The gunshot rang through the archive room, splintering an ancient wooden desk. Satya ducked as a second bullet struck the bookshelf behind him, sending a rain of dust and paper into the air. The thick scent of old parchment mixed with gunpowder as panic set in.
Jayant's eyes gleamed with amusement. "There's nowhere to run."
Satya barely had time to react before Virendra moved. With a swift motion, he grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it at the advancing guard. The impact sent the man crashing into a shelf, toppling stacks of fragile records.
"Move!" Aryan shouted, shoving Satya and Saanvi toward the door.
Two more guards charged forward. One lunged at Saanvi—
Satya swung the heavy journal like a weapon, striking the man square in the face. The guard stumbled back, groaning in pain, but another was already reaching for his gun.
A third shot rang out.
Saanvi gasped.
The bullet missed—barely. It had hit the stone column just inches from her head. Satya's chest tightened, but there was no time to hesitate.
"We can't fight them all," Virendra growled. "We need to get out of here—NOW!"
Jayant smirked. "Let's see how far you get." He gestured toward his men, and they advanced with precision, blocking the main exit.
They were surrounded.
But Satya's mind worked fast. The palace was old, full of hidden doors and forgotten spaces. If they could just—
Then he saw it.
A narrow section of the wall near the bookshelves, slightly misaligned. His pulse spiked. It had to be—
"Saanvi!" he called, grabbing her hand. He yanked her toward the shelf, running his fingers along the wood.
Virendra caught on immediately. "A hidden passage?"
"We're about to find out." Satya pushed.
For a second, nothing happened. Then—a click.
The heavy wooden shelf shifted with a deep groan. A sliver of darkness appeared.
A hidden hallway.
Aryan shoved the nearest guard back, buying them time. "Go, GO!"
Saanvi ducked inside first, followed by Satya. Virendra and Aryan rushed in after them, slamming the door shut just as a guard lunged forward.
BANG.
A fist pounded against the wood.
"They won't be far behind," Aryan panted.
Satya held his breath, straining to hear.
Jayant's voice was muffled but clear. "Seal the exits. They're still inside."
They were trapped in the palace.
But at least for now, they were out of Jayant's grasp.
Satya turned, his eyes adjusting to the dim passage. The air was stale, ancient. It smelled of stone and time, untouched for decades.
"Where does this lead?" Saanvi whispered.
Virendra exhaled. "I have no idea."
Satya glanced down at the journal in his hands. The weight of Veer Meghawal's truth was still with him. Someone had died to protect this secret.
Now, they had to survive long enough to uncover it.
They moved forward, deeper into the unknown.