The next morning arrived wrapped in the cool fragrance of sea breeze and wet earth after a brief dawn drizzle.
Karna made his way toward the royal stables early, before the palace fully awakened into its daily rhythm. The guards greeted him respectfully as he entered, and immediately the divine steeds attached to his celestial chariot reacted to his presence.
The horses shifted excitedly, stamping their hooves against the ground with heavy yet controlled force. Their golden-white bodies almost shimmered beneath the morning light, their breaths visible in the cool air as soft clouds.
Karna walked toward them with a rare softness in his expression.
He checked their feed personally.
Ran his hand along their necks.
Examined their hooves.
The stable workers watched quietly from a distance, not daring to interrupt.
After spending some time there, Karna finally turned to leave.
But not far away, movement stirred near another section of the stables.
Subhadra had arrived with several maids and handlers, her curiosity fully captured by a newly captured horse brought in from the outer grasslands.
It was magnificent.
A large white stallion with a silver-tinted mane, wild-eyed and powerful, its muscles twitching beneath its skin like tightly coiled ropes. Even restrained, the horse radiated raw aggression and pride.
One servant nervously explained, "Princess, it took six men to bring it here."
Subhadra's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Leave us," she said confidently.
The servants hesitated.
"Princess…"
"I said leave."
Reluctantly, they obeyed, though they remained nearby enough to intervene if necessary.
Subhadra slowly approached the stallion, speaking softly while extending her hand toward its neck.
For a moment…
The horse remained still.
Its nostrils flared.
Its ears twitched.
Subhadra carefully reached for the reins, trying to calm it further.
But then...
The stallion suddenly jerked violently.
A loud, shrill neigh exploded through the stable as the horse reared upward, its front legs kicking into the air. The reins burned against Subhadra's palms as she instinctively tried to hold on, her balance instantly breaking.
The stallion bolted.
"Ah—!"
Her startled cry echoed sharply through the stable.
The servants outside panicked immediately.
"Princess!"
The horse charged wildly across the open path, dragging her with terrifying force. Dust scattered beneath pounding hooves while nearby horses grew restless from the commotion.
Subhadra's heart pounded violently.
The strength behind the reins felt impossible to control.
Her fingers slipped.
The rough leather cut painfully against her skin.
Then suddenly... a figure appeared from the side.
Fast.
So fast that Subhadra barely processed the movement.
Karna stepped directly into the charging path and grabbed the reins with one hand.
The impact was brutal.
The stallion jerked violently, its momentum crashing against Karna's unmoving stance. The leather tightened sharply, the force strong enough that even the stable floor beneath Karna's feet scraped slightly from the pressure.
The horse let out another furious neigh, trying to push forward.
But Karna's arm did not budge.
The veins along his forearm tightened beneath his skin as he firmly held the reins, his expression remaining completely calm despite the raw strength fighting against him.
Slowly… the horse stopped.
Its breathing came harsh and aggressive, steam rising from its nostrils.
At the same moment, Subhadra completely lost her balance.
Her foot slipped from the stirrup.
Her body tilted backward.
For one brief instant, she felt weightless.
Then Karna released the reins, turned smoothly, and caught her before she hit the ground.
One arm supported her back.
The other steadied her waist.
Subhadra instinctively grabbed onto him, her hands wrapping around his neck as her eyes widened in shock.
Everything around her seemed to blur for a moment.
The stable noises faded.
The servants' distant shouts faded.
All she could see was his face at close distance.
The sunlight behind him.
The calmness in his eyes.
The faint scent of sandalwood and metal lingering around him.
Karna looked down at her with a small smile.
For several seconds… Subhadra forgot herself entirely.
Then distant voices rushed closer.
"Princess! Princess!"
Reality returned abruptly.
Her face immediately warmed with embarrassment.
Karna carefully placed her back onto her feet, his movements respectful and composed, as though nothing unusual had happened.
Subhadra lowered her gaze quickly, trying to steady her breathing.
Karna looked at her briefly before asking calmly, "Are you alright, Devi?"
Subhadra nodded almost too quickly.
"Yes…"
Her voice came out softer than intended.
"Umm... Thank you."
Karna gave a small nod.
He did not linger.
Did not attempt further conversation.
Did not even ask her name despite clearly recognizing she was royalty.
He simply turned and resumed walking away.
Subhadra remained standing there silently, watching his back disappear beyond the stable corridor while her heartbeat refused to calm down.
"First at the temple and now here... Is this fate?" She wondered.
*
Two more days passed in Dvarika.
During those two days, the atmosphere of the city slowly became more familiar to Karna.
The bustling harbor roads filled with merchants from western islands, the scent of salt and drying fish near the ports, the enormous sea walls that stood like stone guardians against the roaring ocean, the disciplined naval soldiers of the Yadavas, the crowded temple districts where conches echoed during twilight prayers… all of it settled into his memory piece by piece.
