Inara leaned close to Shaurya's ear, whispering nervously—
"Shaurya… how much money do you have?
I only brought one pouch of silver stones…"
Ayush, who had quietly slipped between them from behind, whispered back—
"She doesn't need your money."
Inara:
"Then what does it want?!"
Inara's eyes widened.
Ayush's gaze flicked downward for exactly half a second.
At once, she covered her chest with both arms.
Shaurya snapped instantly—
Shaurya:
"Shameless"
Ayush raised his hands defensively.
Ayush:
"Hey— I didn't say that.
Why is your imagination so toxic?"
Shaurya pinched the bridge of his nose, looking thoroughly done with both of them.
Shaurya:
"Both of you are fool.
This is the Royal Palace's ancient book.
It won't take money.
It will demand something… royal."
Ayush blinked, thinking.
Ayush:
"Oh. Yeah… that makes more sense."
"You are royal too."
Agnira had heard their entire chain of stupidity.
She finally stepped forward, voice cool as ice—
Agnira:
"If you all plan on leaving alive,
stop using your mouth
and brains."
They clamped their lips shut instantly, nodding in mild fear.
Agnira turned to the ancient book.
Agnira:
"What is the price you want?"
The book let out a low, echoing laugh.
Book:
"You tried to open me without a key…
So your price can only be—
blood."
Agnira didn't hesitate.
She immediately drew her dagger.
Ayush lunged forward.
Ayush:
"Are you insane?!
We came for answers, not to die!
I won't let you—"
Agnira glared at Shaurya and Inara sideways.
Agnira:
"Are you trust me?"
Inara and Shaurya exchanged a glance, then nodded together.
Both:
"Hm."
Agnira smirked faintly.
Agnira:
"Then hold him."
Both:
"Hm."
Shaurya and Inara immediately grabbed Ayush by both arms, pinning him back as he struggled.
Agnira raised her dagger—
and without a flicker of hesitation, sliced her left palm.
Blood pooled, then she flung her hand upward—
red droplets arcing in the air.
The blood splashed across the Golden Cover of the book—
Instantly, the book's glowing gold turned into dark, pulsing red.
A violent storm erupted.
Pages flew open in a cyclone, the entire chamber roaring with wind.
Books all around began spinning wildly.
The ancient book lit up further—
and started dragging Agnira inward.
Ayush tore free from Shaurya and Inara, rushing forward.
Ayush:
"Agnira!!"
He grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her back—
But the book's pull intensified.
With one swift pull—
the book swallowed both of them inside.
And the chamber fell silent....
Ayush and Agnira landed hard as the book threw them into the new world. Their feet hit the cold ground, and Ayush gripped her hand tightly until she steadied herself.
She pulled her hand back and scanned the surroundings—
a mountain valley, glittering with strange flowers, rare herbs, and thin waterfalls spilling down icy cliffs.
Then a sharp sound broke the silence.
A cry.
Someone falling.
Both turned sharply.
A girl in a purple gown was tumbling down the cliffside, clutching a bunch of glowing herbs flowers. Without hesitation, Agnira leapt forward.
But the moment she reached out, the girl passed straight through her—
an illusion.
Yet the girl kept falling.
Suddenly, a burst of blue light swirled through the air, forming a tornado of shimmering rainbow colors.
Platinum-blonde hair whipped through the wind—long, flowing, and streaked with delicate shades of color.
A broad hand appeared first.
Then a tall, stunningly handsome man emerged from the center of the light, catching the falling girl effortlessly in his arms mid-air.
For a moment, time stopped.
Suspended above the icy hills, the girl stared into his eyes without blinking—captivated, breathless.
And the man… he felt the world go silent, every sensation fading except the girl in his arms.
Both remained frozen in that suspended moment, held only by each other's presence.
After a long, quiet minute, he finally descended.
The wind softened, the light faded.
A man in a white robe, with long white hair streaked with colorful strands—like sunlight caught in crystal. His arms wrapped around the girl effortlessly as he descended, lowering her gently to the ground.
The two stared at each other, their eyes locked—
her wonder meeting his quiet, unreadable calm.
Her cheeks flushed.
"W–wow… your skin… your hair… you look like cute unicorn like in novels."
She circled him in awe, curiosity sparkling.
He blinked slowly.
"Unicorn?" he repeated, as if tasting the word.
She giggled and reached up to pat his hair.
"Thank you for saving me, cute unicorn."
He froze—clearly not used to such boldness—then a faint blush crept across his cheeks.
Before she could tease him more, he vanished in a burst of white light.
"Hey, cute unicorn… remember me, okay?
I'm Mishika, the little fairy from Koh-e-Amn.
If you ever need help, just think of me…
We'll meet again." she shouted into the empty air.
Left alone, she stared at the glowing golden brown marigold flower (spiritual herb) in her hand and whispered to herself:
"Alright… it's time to win Mishika . This time, I will be selected."
A voice called from beyond the valley.
"Mishika! Are you okay?"
