As Centaur's voice boomed, "Hold on!", a powerful surge of magic engulfed Madhav, Mohit, and Meera. In the blink of an eye, the familiar surroundings vanished, replaced by the dense canopy of a mysterious forest.
The moment they landed, Meera staggered, holding her stomach. "Ugh… I feel like throwing up."
Madhav groaned, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, same here."
Mohit, looking just as queasy, mumbled, "I think I left my stomach back in the mansion."
Centaur chuckled. "It's normal. Teleportation sickness. It happens when you travel through magic for the first or second time. Your body isn't used to the sudden shift."
Madhav took a deep breath, regaining his composure. "By the way, why did you shout 'hold on' just before we teleported?"
Centaur's face darkened slightly. "Just before we left, I saw something in my brother Kamal's eyes—something tense, something unsettled. It worried me."
Mohit raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you just cancel the magic and go ask him directly?"
Centaur sighed, shaking his head. "Teleportation magic isn't something you can just stop once it starts. The moment the magical circle forms, the spell is locked in. Interrupting it could have thrown us into an unknown space or worse—split us apart across different locations."
Madhav nodded , so he turns towards Meera., placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Your grandfather, Mr. Kamal, is a capable man. If anything's wrong, I'm sure he'll handle it."
Meera hesitated before slowly nodding. "Yeah… I suppose so. He manages an entire empire of businesses and wealth. A few unexpected problems shouldn't be too much for him."
Madhav looked around, taking in the thick greenery, the towering trees, and the strange mist hanging in the air. "By the way… where are we?"
Mohit smirked, crossing his arms. "Let me guess—it's a forest!" He then shot a playful look at Centaur. "Right, Uncle Beni?"
Centaur frowned. "My name is not Beni."
Meera grinned mischievously. "Oh, come on. It's a nickname! We say it with love."
Centaur sighed, but smiled. "Fine, fine. Only you are allowed to call me that ." Madhav then asked, "Only Meera can say that name and If we want to call you , what should we say?" Mohit interjected, "I'm confused and You're not human , than i will give you a perfect name." The Centaur replied, "Okay, you three can call me Beni." Mohit exclaimed, "Okay, Uncle Beni!" Madhav also smiled . Then, Centaur turning serious, he gestured to the vast expanse of trees around them.
"This place is called Neel-Padmavan or Neelvan. In your words, it's a private reserve forest."
Meera's eyes widened. "Wait… this forest is under my grandfather's care, isn't it?" She paused, then continued, "I've asked Grandfather every time I wanted to see this forest, but he never gave permission. So why have we all come here now?"
Centaur nodded. "Yes, Kamal ensures its protection. And it's a restricted area for ordinary people."
Mohit, still skeptical, rubbed his chin. "Huh. So a pharmaceutical company owns a private forest? That's… a bit weird."
Meera smirked. "Not just our company. There's another one involved—Royal State Company. They help manage it as well."
As the cool night air settled over the dense forest, Madhav suddenly felt a strange sensation—something was approaching. The rustling of leaves was too rhythmic, too coordinated. His instincts flared.
"Everyone, look over there!" he called out, pointing toward the trees.
From the shadows, a mesmerizing sight emerged—a small swarm of glowing moth-like creatures, their wings shimmering with embers, flickering like tiny flames in the dim moonlight. They drifted through the air, casting a warm, golden glow against the deep blue of the night.
Mohit's eyes widened in awe. "Bro… these are unreal. They're beautiful but you look carefully they are little bit big in size."
Madhav, equally entranced, nodded. "Yeah… in the soft glow of the moon, they almost look like floating lanterns." He then turned to Centaur. "But… what exactly are they?"
Centaur watched the creatures with a calm expression before answering, "These are Agni Patanga—Fire Moths."
The name itself sent a strange thrill through Madhav. The moths were both enchanting and eerie, their soft flickering resembling candle flames swaying in the wind. But there was something else… a silent intensity to their movements, as if they weren't just wandering aimlessly.
"Are they dangerous?" Madhav asked cautiously. Centaur chuckled. "That depends on what you do next."
Suddenly the Agni Patanga ( Fire Moths ) swarmed closer, their fiery wings flickering like embers in the night, Meera felt a wave of unease.
"Everything was fine… but why are they coming toward us?" she asked, glancing nervously at Centaur.
Centaur's expression darkened. "Get down—fast! Don't let them touch you, or you'll suffer severe burns!"
Without hesitation, Madhav, Meera, and Mohit dropped to the ground, shielding themselves as best they could. Centaur crouched low, his powerful limbs tensed, his eyes scanning the glowing swarm.
The Fire Moths whooshed past them, a rush of heat washing over their backs. For a moment, the night seemed ablaze with tiny streaks of fire, then just as quickly as they had come, the swarm veered away, disappearing into the distance.
As silence settled once more, Meera cautiously lifted her head. "I think they were heading toward their habitat—probably somewhere near the rocky edges of the forest."
Mohit let out a shaky breath. "Man, that was terrifying. I can't believe creatures like these exist in our world, and we've never even heard of them!"
Madhav, still deep in thought, narrowed his eyes. "Something's not right. They flew past us at high speed. It's like… they weren't just fleeing."
Centaur, still scanning the forest, nodded grimly . "You're right. If they were simply drawn to a light source, they would have crashed into something—trees, rocks, even us. But they didn't. That means…"
Before he could finish, a low, distant voice echoed from the depths of the forest.
The four of them stiffened. The voice sounded human… but something about it sent a chill down their spines.
Stepping cautiously into a patch of moonlight, they finally saw the source.
