The passage was suffocatingly narrow, the air thick with dust and neglect. Their footsteps echoed against the cold stone floor as they hurried deeper into the unknown. The flickering glow from Aryan's lighter barely illuminated the path ahead, casting jagged shadows along the walls.
"Where does this even lead?" Saanvi whispered, gripping Satya's arm.
Satya's heart pounded. The map they had found earlier didn't show anything beyond the archive room. This passage had been hidden even from the palace's official records.
"It has to lead somewhere," Virendra muttered, his voice tense. "But we need to move fast. Jayant won't stop looking."
They pressed on, the air growing damper with each step. The corridor twisted sharply to the right, revealing a rusted iron gate.
Satya hesitated before reaching out. The metal was cold, ancient, and when he pushed—it groaned loudly, the sound piercing the silence.
They all froze.
A second passed. Then another.
Nothing.
Relieved, Satya shoved harder, and the gate creaked open into a small, dimly lit chamber.
They stepped inside cautiously. The room was cluttered with wooden crates, parchment scrolls, and rusted oil lamps that had long burned out. But what caught their attention was the large wooden desk in the center, covered in stacks of old documents.
Aryan ran a hand over the papers. "These aren't just records…" He picked up a sheet, his eyes narrowing. "These are notes. Research."
Satya stepped closer. The writing was faded, but the name written across multiple pages sent a chill down his spine.
Veer Meghawal.
Saanvi gasped. "Whoever used this room… they were searching for him too."
Virendra flipped through another pile, pulling out a journal wrapped in leather. "And they were close." His voice dropped. "Really close."
A loud clang from the passage made them all spin around.
Footsteps.
Someone else was coming.
Saanvi's grip on Satya's arm tightened. "Do we hide or run?"
Virendra looked at the only other door in the room—locked from the inside. There was no escape.
The footsteps stopped just outside the gate.
Then, a voice.
"You finally found it."
The air turned ice-cold.
A man stepped forward into the dim light, his face partially obscured by the hood of his worn-out coat. His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from something else.
Recognition.
Satya's throat went dry. "Who are you?"
The man's lips curled into a weary, almost knowing smile.
"The only one left who still remembers the truth."