The morning sun filtered through the thick canopy, casting eerie golden rays across the damp jungle floor. The air was dense, filled with an unnatural stillness, as Arya and Vaishnavi tread cautiously through the maze-like vegetation.
Vaishnavi (concerned, adjusting her robe): "Sachin wouldn't just disappear like that. Something pulled him away... I can feel it."
Arya (clenching his fists): "I know. This jungle is more than just trees and beasts. It's alive, playing tricks on us. We need to keep our focus."
Vaishnavi hesitated, her eyes searching Arya's face. The events of the night before still lingered between them like an unspoken secret. Was it truly their desire, or the jungle's influence?
Vaishnavi (softly): "What if what happened last night... wasn't entirely real?"
Arya (pausing, eyes shadowed): "Then why does it still feel real? Why does it still burn inside me?"
Before she could respond, a distant whisper echoed through the trees. It was Sachin's voice—or so it seemed.
Sachin (faint, distorted): "Arya... Vaishnavi... help me..."
Vaishnavi (eyes wide): "That's him! We have to hurry!"
Arya (grabbing her wrist, firm but cautious): "Wait. Listen carefully. The voice... it's not steady. The jungle is testing us."
The whispers multiplied, overlapping, twisting into laughter and cries of despair. Shadows danced between the trees, forming mirages of Sachin in agony, reaching out for help. One moment, he was ahead of them; the next, behind. The jungle was toying with their senses.
Vaishnavi (gritting her teeth): "Damn it! I don't care if it's a trick. If there's a chance that it's really him, I won't ignore it!"
Arya (stern, locking eyes with her): "Then we move smart, not desperate. Stay close to me. If the jungle wants to play with our minds, we'll show it we're stronger."
They pressed forward, Arya leading with his sword drawn, Vaishnavi's energy flaring as she prepared for anything. The jungle thickened, the air growing heavier with an intoxicating scent—one eerily similar to the one that had clouded their minds the night before.
Was this search for Sachin a test of their resolve, or the continuation of the jungle's manipulation?
The thick fog of the enchanted forest swirls around Arya and Vaishnavi as they push forward. Shadows flicker in the trees, whispering voices calling their names. The deeper they go, the harder it becomes to distinguish reality from illusion.
Vaishnavi (panting, gripping Arya's arm):
"These whispers… I hear my mother's voice. She's calling me back home…"
Arya (firmly, eyes narrowing):
"It's not real. Don't listen to it, Vaishnavi. The forest is playing with our minds."
Suddenly, Arya sees a vision ahead—his mother, standing in the mist, her warm eyes filled with love.
Arya's Mother (softly):
"My son… you've suffered enough. Come home."
A flicker of pain crosses Arya's face, his steps faltering for a brief moment.
Vaishnavi (shaking him):
"No, Arya! Stay with me!"
Arya clenches his fists, focusing. He places a hand on his chest, invoking Hanuman's blessing. A golden aura surrounds him, and suddenly—the illusion shatters!
Discovering Sachin
The mist clears, revealing Sachin in a small clearing, suspended in the air by glowing green vines. His eyes are distant, lost in a trance. He murmurs incoherently, a broken whisper of past regrets.
Sachin (dazed, voice trembling):
"No… I won't betray them… I swear… Please, don't leave me behind…"
Vaishnavi (panicked):
"What's happening to him?! He looks like he's reliving something terrible!"
Arya (stepping forward, voice firm):
"The forest has trapped him in a hallucination… We need to pull him out."
Arya reaches for Sachin, but the moment he touches him—
A vision engulfs Arya, pulling him into Sachin's mind. He finds himself standing in a ruined battlefield, flames rising around him. A younger Sachin kneels before a shadowy figure, his sword trembling in his grip.
Shadowy Figure (mocking):
"They never trusted you, Sachin. You were always the weakest. Just accept it. Betray them… and you will be free."
Young Sachin (shaking his head violently):
"No! I would never…!"
A ghostly version of Arya and Vaishnavi appear behind the figure, looking down at Sachin with cold, disappointed eyes.
Illusion Vaishnavi:
"You were never strong enough to walk beside us."
Illusion Arya:
"You don't belong here."
Sachin (screaming, gripping his head):
"NO! I WON'T BE LEFT BEHIND!"
Back in the present, Arya's eyes snap open. He tightens his grip on Sachin's shoulders.
Arya (commanding):
"Sachin! Wake up! That's not real!"
Sachin gasps, his body convulsing as the vines tighten around him. Arya channels his energy and slams his palm against Sachin's forehead, sending a golden surge of power through him.
A loud CRACK echoes through the air as the hallucination shatters! Sachin falls forward into Arya's arms, panting heavily.
Sachin (shaken, voice hoarse):
"A-Arya…? Vaishnavi…? You're… real?"
Vaishnavi (hugging him tightly):
"Of course we are, you idiot!"
Arya (smirking, helping him stand):
"Took you long enough to snap out of it. What did you see?"
Sachin (still dazed, eyes darkening):
"A future… where I betray you both."
A tense silence fills the air as the realization sinks in. The forest had not just trapped him—it had shown him something… something that might still come to pass.