The first thing Rhea noticed was the absence of wind.

The night air was thick, too still, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

She had been waiting for news all day. But there had been nothing. No hushed whispers. No sudden summons to court.

She didn't know whether to be relieved or afraid.

Because when a conspiracy was this large, the real silence came only after the deed was done.

And then, the next morning—

The rumors began.

It started as uncertainty, a ripple through the palace.

A hushed conversation between two court officials, cut short when she entered the hall.

A glance exchanged between two guards before they turned away.

Even in the kitchens, where gossip spread faster than wildfire, there was only an eerie quiet.

Rhea's stomach twisted.

Something had happened.

Something bad.

She found out the truth in the worst way possible.

She had been walking through the courtyard, pretending not to watch the growing tension around her, when she spotted Karna.

He stood near the training grounds, speaking in low tones with a group of Duryodhana's men. His back was to her, arms folded, expression unreadable.

But it wasn't Karna who made her stop.

It was Duryodhana.

He was laughing.

Not his usual calculated smirk. Not the cold amusement he used when speaking to his enemies.

This was different.

It was pure, reckless joy.

And that's when she knew.

She knew before she even heard the words.

But the confirmation came anyway—

"...gone. Nothing left but ashes."

Rhea's breath stilled.

She turned sharply, heart pounding. She needed to leave. Now.

But before she could move, Karna's gaze flickered to her.

For a second, their eyes met.

And in that moment, she saw something she hadn't expected.

Not triumph.

Not amusement.

Guilt.

Her hands clenched into fists.

She turned and walked away, each step feeling heavier than the last.

She had failed.

She didn't remember how she got back to her chambers.

All she knew was that she couldn't breathe.

The Pandavas were gone.

Burned alive in the House of Lac.

The people she had tried to warn. The people who had smiled and left, thinking they were simply going to another city.

And she had let them go.

She had tried to stop it. She had gone to Vidura, to Karna, she had even taken the risk of digging too deep.

But it hadn't mattered.

The fire had still come.

And now, she had to live with it.

The court was alive with whispers by nightfall.

It was official now—the Pandavas were dead.

Rhea sat in the farthest corner of the hall, unseen, listening.

Some voices mourned. Some spoke in shock.

But others?

Others spoke in celebration.

"...a new beginning for Hastinapura."

"...the path is clear now."

"...Duryodhana will be king without challengers."

A sick feeling settled in her stomach.

This was exactly what Shakuni had planned.

The Kauravas had won.

And yet, as Rhea watched Bhishma's weary expression, as she saw Vidura keep his gaze fixed on the floor, as she caught Karna standing stiffly beside Duryodhana, arms crossed but silent—

She realized something else.

Not everyone here was celebrating.

And that could only mean one thing.

This wasn't over.