Satya and Saanvi crouched behind the wooden shelf, their breaths shallow as the figure entered the dimly lit library. The candle's flickering flame cast eerie shadows, distorting the intruder's silhouette against the ancient walls.
Saanvi's fingers gripped Satya's wrist. He could feel her pulse racing, mirroring his own.
The figure moved with purpose, their boots clicking softly against the stone floor. They weren't searching—they knew exactly what they were looking for.
Satya shifted slightly, peering through the gap between the books. He caught a glimpse of a man—dressed in dark clothing, his face obscured by the hood of his jacket.
The stranger approached the desk where the royal records lay. His gloved hand flipped through the pages swiftly, scanning for something.
Then, as if sensing something amiss, he suddenly froze.
Satya held his breath.
The man's fingers hovered over Veer Singh's name. A moment later, he pulled something from his pocket—a small vial of liquid.
Without hesitation, he uncorked it and poured the contents onto the ledger.
The ink began to blur and dissolve.
Saanvi gasped quietly.
He was destroying evidence.
Satya clenched his fists. Whoever this was, they didn't just want to stop them from finding the truth—they wanted to erase it forever.
The man took one last glance around the room before slipping the empty vial into his coat and turning to leave. The door creaked shut behind him, leaving only the candlelight and the fading ink on the page.
Silence hung in the air.
Saanvi exhaled shakily. "We were seconds away from losing everything."
Satya stepped out from their hiding spot, his eyes scanning the ruined records. Some words were still legible, but the key details—the information that could have led them to the truth about Veer's death and Meera's disappearance—were gone.
But then, Satya noticed something else.
A corner of parchment, half-hidden under the scattered pages. It had been torn from the ledger before the ink had been erased.
He picked it up, unfolding it carefully.
One line stood out, written in faded ink:
"Veer Singh – Held captive in the underground chamber beneath the Rathore Palace. Last recorded presence: 1853."
Satya's hands trembled.
The underground chamber.
He looked at Saanvi, whose eyes mirrored his shock.
"We're not done yet," he whispered.
Saanvi nodded, determination settling in. "Then we find that chamber."
The truth was still buried somewhere deep.
And they were going to unearth it.