The patrolling had been increased along the Lohitpuri borders. Beyond that, they could do little. Other cities lay outside their jurisdiction, making any action there dangerous and unpredictable. More men were stationed near the dense border forests, especially around Jangal Mandala.
Jangal Mandala was a wild, largely untamed territory. Though three cities dotted its expanse—Aghorvan, Anantgadh, and Padmapur—the rest of the land was a labyrinth of forests, rivers, and ancient ruins. The people of Jangal Mandala kept to themselves, rarely mingling with those beyond their borders. Trade was modest and typically limited to the border towns. Among them, Padmapur shared its border with Lohitpuri of Prithvi Mandala. It was near Padmapur that most of the recent attacks had taken place.
Stories whispered of strange beings and beasts inhabiting the Jangal Mandala—creatures many had never even heard of. As days went by, patrols remained uneventful. Yet with every nightfall, an invisible pressure gripped the men. The true danger, they knew, lurked in the dark. No one could predict from where the next attack might come.
Raghav and Rudra took turns personally overseeing the patrols after sunset. Yet something was changing. Raghav, usually the calm and calculated twin, found himself growing restless. Ironically, it was Rudra who remained steady this time, keeping his younger brother from rash actions. Raghav made several attempts to sneak into Padmapur to confront the mysterious attacker directly, but each time Rudra stopped him.
"This is unknown territory," Rudra warned. "We don't even know the rules here."
Instead, they relied on their network of Whisperers. Working in silence and shadows, the Whisperers gathered information painstakingly over weeks. Their task was simple but grueling: chart the entrances and exits of Padmapur, understand its security, and uncover who—if anyone—ruled it. Four Whisperers were assigned different sections of the city, moving like ghosts between the alleys and markets.
Nearly seven weeks passed before they compiled the first rough map of Padmapur. What they discovered was strange: Padmapur had no visible ruler. There were houses, a marketplace, traders, and civilians—but no palace, no garrison, no figure of authority. It functioned almost as a lawless city.
More troubling information surfaced. Sarthak, it turned out, had taken control of Anantgadh, one of Jangal Mandala's major cities. As for Aghorvan, the capital—there were no clear answers yet.
One night, after reviewing the latest findings, Rudra asked, "Do you think Rankriti herself controls Aghorvan?"
"That might be possible," Raghav answered, deep in thought. "If it's the capital, and there's no known Yamsabha member ruling it, it must be under her direct control."
Rudra leaned back, frowning. "But why? She could have deployed another warlord there. If she found Sarthak here, she could find more from elsewhere. Unless..."
"Unless she doesn't want anyone else to reach Aghorvan," Raghav finished the thought for him.
The silence between them was heavy.
Raghav exhaled slowly. "Also, we still don't know who's ruling Padmapur. Our Whisperers tried everything to find out. It's just an ordinary city on the surface. No council, no public leader."
"We need to set our priorities straight," Rudra said. "Do we hunt the attacker first, or do we focus on Arya?"
"Savignya is keeping us informed about Arya," Raghav replied. "He seems to be under some sort of intense training. Getting stronger. Whatever that means. But he's safe for now."
"Then we should focus on rescuing him," Rudra suggested. "Maybe it's time to ask Rohak what progress he's made near Suryagadh."
Raghav nodded. "Ask him."
The answer came swiftly. Rohak's efforts had been slow. Suryagadh was heavily fortified. Only the most elite traders and trusted individuals were allowed within its inner gates. Rohak was still working to build connections, but infiltration was proving harder than anyone expected.
"In that case," Raghav said grimly, "we need time. For now, we hunt the attacker. If the map of Padmapur is ready, we gather it tonight and plan our entry into Jangal Mandala."
For the first time in weeks, Rudra's lips curled into a smile.
"Finally," he said, eyes gleaming. "Finally, things are happening."
The hunt was about to begin.