The faintest sliver of dawn painted the sky a soft rose as Ekantika and Adishesh set off, the echo of Adiraj’s insincere concern trailing behind them like a phantom. Adishesh, usually a whirlwind of energy, was uncharacteristically quiet. The usual playful banter between them was absent, replaced by a heavy silence. Ekantika too was lost in her own thoughts, her heart a jumble of apprehension and a yearning for the unknown.

The journey was long, the landscape shifting from rolling plains to craggy hills that seemed to rise out of the mists like slumbering giants. Finally, they arrived at a place unlike any they had seen before. The land was a small island, cradled between a ring of low, gentle mountains and a sprawling expanse of water. It was a serene tableau painted in shades of emerald green and azure blue. The only entrance to this hidden heaven was a narrow path that led to a tiny village nestled between the hills.