The next morning, the soft, luxurious bedding and the decadent breakfast buffet did little to prepare the sixty-three students for the rigors of a mountain hike. By 8:00 AM, the entire group was assembled, looking decidedly less five-star and more realistically fatigued.
Eva, however, was a vision of focused energy in lightweight hiking gear. She stood before the students, a map rolled in her hand, her expression unwavering.
"Good morning. We are starting our ascent to the historic lookout point," Eva announced, her voice cutting through the crisp mountain air. "This is a demanding, Grade-3 vertical ascent. We are climbing to a pre-set camp where we will stay overnight. This is not a stroll. It is designed to test your physical and mental limits. Focus on your breathing, stay hydrated, and stick strictly to the path."
Emerald, standing with his circle of friends—Ananthu, Shanie, Goutham, Albi, Nihal, Aryan, and Karthik—felt the familiar, unwelcome ease of Zinan's influence making the task seem trivial. His new physique was designed for such exertion.
"She looks like she's about to conquer Everest, not a hill," Aryan grumbled, adjusting his borrowed backpack straps.
"Yeah, but she organized the best lunch ever," Karthik countered, ever focused on food.
The trail immediately hit a severe incline, forcing the students into a difficult, single-file march. The air quickly filled with heavy breathing and strained sighs.
Ananthu, who was usually one of the fittest in the group, was struggling, leaning heavily on Shanie. "Emerald! How… how are you not sweating? You look like you're walking on a treadmill at the gym! You're supposed to be suffering with us!"
Emerald, feeling the surge of vitality, kept his pace even. "Trauma, man. The body adapts quickly to survival mode," he tossed back, knowing the lie was flimsy but effective. He was acutely aware of Eva, who often looked back, checking the pace and, crucially, monitoring him.
As they climbed higher, the group broke into smaller, struggling clusters. Eva stayed near the middle, offering sharp, pragmatic advice.
"Keep your back straight! Use your glutes, not just your knees!" she called out to a panting Goutham.
"This is not engineering, this is torture!" Goutham gasped back.
"This is self-reliance! An engineer must be reliable under pressure!" Eva shot back instantly.
The long hours of ascent tested everyone's resolve. The view was spectacular—a vast tapestry of green hills dissolving into the distant mist—but the sheer physical effort overshadowed the beauty.
By late afternoon, the exhausted students finally staggered into the clearing. Eva's "logistics" were again evident: comfortable, high-end tents were already set up, and the cooking staff was preparing a warm, aromatic meal.
Emerald, surprisingly fresh, helped his friends set up their gear. Later, sitting around the roaring central campfire, the exhaustion finally gave way to a reflective mood.
"I hate that climb, but I love this view," Nihal admitted, staring at the incredible vista.
"It makes you think, though," Shanie mused, stirring a stick in the dirt. "All that effort, just for a temporary view. We climb so hard, only to go back down tomorrow."
Eva, who had been speaking to the professors, walked over and took a seat near the core group. She recognized the opportunity for subtle communication.
"The greatest difficulty isn't the climb, Shanie," Eva stated, addressing the philosophy of the moment while maintaining eye contact with Emerald. "It's knowing that you must give it up. It's finding the strength to appreciate the view without letting the inevitable descent—or the end—ruin the moment."
Karthik, ever the observer, leaned forward. "Wow, that's deep, Eva! That's like, life advice."
"I'm old enough to know that nothing lasts forever," Eva replied with a measured smile, the words clearly aimed at the ancient soul residing in Emerald's body.
The group continued to talk, but Emerald's focus had narrowed. He knew Eva wasn't just guiding the students; she was sending encrypted messages to his dual consciousness.
Much later, when the student chatter had faded into the quiet hum of the night, Emerald found Eva standing alone near the edge of the clearing, gazing at the distant lights of the valley.
"Lascrea chose a human boy who was obsessed with escaping his life," Emerald murmured, walking up beside her, his voice shifting slightly, carrying the analytic clarity of Zinan. "She knew my dreams, my desperation. She didn't seek an emperor; she sought a host that was already spiritually unanchored."
Eva sighed, her breath clouding in the cold air. "She was my friend, Emerald. She was lost, and terrified of the crown Zinan left her. She made a desperate choice. She wasn't seeking Zinan's return immediately; she was seeking any distraction that would allow her to shed the burden of Lascrean royalty and the duty of the kingdom."
"The kingdom, or the life you said she couldn't let go of?"
"The life, Zinan," Eva corrected, using the Emperor's name without hesitation. "She wanted her life back, the one she had with you, the hunter boy, before you became the Emperor. She thought by bringing you back—even in a vessel—she could rewind time."
Eva finally turned, her gaze steady. "That's the truth I didn't tell you. When I raised my hand against your marriage, it was for her, too. I was praying that if she saw the human boy, Emerald, reject the path, she might finally let go of the Emperor and the past. She deserves peace, not this endless cycle of duty."
The human part of Emerald felt a profound ache of sympathy for Genna/Lascrea. He was a pawn in an ancient woman's attempt to reverse time.
"So, what's my role now?" Emerald asked, the question ringing with genuine human uncertainty. "Am I just the tool that grants her final peace?"
"Your role, Emerald bin Mortaza," Eva said, her intensity deepening, "is to live your one year—so well that you leave no room for regret, and no room for Zinan. Use this time, this strength, this opportunity. Give your life a proper ending, not a hijacked one."
"And if I succeed?"
"Then maybe, just maybe, when the contract ends, Zinan will only find a happy, used-up vessel, and he'll finally decide that his life truly is over."
A moment later, the camp's scheduled security shift alarm sounded. The conversation was instantly over. Eva nodded, smiled politely, and walked toward the staff tents, leaving Emerald alone, staring into the dark vastness of the Western Ghats.
(To be continued)