SNAP!

  "Sheetal... are you okay?" Surya asked, his voice laced with worry.

  CHUCK!

  Sheetal caught Surya’s hand, her grip surprisingly tight. "Surya. Be with me."

  Surya froze, his heart skipping a beat. Beside him, Vaishu went rigid.

  Sheetal continued.

  "...As my brother."

  The shock on Surya’s face didn't fade; it just changed shape. "Sheetal... are you really okay?"

  Mona chimed in from the corner, leaning back. "I think her brain collapsed from the hit."

  "I see," Surya muttered, still processing.

  Vaishu’s tension vanished instantly. She draped a casual hand over Surya’s shoulder, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Absolutely... he will be a great brother to you."

  The scene shifted to the eastern edge of the forest, where the dense treeline finally began to thin.

  "I'm sensing a strong mythic signal inside that cave, Aish" Mayi whispered, her eyes fixed on the dark maw in the rock.

  "How many?" Aishwarya asked, not breaking her gaze.

  "Dozens, maybe more," Mayi replied.

  Pari looked past the cave toward the horizon. "I think the forest ends here. Look, we can see the nearby town from this ridge."

  "What’s the move, then?" Jatayu asked, looking between the group.

  Aishwarya stepped toward the entrance. "I’m going in."

  "Going in? It’s not safe!" Pari countered, stepping into her path. "We’re outnumbered, and we have no idea what their actual strength is. It would be smarter to pull back and form a real plan."

  Aishwarya didn't flinch. "I already planned. We go in now. They think we’re still busy fighting their Titans—they won’t expect us to bring the fight to their doorstep. Surprise is our best weapon."

  "Think for a second," Pari pressed, his voice rising with urgency. "If the Titans attack the other teams and they need our help while we're stuck in the middle of a cave fight, we won't be able to reach them. We’d be leaving them to die."

  Aishwarya turned to Mayi, ignoring Pari's protest. "Mayi, stay here. Trace my heartbeat. If anything goes wrong, use the telepath to alert your sisters and that new girl from Section-D—Subha. Tell them to get here immediately."

  "Alright, Leader," Mayi nodded.

  "Aishwarya, I'm talking to you!" Pari snapped.

  She didn't look back. With Jatayu at her heels, she disappeared into the shadows of the cave.

  Pari stood frozen for a second, muttering under his breath.

  "Are you staying out here?" Mayi asked, tilting her head.

  Pari grunted, tightening the wrist belts on his gauntlets until they clicked into place. "Never... I can't let them go in alone."

  With a frustrated sigh, he followed them into the dark.

  Team 2 was navigating the western sector, where the air was even thinner and the silence felt like a physical weight.

  "So... you’re a lot like Varun," Nova said, trying to break the monotony of the trek.

  Chandru didn't look up from the trail. "Who is Varun?"

  "Marine Alpha—the guy with the broad shoulders and enough rings to start a jewelry store?" Nova prompted. "Big guy, heavy presence."

  "What about him?" Chandru asked.

  "You're both Energy Vessels," Nova explained, his black and yellow cape snapping behind him. "It’s a familiar vibe. You’re Lunar, he’s Hydro."

  "Okay," Chandru replied.

  Nova waited for more. Nothing came. "I mean, it’s interesting, right? You derive energy from the moon, and he draws it from the water. Both are rare, both are powerful."

  "Yes," Chandru said.

  Nova went silent for a full minute, his frustration visible. "Are you always like this?"

  "Like what?"

  "Like a mute! You give one-line or one-word answers. It’s like talking to a brick wall with a mask on."

  "Is it." Chandru said.

  "Stop! Say something... anything! Give me a sentence with an adjective. I hate it when people don't talk during a mission," Nova groaned.

  "Alright," Chandru replied.

  "Are you kidding me—" Nova said.

  "Guys! Mia found something!" Rana’s shout echoed from a clearing ahead.

  They reached the spot and stopped dead. A massive cluster of ancient trees had been uprooted and woven together in a jagged, chaotic mound.

  "This has to be the Titan’s doing," Nova said, his irritation forgotten as he inspected the wreckage. "But why? Why move trees just to pile them in a mess?"

  "Maybe it's a nest," Mia suggested, her eyes scanning the spiritual residue.

  ?"A nest? For what, a giant beaver or something?" Rana asked.

  “The saliva and the footprints we saw earlier indicate the presence of a Mammal Titan. You may be right, Rana.” Nova mused, rubbing his chin.

  “It’s not a mammal,” Chandru interrupted, his voice dropping into a cold, flat warning.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Uh… finally, the One-Word Man speaks few words. I’m glad you spoke so,” Nova said.

