"How have you been?" asked Savignya.
"Been better. How are you? You were wounded pretty bad," replied Arya.
"Yes. But I'm all better now. I heard your stories from the battlefield. You were quite a spectacle," Savignya said.
Arya fell silent. The memories of the battle surged through his mind—men screaming, dying, Rudra and Savignya getting hurt, Eknandini's death, Raktapasu's fall, and his own hands taking Sharvas's life. All these images flashed like a cold storm. He didn't respond. His eyes drifted up to the ceiling as he leaned against the wall, sitting on a wooden bench. His posture was calm, but his silence spoke volumes. Savignya could read it all. She stood in front of him, watching closely, trying to understand what he was going through.
"I understand the feeling. Your first war... things will get easier from here," Savignya said softly.
"How is it going to get easier? Hundreds died because of what I started. If I had just agreed to Sharvas's terms, maybe none of it would've happened," Arya said. His voice was uneven—low but growing sharp. "Now I'm stuck here. This place has everything a man could want, but it doesn't feel like it's mine."
He paused and took a breath.
"I'm being held without my will. Rankriti won't let me go. She's strong... I know the only way out might be death. And I'm not scared to die. But after I'm gone, she'll turn on all of you. That's what keeps me going. That's why I'm still here. I'll have to obey her, but I hate the thought of it."
It was the first time Arya had spoken freely since the war. He'd been silent for days, overwhelmed and confused. He had once imagined that once the war ended, there would be peace. But instead, he found himself trapped in a city that glittered on the outside and imprisoned him from within. He wasn't just a prisoner of Rankriti—he was captive to his own thoughts.
Savignya listened. She knew these words didn't come easy. She waited a moment before replying.
"Calm down, Arya. What you're feeling is valid. No one wants to live locked away. I'll try to get you out of here, but it'll take time. We can't go against Rankriti directly. And now that Vayodhara is involved, things are more complicated. She doesn't answer to anyone but Rankriti. She makes her own decisions. She is not someone we can handle."
Savignya paced slowly as she spoke, her voice steady and low. "The war you fought may feel like the worst you'll ever face, but trust me, it wasn't. Women like Vayodhara could end wars like that in minutes. Without effort. And she wouldn't hesitate."
She looked at the burn marks on Arya's neck, then continued, "You've seen a glimpse of what Rankriti can do. That wasn't even one percent of her strength. Vayodhara is her enforcer. She holds similar powers. But even then, Rankriti stands above her. If Vayodhara can defeat all of us within moments, Rankriti can do the same to her. The gap between us and them is massive."
Arya nodded slightly. He understood. There was no fighting them. Not yet.
"That's why I want you to stay here," Savignya said. "Listen, learn, and prepare yourself. Accept Rankriti's offer for now. Learn how this world works. We'll figure things out in Lohitpuri. Just don't rush anything. Don't give them a reason to crush you."
Arya sat quietly, thinking.
"But what do I even do here?" he asked after a pause. "If they're so powerful, why do they need us at all? Why not just take control of everything themselves? Why rely on people like us?"
"Because there are other forces," Savignya answered. "Forces that can challenge them. Maybe not easily, but they exist. Rankriti and her kind don't want to reveal their full strength unless absolutely necessary. They rely on people like us to run the cities, to keep order, to manage the smaller battles. It keeps them in control without drawing attention."
Arya looked at the floor. There were too many questions in his mind, but Savignya had answered them with a calm certainty that left little room for argument.
"Just stay put for now," she said gently. "We'll get you out. Till then, learn what you can and stay quiet. And... Rudra is okay. He's healing. The twins miss you and wanted to say hi."
A small smile tugged at Arya's lips. He hadn't heard about Rudra in days. The weight in his chest felt a little lighter.
Trishan entered the room, gesturing toward the door. Savignya gave Arya one last look and turned to follow him.
As they walked through the halls back to the office chambers, Trishan finally spoke.
"False hope to a young man?" he asked quietly.
"Just hope," Savignya replied, a faint smile on her face.