The moment we stepped into the crypt, the air changed. It felt thick, almost as if the walls were holding secrets that had been buried for centuries. The stone beneath our feet was cool to the touch, and the faint sound of clicking mechanisms echoed in the vast, dark hall.

We walked cautiously, our footsteps muffled by the layers of dust that covered the ground. The only light came from the torches we carried, flickering with every step. The closer we got, the more I could feel a strange energy coursing through the air. It felt like something was watching us—waiting for us to make the wrong move.

I looked at Rudraksha beside me, his usual composure unshaken, but there was a glint in his eyes. He was ready for whatever came next.

“We’re getting closer,” I said quietly, glancing at the walls that seemed to close in on us.

Rudraksha nodded. “The shard should be just beyond this door.”

We reached the farthest end of the crypt, where a massive stone door loomed ahead, intricately carved with symbols and patterns I hadn’t seen before. As we approached, I felt a cold gust of wind hit my face, and the door shuddered as if it was alive.

“This is it,” I whispered, my voice full of anticipation.

But then, the air around us shifted. The sound of clicking and turning gears filled the room, and I realized with a shock that the door wasn’t going to open by itself. It was a puzzle—a mechanical lock.

I stared at the patterns on the door. The carvings were strange, each symbol intertwined with another, forming a riddle. The symbols seemed to glow faintly as I studied them, and I felt a strange pull toward the puzzle.

Rudraksha’s voice broke through my focus. “You think you can solve this?”

I looked at him, then back at the intricate carvings. “I think I have to.”

He crossed his arms, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

I took a step forward, the torches flickering slightly in response to my presence. The first riddle was clear enough, but solving it required more than just intellect. It required intuition—an understanding of the cryptic message hidden within the symbols.

The first symbol, a circle with a jagged line across it, seemed to represent a shield or protection. The second symbol, a pair of eyes, glowed as I touched it, almost as if they were watching me. The third symbol—an open book with pages turning—was an invitation to knowledge.

The riddles were testing me. Each one was a step closer, and I could feel the mechanism beneath my fingertips responding, shifting.

Rudraksha stood back, watching me closely. “You’re doing well,” he said, his voice surprisingly calm.

I nodded, working through the riddles in my mind. The last one was the hardest—the symbol of a flame intertwined with a key. It represented power and knowledge, but there was something more—something that felt like it was about to snap into place.

As I touched the final symbol, there was a deep rumble, and the stone door creaked open with a loud groan.

I took a deep breath, my heart racing. Behind the door, in the center of the room, was an ornate pedestal—and on top of it, the shard. Its surface shimmered, almost as if it was alive.

We stepped forward, but before I could take another step toward the pedestal, a sharp clank echoed through the room. The walls shifted, and a sudden wave of pressure pushed me back.

I stumbled, but Rudraksha caught me by the waist, holding me steady. His grip was firm, protective, but his eyes were fierce, scanning the room.

“This isn’t over,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with concern.

I could feel the heat of his body close to mine, but there was no time to focus on that. My eyes were fixed on the pedestal and the glowing shard in the center.

Suddenly, the air around us felt charged, and I realized that someone else was in the room.

Before I could react, a shadow moved behind us.

In an instant, I felt the cold steel of a dagger press against my skin.

A gasp escaped my lips as I turned sharply, and there she stood—Princess Kavitha—her expression twisted in anger and determination.

“You won’t take it,” she hissed, pressing the dagger deeper into my side.

I tried to pull away, but the blade was already cutting through my skin. I winced, feeling the cold burn of the poison she had likely coated the blade with.

“No!” Rudraksha shouted, his voice louder than I had ever heard it. He moved toward us in an instant, his hands clenching into fists, but Kavitha’s dagger was already embedded in my skin, a sharp and poisonous sting.

“Step away, maharaja .” Kavitha’s voice was cold, authoritative. She didn’t even glance at him, her eyes trained on me.

Rudraksha didn’t hesitate. With one swift movement, he lunged at her, grabbing her wrist and forcing her to drop the dagger. But she didn’t give up easily.

“You think you can stop me, Rudraksha?” she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “You think you can save her?”

Her words were laced with bitterness, and I realized, with a shock, that she had been the one who had kept me from taking the shard. She had been waiting for the right moment to strike.

Rudraksha looked at me, his face contorted with fury. “Stay with me, Aranya.” His voice cracked as he spoke, the pain in his words evident. He pulled me close, his arms around me protectively as the world seemed to spin.

My vision blurred, my body shaking as the poison spread through my veins. I tried to stay focused, but everything felt heavy, as if the air itself was pressing down on me.

“Aranya, no.” Rudraksha’s voice was strained. He held me tighter, frantic. “Stay with me.”

His eyes locked with mine, and I could see the fear in them—raw, unmasked. The king, the ruler of Vyantara, the most powerful man in this world—was afraid.

I reached out, my hand trembling as I touched his cheek. “I’ll be okay,” I whispered, barely able to speak.

But I knew. I knew the poison was taking me.

And then, in an instant, Rudraksha acted.

With one hand still supporting me, he ripped open his own sleeve, revealing a small pouch strapped to his arm. Without hesitation, he pulled out a vial of antidote and pressed it against my lips, forcing me to drink.

I could feel the antidote working almost immediately, the poison slowly receding from my body.

But my vision was still blurry, and my head was spinning.

“Don’t you dare leave me.” His voice was a low growl, full of determination and fear.

“I won’t…” I whispered, my voice barely a breath.

He kissed my forehead gently, his lips soft against my skin. “Stay with me, Aranya. You’re not going anywhere.”

I nodded, my eyelids growing heavy. The antidote was working, but there was still a part of me that felt a lingering pull toward the edge.

But as long as I was in his arms, I knew I would be safe. Safe with him.

Kavitha was quickly subdued by Rudraksha, and the guards were called to take her away. But I could feel the tension in the air, the weight of everything that had happened.

She had betrayed us. And the reason for her hatred was clear now. It wasn’t just the shard—it was something far deeper. She had been trying to prevent us from taking it, perhaps even willing to kill me to keep it hidden.

But what was even more troubling was the truth behind the shard, the deep connection between the shard, the prince, and Ranshara’s downfall.