"Her Highness hasn't returned to the palace for three days since she left with some fruits for you," replied the advisor quietly.
Sambh frowned as he rose from his meditation beneath the ancient, sprawling trees of the palace gardens. "I was meditating here, yet I did not see her," he said, his tone tinged with concern.
The advisor shook his head. "She vanishes without warning, making her impossible to track. I fear she is as elusive as the wind." He paused, then added, "By the way, do you have any idea of the path to the underworld?"
Sambh's eyes narrowed in curiosity. "The underworld? What do you mean?" he asked.
Jigartala, who had been standing nearby, replied, "I have no personal knowledge of it, but Her Highness might know something."
Sambh's surprise was evident as he turned toward her. "How did you know about the underworld—and why are you asking me this?"
With a slight smile, Jigartala explained, "I overheard the ants discussing it." At that, Sambh's eyes widened as he recalled the tiny voices of his earlier meditation.
"The ants said that the Mirror of Fate can transport one to any place in the past, present, or future. They claim it can reveal the true nature of the incident that occurred when I went to meet my father."
Jigartala tilted her head thoughtfully. "You can understand ants now, too? That is quite surprising. But you must remember, the Mirror of Fate is a legend. No one is certain if it truly exists."
Before their conversation could continue, the entire land seemed to tremble. The ground vibrated beneath their feet, and from the canopy of eternal trees, a shower of brilliant flowers rained down.
Suddenly, a man appeared in the breaches of the sky—a figure shining like the sun. He was clad in a simple white cotton dress and held a pristine white wand. His presence was awe-inspiring.
Jigartala's voice, now laced with urgency, rang out, "There is an attack in the Golden City! The barrier has been broken, and we need the army to prepare for war!" She gazed toward the horizon as if she could see the threat manifesting before her eyes.
Without warning, the radiant man stepped forward. From above, he hurled a massive, gleaming rope that ensnared both Jigartala and Sambh. In an instant, they were bound together, suspended in mid-air as the man descended.
His long hair, now transformed into a striking shade of blue, flowed around his noble face, which was set with piercing eyes that mirrored the depth of the cosmos.
"Finally, my decades-long wait is over," the man proclaimed as he drew nearer, his voice echoing with authority and ancient power. Locking eyes with Sambh, he said, "Sambh, I have waited for this day."
Jigartala interjected, "He is the ruler of Golden Golf—Sage Sandh. Do you know him, Sambh?"
Sambh managed a tentative smile. "Have we met before?"
Sage Sandh's eyes glinted with memories both dark and distant. "Yes, indeed. Have you forgotten how you died?" he said softly, his tone not unkind yet edged with a bitter irony.
He began to circle around them, as if inspecting a long-forgotten relic. "It was I who was meant to kill you, but that treacherous Sayera destroyed my entire plan by hacking all my data. In that moment, you were saved."
"Why did you want to kill me?" Sambh demanded, his voice rising in shock and disbelief.
Sage Sandh's expression hardened as he replied, "It was the final order of your father."
Stunned, Sambh pressed further, "You know my father?"
"Of course," Sage Sandh said coolly. "It was your father who created this entire network of time travellers—and his last order was to have you killed." He paused dramatically, his gaze fixed intently on Sambh. "At that time, I did not fulfill that order, but now, I will—by killing you."
Sambh's heart pounded as he spoke in a measured, defiant tone, "I don't believe it."
In response, Sage Sandh raised his wand, and as he did, the sky darkened abruptly. Thick, roiling clouds covered the heavens as lightning gathered at the tip of his wand. A bolt of searing lightning surged forward, poised to strike Sambh.
But in a miraculous instant, a single white flower drifted down between them, intercepting the lethal charge. The sky then burst into a cascade of beautiful colors, an ethereal rainbow arching overhead as the flower's presence diffused the dark energy.
Although the flower's sacrifice caused nearby blossoms to burn, Sage Sandh's attack failed to harm Sambh.
Regaining his composure, Sage Sandh looked down at his wand and muttered, "I did not expect you to be here."
Jigartala's voice cut through the charged silence, "It is Her Highness." In that very moment, the rope binding them snapped as if undone by invisible hands.
Not one to relent, Sage Sandh raised his wand once more. This time, the sky ignited in a fiery glow. Huge fireballs shot forth, raining down upon the garden.
Yet, again, his assault faltered—some mysterious force, perhaps the sanctity of the palace grounds, deflected the flames. The garden, bathed in the surreal glow of battle, shone with an otherworldly beauty even as chaos threatened to consume it.
A heavy silence fell as Sage Sandh lowered his wand. His eyes, now soft with a blend of disappointment and resignation, locked onto Sambh's. "I did not expect you to be here," he repeated quietly, his tone carrying a mix of regret and resolve.
Jigartala, still recovering from the ordeal, added with measured calm, "It is Her Highness."
In that instant, Sage Sandh's furious barrage ceased, leaving the garden to bask in an eerie tranquility. The radiant colors of the sky gradually returned, yet an ominous tension lingered in the air—a portent of the conflicts yet to come.
Sage Sandh's final words, whispered in a tone both gentle and foreboding, drifted over the quiet garden:
"Your fate is sealed, and the legacy of your father looms over you. Prepare yourself, for the trials ahead will test every fiber of your being."
Sambh's heart pounded as he stared at the enigmatic ruler. The conversation had left more questions than answers—questions about his father's dark orders, about the treacherous Sayera, and about the mysterious powers of the Mirror of Fate that had been mentioned.
With the sky now a tapestry of shifting light and shadow, Sambh felt the weight of destiny pressing down upon him. The garden, once a haven of serenity, now vibrated with an energy that promised both salvation and doom.
In that charged moment, the silence that followed was filled with the unspoken promise of an uncertain future—a future where every decision would shape not only his destiny but also the fate of the entire realm.