The next morning, I got ready for work, but Rudraksha was being... difficult.

"Why do you need to go?" he asked, his deep voice laced with annoyance.

I sighed, adjusting my bag. "Because I have a job?"

He frowned. "But why? You do not have to fight wars or rule an empire."

I laughed. "I don’t, but I do have responsibilities. I love what I do."

He crossed his arms like a stubborn child. "Then I am coming with you."

I paused. "...What?"

He smirked. "I will not allow you to go alone."

I groaned. "Rudraksha, my workplace is not a battlefield."

He just stared at me. "You are not going without me."

I sighed. There was no point arguing. "Fine. But don’t scare my coworkers."

His smirk widened. "I make no promises."

I worked at a history institute, researching artifacts and ancient civilizations. My job was to discover and preserve history, but today, history itself was following me.

Since I couldn’t let Rudraksha wander around, I gave him a pile of books to read while I worked.

When I returned to my office later that evening, I expected him to be bored.

Instead, I found him completely focused, flipping through the pages of an old manuscript.

A tower of books sat beside him, already read and discarded.

I smirked. "Enjoying yourself?"

He didn’t look up. "Your scholars have made many errors in recording history."

I chuckled. "Oh? Enlighten me, Maharaja."

He finally glanced at me, golden eyes gleaming. "I could. But you wouldn’t like what I have to say."

I rolled my eyes and set down a tray of food. "Here. Eat."

He took one bite, still reading. "I already ate."

I raised an eyebrow. "When?"

He pointed to an empty plate on the table.

I shook my head. "Wow. Look at you, surviving in the modern world."

His lips twitched into a smirk. "I adapt quickly."

I grinned. "So I see."

An idea formed in my head.

He was so focused, he wouldn’t even notice if I—

Before I could scare him, he pulled me into his lap.

I gasped as my back pressed against his chest, his strong arms locking around me.

He smirked. "Did you really think you could surprise me?"

I scowled. "You—!"

His grip tightened slightly. "Do not test me, Aranya."

My heartbeat picked up. I was too close.

His fingers brushed against my wrist, his touch warm, grounding.

And then, just as I was about to tease him back, his expression changed.

The smirk was gone.

His golden eyes turned serious.

"I have to go back," he said softly.

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

For the first time, I understood what he had felt when I told him I couldn’t stay in his world.

I swallowed. "...Why?"

He exhaled. "I cannot let my past haunt me. I need to remember everything."

I forced a smile. "Okay."

Even though it hurt.

When we returned to my house, my parents weren’t home. But something felt... off. I saw a neatly folded red velvet cloth on the table.

My mom was a neat freak, so this was unusual.

I picked it up.

The moment I saw the golden crest embroidered on it, my breath hitched.

The Vyantara royal symbol.

Why was it here?

How did it get here?

Before I could question it further, Rudraksha spoke. "Are you ready?"

I exhaled, setting the cloth aside. "Yes."

I stepped forward, touching the mirror.

And once again, everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, we were back.

Rudraksha stumbled slightly, and I rushed to steady him. A maid entered, her eyes widening in shock.

"Maharaja!" she gasped. "You have returned!"

I turned to her. "How long were we gone?"

She hesitated. "...Two days."

My eyes widened.

Two days?

Last time, the time difference was huge, but now… it was the same.

I nodded, processing the information.

Then she added, "Prince Prithish has come in your absence. Should I send word?"

Rudraksha’s jaw clenched. "Yes."

Finally. We would get answers.

Prithish sat casually, but his eyes held something unreadable.

Rudraksha was on his throne, but instead of letting me sit beside him—

He pulled me into his lap.

Both Prithish and I stared at him in shock.

Prithish smirked. "Still jealous, are we?"

I narrowed my eyes. "He is."

Rudraksha didn’t deny it.

Prithish chuckled. "I suppose you are ready to know the truth now."

He exhaled. "The loop started because of you, Rudraksha."

Rudraksha stiffened.

"You are not just the victim of the loop," Prithish continued. "You caused it."

I frowned. "But why was I in his dream? I’ve never been here before."

Prithish’s eyes softened. "Because you were always here. You were born in this time, Aranya."

The air froze.

My breath caught.

"You are the Princess of Malasaar."

Rudraksha’s grip on me tightened.

I turned to him. "What is Malasaar?"

His voice was low, tense. "The greatest rival kingdom of Vyantara."

Prithish nodded. "You came here to kill him."

I froze.

"You were a spy," he continued. "But instead of carrying out your duty, you fell in love."

I swallowed. "And?"

Prithish sighed. "You weren’t the only one who fell. We all did."

Rudraksha’s muscles tensed beneath me.

"Vyantara, Malvastra, Ranshara, and Bhibhusan," Prithish said. "We were all friends."

I frowned. "Bhibhusan?"

He nodded. "The twin princes of Bhibhusan had lusted after you. And when they saw you choose Rudraksha, they were filled with jealousy and rage."

I felt Rudraksha’s hands tighten around me.

"They shattered the mirror out of anger after .. ," Prithish continued. "And each kingdom took a shard."

