Vikram stood frozen beneath the towering gates of the strange palace while golden particles drifted endlessly through the dark air around him. The gigantic doors ahead had fully opened now, revealing a hall so massive his mind struggled to process it. Marble pillars stretched upward beyond sight. Rivers flowed through sections of the palace without barriers, yet somehow never spilled over. Light shimmered unnaturally across every surface as though the palace itself breathed.
Something about the place felt wrong.
Not dangerous at first.
Just… wrong.
Like reality itself had been bent slightly out of shape.
Vikram swallowed nervously before stepping forward.
The moment his foot touched the polished floor, ripples spread beneath him like he had stepped onto water. He jerked back instantly.
"What the hell—"
But the floor remained solid.
He cautiously pressed his foot again. The marble looked exactly like deep water reflecting stars beneath its surface, yet it felt harder than stone.
"This place is definitely trying to kill my brain."
He kept walking slowly. Every step made him more uncomfortable. Some hallways appeared upside down until he blinked. Pillars seemed closer than they actually were. At one point he nearly walked directly into a wall because his eyes insisted it was an open corridor.
The palace played with perception itself.
Nothing could be trusted.
Ahead, enormous doors stood wide open. Warm golden light spilled through them. Vikram carefully approached, only for his forehead to smash directly into invisible wood.
THUD.
"Ow!"
The doors weren't open.
They only looked open.
Vikram grabbed his forehead while glaring at the fake entrance. "Very funny."
Somewhere far away, faint laughter echoed through the palace.
Not normal laughter.
Hundreds of voices.
Watching.
Vikram suddenly felt very small.
He moved deeper into the structure until the corridor finally opened into a gigantic royal hall. The sight stole the air from his lungs.
Thousands of people filled the chamber.
Kings wearing jeweled crowns sat upon elevated platforms beside warriors clad in ancient armor. Ministers, scholars, guards, priests—entire royal courts occupied the massive hall beneath glittering chandeliers made from floating crystal flames. The architecture itself looked impossible, with staircases leading nowhere and balconies suspended in midair.
It felt like stepping directly into another age.
Nobody noticed Vikram at first.
He slowly wandered along the edge of the hall, staring around in disbelief. Then suddenly a richly dressed nobleman walking across the center floor slipped violently and crashed flat on his back.
The polished marble beneath him rippled like actual water.
The entire hall erupted into laughter.
Even Vikram laughed instinctively.
And immediately regretted it.
The laughter died instantly.
Silence swallowed the chamber.
Thousands of eyes slowly turned toward him together.
Vikram's smile vanished.
"…Uh."
The nobleman stood up slowly, face burning with humiliation. But instead of anger, his expression carried something colder.
Recognition.
The massive hall doors slammed shut behind Vikram with a deafening BOOM.
Every torch dimmed.
The kings began rising from their seats one by one.
Nobody spoke.
Not a single word.
But the atmosphere changed completely.
Hostile.
The warriors closest to him slowly began walking forward. Golden weapons materialized into existence around their hands through shimmering magic circles. One man formed a spear made entirely of blue lightning. Another unsheathed a sword burning with black fire.
Vikram backed away instinctively. "Okay… this feels unnecessary."
Nobody answered.
A minister raised his hand slightly.
Instantly dozens of guards rushed toward Vikram.
"Oh hell no."
Vikram turned and sprinted.
The chase began.
His footsteps echoed violently through endless palace corridors while magical attacks exploded behind him. Blue arrows shattered pillars. Chains made from glowing symbols burst through walls trying to wrap around his legs. A spear of light slammed into the floor inches from his head, causing the marble to explode upward.
Still nobody spoke.
That silence somehow made everything worse.
Vikram took a sharp turn through another hallway only to slam directly into what looked like a wall of water. Instead of soaking him, he passed through into another chamber entirely.
"What even ARE the rules here?!"
Behind him, several warriors suddenly vanished mid-run.
No.
They had fallen.
The floor they stepped onto had actually been water disguised as marble. They crashed into a deep pool beneath the illusion while Vikram barely managed to stop himself from following.
He stared for half a second before realization hit him.
"The palace lies."
Another magical blast exploded nearby.
Vikram sprinted again, this time paying attention carefully. Open hallways sometimes hid solid walls. Empty space could secretly be bridges. Water could be stone. Stone could be water.
The entire palace functioned like a living trap.
Ahead, three giant doors appeared closed.
Behind him the silent hunters approached rapidly.
Vikram remembered smashing into the fake open doors earlier.
His eyes widened.
"The closed ones are open."
