couldn't even begin to fathom it. His thoughts spiraled as he stood there, lost in the vastness of it all.

As time passed, the serenity of the golden threads shifted. Ahead of him, a dark, foreboding mist loomed, a black fog that filled the distance with an unsettling presence. Rudra instinctively knew what it was. That's it, he thought. That's my first key.

Without hesitation, he moved away from it, his focus shifting elsewhere. As he wandered further, he came across something floating in the air. It was a glass—fragile, as if on the brink of breaking, but strangely beautiful. The glass was transparent, yet it had a glowing hue, a cosmic green that shimmered like the Northern Lights.

Rudra hesitated, instinctively stepping closer but then stopping just short of reaching it. I can't approach it... not yet, he reminded himself. He held his ground as the glass seemed to move towards him, as though drawn by an unseen force. Slowly, it drifted closer and closer until it hovered right in front of him, the liquid within it shimmering.

Rudra's gaze fixed on the contents of the glass. Red water, glowing with an unnatural beauty, filled it to the brim. Floating within the liquid were petals—delicate and soft, as if they had fallen from some ancient flower, each petal carrying the weight of a story. The sight was mesmerizing, as if each petal whispered a secret about the world, or perhaps about Rudra himself.

What... is this? Rudra thought. Without thinking too much, he took a step back. To his surprise, the glass followed, staying just a step behind. The movement felt like an invitation.

Rudra took a deep breath, and without a second thought, he grabbed the glass. Holding it firmly, he raised it to his lips and drank the red water. The moment the liquid touched his tongue, a strange sensation flooded his senses—bitter, sweet, and strangely comforting, all at once.

As he drank, the world around him seemed to shift, and for a brief moment, he lost himself in the taste, the texture, the strange magic of it. But as he finished, the effects were immediate. His body recoiled as if something inside him had jolted awake, and he began coughing violently. Three, four times, each cough more forceful than the last.

Jaipa, who had been watching intently, furrowed his brow in concern. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry as he took a step closer.

Rudra, still recovering from the coughing fit, raised a hand to signal that he was fine. His chest ached, but the sensation slowly ebbed away. With a deep breath, he steadied himself, his mind spinning from the strange experience.

"I'm... okay," Rudra rasped, his voice hoarse but determined. He glanced down at the empty glass, still in his hand, as he tried to make sense of what just happened.

Rudra stared at Jaipa, his voice calm, almost too calm for the situation. "I drank the red water in the glass you mentioned."

Jaipa's face twisted in confusion before a laugh bubbled out. "Nice joke, master. I thought you were some cold, serious kid, but you can joke, huh?"

Rudra didn't respond. His face remained as flat and unreadable as ever, only his eyes giving away the depth of his thoughts. He continued staring at Jaipa, waiting.

Jaipa raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Are you really saying that you managed to... get it in your first try? And within just a few minutes?"

Rudra nodded slowly, as if hearing a story and not fully involved in the conversation. He said nothing more, his expression unchanged.

Jaipa's skepticism deepened. "Then try using it. Let's see if you're really as good as you say you are."

Rudra stood there for a moment, a question hanging in the air. "How do I do it?"

Jaipa looked at him, slightly fascinated, almost in disbelief. "Just place your hand on the book. It will activate automatically."

Without a second thought, Rudra obeyed, placing his hand on the book. The moment his fingers touched the cover, a spark seemed to jump into his mind, sending a sharp jolt through his head. His senses overwhelmed by a flood of vivid information, it felt like a torrent of cold water rushing through him—new knowledge pouring into him at a terrifying speed. For a moment, the flow was so intense that he could hardly breathe, the information crashing into him like waves. His mind scrambled to process it all.

Then, another spark, and a new wave of information flooded in. These weren't just facts about the book—it was as though the very people who had touched it were now speaking directly in his mind. The memories of the room where it had been placed, the hands that had held it, the conversations they had—all of it. Rudra's eyes widened as he struggled to absorb it all.

The flood of information and the memories finally slowed, leaving him breathless and disoriented. He gasped for air, like a fish out of water, his body trying to adjust to the overwhelming flood of new information. He blinked rapidly, trying to regain some semblance of control.

He looked at Jaipa, his expression one of astonishment. "This ability... it's more than just amazing."

Jaipa smirked, pleased but also somewhat puzzled by Rudra's reaction. The young key had never met someone so quickly attuned to his abilities. It felt almost unnatural.

Rudra looked back at the book, still processing everything. It wasn't just the knowledge of the book itself—it was the memories of everyone who had touched it, the atmosphere, the very essence of it. It's like these memories and information were always inside me, waiting to be uncovered.

Then, something clicked in his mind. The petals. The red water. What were those petals in the water?

He leaned in slightly toward Jaipa, a flicker of curiosity in his voice. "Hey, what was in the red water? Those petals… they seemed like a story, somehow. Like they were telling me something."

The moment the words left Rudra's mouth, Jaipa's expression darkened instantly. The playful energy in the room shifted, replaced by a palpable tension. Jaipa's eyes narrowed, and the room seemed to shrink around them, the air heavy with something dangerous.

Jaipa took a step closer to Rudra, his voice low and filled with an unnerving intensity. "I'll ask you this once, so think before answering." His words weren't so much a question as they were a threat, dripping with an unsettling undertone. "You said you drank the red water. But the petals—explain them to me."

Rudra, though still calm, felt the weight of Jaipa's words settle on him. He took his time before responding, choosing each word carefully. "There were petals in the water," he said slowly, his voice steady. "But for me, it felt like a fallen story—like the petals were trying to explain something. About themselves, or about... something else."

Jaipa's gaze was sharp, and for a moment, Rudra could almost feel the pressure of it weighing down on him. But then, just as quickly, the tension seemed to lift, and Jaipa's face shifted back to his usual, slightly playful expression.

Jaipa sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. "Sorry, master. I humbly ask for your forgiveness." He sounded almost sheepish, though the change was almost too fast to keep up with.

Rudra, unfazed, gave him a cool look. "Don't let it happen again." His tone was firm, but there was no real anger in it—just a reminder of the balance between them.

Jaipa straightened up, his posture stiffening with a sense of respect. Rudra stared at him for a while before speaking again.

"But can I ask you something?" Rudra's voice was calm but laced with curiosity. "What were those petals really about?"

Jaipa hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing. Finally, he spoke, though his words came with an air of reluctance. "I didn't tell you something important," he began, his voice shifting slightly as he avoided Rudra's gaze. "I... also hold an innate ability."

Rudra raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden shift in Jaipa's tone. "Innate ability? What do you mean?"

Jaipa's face tightened for a moment, then softened as he finally met Rudra's gaze. "It's not something I often share, but... I suppose you should know. My ability is something that ties me more closely to

" My world of 48H "