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The next morning was pure chaos.
I blinked awake to the sound of yelling and rustling outside. It took me a second to realize I was still wrapped up in my blanket, still in the tent, still alive, barely. I sat up groggily, checked the time on my phone. 11 a.m.
Great. I overslept. Again.
Harshad was crouched near the tent entrance, looking super tense. I poked him in the side like, "Dude, what's going on?"
He glanced back and pointed toward the flap. No words, just a look that said, you really need to see this.
So I peeked outside.
Wolves.
A whole pack of them, right there near the edge of the clearing. I could only see four, but that was four too many. They were full-grown, massive, all snarling and growling like we were breakfast.
Something snapped inside me. I don't even know what came over me, but I pushed Harshad aside and ran out.
Look, I know that sounds reckless. Dumb, even. But the thing is, ever since Miss Kaur made me drink whatever that potion was, something's been weird in my body. Like I wasn't totally… me. Stronger. Faster. Colder, maybe? I don't know.
All I knew was, ten minutes later, those wolves were gone.
Some ran. Some didn't make it. We were safe, for now.
But that shook me. This wasn't just some cute mountain adventure anymore. I wanted answers. I wanted to meet him, the guy in the shadows. But not like this. Not while putting these three dudes at risk.
I looked at the boys, panting, hands shaking just a little. "Hey… I think this trip's done. I got enough stuff for my blog. But waking up to wolves? Yeah, not exactly fun. We should head back."
Harshad nodded immediately. "You're right. It's too risky. Once animals start showing up like this, it means they've noticed us. It's not safe anymore."
But of course, Manu had to go and mess everything up with logic. "Actually, Ojaswi… I have a question."
I turned to him, already nervous.
He looked dead serious. "I tried waking you up earlier, but you weren't moving. Your heart rate was… insanely low. Like, 20 beats per minute. Do you have heart problems or something?"
Vihaan's head snapped toward me. "Wait. Twenty?"
"What?" Harshad added. "Isn't that, like, dead person level?"
The three of them were now circling around me like I was some science experiment. Vihaan grabbed my wrist, checking my pulse.
His face? Not reassuring.
"This doesn't make sense," he muttered. "You're… cold. Like ice. Your pulse is barely there, but you're walking and talking like nothing's wrong. And you've barely had water this whole trip, yet you're not even dehydrated."
I tried to laugh it off, but I was panicking hard inside. "Haha, maybe my body's just built different?"
No one laughed.
Manu stepped in closer. "You're hiding something. I don't know what, but you are."
"Guys, I'm serious," I said, holding up my hands. "I don't know what's going on, okay? I feel fine."
Which was a lie. Because suddenly, I didn't feel fine. It felt like something or someone was staring at me.
I turned around, and yeah. There he was.
The hooded man.
Same creepy smile. Same too-still stance. He didn't even move, just stood there watching. His hood hid his face, but I could still feel his eyes on me.
My skin went cold. Not because of the wind, but because I knew who that was. The man Miss Kaur mentioned. The "forgotten son." My… ancestor?
I was starting to freak out.
"I-It's probably just 'cause of the fight," I mumbled. "My pulse's weird from the adrenaline or whatever."
"No," Vihaan said. "Manu said your pulse was the same this morning. Before the fight."
Harshad crossed his arms. "Ojaswi… who are you really?"
"I don't-!"
"Are you connected to that hooded guy?" Manu asked, his voice sharp now. "Because he's been following us. Don't act like you don't know something."
I froze.
They were too close. Too smart. And I was starting to spiral.
My vision was spinning. My heart? Slowing again. Like, really slowing.
I tried to speak. "N-No… I don't… know who he is…"
My head felt heavy. Everything was going dark. I wanted to say something, I didn't want to collapse like this. If I collapsed, who would protect them? I know they are strong but my ancestor, he's something else, I just knew it somehow that he did something to me.
"Ojaswi!"
