?°?°?°?°?

  "I... I was in the washroom."

  Both of Raghav’s eyebrows shot up simultaneously. In the world of investigative excuses, this was a classic, if somewhat cliché, defense.

  "The washroom?"

  "Yes. The washroom."

  "Okay... let’s see."

  Raghav signaled Sameer, who pulled up the footage of the corridor leading to the facilities. It was true. The leader of the Swashakti Guild had indeed entered the washroom.

  Everyone had assumed that the guild leader of Swashakti guild was innocent until they heard Raghav again.

  "Wait a minute... I'm sorry! but what were you doing in the washroom thirty minutes before the auction started? It's natural to be a little suspicious!"

  When Raghav turned around, the guild leader was avoiding eye contact with the boy. But that wouldn't help. What Raghav needed right now was answers.

  "But I did come out after thirty minutes, didn't I?"

  "That wasn't the boy's question!"

  Pranali, standing firmly by Raghav’s side, was now glaring at Kalpana.

  『 Yay! Ma'am always shows up for backup... 』

  Raghav smiled inwardly. He didn't let it show. How could he let it show in front of everyone? The one who had been asked the question opened her mouth to answer.

  "My health was a bit down at the time. And besides, it’s not like my powers allow me to secretly vanish from a room."

  Pranali looked at Raghav, and Raghav looked at Pranali. Some of what she said flew right over their heads.

  『 Her powers are Illusory, right? Creating fabrications in the minds of others? 』

  "Then you tell us! how exactly do your powers work?"

  Raghav asked, but the answer came from Pranali's side, surprising him as well.

  Pranali too.

  "Well, Mr. Raghav! her powers act like a veil over the eyes. You’ll see something entirely different from what is actually happening. You could call it Maya (Illusion)."

  "No one asked you, Tushar. Don't interfere!"

  Pranali may not have noticed this, but Raghav certainly had. Why was Tushar, who had remained silent until now, opening his mouth now? It was a thread Raghav intended to pull later.

  "Yes! Tushar-sir is right. That is exactly how my powers work."

  Raghav leaned forward, stroking the wings of the butterfly on his shoulder. Towards Kalpana.

  "You sure?"

  "Sure."

  "Hmm. Fine then. You may leave."

  As soon as Raghav said this, the girl disappeared within two minutes. She never looked back.

  『 Strange? It's like she was about to miss her train! 』

  Raghav felt he had a lead on the Black Dagger, but the Kaalmani and Ojasutra remained ghosts.

  No clues.

  No trails.

  No signs.

  "Raghav?"

  Pranali called out, but Raghav was lost in a storm of thoughts, trying to connect dots. But nothing was fitting. There was no symmetry anywhere. Seeing him rub his forehead and scowl at the air, Pranali realized at least this much that how taxing this was becoming for his young mind.

  "Raghav?!"

  "Ji? (Yes?)"

  He jolted as she shook him, looking like a man who had just returned from a different dimension.

  "You okay, boy?"

  "Ji. (Yes)"

  Pranali burst out laughing and gave his head a playful smack. Raghav was taken aback, wondering what was going on, but everyone else was laughing along with Pranali.

  Ansh Sameer and Randheer.

  Ketaki too.

  Even the butterfly on his shoulder seemed to be buzzing a laugh into his ear in its own way.

  Raghav realized what had happened...

  『 Man! why do I keep saying ‘Ji ji’ like a broken record? I’m losing it. 』

  "Sorry, Ma'am... a lot was going through my head..no, a lot ARE going through my head. There are so many dots to connect that I don't know where to start."

  Raghav's hesitation was evident in his words.

  It was clear.

  It was visible.

  Anyone would have understood. Pranali also understood.

  "You know, Raghav? It’s okay."

  "Ji? (Pardon?)"

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "It's simple... You don't need to connect all the dots at once. Pick one point that your heart and mind agree on. Observe the points around that point, and move on. That's it. The dots will connect on their own, and gradually you'll get the full picture."

  What Pranali said with a smile resonated deeply with Raghav.

  It was profound.

  Simple and complex at the same time.

  Raghav realized where he was going wrong. He was trying to see the entire picture at once, trying to find all the possible shapes in it.

  Reality seemed different to him, and it was different. He smiled too, and this smile was from the heart. From the depths of his heart.

  "Ma'am! I can't tell you how much you've helped me!"

  Pranali opened her arms. Raghav hesitated for a second before stepping in for a respectful hug. The butterfly rested its antennae on both their heads.

  Those who knew Pranali as a sword-sharp administrator were stunned to see her act as a protective sheath for a would-be sword.

  "Don't be so scared of me. Don't you think I'm around your mother's age?"

  "Ji-- I mean, yes!"

  Raghav may have quickly composed himself, but Pranali laughed, and so did Raghav. For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to his own world.

  He liked this peace.

  He liked this warmth.

  He liked this strange feeling of motherhood

  『 Well, at least I’m not alone. 』

  Everyone else may have been surprised, but now everyone had a smile on their face.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  In a private room.

  A dagger was spinning in the air.

  A black dagger with blue and gold engravings on its scabbard....

  "C'mon! Why won't it work?!"

  Sangharsh growled. His sharp eyes were glaring at the very dagger that refused to accept his authority. It wouldn't obey his commands. And the members were a little perplexed as to why things weren't going as planned.

  "Anuvrat? Are you sure this is the Black Dagger, the one that allows for the summoning of the Anantāstra āhvān (Infinite Blades)?"

