The night sky shimmered as the six travelers finally regrouped in the village square, each carrying their own tales of bizarre encounters.
Tianlan, exhausted and clearly annoyed, crossed his arms. "So, what kind of disaster did you all bring upon yourselves?"
Wei Zhan raised an eyebrow, smirking. "We should be asking you that. You look like you fought a demon."
Devran, with his usual calm, waved it off. "More like a very clingy shadow… but we handled it."
Before anyone could respond, Xie Lian, ever the observant bodyguard, pointed at Saanvi and Vihaan, whose clothes were slightly… off.
"Why do you two look like you barely survived a dramatic escape?" Xie Lian asked, narrowing his eyes.
Saanvi immediately turned away, suddenly interested in the night sky. Vihaan coughed into his hand, desperately avoiding eye contact.
Tianlan squinted suspiciously. "Wait. Did you two get into trouble?"
Saanvi let out an awkward laugh. "Hahaha... No, of course not. We just… helped a scared maiden in distress?"
Vihaan shot her a warning glance, as if begging her not to reveal too much.
Wei Zhan, completely unimpressed, crossed his arms. "Right… And that explains why you're wearing different robes?"
Saanvi gasped and looked down, realizing she was in a villager's extra robe while her usual one was gone. Meanwhile, Vihaan's sleeves looked half-torn.
Silence.
Then Tianlan let out a wicked grin. "Wait, wait. Don't tell me you two ended up in some scandalous situation?"
Saanvi stomped her foot. "NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"
Xie Lian, trying to suppress a chuckle, leaned toward Wei Zhan. "Should we assume they were caught in some embarrassing situation?"
Vihaan, who had been calm until now, suddenly turned cold. "If you value your life, you will not assume anything."
Everyone backed away slightly.
But before the teasing could continue, Devran, ever the responsible one, interrupted. "Enough. What actually happened?"
Saanvi sighed in frustration. "It was a misunderstanding! Some villager thought I was their long-lost savior and nearly started a cult around me!"
Tianlan, mocking: "Oh, so you are a goddess then?"
Saanvi froze. "I—No! I just... look like someone important to them!"
Vihaan quickly stepped in, protectively. "It was an overreaction. Nothing serious."
Wei Zhan raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Sounds serious."
Meanwhile, Xie Lian, remembering his own disaster, sighed. "At least your problem was human. We got followed by a creepy child who kept whispering riddles in the dark."
Everyone shuddered.
Tianlan looked at Devran. "You know, suddenly the shadow demon doesn't seem that bad."
Devran nodded. "Agreed."
And so, their absurd night of misfortune ended with bickering, teasing, and shared exhaustion—unaware that their greatest challenge was still lurking ahead.
---
How Saanvi and Vihaan Helped the "Scared Maiden in Distress"
Before reuniting with the group, Saanvi and Vihaan had a rather… unexpected adventure.
The Encounter
As they were making their way back to the village, they heard frantic screaming from a nearby alley.
"HELP! SOMEONE SAVE ME!"
Saanvi immediately turned toward the sound, her instincts kicking in. "Vihaan, someone's in trouble!"
Vihaan sighed, already expecting trouble. "It could be a trap."
But Saanvi was already rushing toward the sound, leaving him no choice but to follow.
As they entered the alley, they found a young woman in expensive clothes huddled behind a pile of broken wooden crates. She looked terrified, clutching a silk handkerchief to her chest.
Saanvi knelt beside her, speaking gently. "Are you alright? What happened?"
The maiden, eyes wide with fear, pointed toward a group of thuggish-looking men who were laughing and blocking the exit.
"Those men—they won't leave me alone! I was just walking when they started following me!" she sobbed.
Vihaan glanced at the group of men, expression darkening. "Tch. Just a bunch of lowlifes."
One of the thugs smirked. "Oi, oi. We were just being friendly, weren't we, boys?"
His companions grinned, stepping forward. "No need to run, miss. We only wanted to talk."
