The six men stood in a tight defensive circle, every muscle taut, eyes darting across the darkness. Sweat dripped from their brows, their breath shallow but controlled. Fear gnawed at the edges of their minds, but their focus held steady—they were determined to capture the hidden attacker.
An arrow sliced through the air. One of the whisperers barely dodged it. Another arrow came for Raghav. A whisperer hurriedly lit a torch, its flickering light casting long, distorted shadows over the forest floor. The sudden light revealed a creeper snaking up a whisperer's legs—it was quickly cut down.
Rudra's eyes caught something—a tiny, fleeting reflection deep in the woods. It was barely visible, but enough.
"I have eyes on our target. Light another torch," Rudra commanded. "Check for any reflection or anything man-made."
Just as Rudra finished speaking, a creeper snagged his arm and yanked him toward the deeper forest. Without hesitation, Rudra ran in the direction the creeper was pulling him. His instincts screamed this was the right path. The others followed closely behind.
After a few heartbeats, the pull ceased.
"This attacker isn't sure what to do with us," Rudra said quickly. "Otherwise, we would be dead by now. He's testing us—trying to figure us out while hiding in the shadows."
In a sudden move, Rudra dropped his sword and raised his hands. "We don't want to hurt you. We're looking for you. You've attacked us before. We just want to understand your motive. Show yourself."
Silence.
Then, in a blur, a cloaked figure leapt from a tree into the circle, grabbing a whisperer and placing a knife against his throat. The figure motioned for the others to move aside. Tension thickened.
Four more figures emerged from the dark, bows drawn, arrows pointed at the five remaining men. Slowly, the twins' group began backing into the darkness under the enemy's watch.
"Don't do anything stupid," Raghav said firmly. "We're just looking around. One of our men was hurt by you. Why are you hunting our men?" He took a cautious step forward.
An arrow thudded into the ground at his feet.
"I'm asking you one more time," Raghav continued calmly. "If you think we're like the soldiers you've killed before, you're wrong. They were our enemies."
Another arrow came straight for him, but Raghav sidestepped deftly.
He gave a sharp whistle.
Suddenly, about twenty hidden men emerged from the trees, surrounding the five attackers. Bows drawn, weapons ready, they had the enemy cornered.
"Drop your weapons and answer my questions," Raghav said, folding his arms. "I might let you go. I don't know what kind of soldiers you've hunted before, but when I step into unknown territory, I come prepared. These men have been stationed here since morning. If you resist, you won't make it out alive."
The five figures shifted uncomfortably, arrows still trained on the twins' men but clearly shaken. Slowly, the one holding the whisperer hostage lowered his knife and released his captive. The others, after a moment's hesitation, dropped their weapons too.
"Good," Raghav said. "Now, why are you killing our men?"
A hooded figure stepped forward, voice low and bitter. "Because you started it all!"