  “How can you be so sure?” Rana asked.

  “Look up,” Chandru commanded.

  They followed his gaze to a thick, ancient branch overhanging the clearing. Draped across the wood like a translucent, ghostly banner was a massive strip of shed skin—thick, jagged, and stretching deep into the darkness of the canopy.

  “It’s the nest of a King Cobra,” Chandru whispered.

  Nova’s eyes widened as he traced the terrifying length of the skin. “That… that’s not a cobra. That’s a nightmare. Look at the length of its skin—it must be over a hundred feet long.”

  Mia pressed her fingers to her temple, trembling as a colossal life force brushed against her senses. “Nova… should I call for help?”

  Nova didn’t look away. “I was thinking the exact same thing.”

  The cave in the eastern edge of the forest swallowed the light as Jatayu, Aishwarya, and Pari stepped inside.

  "Why wouldn't you take risks?" Aishwarya asked, her voice cutting through the silence. "As a leader, taking risks is your prime responsibility."

  Pari adjusted his gauntlets, his eyes scanning the path ahead. "According to me, leading from the front isn't the definition of leadership. Protecting my team is my primary responsibility."

  Aishwarya let out a short, cold breath. "You seem like a pessimistic leader. I couldn't find the reason why they put you as the leader of Section D when there are two Celestial Vessels and a Devotee Vessel on your squad. Your team has high potential, but because you are holding them back, they aren't being used to their fullest."

  Pari didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stopped and looked toward the ceiling of the cave. Hundreds of bats were hanging upside down, their leathery wings tucked tight. But as he looked closer, he realized bats were positioned on the floor as well.

  Pari felt a shiver of unease. Something was weird—the bats' eyes weren't just open; they were fixed on them, tracking their every move with an intelligence that shouldn't exist in nature. He didn't say a word, but his grip on his weapon tightened as they continued moving forward.

  Back at the camp, the atmosphere was entirely different.

  "You lost," Rohan said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

  "I can’t believe it... how did I lose to a little boy like you?" Varun groaned, staring at the board.

  "Who is next? Come on!" Rohan challenged. They were playing Pachisi - a loaded game of dice.

  A tall, powerfully built boy stepped forward. "I'm next," Aaron said, cracking his knuckles.

  "Come on, Aaron! You can do it!" Nuvan cheered, having already lost his match to the kid.

  "Yes, Aaron... save the pride of Section B," Varun added.

  "I’ll take care of it, don't worry," Aaron said. He took the dice, rattled them in his palm, and rolled. The dice tumbled across the board and stopped slowly. A perfect 12—six on each die.

  "You did it, Aaron!" Nuvan exclaimed.

  But to their collective shock, the dice suddenly shivered. One die turned over by itself, followed by the other. A perfect 12 became a 2.

  "What the heck is happening?" Aaron barked.

  Rohan casually reached out and took the dice. "My turn."

  "One minute..." Aaron held up a hand. The three veterans of Section B—Varun, Nuvan, and Aaron—huddled together, whispering urgently.

  Nuvan: "He needs an 8 to win. If he wins this, it’s a shame for all of us."

  Aaron: "I think he’s using a trick."

  Varun: "Maybe he just has a lot of experience in how he rotates the dice?"

  Nuvan: "Alright, listen everyone... if he wins, I’m going to 'casually' shake the board."

  Varun: "But that’s cheating!"

  Nuvan: "It's the only way to save our pride against this child!"

  They sat back down, surrounding three sides of the board, leaving Rohan on the fourth. He need eight moves to win the game. Rohan rotated the dice and let them fly. They landed on a perfect 8.

  Before Rohan could claim victory, Nuvan’s leg shot out, shaking the entire board. "Ah! Sorry guys... I think an ant bit my foot," he said, feigning pain.

  They all looked at the dice. The vibrations had turned them into a 3. Rohan didn't argue. He simply stared at the dice for a second, and right before their eyes, one die flipped from a 1 to a 6.

  The Section B boys froze. They surrounded Rohan instantly, realizing he had definitely done something to the dice. Rohan just laughed, "See? I won!"

  "Yeah, we see," Aaron said, his voice tensed. "Now tell me—and I'm asking gently—how did you do that?"

  "Uh... talent," Rohan replied with a shrug.

  Outside the tent, Subha stood alert, waiting for any communication from the Trinity sisters.

  "Subha! Help me!" Rohan’s shout echoed from inside.

  Subha entered the tent and found a chaotic scene. Aaron and Varun had caught Rohan, holding him tight while Nuvan used a bird feather to tickle the sole of the boy's foot. Rohan was laughing uncontrollably, squirming in their grip.

