After witnessing the mysterious murals carved into the walls, Rudhran stood frozen in awe. The ancient drawings felt alive, as though they carried the forgotten history of another age. Once he regained his senses, he climbed back through the well passage and returned outside.
There, Bermi, Paari Vendhan, and Paarthiban waited anxiously for him.
Rudhran narrated everything he had seen beneath the mountain.
The three listened in stunned silence.
Soon after, they prepared to leave for the hidden kingdom. But before departing, Bermi suddenly asked,
"If all of us leave… who will protect the people here? And what about the citizens of that hidden city?"
Paari Vendhan placed a hand on Bermi's shoulder.
"It is your responsibility to protect both our people and the city that has sheltered us all this time. Do not allow any harm to reach them."
Leaving Bermi behind for protection, the remaining three entered the well passage and descended once more.
When they finally reached the hidden kingdom, all three were left speechless.
The city was enormous beyond imagination.
"How are we supposed to enter this kingdom and find that gateway?" Paarthiban muttered helplessly.
For a long time, they observed the entrance carefully from a distance. Suddenly, a horse cart emerged from the massive gates and began traveling away from the kingdom.
The trio secretly followed it.
After traveling deep into an isolated area with no one around, they stopped the cart and confronted the people inside. To their surprise, they were merely fruit merchants—traders who collected fruits from the forest and transported them into the kingdom to sell.
Without hesitation, Rudhran and the others tied up the merchants' hands and legs.
They dragged them toward the well passage and took them outside the hidden route. There, Rudhran sent a message to Bermi using the magical bird.
"Bring the soldiers to the well immediately. Three men will be there with their hands and legs tied. Keep them under strict watch until we return. Treat them properly."
After sending every detail, the trio left the merchants behind and disguised themselves in the traders' clothes. Loading the fruits back onto the cart, they drove toward the kingdom's grand entrance.
Two gigantic golden gates towered before them.
Guards stopped the cart and inspected it carefully.
One of the soldiers frowned.
"You returned in just two days? Usually it takes at least three or four."
Rudhran calmly replied,
"The work finished faster this time."
The guards nodded and allowed them inside.
The moment they crossed the gates, the three were utterly stunned.
The entire city glittered like heaven itself.
The buildings shone like gold beneath the sunlight. Massive towers rose into the sky, decorated with breathtaking craftsmanship unlike anything they had ever seen.
For a moment, the three forgot why they had come there.
Soon, merchants gathered around the cart, throwing gold coins onto it and taking boxes of fruits away. Within minutes, everything was sold out.
But after that, the trio had no idea what to do next.
As they stood there awkwardly, an elderly man walking nearby suddenly stumbled and nearly fell.
Paarthiban rushed forward and caught him before he hit the ground.
The old man smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, young man."
Then he looked at them curiously.
"Who are you three? Why are you standing here like lost souls?"
Rudhran quickly answered,
"We are fruit merchants. We brought fruits and sold them all… but now we do not know what to do next."
The old man blinked.
"You have no home? No family?"
The three exchanged glances before Rudhran spoke again.
"No. It is only the three of us. We do not know any other work either. It will take at least three months before we can gather fruits again. Until then, we have nowhere to go."
The old man remained silent for a moment before speaking warmly.
"My name is Tanza. I own a large food shop in this city. I have no one to help me… and no family either. For some reason, when I look at you boys, my heart feels at peace."
He smiled gently.
"Come work at my shop. I will pay each of you two gold varahans. Stay with me as well."
The three immediately agreed.
Days passed.
They worked tirelessly at Tanza's food shop and slowly earned his trust. Ever since they arrived, the shop's business had grown rapidly.
But after work every evening, the trio secretly wandered through the kingdom searching for clues related to the true reason they had entered the city.
Yet they found nothing.
One winter night, cold winds swept across the kingdom.
The freezing air made sleep impossible for the three young men. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Tanza quietly brought his wool blankets and covered them.
The exhausted trio eventually fell asleep.
But the next morning, they realized something painful.
Tanza himself had slept without a blanket.
That night, the old man returned home very late.
The three waited anxiously until he finally arrived carrying three brand-new blankets.
He handed one to each of them.
Paarthiban looked shocked.
"You should have bought one for yourself too…"
Tanza laughed softly.
"It is alright. I am used to this cold. I only had enough gold for three blankets. Besides, I already have the old ones."
Then he asked gently,
"Have you boys eaten?"
"We were waiting for you," Rudhran replied.
Smiling warmly, Tanza served food for all of them and sat down to eat together.
As they ate, the three silently lowered their heads.
Their eyes had become wet.
The old man noticed immediately.
"Why are your eyes filled with tears?"
For a long moment, silence filled the room.
Then Tanza slowly began speaking.
"I have lived in this city for more than eighty years…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"When I was very young, both my parents died. This food shop was the only thing left behind for me."
"I did not know what to do. Since the age of five… I have lived alone."
"The people in this city avoided me. They called me unlucky because my parents died."
"There were days when I starved terribly. No one would even give me food. Many nights, I survived eating only fallen fruits."
"Later, when I grew older, I somehow managed to run this shop."
He slowly raised his hands.
Burn scars covered his skin.
"These scars… came from years of cooking alone."
The three stared silently.
"No matter how many festivals this city celebrates… my life has always remained the same. This food shop… these old blankets… and loneliness."
"There has never been anyone in this world whom I could truly call my own."
His eyes slowly filled with tears.
"I have asked God countless times…"
"Why did you create me?"
"Why give me a life where I must die a little every single day… alone?"
The room fell silent.
And at that exact moment—
A massive burst of light exploded above the royal palace with a thunderous sound that shook the entire kingdom.