Arjun took the glass bottle, thinking, If I consume this… will all my years of practicing astra and Vaidya become useless?
Subha looked at him with concern.
"You're not going to drink this, right?"
Arjun silently nodded.
They both held the bottle, but neither of them had the courage to drink it.
The statue continued, "This liquid is called Ansi. As I said earlier, consuming it will strip you of the ability to use Shakti."
Arjun let out a mocking laugh.
"And who in their right mind would throw away their Shakti for a single technique?"
The statue ignored him completely.
"The granth holds a mantra of great value. It also explains Ansi."
Both of their throats tightened. A useful mantra… the words alone carried weight.
Those were his last words before his form faded away.
The heavy heat he emitted slowly vanished from the surroundings.
Arjun and Subha exchanged excited looks at the rewards they had received.
"Aren't we too lucky to get all these without doing anything?" Arjun said.
He secretly hoped the mantra would be something powerful, like the astra.
"I don't think it's luck," Subha murmured. "This feels… arranged."
Arjun pushed aside her doubt.
"Open the granth."
But the moment she touched it, a familiar voice echoed once more.
The heat that had disappeared suddenly returned, stronger than before.
Both of them froze — not out of fear, but from pure confusion.
Subha muttered, "The statue… again? Why?"
Arjun kept a straight face, forcing himself to stay calm, though his mind was still stuck on the mantra.
The statue spoke, this time with a soft tone — completely different from before — yet the heat radiating from him was more intense.
"As you passed the test, here is some advice to help you grow stronger."
Arjun's excitement surged immediately.
But the heat radiating from the statue contradicted the softness in his voice—something was clearly wrong.
Still, advice was advice.
And coming from a being like this, it had to be valuable.
Subha's face lost all interest. Doubt flickered in her eyes.
The statue paused… the silence stretched long enough to make Arjun's heartbeat grow loud, loud enough for Subha to hear.
Finally, he continued,
"You can go to Dwarka. A competition is held there at regular intervals. Participating will give you valuable experience in close combat."
Arjun's excitement disappeared instantly. His face darkened.
A competition? I don't have time for something like that, he thought.
"I need to reach the Raj Mahal vault. Thank you, but I'm not going."
His voice came out sharper than intended.
A heavy silence followed.
Then the statue's voice suddenly turned fierce, commanding:
"You rejected the advice… fine."
Arjun and Subha relaxed for a moment — but only for a moment.
The statue continued, "This is an order. Go there."
Before either of them could react, he vanished again without waiting for a response.
Their heartbeats rose after this unexpected confrontation.
Trying to lighten the mood, Arjun made a silly face.
"Like we're actually going to follow his 'order.'"
But inside, he was anything but calm.
Subha only gave a faint smile.
Hours later, Arjun sat cross-legged with the granth open.
He read the mantra again.
And again.
He tried to activate it.
A faint glow flickered around him… then died instantly.
He clenched his fists.
"I've been practicing for hours! Why isn't this working?"
Subha, sitting a little distance away, walked over.
"You can't master a mantra that easily. And this one isn't simple."
"But someone did it right in front of my eyes in one try!" Arjun snapped.
Subha laughed.
"You do realize this mantra is extremely useful, right?"
"Isn't it just a storage mantra? We already had one," Arjun said, clearly disappointed.
He hadn't received a powerful combat mantra.
The advice didn't help him either.
Even the astra was unusable.
"It only stores things, yes — but the space is massive. The old one can't even compare," she explained. "It's a big upgrade."
Arjun nodded, though frustration still sat in his chest.
If Subha did it in one try… why can't I? I thought I could match her.
"It would be great if you learned it. Not everyone is a genius like you," he said irritably.
The atmosphere grew a bit awkward.
He quickly changed the topic.
"So… how do we leave this place? This forest feels endless."
They were sitting near a clean blue river.
The water was so clear everything underneath was visible — fish, plants, smooth stones.
Various animal sounds echoed around them, mixing with the soft breeze.
The air carried a sweet natural fragrance.
"We have to wait until Vana appears," she replied.
They sat on a ground scattered with fallen leaves, fruit peels, and the mess Arjun had created while practicing.
Subha gently held a flower, admiring its shape while they discussed what to do once they left.
The grasses and flowers around them were uprooted, making the scene look slightly messy.
Then—
The flower vanished from her hand.
The river trembled violently.
Fish darted away in panic.
Arjun and Subha both jerked upright.
A moment later, the river burst upward—
water twisting and spiraling—
taking the shape of a man.
The Yaksha emerged from the cascade.
Water splashed across the ground, and the entire mess around them vanished instantly.
They quickly stood up before Arjun could ask about leaving.
The Yaksha spoke in a calm, nostalgic tone.
"So… you are going to Dwarka. It will indeed be good for both of you. But the competition there has been declining over the years."
Arjun listened silently. He didn't dare interrupt.
When the Yaksha paused, Arjun finally began, "We will not be—"
The Yaksha cut him off.
He's definitely doing this on purpose, Arjun thought bitterly.
"Thank you," the Yaksha said gently.
Both Arjun and Subha widened their eyes, confused about why he thanked them.
"Now… I shall take my leave."
Arjun tried to speak again, but a sharp snapping sound echoed.
They landed on solid ground—the smell of sea-air hitting them instantly.
A wooden board stood in front of them.
Dwarka.
Arjun stared blankly.
Subha's eyes widened.
They had no time to process what happened.
Far away, where the Yaksha once stood—
the statue emerged again.
A golden glow expanded behind him, shaping itself into a faint human silhouette.
The figure spoke, voice cold and disapproving.
"Why did you send them to Dwarka? Why give rewards without a proper test? You know the consequences."
The atmosphere darkened immediately.
The forest fell silent.
The earlier songs of birds and animals vanished completely.
The Yaksha lowered his gaze.
"You can say… returning the favour."
His body now appeared drenched in blood—
as though the forest itself had taken on his wounds.
And the entire forest…
seemed to mourn with him.