That voice.
That voice wasn't any of the boys.
Miss Kaur.
Suddenly, she was there, grabbing me before I could fall. The last thing I saw was her face, angry, but scared too. The kind of scared that says, something's gone wrong.
Then-
Nothing.
I blacked out.
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I don't know how long I was gone, but when I came back, I wasn't in the forest.
I was… floating?
I couldn't feel my body. Just my mind drifting in some dark, warm void. It was quiet. Peaceful. But too peaceful. I didn't like it, the quiet hums, I could hear him being distant.
Like death.
Was I dead?
If I was, then, what happens now?
I thought about the boys. Were they okay? Did Miss Kaur get them out? Was the hooded man still there?
And then a worse thought hit me.
If I die… what happens to the curse?
What happens to my bloodline? Who will protect them?
Who will fight Sallos?
Who'll protect the next me, seven generations from now?
I couldn't die.
Not now.
Then I saw Sallos, his real self. He was coming closer, a big hearty smile on his face. This was the first time I saw his form. He had a soldier fit, his face hidden except for his eyes and his lips, he had a crocodile beside him. His armour was glowing in brown and golden hues and it got faint as he got closer. He was going to touch me and then he disappeared. I could see a light behind me, it felt heavy and bright…it could make me blind but it felt like salvation.
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Something pulled me back.
Voices. Distant at first, then louder.
"…not stable…"
"…we need more time…"
"…I said don't touch the seal!"
I opened my eyes.
Everything was blurry, but I was inside some room. Dim lights. Wooden walls. Old scrolls and herbs hanging from the ceiling. Like a witch's apothecary or something.
Miss Kaur stood beside me, talking to someone I couldn't see.
Her eyes flicked to mine, and she sighed like she'd just dropped a mountain off her shoulders.
"You're awake," she said, sounding like she hadn't slept in days.
"What… happened?"
"You died," she said plainly. "Almost."
"Oh."
She sat beside me, brushing some hair from my face. "Your body is changing faster than we expected. The thread's pull is growing. That man, our ancestor, he triggered something in you."
I blinked. "He's real?"
"Yes," she said. "He's been alive since that day. The day our ancestors died."
She stood, walking over to a dusty old mirror, that mirror. I could see a green form inside it
"You weren't supposed to meet him yet," she added. "But he came anyway. He's desperate. He wants to destroy Sallos too… in his own way."
I looked at her. "He's not working with Sallos?"
"No," she said sharply. "He's the reason Sallos is trapped. He helped me seal him in that mirror. But he's… not human anymore. Not fully."
That tracked. The dude was way too weird to be just some old man.
"He's trying to protect you, in his own twisted way," she continued. "But he doesn't understand how fragile you still are."
I sat up slowly, wincing a little. "Why does he look so creepy though?"
Miss Kaur almost smiled. "His body's covered in tattoos. Ritual markings. Flowers, insects… things from the binding spells. He hides it under the cloak. People who see him think he's a demon."
"So the demon hunter gets mistaken for a demon," I muttered. "That's messed up."
She nodded. "His plan is to raise you, guide you through this, then die once you succeed. That's been his goal for centuries."
I stared at her. "No pressure, right?"
Miss Kaur walked over and placed something in my hands. A pendant.
"Wear this," she said. "It'll stabilize your heart. For now."
I nodded slowly. "What about the boys?"
"They're safe," she said. "I sent them back."
"Will they forget me?"
She looked down. "Not exactly. They'll remember you… as something strange."
I sighed. "So much for being a 'normal girl on a hiking trip.'"
"You were never normal, Ojas," she said gently. "You were chosen."
I lay back, holding the pendant tightly.
If I had to die once just to wake up stronger, fine.
But next time, I wouldn't go down so easy.
Next time, I'd be ready.
Even if that meant facing death again.
Even if it meant meeting Sallos face-to-face.
Soon.
Very soon.
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