At exactly 11:00 p.m., Dia stepped into Sumendu's room. Sumendu had already taken the dart game out of the cupboard and placed it neatly on the bed. He was pacing around the room, anxiety gnawing at him. The moment he heard footsteps near the door, he rushed to open it, eager—almost desperate—to let Dia in and show her the magic of the darts.
Dia walked in with a warm smile, but it faded the instant she saw the tension on Sumendu's face. A faint frown creased her forehead.
"What is it, Sumendu? What's bothering you so much? Show me, and let's be done with it once and for all."
He only nodded. Without a word, he hung the dartboard on the wall opposite the bed. Then he returned, picked up the second dart from the little quiver, and—standing right beside Diya—threw it with absolute precision.
The dart struck its mark.
In an instant, the space around them began to dissolve. Within seconds, they found themselves transported into a massive fortress in what looked like a barren desert near the northwestern frontier. And now... they were no longer together in the same space and time both had changed.
Sumendu stood in a grand chamber, supported by a soldier. Blood trickled down from a deep cut near his temple. Across the room stood Diya—but not the Diya he knew. She was dressed as a princess, regal and radiant, her expression frozen in shock.
The moment she saw his condition, she rushed forward. With the soldier's help, she guided him to a bed and made him sit. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ordered the soldier to fetch the royal physician at once. Then, without waiting, she began cleaning his wound herself.
He winced in pain and tried to speak, but she gently placed a finger on his lips. He looked up at her, startled. Her eyes—like a doe's—held fear, concern, and something else he couldn't quite decipher. She shushed him softly and continued tending to the wound.
But running beneath all of this in his mind was the truth: she was his cousin, the king's daughter. And her father—her king—was currently preparing for battle. He, meanwhile, carried a truth that could shatter her world.
When the physician finally arrived and finished dressing the injury, they were left alone again. Sumendu tried to rise from the bed, but she refused to let him. He took her hands gently.
"Your father's life is in danger," he said quietly. "There is something you must know."
She cupped his face with both hands, eyes trembling. "What could be more dangerous than that arrow missing you by only a few inches?"
He stood up slowly, looking straight into her eyes.
"Listen carefully. The king's life is at risk—and the man responsible is none other than my father... your uncle."
Her breath caught. The world around her seemed to tilt. She stared at him in disbelief, her mind reeling.
And just then, the scene dissolved.
They were back in Sumendu's room.
Diya found herself staring at him, her heartbeat thundering in her chest, the shock of the vision still clinging to her like a second skin.