Emerging from the deep woods were five forest elves, each mounted on a sleek, muscular horse. Their features were sharp and regal, their eyes gleaming like silver under the moon's glow and pointed ears. Their armor shimmered faintly, reflecting the fire-like glimmer that still lingered in the air.
As madhav's eyes widened in excitement as he took in the sight before him. "This feels like we've stepped into another world entirely!"
Mohit, equally awestruck, grinned. "You just stole the words right out of my mouth."
One of the forest elves, tall and imposing, raised a single finger, and instantly, a soft glow flickered to life in the air, illuminating the group. His voice was calm yet commanding. "We are in the midst of tracking an enemy in this forest… but instead, we find a lone Centaur and a group of humans."
Centaur stepped forward cautiously, his tone steady but respectful. "We do not seek trouble. Our arrival here was unintended. If we are in your way, we will leave at once."
A second forest elf, his expression unreadable, narrowed his eyes. "Humans are forbidden in these lands. And you… a Centaur? Your kind moves in herds. Why are you alone?"
Before Centaur could respond, Meera stepped forward, her posture confident but non-threatening. "Relax, all of you. We are not strangers here. My grandfather has been protecting this forest for years."
At her words, the elves exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. The third elf, slightly younger than the others, scoffed. "So what if you are his granddaughter? That does not prove your innocence."
The fourth elf, his gaze sharper, stepped forward. "I think you are merely distracting us. Perhaps you are hiding our enemy somewhere."
Here Madhav tensed. He could feel the weight of suspicion pressing down on them. And he realized they had stumbled into something much bigger than they'd anticipated.
The tension in the air thickened as Centaur stepped forward, ready to explain. But before he could speak, an forest elf raised his bow and released an arrow without warning.
The arrow struck the ground inches from Centaur's hooves, sending up a small cloud of dust.
Meera, Madhav, Mohit, and Centaur all froze in shock.
"Kill them!" the lead elf commanded coldly. "Let them see death in their final moments!"
With a battle cry, the elves lunged forward, weapons drawn.
Centaur reared back, meeting one of them head-on, their blades clashing with sparks of magic. Meera, Mohit, and Madhav barely had time to react as arrows rained down on them.
Madhav, instincts kicking in, leaped high, dodging an arrow by inches before landing hard on an elf riding a horse. The impact knocked them both to the ground, rolling across the forest floor.
Mohit, seeing Meera in danger, tried to rush to her side—but Meera had already made her move. Using Mohit's body for momentum, she slid underneath a volley of arrows, grabbing a third elf's leg and yanking him to the ground.
Mohit stumbled but recovered quickly, trying to assist her—only to be met with a sudden, sharp swing of a dagger.
"AHHH!" Mohit cried out, clutching his wound as blood seeped through his fingers.
As the elf grinned wickedly, preparing another strike.
Before he could, Meera spun around and delivered a powerful kick to his chest, sending him crashing into the underbrush. She grabbed Mohit by the arm, pulling him up.
Don't get yourself killed here!" she snapped.
Mohit replied loudly, "An elf's battle isn't a daily occurrence for me!"
On the other side of the battle, Madhav grappled with the elf he had tackled off the horse. His opponent was skilled, countering every strike with swift, precise movements. Madhav used his MasterArtsBasicsfightingskill , but the elf matched him blow for blow , hit for hit and force full kick for kick.
Just as Madhav started gaining the upper hand, he heard Mohit's scream. His focus faltered.
That moment of distraction was all it took.
A fourth elf appeared behind him, silent and swift. With a heavy swing of his bow, the elf struck Madhav on the back of the head.
His vision blurred and also his strength drained from his body.
As madhav collapsed to the ground, a single regret echoed in his fading consciousness—
"I should have used my UnconsciousSkill the moment we met these elves."
Centaur's eyes widened as he saw Madhav collapse. His voice thundered through the battlefield—
"Madhav!"
Meera and Mohit turned, their faces etched with panic.
Mohit sprinted toward Madhav, desperation fueling his steps, but before he could reach him, a fifth elf on horseback blocked his path. The forest elf loosed an arrow straight at Mohit's chest.
Mohit barely twisted in time—the arrow grazed past his ribs, leaving a burning cut.
The elf's horse reared, its front hooves lashing out with brutal force. Instead of striking Mohit, the powerful kick connected with another attacking elf, sending the creature flying backward with a pained scream. A dagger fell from the dislodged elf. Seeing it on the ground, Mohit snatched it up, ready to fight.
Centaur Beni rushed toward Madhav's unconscious body.
But before he could reach him—
Roots and vines erupted from the ground.
They coiled around Centaur's legs, thick stems twisting up his torso, pinning him in place.
"What is this!?" Centaur roared, struggling against the enchanted plants.
Meera's eyes widened in horror.
She bolted toward Centaur, determination blazing in her eyes—only for vines to lash out at her too.
"No!" She gasped as the roots wrapped around her limbs, tightening like iron chains.
The elves smirked.
One of them stepped forward, his dagger gleaming in the moonlight.
"Nice. One is down. Two are trapped. Only one left struggling. Don't worry—your life struggle will end soon."
The elf raised his dagger over Centaur's chest, ready to deliver the killing blow.
Then—
A thin rope with a sharp hook shot out from the trees.
The hook latched onto the elf's wrist, yanking his arm backward with a violent jerk.
"What—?!" The elf's eyes widened in shock as his own dagger was pulled away from Centaur.
Before he could react, a shadowy figure dropped from the treetops.
Clad in black, moving like a ghost.
The stranger landed directly on top of the ensnared elf, one knee crushing into his chest.
A single, swift movement.
A dagger flashed—slittingtheelf's throat in a heartbeat.
Blood splattered onto the forest floor.
The black-clothed warrior stood up, their face hidden beneath a dark hood.