The command chamber of the Kaal-Chhaya Sangh felt strangely quiet.
Arivaan stood alone in the middle of the large room, surrounded by overturned chairs, scattered scrolls, and broken banners.
The chaos clearly showed that someone had left in a hurry.
And not just anyone.
The leaders of the organization.
He slowly walked across the room, examining the evidence more carefully.
Wooden crates had been opened and partially emptied.
Several metal lockboxes were missing entirely, leaving dust outlines where they once rested.
The strategic maps pinned to the walls had been torn down, as if someone had tried to remove important information before fleeing.
Arivaan let out a quiet laugh.
"So it's true."
"They really ran."
For years, he had imagined the leaders of the Kaal-Chhaya Sangh as powerful and fearless figures.
People who commanded armies of villains and plotted the downfall of kingdoms.
Yet when a real threat appeared, they had abandoned their fortress without hesitation.
Leaving hundreds of soldiers behind to die.
Another explosion thundered from somewhere below.
The stone floor trembled beneath Arivaan's boots.
Small fragments of dust fell from the ceiling.
He didn't need to look down the stairwell to know what was happening.
Devika Agnivarna was still moving through the fortress.
And judging by the strength of the explosions, she was getting closer.
Arivaan exhaled slowly.
"I should leave."
There was no longer any reason to remain here.
The Kaal-Chhaya Sangh had effectively collapsed.
If he stayed, he would either die in battle or be captured by the Rakshaks.
Neither option sounded appealing.
His hand instinctively touched the pocket where he had hidden the purple jewel.
The gem still felt warm against his leg.
A faint vibration pulsed through it occasionally, like the slow heartbeat of something alive.
"Strange thing…"
He pulled it out briefly and examined it again.
Even in the dim light of the ruined chamber, the jewel glowed softly.
It was clearly no ordinary decoration.
Artifacts like this were often connected to ancient powers or forgotten techniques.
But Arivaan had no time to study it.
He slipped it back into his pocket.
His next priority was finding an exit.
The leaders must have escaped somehow.
Which meant there had to be a hidden passage somewhere in the command chamber.
Arivaan began searching the room carefully.
He pushed aside broken furniture, lifted fallen banners, and checked the walls for hidden switches.
The Kaal-Chhaya Sangh specialized in secrecy and deception.
Hidden mechanisms were common inside their fortresses.
Another distant explosion echoed through the building.
This one sounded even closer.
The vibrations traveled through the stone floor.
Arivaan swallowed nervously.
"She's coming fast…"
He quickened his search.
A few minutes passed.
Then his eyes caught something unusual.
One section of the wall looked slightly different from the others.
The stone pattern didn't match the surrounding blocks perfectly.
He stepped closer and brushed away the dust covering it.
There it was.
A thin outline shaped like a rectangular panel.
"A hidden door."
Arivaan pressed his hand against it.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then he pushed harder.
The stone panel slid open silently, revealing a narrow opening.
Beyond it was a dark tunnel sloping downward.
Arivaan's face brightened.
"Found it."
This was exactly the kind of secret escape route high-ranking villains would use.
The tunnel looked like it descended deep beneath the fortress, probably leading somewhere outside the mountain.
He stepped closer to examine it.
A cool draft of air flowed upward from the passage.
That meant it connected to the outside.
Arivaan allowed himself a small smile.
"Looks like I'll survive tonight after all."
But just as he was about to step inside the tunnel—
A voice echoed from the doorway behind him.
"Running away already?"
Arivaan froze.
Slowly, he turned around.
Standing at the entrance of the command chamber was a familiar figure.
Her orange hair flickered in the light of the flames dancing around her hand.
Her expression carried a confident smile.
Devika Agnivarna.
The Rakshak warrior leaned casually against the doorway as if she had just taken a leisurely walk through the fortress.
Behind her, faint smoke drifted through the hallway.
The battle below had clearly ended.
Arivaan's throat went dry.
"You…"
Devika's eyes briefly glanced at the open escape tunnel behind him.
"So this is where your leaders ran."
She stepped into the room slowly.
Her boots echoed softly across the marble floor.
"I was wondering how they disappeared so quickly."
Arivaan forced a weak laugh.
"Haha… I was just leaving too."
"Of course you were."
Devika raised her hand slightly.
A small flame ignited in her palm.
Its glow illuminated the room with a warm orange light.
"You're coming with me."
Her voice was calm.
But the threat behind it was unmistakable.
Arivaan's mind raced.
Fighting was impossible.
Even if he somehow grabbed a weapon, he would last only a few seconds against someone like her.
Running down the tunnel might give him a chance.
But she could easily burn the entrance before he got far.
His heart pounded.
He needed a distraction.
Devika tilted her head slightly.
"Don't make this difficult."
The flame in her palm grew brighter.
"Just come quietly."
Arivaan slowly raised his hands.
"Wait… can't we talk about this?"
She sighed.
"I've heard that excuse many times."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
The flame intensified.
"Last chance."
Arivaan's eyes flickered toward the tunnel behind him.
Then back to Devika.
Then back again.
His body tensed.
Devika noticed the movement immediately.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Don't even think—"
Arivaan suddenly turned and jumped into the escape tunnel.
"AAAAAAH!"
He slid down the steep metal slope at high speed.
The tunnel walls rushed past him in a blur.
Behind him, Devika shouted.
"Idiot!"
But Arivaan was already disappearing into the darkness.
For the moment—
He had escaped.