And now, his stay was nearing its end.
The final preparations for departure had already begun inside the guest quarters assigned to him in the palace. His attendants carefully organized scrolls containing trade agreements while stable workers prepared the divine steeds for long-distance travel.
That evening, shortly before sunset, Karna left the palace alone one final time.
He wanted to buy a few things for his queens before departing.
The western markets of Dvarika were unlike those of Hastinapura or Kanipura.
The shops here glittered beneath hanging oil lamps while the sea breeze constantly carried the mixed fragrance of sandalwood, incense, pearls, wet rope, spices, and roasted grains through the crowded streets.
Traders loudly advertised imported goods from distant coastal regions while musicians played drums and flutes beside roadside shrines.
Karna moved through the market calmly beneath the fading orange light of evening.
For Queen Dhavani, he selected finely crafted shell ornaments decorated with silver threads that reflected moonlight beautifully.
For Queen Mrinalini, he purchased a western-style dagger with elegant carvings along its sheath, practical yet refined enough for her taste.
And for Queen Sumedha, he bought several rare scroll copies gathered from Dvarika's scholars, texts discussing astronomy, ocean navigation, and ancient medicinal herbs found near coastal regions.
The market slowly dimmed as the sun descended further toward the horizon.
Then suddenly...
BOOOOM!
A massive conch echoed across the city.
The sound was so loud that even the market chatter froze instantly.
Then another conch answered from a distant tower.
And another.
And another.
Within moments, war drums exploded throughout the fortified city.
Deep.
Violent.
Urgent.
The peaceful evening shattered instantly.
Panic spread through the streets like wildfire.
"The western harbor!"
"Asuras!"
"Enemy ships!"
"Close the gates!"
Merchants hurriedly abandoned stalls. Mothers grabbed their children and ran indoors. Soldiers sprinted through the roads carrying spears and shields while alarm bells rang across the walls of the city.
Karna immediately looked toward the coastline.
In the distance beyond the harbor defenses, dozens of ships emerged from the darkness of the sea like black shadows rising from the ocean itself. Flames burned atop several vessels while smaller attack crafts rapidly moved toward the outer defenses.
Smoke already rose near parts of the harbor district.
Enemy forces had begun attacking the ports.
From afar, Karna could already hear the clash of metal, the crackling of fire, and the roaring war cries of Yadava soldiers.
The raid had been sudden.
It looked precise and organized.
The enemy clearly intended to create chaos before the city fully mobilized.
But Dvarika was not weak.
Within minutes, the Yadava defense responded fiercely.
Signal fires lit across the walls while archers filled the battlements.
Massive defensive ballistas rotated toward the sea, launching burning projectiles into the advancing fleet. Several enemy ships caught fire immediately, their flames reflecting across the dark water like shattered stars.
Meanwhile, powerful warriors had already entered the battlefield.
From atop the distant walls, Karna could sense the overwhelming presence of Prince Balarama. His aura alone felt like a mountain pressing against the battlefield. Nearby, the fierce energy of Satyaki, the prince of the Vrishni Clan, one of the Yadava clans, also erupted amidst the fighting as Yadava generals rallied their forces.
The battle intensified rapidly.
But despite the surprise attack... The enemies were being held back.
Karna observed silently for several moments.
Part of him naturally wished to join the battle immediately.
His instincts as a warrior screamed at him to eliminate the invading asuras.
But another part of him remained calm.
This was not Dakshina Kalinga.
This was not his kingdom.
Dvarika's defenses had not collapsed either. Its warriors were still firmly holding the enemy outside the inner city.
Interfering unnecessarily in another kingdom's battle when they were fully capable of defending themselves could become an insult rather than help.
Helping someone who did not need saving sometimes would wound pride more deeply than defeat itself.
Karna slowly exhaled. After making a brief judgment, Karna decided to stay away. He turned away from the harbor battlefield and resumed walking toward the palace.
The distant war sounds continued behind him.
The ocean wind carried smoke through the streets.
But just as he reached a quieter road leading toward the northern palace district... His senses suddenly trembled.
Karna stopped mid-step.
His eyes narrowed for a brief instant…
A vision flashed inside his mind.
A mounted warrior racing through a forest path.
A struggling woman in royal garments is draped across the front of the saddle.
Fear.
Resistance.
A scream.
And beneath all of it...
A terrifying energy.
Karna's expression instantly hardened.
That was not ordinary asuric energy.
No…
This felt wrong.
Corrupted.
And twisted.
It's like the divine energy of some deva that had rotted into something poisonous and became asuric.
His divine senses expanded outward immediately.
The sounds of the city faded from his focus.
He listened deeper.
Farther.
Then...
A faint scream reached him through the night wind.