"This is strange and serious," said Ashvapati as he listened to the stories from Jangal Mandala. He sat in his chair, deep in thought, his brow furrowed with concern.
The twins had returned to Lohitpuri empty-handed. Arya had been right in front of them, but they couldn't reach him. They had stood there, waiting, urging him to return, but he hadn't responded. As soon as they returned, they had summoned Savignya and sent a message to Rohak about Arya's sudden departure from Suryagadh. But Rohak had sent no warning, no information. Nothing.
"I came as soon as I could," said Savignya as she entered the office chambers of Lohitpuri. "Give me all the details."
The twins narrated everything—the events in the Jangal Mandala, Netra's betrayal, Sarthak's ambush, and most of all, Arya's cold detachment. Savignya listened intently, leaning on the table, her sharp eyes narrowing with every detail.
"So my doubt was right. They're using Arya," she said. "He's nothing more than a puppet to them. And you said he came in armor and carried a sword?"
The twins nodded, elaborating on how Arya had shown no emotion, no recognition, just a dead stare.
"Hmm... I was afraid of this," Savignya muttered. "Arya is now part of a group called the State Guards. These are ten extremely powerful beings. They protect the three ruling entities of the state: the State Head—Rankriti, the State Secretary—Trishan, and the Army Chief—Vayodhara. All of them report directly to Vayodhara. She founded the group and controls it entirely. They do whatever she commands."
She stood up and began pacing.
"They are not trained in the normal sense. They are forged through hellish trials. Anyone who fails to complete a mission is eliminated without a second thought. These guards are pushed beyond the limits of pain, loyalty, and identity. They are brainwashed to follow Vayodhara and Rankriti without question. If Arya is one of them now... there's no way he's coming back to Lohitpuri. That boy is long gone."
"Ashvapati, I suggest you take over the responsibility of Lohitpuri now," she said, turning to him.
"How can you even say that?" Raghav's voice was sharp, anger flickering in his eyes.
"If Arya is gone, we'll go to the depths of hell to bring him back," Rudra said firmly. "It doesn't matter if we rule Lohitpuri or not. We'll bring him back."
Ashvapati slowly rose from his chair. "I am with the boys on this, Savignya. Arya needs to come back."
"Why don't you understand?" Savignya snapped, her tone uncharacteristically sharp. "He cannot come back now. His mind understands only one thing—serving Vayodhara. You have no idea how powerful she is."
"You saw what he did on the battlefield, didn't you?" asked Raghav. "He didn't know if he was going to win, but he still chose to fight alone against Sharvas. He did that so we could live. He fought knowing we might never see him again. And now he needs us. We will bring him back, even if he doesn't remember who he is."
Savignya looked helplessly at Ashvapati, but the warrior had already made his decision. His arms were crossed, his eyes fixed.
"Fine," she said after a long pause. "Just don't do anything reckless. And keep me informed. I need to talk to someone—someone who knows more about all this. Before you start marching towards Suryagadh and die for nothing."
The twins shared a glance. Their expressions were solemn, but a sliver of hope gleamed in their eyes.
Savignya was halfway to the door when she stopped abruptly. "What was it you said about the priest?"
"He said Arya had a long way to go..." Rudra began.
"Yes, yes, the burden, the journey, the path forward. But what name did he use?"
"It was something like... Tartar Raja?" Raghav struggled to recall.
"Tratara Raja?" Savignya asked, her voice low, almost a whisper.
"Yes! That was it!" Rudra confirmed.
Savignya turned around sharply. "And you said Sarthak couldn't touch the podium?"
"Yes. His hand burned when he tried," Raghav replied.
"Did you see anything on that podium? Any object? Papers? A book?"
"I don't know. It was dark. There might have been something, but we didn't get a close look," Raghav said.
Savignya's expression had changed entirely. Her usual calm was gone. Her brows tightened, her mouth grim. "We need to bring Arya back before it's too late."
She turned and stormed out of the chamber.
"What are all these questions? And why leave us with riddles? Answer us, Savignya!" Rudra shouted, chasing after her.
"I will! But first, I need to talk to my people," she called over her shoulder, mounting her horse and speeding off.
Ashvapati, Raghav, and Rudra stood in silence. The room felt colder now, heavier. The only sound was the faint crackle of a torch in the corner.
"She's hiding something," Raghav muttered.
"She knows more than she's telling," Rudra agreed.
Ashvapati sat down again, his face hard to read. He tapped the table gently, his fingers forming a slow, deliberate rhythm.
"Then let her find her answers," he said quietly. "We'll find ours."