  "Yes! I'm one thousand percent sure. With this, people can summon and control thousands of daggers... but surprisingly! it’s not resonating with boss' power. The 'Amplifying Resonance' isn't forming."

  The guild members whispered among themselves. Everyone was bound to be surprised. After all their leader was a Supreme-tier fighter. How could a weapon resist him?

  On the other hand, Sangharsh could feel the resistance of Kaalay dagger's powers. He had been trying for the past half an hour, but it seemed to be working to no avail. On the contrary, his own powers were diminishing.

  『 Something is different. It’s not working the way I thought. What do I do? 』

  The dagger descended, and Sangharsh caught it. He stared at the blue-gold glow.

  『 Blue light... hmm... now I understand! 』

  With furrowed brows, Sangharsh placed it back in the box he had taken it from. His members were dying to know what he’d discovered. And perhaps this curiosity was not hidden from the Sangh leader.

  "What's wrong, Boss?"

  Sangharsh hung his trench coat on a chair and took a sip of warm water. His hand in his pocket.

  "It has a specific requirement. And I think I know who can fulfill it."

  He sipped the warm water from the glass leisurely. The cold was increasing anyway, and so was his desire. His gaze was fixed outside. The icy weather was becoming more dangerous.

  "How special this blue light is... and that faint golden shimmer..."

  He muttered to himself, unheard. He didn't want to be heard either.

  The smirk on Sangharsh's face paralleled the slanted scar across his eye.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the Healing Guild. A lot. Many soldiers had been injured in the previous wave of monsters. And the Healing Guild members were busy tending to them.

  Amidst this hustle and bustle, Raghav and Randheer passed by, and butterfly perched on Raghav's shoulder. For the time being, Raghav had given Ansh and Sameer a break so they could record or stream whatever they wanted.

  "Excuse me!"

  Raghav signaled to a staff member, but she was busy. She pushed another girl toward him.

  "Yes, Raghav-ji? How can I help?"

  "Well... we need to see Miss Ukti. Is she free?"

  "Yes, follow me."

  And they both followed the girl. However, as they followed, Randheer's eyes involuntarily fell on the girl's neck. A deep scar on the neck seemed very strange to Randheer. It was quite unusual.

  The girl's hair was short, so he could easily tell what the scars were from.

  "Raghav-ji?"

  He whispered, lightly nudging Raghav's elbow. Raghav's attention was drawn, as well as butterfly's, to Randheer's words from the way.

  "That mark...That mark on her neck... I guarantee with 200% certainty that such a mark is formed when someone's head is beheaded."

  Raghav choked on his own breath, and started coughing. Barely controlling it, Raghav turned to Randheer.

  "What the! Randheer sir?! Seriously? If that were true, how would she be alive?!"

  He shook his head and moved on. Randheer, scratching his head, followed Raghav to the room where the Arogya guild's guild leader was.

  "Oh, Raghav! Welcome. Sit."

  Raghav accepted the greeting and sat on the chair near the table in front of Ukti. Ukti’s eyes drifted to the butterfly with intense interest.

  "So, what brings you here?"

  "First, I wanted to thank you for saving my life. I can't thank you enough."

  Ukti gave a wide smile and started plucking the petals of a blue flower one by one from the flower pot kept on the table.

  "No need for thanks. It’s my duty. Although... our guild doesn't usually work for free. People always give something back."

  She said it with a big smile. But Raghav looked at Randheer, and Randheer just shrugged. There was some confusion...

  "But... I haven't given you anything."

  Ukti's eyes moved from the blue flower in the flower pot to Raghav, with the same big smile.

  "Really? I don't think so."

  "Ji? (Pardon?)"

  "Forget it! You were at death's door. You weren't in a state to give anything. Okay?"

  Raghav nodded slowly.

  "Now, why are you really here?"

  "I need the list of everyone who came here for healing recently. And it would be great if we could find out what their specific ailments were."

  Ukti raised her eyebrows at Raghav's words, but then slowly nodded. She gestured to the girl who had brought them there.

  "Go tell Sarita to put together whatever information they need in a file and give it to them. It would be better if it's in a PDF."

  The girl nodded and left.

  Now Ukti's eyes were on Raghav. There was one thing Raghav also wanted to ask Ukti.

  "Ma'am... if it’s not a problem, could I know your second power—"

  "Absolutely not!"

  Raghav was quite taken aback. Ukti's harsh attitude wasn't something one would see every day, just occasionally. Raghav had been expecting a similar response. But then Ukti said something that left him stunned.

  "However... if you give me your butterfly, I might tell you..."

  "What do you say?"

  Ukti's wide smile returned to her face, and the butterfly scurried behind Raghav’s neck, folding its wings. Raghav frowned, as did Randheer.

  "No!"

  Raghav replied, mirroring her sharp tone. His eyes were staring at Ukti.

  But suddenly the pain in his back increased. And so did a blue in his chocolate eyes...

  An unfamiliar blue, yet familiar...

  A dizziness took hold. Raghav rubbed his forehead and gestured for Randheer to support him. Randheer also understood that Raghav was having some problems.

  "We’ll meet again. Thanks for the help."

  Ukti also raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised and somewhat interested. She was taken aback by Raghav's sudden change in mood.

  "What's this? If you're unwell, I can—"

  "No! No need!"

  And with Randheer's support, Raghav quickly left. Ukti felt strange. Raghav's sudden disappearance...

  Ukti felt a trace of power, so faint she couldn't identify it, but it was there.

  And a wide smile spread across her face again. She plucked the last petals from the blue flower.

  "Raghav... and his pet insect... both are very very interesting..."

  To be continued...