My breathing slowed.

"The mirror... recognized you cause .. ," he added. "So Rudraksha used it—to save you."

I turned to Rudraksha, my heart pounding. "Did your memories return?"

He didn’t answer.

Prithish continued. "The mirror did save you. But it sent you to another time. And in return, it took away Rudraksha’s memories and trapped Vyantara in the loop."

The weight of everything hit me.

This wasn’t just a past life.

This was my past.

I had lost everything.

And now, I didn’t know if I wanted to remember it all... or forget.

Silence stretched between us, thick with revelations neither of us was ready for. I could feel the tension in Rudraksha’s body, his grip on my waist firm, almost as if he was afraid I would disappear if he let go. My mind was spinning, trying to piece everything together.

I was born in this time.

I was the Princess of Malasaar.

I had come here to kill Rudraksha.

But instead, I had fallen in love.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt dry. "How… how can this be?"

Prithish sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I had my suspicions from the moment I saw you, Aranya. You look exactly like her. You move like her. And now that Rudraksha’s memories are resurfacing, there’s no doubt left."

I turned to Rudraksha, searching his face for answers, but his golden eyes were stormy, unreadable. "Did you know?" I asked softly.

He exhaled, his fingers tightening around my hand. "I… I don’t know. Ever since you came back, things have been different. I started seeing flashes of something I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know if they were dreams, illusions… or something I had forgotten. But if what Prithish says is true…" His voice trailed off.

Prithish nodded. "It is true. Malasaar was the most rebellious kingdom against Vyantara. Your fathers—both of yours—were sworn enemies. You, Aranya… you were trained from birth to be the perfect spy. You were meant to assassinate Rudraksha."

I flinched. "That doesn’t make sense. If that was true, then why did I fall in love with him? Why did I abandon my mission?"

Prithish smirked. "Because fate has a twisted sense of humor."

I looked at Rudraksha, but he was still silent. His jaw was clenched, his entire body stiff with tension. Something inside me ached at the sight.

"You weren’t the only one who fell, Aranya," Prithish continued. "We all did. Rudraksha. Me. The Prince of Ranshara. Even the twin princes of Bhibhusan."

I stiffened. "What?"

Prithish’s expression darkened. "The twin princes wanted you for themselves. But when they saw you choose Rudraksha, their admiration turned into hatred."

I felt Rudraksha’s arms tighten around me. His voice was low, dangerous. "They tried to take her."

Prithish nodded. "And when they failed, they destroyed the mirror in rage. Each of the four kingdoms took a shard, but the moment the mirror broke, the loop began. Vyantara was sealed away, forgotten. And you—" He looked directly at me. "You were thrown into another timeline. Another life."

I sucked in a breath. "But why me? Why not them?"

Prithish hesitated. "Because the mirror recognized you. It bonded with you. That’s why you were able to activate it when no one else could."

My heart pounded. "That’s why my blood activates the mirror, isn’t it?"

Prithish nodded. "Yes. The mirror chooses its master. And you—" he gestured toward me, "are its master."

Everything clicked.

The mirror only responded to me.

The time loop was created because of me.

Vyantara was erased from history because of me.

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

"That’s why the prince of Ranshara died when the loop started," I whispered. "He couldn’t survive the shift in time."

Prithish’s jaw tightened. "Yes. And that’s why the kingdoms turned against each other. After the mirror shattered, trust was broken. The alliances were severed. Everyone blamed Rudraksha for what happened. And they blamed you—Lavanya."

I froze.

That name.

That name.

Prithish had called me that before.

"Who was she?" I whispered.

He looked at me, his gaze piercing. "You."

I shook my head. "No… no, that’s not possible."

"Yes, it is," Prithish said firmly. "You weren’t just the Princess of Malasaar. You were Lavanya. The woman everyone wanted. The woman Rudraksha was willing to burn the world for."

Rudraksha didn’t speak.

I turned to him, desperate. "Tell me this isn’t true. Tell me I’m not—"

His voice was quiet but firm. "You are." He regained his memories.

I felt my breath hitch.

I was Lavanya.

I was the reason for everything.

My body felt heavy, like the weight of an entire century had just fallen on my shoulders.

I closed my eyes, my mind racing.

The red velvet cloth. The symbol of Vyantara in my modern home. The adoption papers I had seen when I was younger but never questioned.

It all made sense now.

I wasn’t my parents' daughter.

I was never from the modern world.

I had belonged here all along.

And now… now I didn’t know if I wanted to remember everything or forget it all over again.

Rudraksha finally spoke, his voice quieter this time. "What are you thinking?"

I exhaled shakily. "I need to go back."

He stiffened. "Back where?"

I looked up at him. "To my parents. To my home. I need to know if this is real. If… if everything was a lie."

His grip on me tightened, but he didn’t argue. "I’ll go with you."

Prithish smirked. "Of course, you will. You always follow her, Rudraksha."

I ignored them. I had bigger things to worry about now.

Who was I really?

Lavanya? Aranya? Both?

I didn’t know.

But I was about to find out.