The night was thick with silence as Satya, Saanvi, Virendra, and Aryan slipped through the narrow streets, hearts pounding in unison. The weight of the stolen documents pressed against Satya's chest like a second heartbeat. The historian, Samar, had stayed behind—either to mislead their pursuers or to face whatever fate awaited him.
Virendra led them through a maze of alleyways, finally stopping in front of a rusted iron gate. He fumbled with his keys, his hands unsteady. "This place belonged to an old family friend. It's been abandoned for years."
The gate groaned open, revealing a crumbling haveli, its courtyard swallowed by creeping vines. They stepped inside cautiously, locking the door behind them. Dust swirled under their feet as they entered a dimly lit room filled with old wooden crates and faded furniture.
Aryan peered through the cracks in the window. "No signs of them yet."
Satya exhaled, pulling out the folder Samar had given him. "Let's see what was worth dying for."
He unfastened the leather string and unfolded the yellowed sheets, scanning through hastily scribbled notes, sketches, and aged newspaper clippings.
One name stood out.
Devarath Singh Rathore.
Saanvi's breath hitched. "That name… I've seen it before. In one of the old records we found at the Rathore estate."
Satya flipped through the pages, his fingers brushing over an old sketch—one that sent a chill down his spine.
It was Veer Meghawal.
Bound. Bruised. His eyes filled with defiance.
And standing over him, barely visible in the background, was a figure.
Devarath.
Virendra clenched his fists. "That means he wasn't just some noble—he was involved in Veer's betrayal."
Saanvi turned another page and gasped. A letter. The ink had faded, but the words were still legible.
"The artist is a threat. His presence endangers everything we've built. His fate has been decided. Handle it before the king learns of it."
No name. No signature. But the intent was clear.
Aryan swore under his breath. "They wanted Veer silenced because he knew something. And Devarath was part of it."
Satya's mind spun. "Which means whoever is after us now… they could be connected to him."
Saanvi touched the old parchment. "This is proof, Satya. Proof that Veer's death wasn't just an execution. It was a conspiracy."
Virendra looked grim. "But conspiracies don't die. Someone out there is still trying to bury the past."
Suddenly, a loud thud echoed from outside.
Aryan's head snapped toward the door. "They found us."
The air tightened around them.
Satya's grip on the documents hardened. They weren't running anymore. If the past was demanding to be buried, they would be the ones to dig it up.