When I looked closely at Siya again…
I realized something had changed in her eyes.
It was subtle.
But unmistakable.
It felt as though she wanted to say something—
something heavy enough to remain buried behind silence.
Maharishi Kripacharya remained serious, yet completely quiet.
He simply continued looking at her.
And somehow…
the silence of Maharishi…
the silence of Siya…
and even the silence of Hanuman…
all carried the same terrifying message.
Something bad was about to happen.
Finally, Siya broke the silence.
"I'm leaving."
Her voice was calm.
"It may take time before I return."
The moment those words left her mouth, we immediately stopped her.
"What are you talking about?" I said sharply. "Do you even realize what the air outside has become? If it touches you—"
Siya suddenly smiled.
A calm, almost amused smile.
"Perhaps you're forgetting something, Ali."
"I am no longer human."
"Neither is this body."
"The outside world cannot harm me anymore."
She stepped forward slightly.
"Do not worry."
"I will return safely."
"I'm coming with you," I replied instantly.
Her expression hardened.
"No."
"You wouldn't survive outside even for a moment."
Something felt wrong.
Deeply wrong.
It was clear Siya intended to do something dangerous.
And looking at Maharishi's grave silence…
and Hanuman's unreadable calm…
I realized they probably understood it too.
I stepped closer toward her.
"Boss… how can we let you go alone?"
"You know how dangerous the outside world has become."
"And you only just returned to us."
Andy immediately supported me.
"Ali's right, Siya. We can't let you leave alone."
But Siya's expression grew serious.
"You still don't understand the gravity of the situation."
"I must complete this task."
"If it were not necessary…"
"…I would never have said it."
Her voice carried absolute certainty.
I looked directly into her eyes.
"After losing you once, I burned every day in regret."
"I don't want to let you out of my sight even for a moment anymore."
For the first time—
pain appeared across Siya's face.
Then suddenly Maan spoke.
"After losing you…"
"…every day felt meaningless."
His voice trembled.
"I saw you everywhere, Sister."
"In every stone."
"Every flower."
"Every forest."
"It felt like you were constantly trying to teach me the meaning of life."
"That is the only reason I survived."
Tears filled his eyes again.
"And if we lose you once more…"
Before he could finish—
Siya interrupted him firmly.
"Then nothing will happen, Maan."
"I am standing before you alive and unharmed."
"I am not so weak that anyone can simply destroy me again."
For a brief second—
her eyes darkened.
"That time…"
"…I had already become weak."
"There were many reasons connected to my disappearance."
She exhaled slowly before speaking again.
"Now stop behaving like children and let me go."
Then she looked directly at me.
"Treat this as my order, Ali."
The moment she said that—
I fell silent.
Because one thing had always remained absolute for me.
My life could be sacrificed…
but never Siya's command.
Yet Andy and Maan still refused to move.
Then suddenly—
Siya glanced toward Gurudev.
A silent signal passed between them.
I still don't know what that signal meant.
But the next second—
the entire ground shook violently.
A massive cyclone erupted around us.
Sand, dust, and shattered earth spiraled upward into the air with terrifying force.
The storm swallowed everything instantly.
None of us could even see each other anymore.
The wind roared like a living beast.
Andy shouted my name somewhere nearby.
Maan tried moving forward—
but the force kept throwing all of us backward.
And amidst that chaos—
Siya used the moment to leave.
But just before she disappeared into the storm—
I grabbed her wrist.
For one brief second…
everything around me felt still.
Siya looked back at me.
And softly said only one thing.
"I will return."
Then—
she vanished into the dust.
Completely gone.
The cyclone continued for nearly an hour before finally calming down.
And only then did Andy and Maan realize the truth.
The storm had never been an attack.
It had merely been created to blind us long enough for Siya to escape.
Andy immediately turned toward me furiously.
"How could you do this, Ali?!"
"You knew how dangerous it is out there!"
"We already lost her once and you still let her go?!"
Maan remained silent—
but the betrayal in his eyes hurt even more.
I looked at both of them calmly before answering.
"She is our leader."
"I cannot disobey her."
My voice remained steady despite the storm raging inside me.
"She is capable."
"She is strong."
"She is fearless."
"She is a warrior."
Then I looked toward the dark wasteland beyond Kashi's hidden boundaries.
And for the first time…
I spoke the truth I had accepted.
"She does not need anyone to protect her."
A faint smile appeared across my face.
"Because Siya herself…"
"…is divine."