The bells of Hastinapur did not stop ringing.
Their sound tore through the calm of the city like a warning from the heavens.
Loud.
Urgent.
Unrelenting.
Inside the royal palace, guards rushed through the corridors.
Servants scattered.
Messengers ran breathlessly between halls.
Something was wrong.
Not outside the walls.
Inside.
At the main gate—
A group of soldiers lay unconscious.
Not dead.
But struck down with precision.
No signs of struggle.
No chaos.
Only silence.
On the high balcony overlooking the courtyard—
Bhishma stood still.
His gaze sharp.
Focused.
"This is not a random attack," he said quietly.
Beside him, Dronacharya nodded.
"They entered without raising alarm."
A pause.
"Which means they knew the defenses."
Inside the inner palace—
Duryodhana walked quickly toward the council chamber.
His expression hard.
Controlled.
"Report."
A guard knelt immediately.
"Multiple intrusions reported, my prince."
"Locations?"
"Armory… treasury wing… and—"
He hesitated.
"The archives."
Duryodhana stopped.
"The archives?"
That changed everything.
Inside the archive halls—
Darkness moved.
Figures dressed in black moved silently between towering shelves.
Scrolls.
Records.
Ancient knowledge.
One of them spoke in a low voice.
"Search faster."
Another replied,
"The seal records should be here."
A third figure paused.
Then—
"Someone's coming."
Footsteps echoed.
Steady.
Unhurried.
A voice followed.
"You shouldn't be here."
The intruders turned instantly.
At the entrance—
Arjuna stood.
Bow already in hand.
Eyes cold.
Focused.
Without another word—
He fired.
The arrow struck one intruder before he could react.
The others scattered instantly.
Fast.
Trained.
They didn't panic.
They adapted.
Arjuna moved forward.
Another arrow released.
A second enemy fell.
But the rest—
Didn't retreat.
Instead—
They attacked.
Blades flashed in the darkness.
Arjuna shifted position.
His arrows moved faster now.
Each shot precise.
Each movement controlled.
But something was different.
These enemies—
They were skilled.
Too skilled for ordinary infiltrators.
One of them spoke mid-fight.
"Delay him."
Arjuna's eyes narrowed.
"They're not here to fight…"
"They're here to take something."
Elsewhere in the palace—
Krishna walked calmly through the corridor.
Despite the chaos.
Despite the alarms.
His expression remained… amused.
As if this—
Was expected.
He paused near a junction.
Closed his eyes briefly.
Then—
Turned.
"Not there…"
He murmured.
"…this way."
Back in the archives—
The fight intensified.
Arjuna pushed forward.
Driving the intruders back.
But they were buying time.
Not trying to win.
Suddenly—
One of them threw a small object to the ground.
Smoke exploded outward.
The room filled instantly.
Vision gone.
Sound distorted.
Arjuna stepped back.
Eyes scanning.
Listening.
Then—
He fired.
Blind.
A scream followed.
The smoke began to clear.
Bodies on the ground.
But—
Not all.
Two figures remained.
Standing near the far wall.
Holding—
A scroll.
Arjuna's expression hardened.
"Drop it."
They didn't move.
Instead—
One of them spoke.
"You're too late."
Arjuna drew another arrow.
"Try me."
But before he could fire—
A voice echoed behind him.
"Careful."
Krishna stepped into the room.
Through the fading smoke.
Arjuna didn't turn.
"They're escaping."
Krishna smiled slightly.
"No."
"They've already done what they came for."
The intruders didn't hesitate.
They moved—
Not toward the exit—
But toward the window.
Then jumped.
Arjuna rushed forward.
But by the time he reached the edge—
They were gone.
Silence returned.
Broken only by distant alarms.
Arjuna turned toward Krishna.
"What did they take?"
Krishna walked slowly to one of the fallen scroll racks.
His fingers brushed the empty space.
Then—
He answered.
"Information."
A pause.
"Very important information."
Meanwhile—
At the northern border—
Karna stood still.
The enemy leader's words still echoing.
Hastinapur… is next.
Vrinda stepped closer.
"We need to move."
Karna nodded.
His expression had changed.
No hesitation now.
No patience.
"Prepare the unit."
His voice carried urgency.
Command.
"We return immediately."
The soldiers moved quickly.
No questions.
No delay.
Because they understood.
This mission—
Was no longer the priority.
The real battle—
Had already begun.
Far away—
Inside Hastinapur—
Krishna stood near the broken archive shelves.
His eyes distant.
Calculating.
"They're faster than I expected…"
Arjuna crossed his arms.
"Who are they?"
Krishna smiled faintly.
"The kind of enemy…"
A pause.
"…that doesn't fight for victory."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"They fight for control."
Outside—
The bells continued to ring.
And the shadow over Hastinapur—
Had only just begun to spread.