The weight of Veer's final sketch settled over them like a heavy fog. Satya clenched the fragile pages, his mind racing. "Betrayed by the one I trusted most…" The words echoed through his thoughts, filling the silence of the forbidden chamber.
Virendra stepped closer, his jaw tight. "This means the betrayal wasn't just political. It was personal."
Saanvi ran a trembling hand over the edges of the sketchbook. "But who? A friend? A guard? A noble?"
Before anyone could answer, a sudden noise shattered the silence—a distant thud, like a door closing somewhere in the palace.
Satya and Virendra exchanged a glance.
"We're not alone," Virendra muttered, reaching for the small dagger he always carried.
Professor Raghav quickly extinguished the lantern, plunging the room into darkness. They listened. The faintest sound of footsteps, careful yet deliberate, echoed in the corridor beyond.
Saanvi's breath hitched. "They knew we'd come here."
Satya's pulse pounded. They needed to move, but the chamber had only one exit. If someone was waiting outside…
He tightened his grip on the sketchbook. "We take another way."
Virendra nodded. "There's a servant passage behind those drapes. It's old, but it should still connect to the west wing."
Professor Raghav moved first, carefully pulling back the tattered fabric to reveal a narrow tunnel carved into the wall. Dust and cobwebs filled the space, untouched for years.
One by one, they slipped inside, moving as quietly as possible. The tunnel was suffocatingly narrow, forcing them to walk in single file. The air was damp, carrying the scent of forgotten history.
Minutes passed, or maybe an eternity, before they saw light ahead—a small opening leading to the west wing's storerooms.
Just as they reached the end, Satya heard it.
A whisper. Low. Ominous.
He turned sharply, eyes scanning the darkness behind them, but there was nothing. Only shadows.
Still, the sensation of being watched sent chills down his spine.
As they emerged into the storeroom, Virendra locked the passage shut. "Whoever was out there won't find us now. But we need to leave. Fast."
Satya nodded, but his mind was still stuck on that whisper. It wasn't just paranoia. Someone—or something—had been watching them.
And the closer they got to the truth…
The stronger the past seemed to fight back.