Zorvath looked at the phone.
Mirzand's hands began to tremble—not because he was scared of Zorvath's reaction, but because he knew exactly what was about to happen to his phone.
And just as Mirzand expected—
The phone exploded against the floor.
Zorvath hurled it down with such force that it shattered into tiny pieces, scattering across the hall.
Mirzand exhaled in relief.
"Good. Very good," he whispered, staring at the remains.
Leo and Rithul almost laughed—not because the situation was funny, but because Mirzand's reaction was so painfully him.
Of course, they swallowed it back instantly.
Laughing in front of Zorvath's anger was suicide.
The hall fell into pin-drop silence.
On the shattered screen fragments lay the truth—
A photo of Lolan and Arya, hugging on a roadside.
Sent to every student in KHSS
From an unknown number.
That single image was enough.
Zorvath didn't shout.
He didn't speak.
He kicked the hall door open and walked out—
anger trailing behind him like a storm.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Finally, Lily broke the silence.
"What… what should we do now?"
Mirzand snapped, still crouched near the broken pieces.
"Why the hell did you give my phone to him?!"
Lily swallowed hard, her voice shaking.
"I'm sorry… He was right behind me. I panicked."
Rithul muttered darkly,
"Congrats, Mirzand. Now every tiny thing in KHSS is going to end up like your phone."
No one disagreed.
Wayanad, Kerala –
Bus Stand_..
The bus came to a halt, and Aria stepped down first, followed by Lolan and Rizwan.
Aria took a deep breath.
Cold air filled her lungs as she slowly looked around. Endless green hills stretched before her, wrapped in mist. The weather was cool, fresh—almost unreal. She pulled her jacket closer and smiled.
"This place is beautiful," she said softly, turning to Lolan.
"Just like you said… Kerala really is God's Own Country. Look at this nature. If one day I ever build a house, I want it to be here."
Rizwan groaned, dropping his bag slightly.
"Yeah, yeah. We can build houses later. First, can we find your friend's place?" he said, exhausted. "I'm dead tired."
Lolan raised an eyebrow.
"Tired? After coming to a place like this? Isn't it amazing just to stand here and breathe?"
Rizwan shot him a look.
"Oh! So that's the plan now? Enjoy nature?"
He waved his hand dramatically.
"Two days on a train and one full day on a bus. I'm full of energy, sure—but not for sightseeing. First, take us to wherever you promised, bro."
Lolan laughed and turned to Aria.
"Are you tired?"
Aria nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah, I am tired," she admitted. "But the beauty of this place… it's worth feeling tired for."
Lolan's smile softened.
"Exactly. You and I—same vibe."
Rizwan narrowed his eyes at him.
"Ohhh. Kicking goals already, huh?"
He smirked.
"Fine. I see you. I'll deal with you later."
And just like that, the silent war between Lolan and Rizwan officially began—
right there, under the misty green hills of Wayanad. 🌿
Aria looked around and asked casually,
"So… where are we heading now?"
Lolan glanced at his phone and sighed.
"Yeah, that's what I'm checking," he said. "He told me he'd send a vehicle to pick us up from here, but I don't see anyone yet. Let me make a call."
With that, Lolan stepped aside, phone to his ear.
The moment Lolan moved away, Riswan's eyes lit up.
Getting Aria alone—this was a golden chance.
He stepped closer, instantly switching into his overly caring tone.
"Aria, you said you're tired, right?" Riswan said.
"Why don't we grab something to eat?"
Aria shook her head.
"No, it's okay. Lolan already gave me some snacks on the bus."
Riswan froze.
"When?" he asked, clearly offended.
"I didn't know that. I didn't get any."
"Oh," Aria said awkwardly. "You were sitting in another seat, right? Maybe that's why."
She hesitated, then added politely,
"I still have some left in my bag. Do you want it?"
Riswan raised his hands immediately.
"No, no, no. You eat it," he said quickly.
"Lolan gave it to you so openly, remember?"
Aria gave an awkward smile.
"Yeah… we're good friends, right?" she said softly.
"A snack isn't a big deal."
She thought the snack thing might have hurt Riswan a little—
But what she didn't know was that this wasn't about snacks at all.
She was standing right in the middle of a silent war.
Just then, Lolan returned.
"Let's stand over there," he said.
"Someone's coming to pick us up."
Riswan let out a long sigh.
"Finally."
After a few minutes, a middle-aged man approached them.
He looked at Aria and asked,
"Are you Amal's friend?"
Aria turned to Lolan, her eyes asking silently, Is this the guy we're going with?
Before she could say anything, Lolan stepped in quickly.
"Yes, yes," he said. "You're the driver he sent, right?"
The man smiled warmly.
"Follow me."
With that, they climbed into the jeep sent by Lolan's friend.
The engine roared to life, and the vehicle rolled forward.
At first, the road was busy. Vehicles passed them now and then.
But slowly… very slowly… the traffic thinned.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Soon, there were barely any vehicles at all.
Finally, they were alone on the road.
Dense jungle stretched endlessly on both sides—tall trees, thick shadows, and an uneasy silence.
Lolan broke it first.
"How long will it take to reach there?" he asked.
The driver replied calmly,
"Not much. Just two hours."
Lolan and Aria exchanged a glance.
Aria swallowed.
"Are we… going through the forest?"
The driver chuckled softly.
"This forest?" he said. "Not at all. After twenty more minutes, you'll understand what a real forest is."
Then he added, almost casually,
"Watch the sun carefully."
At that moment, Aria didn't understand what he meant.
But soon… she did.
The sun dipped lower.
The warmth vanished.
Cold crept in—sharp and sudden.
Darkness swallowed the road, and the jungle transformed into something unfamiliar. The trees looked taller. The shadows deeper. The silence heavier.
Then came the sound.
A deep, echoing cry.
Elephants.
From both sides.
Aria's heart raced. Fear wrapped around her chest.
She turned to Riswan.
He was already asleep.
How can he sleep in a place like this? she wondered, stunned.
She turned to Lolan.
He looked drowsy too, eyes half-closed.
"Aren't you scared?" Aria whispered.
Lolan opened one eye.
"Are you?" he asked.
"Kinda," she admitted. "The elephant sounds… it's scary."
Lolan smiled lazily.
"I've been here a few times."
Aria frowned.
"Few times? You said you came here only once."
Lolan hesitated.
"Uh… no. I mean—yeah—but I've been to places like this. Jungles. Adventures."
He straightened a little.
"You know… I'm kind of a strong guy. Adventure is my hobby."
Aria smiled faintly, amused despite her fear.
"Yeah, yeah," she said softly.
But the jungle outside only grew darker.
And the road ahead felt longer than ever.