She snapped back to reality—Rimjhim (another fairy- Mishik's friend) was waiting outside the boundary.
Mishika quickly slipped the herbs into her pouch and hurried toward her friend who is waiting outside the valley.
Rimjhim's eyes widened.
"Did you find the Jafri Marigold?"
Mishika grinned and pressed her finger to her lips.
"Shhh."
Then she tilted her pouch slightly—the golden gleam was impossible to miss.
The two fairies squealed and jumped with excitement.
"Let's go quickly! If the guardians find out we were in the forbidden zone, they'll kick us out of the qualifying round before it even begins!" Rimjhim whisper-shouted.
Giggling, they flew out of the valley.
Agnira stared at the pouch Mishika carried.
Ayush leaned close and whispered, "Fairies…? Koh -E- Amn?"
Agnira's breath caught.
('That pouch…')
She glanced down at her pouch… and froze.
It was the same.
Exactly the same as hers.
She frowned.
Ayush bent closer, studying her face.
"You know, don't you?" he asked quietly.
Agnira lifted her gaze, arching a brow.
"Strange. Great Scholar ! You knew everything until now, …
So how come this is the part you don't know?"
Ayush exhaled, thinking hard.
"You're right… Koh-e-Aman… the land of fairies.
"A land once cursed by its own Grandmaster."
He looked into her eyes and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Agnira narrowed her eyes in warning, but the moment she did, her irises flickered—
a sharp burst of blue light.
She leaned even closer.
"Daughter of Dragon… that's what you said earlier, right?
So does this mean you've actually seen the dragon?
Or should I say… your master sent you here to find one?"
He paused, smirk touching his lips.
"There's a famous love story Novel—Daughter of the Dragon.
Her eyes were just like yours…"
Agnira let out a sharp huff, rolled her eyes, and suddenly jerked her head back—
then snapped it forward.
Crack!
Her forehead collided with his.
Ayush groaned in pain.
Agnira smirked darkly.
"It's not your words… it's your mouth.
It reeks of foul manipulation."
"Ouch—!" Ayush winced, rubbing his forehead.
"Thank the heavens you're not a real lioness…
or my skull would've cracked open."
Suddenly the ground tremble again.
The page beneath their feet flipped like a giant turning a book… and the world dissolved into the next scene.
Mishika sat on a flat stone near the waterfalls, deep inside the Koh-e-Amn forest.
The air shimmered softly around her as she placed the Jafri Marigold on her lap. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and lifted herself slightly off the ground, using the herb's spiritual energy.
Her fingers—index and middle on both hands—glowed faintly as she tried again and again to absorb the power.
But nothing happened.
The energy flickered, rejected her, then vanished.
Both landed, and Ayush—still steadying himself—looked ahead at Mishika and murmured,
"This FAIRY…?"
"What kind of herb is that? She's absorbing it correctly, but it isn't reacting at all."
Agnira stared at the flower.
"She said it's Jafri Marigold… Jafri Marigold… could it be—"(like she remember something)
Before she could finish, the white-robed man appeared.
He was sitting calmly on a stone opposite Mishika, meditating. His long white hair, streaked with soft rainbow strands, rested over his back.
Slowly, his eyes opened.
Ayush's breath hitched.
"Him…"
Agnira looked at him—he wasn't even trying to hide.
The man glanced at Mishika, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"So… she came here again," he murmured.
He watched her struggle for a few more moments, then rose silently and approached her.
He tried to correct her hand position using only his fingertip energy, adjusting her posture from a distance.
But with her eyes closed, Mishika felt an unfamiliar force guiding her—and instinctively resisted it.
So the man finally stepped forward, leaned in, and gently took her hand to guide it himself.
The moment his fingers wrapped around hers, Mishika's eyes opened.
She grasped his hand back, surprised, and both of them froze—caught off guard, breath halted, eyes locked, completely lost in each other for a heartbeat too long.
Mishika blinked twice… then a third time. Her heart thudded as she realized he was real.
"You…?" she breathed, barely able to speak.
The man instantly pulled his hand back from hers, startled. But before he could step away, Mishika grabbed both his cheeks and pinched hard.
"Aah—!" he yelped, eyes widening.
Her face lit up with pure joy. "So you are real!"
Without warning, she jumped up in excitement, wrapping her arms around his neck and hanging there like a thrilled little child.
He straightened reflexively, catching her, but the closeness left him completely off-balance.
His ears burned, his gaze darted everywhere except her face. He looked like he was silently begging the universe for help.
Mishika cupped his warm cheek. "Cute unicorn… so it was you. I missed you so much."
Then she blinked. "Why are your cheeks so hot and red? Did something bite you?"
She started hurriedly checking the side of his neck, pushing aside the collar of his robe.
He went crimson, breath hitching—too shy, too flustered.
Before she could continue, he caught her wrist firmly.
"Mishika—"
She looked up.
And that one innocent glance shattered the last of his restraint.
He leaned in and kissed her—hungry, desperate, almost trembling—like he had been waiting far too long to finally touch her.
To be continued....