Without slowing down, he charged directly toward the center door.
The guards behind him raised their weapons, probably expecting him to slam face-first into solid wood.
Instead, Vikram passed straight through.
He stumbled into another room and immediately crashed into someone.
"OI!"
A girl carrying scrolls nearly fell backward before catching herself gracefully.
The papers scattered everywhere.
Vikram blinked.
She looked around his age, maybe a little younger. Lean build. Sharp eyes filled with annoyance. Her dark hair was partially tied back with silver ornaments, and her elegant maid attire looked far too expensive for an ordinary servant.
More importantly, she radiated the kind of confidence that made it obvious she thought everyone around her was stupid.
Including him.
"You blind?" she snapped.
"I was being hunted by magical psychopaths!"
"That explains the stupidity."
Vikram stared at her. "Wow. Nice to meet you too."
The girl rolled her eyes and crouched to gather her scrolls. "You shouldn't even exist here."
Outside the room, footsteps approached rapidly.
Vikram panicked instantly. "Please tell me there's another exit."
She looked up sharply. "What did you do?"
"I laughed."
"…You WHAT?"
"One guy slipped!"
Her expression became utterly horrified for the first time.
"You laughed at the Sabha?"
"I didn't know it was illegal!"
The girl muttered something under her breath that sounded deeply insulting.
The footsteps grew louder.
Vikram dropped beside her desperately. "Please help me."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"I'm literally going to die!"
She looked him up and down with visible disappointment. "Possibly deserved."
The room's entrance suddenly began glowing with magical symbols as guards approached from outside.
Vikram's confidence completely broke. "Okay listen, arrogant ghost lady, I really don't want to die in a hallucination palace tonight."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Ghost lady?"
"Sorry. Extremely pretty ghost lady."
She sighed dramatically like the universe itself exhausted her.
"You are unbelievably pathetic."
"Correct. Help me anyway."
For a moment she simply stared at him. Then she clicked her tongue irritably and grabbed his wrist.
"Move."
She pulled him toward what looked like a solid wall.
Vikram resisted instantly. "No chance. I'm not falling for another fake wall."
"This one is real."
"What?"
"That's the illusion."
Before he could process that sentence, she shoved him directly into the stone surface.
Instead of breaking his nose, he passed through into a hidden corridor.
Vikram nearly collapsed from confusion.
"This palace is evil."
"Congratulations. Your brain functions minimally."
The girl moved quickly through the narrow passage while Vikram followed behind her. The hidden hallway twisted strangely inside the palace walls. Sometimes the floor became the ceiling for a few seconds before correcting itself again.
"How are you even navigating this?" Vikram asked.
"Because unlike you, I possess intelligence."
"Do you insult everyone this much?"
"Only people deserving it."
"That seems like everyone."
"Exactly."
Despite the situation, Vikram found himself almost smiling.
She was irritating.
But strangely entertaining.
They finally stopped inside a small chamber lit by floating blue lamps. Ancient symbols covered the walls in glowing patterns.
The girl crossed her arms. "You are not supposed to be here."
"I noticed."
"No. I mean truly here. Outsiders cannot enter Mayasabha."
Vikram frowned. "Mayasabha?"
Her sharp eyes studied him carefully now. "You really know nothing."
He shook his head slowly.
For the first time, some of her arrogance faded slightly into curiosity.
"That explains why the Sabha reacted strangely to you."
Outside, distant footsteps still echoed through the palace.
Vikram leaned against the wall, finally catching his breath properly. "So this place is called Mayasabha?"
"Yes."
"What is it exactly?"
The girl hesitated.
Then she answered quietly.
"A palace that tests truth through illusion."
Vikram stared at her.
"…That sounded very dramatic."
"It is dramatic."
For the first time, amusement flickered briefly across her face.
Then Vikram's eyes accidentally drifted downward for one fatal second.
Silence.
The girl slowly looked down at herself.
Then back at him.
Her expression turned deadly.
Vikram immediately realized his mistake. "Wait—"
SLAP.
The sound echoed beautifully through the chamber.
Pain exploded across his face.
"You disgusting idiot," she said coldly.
Vikram grabbed his burning cheek in shock. "I said sorry with my eyes!"
"That somehow makes it worse."
He stared at her while recovering from the spiritual damage of that slap. "You hit really hard."
"And yet unfortunately not hard enough."
She turned dramatically and began walking away.
Vikram hurried after her. "At least tell me your name before insulting me again."
Without turning around, she answered calmly.
"Lavya."
Then after a small pause, she added,
"And if you stare again, I'll let the Sabha eat you."