The atmosphere in the clearing remained tense as Team Veer and Amar Raghu stood among the scattered relics dropped by Aushal.
Veer adjusted the grip on his weapon, eyeing Amar and his companions with a mix of respect and lingering suspicion. "How did someone like Aushal manage to capture you three in the first place? You look more than strong enough to handle yourselves."
Amar Raghu wiped dirt from his shoulder, letting out a frustrated breath. "We were in the Kingdom of Madha when it happened. I felt an ominous presence, and then a strange, hollow voice echoed right behind my head. Before we could even draw our weapons, our vision went completely dark. Next thing we knew, we were being dropped out of those spheres right in front of your team, Veer."
Veer nodded slowly, mulling over the revelation. "So you broke free from his sealing sphere, but why trap you to begin with? If Aushal wanted to attack us, why bring three powerhouse warriors along with him?"
"Because he fears what we carry," Amar replied, his eyes narrowing. "Either we are a threat to his plans, or we have something he desperately needs."
Before Veer could answer, Amar's ears twitched. He held up a hand, calling for silence as a faint rustling echoed through the dense brush nearby.
Out from the misty thicket stumbled a striking figure—a radiant young woman adorned in flowing, celestial robes. Her presence was ethereal, but her clothes were torn and her breath came in ragged gasps.
"Sita!" Amar called out instinctively, taking a step toward her.
Sita stepped up beside Amar, immediately assessing the situation and offering a piece of her own outer sash to help tend to the stranger's torn attire.
Amar stared closely at the newly arrived girl, noticing the glowing, unnatural aura humming beneath her skin. "Why is she here? Her speech... her spiritual resonance is completely different from anyone in this realm."
Panicked by the surrounding warriors, the mysterious girl suddenly turned to bolt back into the mist.
"Don't run!" Amar shouted, activating his spatial tracking technique—Throne Sight.
An invisible wave of gravitational force locked onto the girl, pinning her to the forest floor and causing her to stumble onto her knees.
Amar stepped forward, examining her carefully. "I don't think she speaks our tongue. That dialect she was muttering... it's ancient, either divine or demonic. She doesn't belong to this continent, and her latent power far exceeds ours."
"Amar, drop the pressure," Veer said calmly. "She's not trying to fight."
Amar nodded, deactivating Throne Sight. The binding force lifted, and the girl slowly sat up, catching her breath.
Unable to speak their language, the mysterious girl raised her hands, frantically making gestures in sign language directed straight at Amar.
Amar translated the movements out loud, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait... she's signing... 'I want to kiss you'?"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Sita interrupted sharply, stepping firmly between Amar and the stranger, her eyes narrowing at the girl. "Why on earth do you need to kiss my husband?!"
Amar raised his hands defensively toward Sita, then looked back at the girl's glowing eyes. A realization struck him.
"Hold on, Sita," Amar said gently. "She doesn't want romance. You don't actually need a kiss, do you, girl? You need our divine blood to establish a linguistic bridge so you can speak to us."
The girl nodded rapidly in sign language, confirming his guess.
Without hesitation, Amar brought his thumb to his mouth, slicing it slightly with his fang to draw a single drop of glowing, crimson blood. He offered it to her. The girl touched her fingers to the drop, absorbing the vital energy.
Instantly, her posture straightened, and her voice resonated in clear, fluent human speech. "Thank you... I can speak your tongue now."
SHING!
Before she could take another breath, a freezing blade rested mere millimeters from her throat. Shani had moved in a flash, his eyes gleaming with cold precision.
"Don't move," Shani warned, his voice icy. "I'm going to ask you three questions. Answer only with 'Yes' or 'No'. My ability allows me to detect any lie, and if you deceive me, my blade will cut."
The girl froze, feeling the terrifying chill of Shani's aura, but she nodded slowly. "Ask."
"Question one," Shani demanded. "Did you fall here with the intent to drink my brother's blood and spy on us?"
"No," she replied steadily.
"Question two: Are you a divine entity? A goddess?"
"Yes."
"Final question," Shani said, eyeing her closely. "Did you ask for Amar Raghu's blood and a physical bond because you hold feelings for him?"
Sita watched intently as the girl answered without hesitation. "No."
Shani held his stance for a split second before smoothly sheathing his sword. "All her answers are true. She's telling the truth."
With the blade removed, the group took in her appearance. Her ethereal grace and radiant golden hair made her look almost otherworldly—a beauty rivaling even the most renowned figures of the realm.
"My name is Naishaa," the girl spoke softly, her voice melodious yet heavy with sorrow. "I am a deity from the upper celestial realms. I have no mother or father; I was born from the pure light of the high heavens."
"How did a celestial goddess end up trapped down here?" Veer asked.
"I was resting in the high sanctuaries when an unnatural fog—a dark, suffocating smoke—crept into the heavens," Naishaa explained. "When I opened my eyes, I was trapped in this forest. It was Aushal's doing. He used a high-tier dimensional displacement seal to drag me down."
Amar crossed his arms, his expression growing grim. "Then we need to find an exit immediately."
Naishaa shook her head, her eyes sweeping over the ancient, twisting trees surrounding them. "It's not that simple, Amar. Look around you. This isn't a normal woodland. Aushal has linked us into a Magical Illusion Forest. We are disconnected from the outside world, and brute force will not break it. We must use our intellect to solve its layout if we hope to escape."
Amar grinned slightly, adjusting his stance. "Alright then, genius Goddess Naishaa. Lead the way. How do we get out of here?"
Before Naishaa could outline her plan, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently. A low, gut-wrenching roar echoed from the darkest depths of the woods, shaking the leaves from the trees and chilling the blood in their veins.
Every warrior drew their weapon instantly, facing the dark shadows of the trees.
What terror awaits them in the depth of the woods? Find out in the next chapter of Kala-Agna!