  "Now tell me the truth... how did you win?" Nuvan demanded.

  "Leave him," Subha said casually. She walked over and looked at the youngest member of Section D. "Rohan, did you use your powers in the Pachisi game?"

  "Uh... yes. Lightly," Rohan admitted, gasping for air.

  "See? He’s a cheater!" Aaron yelled.

  Subha ignored him, her eyes narrowing with interest. "So, you can control the movement of objects.?"

  "Yeah... but I can only control tiny objects," Rohan said.

  "So your powers are not restricted to Stasis," Subha mused. "It is Object Control."

  "Maybe... I think so," Rohan said.

  "Alright," Subha said. Her expression shifted instantly. She continued smiling, but reached out and firmly caught Rohan by the ear.

  "Ouch! Hey!" Rohan shouted in pain.

  "Never cheat in a game," Subha told him softly. She let go and walked back out to her post, leaving a rubbing, pouting Rohan behind.

  “Hey… did you guys see that goblin girl?” Varun asked.

  The boys of Section B exchanged glances, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. The Mythic healer was no longer in their sights.

  Those words carried farther than they realized.

  As Subha walked along the outer edge of the camp, they reached her ears.

  Beyond the camp’s perimeter, where the forest thickened into shadow, Raksha crouched close to the earth. Her sharp eyes scanned the undergrowth until they settled on a cluster of softly glowing violet herbs. She began harvesting them one by one, careful and precise, each movement practiced from years of survival.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Subha’s voice came from directly behind her—sharp, suspicious.

  Raksha didn’t flinch.

  “Nothing suspicious,” she replied calmly, tucking a violet petal into her pouch. “I’m collecting these herbs. They’re called Sanjeevni. They possess extreme healing properties and provide immediate relief if any of us are injured.”

  “By us,” Subha asked coldly, “do you mean your kind—or mine?”

  Raksha lifted her gaze.

  Subha stepped closer, her eyes narrowing in the darkness. “I still don’t see a strong reason why you’re so eager to help the very people who are savaging your kind.”

  Raksha rose slowly to her feet. “My kind has adapted this way of survival over centuries,” she said evenly. “It’s how we’ve remained successful. Sticking with the strongest is the best strategy to live a long life.”

  Subha’s expression hardened. She closed the distance between them.

  “Don’t act like that with me. I see you. What did you do to him?”

  Raksha tilted her head. “Who?”

  “Chandru,” Subha said flatly.

  A small, knowing smile curved Raksha’s lips. “I didn’t do anything,” she said. “But I think he’s attracted to my intelligence… or perhaps my way of talking.”

  “I know Chandru,” Subha interrupted, turning away. “He’s reacting to you differently.” She paused, her voice dropping. “But remember one thing—your play will only last until your true face is revealed. It won’t take long for you to shift sides again, just like you shifted from the Mythics to us.”

  Subha glanced back over her shoulder.

  “And that day,” she said quietly, “will be your last. I won’t hesitate to attack Chandru if he stands by your side. Take this as a warning. Don’t pretend you care about others.”

  With that, Subha vanished back toward the camp.

  Raksha remained alone in the silence, her fingers brushing the pouch of medicinal herbs at her side.

  “I don’t care about others,” she whispered into the wind.

  Her grip tightened slightly.

  “This herb… it’s for you, Chandru. I only hope you’re safe.”

  As Raksha whispered her prayer, the calm shattered—violently shifting to the western woods.

  The forest floor was chaos: splintered trees, churned mud, and clawed earth. Nova lay slumped against a moss-covered trunk, his breath coming in ragged gasps, while Rana struggled to regain his footing beside him.

  At the rear, Mia stood her ground, hands trembling as she maintained her defensive stance.

  IZZZZZZZ!

  The sound was dry and horrifying.

  The King Cobra Titan loomed over them, its colossal upper body rising nearly twenty feet into the air. Its hood flared wide like a dark, leathery sail, and beneath it gleamed two massive fangs. Above them burned a pair of deep, swirling blue eyes.

  “Are you sure… you can handle it alone?” Mia whispered.

  “Yeah. I can.”

  The reply was cold. Unwavering.

  The voice came from the coated figure standing firmly between the serpent and Mia.

  Chandru didn’t look back.

  His body was coiled to strike, his gaze locked onto the Titan’s unblinking eyes.

  He was ready to charge.

  Thank you for reading.

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  Feel free to share your thoughts or interpretations, and point out any errors. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I will carefully consider all feedback and continue striving to improve.