Vihaan cracked his knuckles, clearly unimpressed. "Yeah? Well, here's a friendly warning—turn around and leave while you still can."
The thugs laughed. "Or what? Pretty boy, you gonna fight us?"
Vihaan stepped forward, a dangerous aura surrounding him. "I don't fight."
The lead thug snorted. "Hah! That's what I thought—"
Then Vihaan moved.
In a flash, he grabbed the thug's wrist, twisting it so hard that the man screamed in pain.
The other thugs backed away as Vihaan's usually calm face turned icy cold. "I break."
Saanvi, watching Vihaan handle things effortlessly, sighed. "You could have at least let me help."
The remaining thugs panicked and ran, dragging their injured friend away.
The Aftermath
The young maiden immediately grabbed Saanvi's hands. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! I owe you my life!"
Saanvi, slightly overwhelmed, smiled awkwardly. "It's alright, really…"
The maiden suddenly clasped her hands dramatically, looking at Saanvi with teary eyes. "You're like a divine savior sent from the heavens!"
Vihaan stiffened at the words, his protective instincts flaring up.
"Ahaha… no, no. Just a normal traveler," Saanvi said, sweating slightly.
But the maiden wasn't listening. She removed her own outer robe—a luxurious silk cloak—and wrapped it around Saanvi's shoulders. "Please, take this as a token of gratitude!"
Saanvi froze, glancing at Vihaan in panic. He, however, was no help at all, merely raising an eyebrow as if to say, 'You got yourself into this mess.'
Before they could refuse, the maiden rushed off, leaving Saanvi stuck in fancy silk robes.
Vihaan sighed. "…You're really good at attracting weird situations."
Saanvi glared at him. "Oh, shut up."
...
As they continued walking back to the village after the incident, the silence between them stretched, only interrupted by the rustle of silk and the occasional hoot of a distant owl.
Saanvi finally broke the silence. "You know... I didn't mean for that to happen. I just couldn't walk away."
Vihaan glanced at her, then looked ahead. "You never can."
"That's a bad thing?"
"Not bad. Just... reckless."
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Reckless? I saved someone."
"Yes. And what if there were ten of those men? Or they had hidden blades? You didn't even stop to think."
"I did think. I thought 'someone is screaming' and I ran."
Vihaan pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're impossible."
"You're grumpy."
"You're always in danger."
"And you always rescue me."
He stopped walking. "That's not the point."
She turned to face him. "Then what is the point, Vihaan? That I shouldn't help someone in need? Because I might get hurt? That I should just let bad things happen?"
Vihaan met her gaze, frustration flashing in his eyes. "No. The point is that every time you throw yourself into danger, I'm the one who has to wonder whether I'll get there in time."
Saanvi's expression softened. "Vihaan..."
He turned away, voice quieter. "I don't mind protecting you. I just wish you'd value yourself as much as you value strangers."
There was a pause.
Then Saanvi stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his arm. "I do value myself. But sometimes, I forget. And maybe that's why... I need someone like you."
Vihaan looked at her, something unreadable in his gaze. "You drive me mad, you know that?"
She smiled. "You keep following me around, so clearly you like madness."
He exhaled, shaking his head, but a reluctant smile tugged at his lips. "Next time, just shout for me first. I'd like to be there before the drama begins."
"Deal. But only if you stop calling me reckless every time I save someone."
"Fine. Recklessly noble. Happy?"
She laughed. "That's closer."
And as they finally reached the edge of the village, Vihaan looked at her once more, his voice unusually gentle. "Just... don't change too much."
Saanvi turned to him, blinking. "Why?"
He looked away, feigning indifference. "Because then I might have to change too."
She watched him for a moment, heart fluttering, then followed him silently into the night-lit village, both unaware of the complicated feelings beginning to take root between them.
And so, that was how Saanvi ended up in different clothes, and why Vihaan was mildly traumatized by yet another person calling her a "divine savior."