...

  The flame of the lamp of fading breaths was slowly diminishing. And Ukti's anxiety was mounting.

  But Chirayu was restraining her, and so was Amogh.

  "Look, Ukti! We don't know who this is? What he can do? It would be prudent for us to investigate him first."

  Amogh said, glaring suspiciously at the butterfly, and Chirayu supported him, nodding in agreement.

  "But his wounds are too profound! If he isn't helped immediately, his life could be lost. We can ascertain his identity later."

  Ukti understood Amogh's logic, but her own emotions were too potent, and emotions are like horses pulling the chariot of the mind.

  They go wherever they are driven.

  Ukti was being pulled towards that body...

  but the other two were not.

  "And what if he attacks us? You saw how powerful whatever this is. And this butterfly! It's certainly not one of your everyday natural butterflies."

  "Amogh is correct. His fall itself was so forceful, even in this injured state... God knows what will happen when you heal him."

  When the pairs of eyes of the two men standing in front of her glared at her simultaneously, the reins were perhaps put on the horses racing in her mind.

  Ukti's intellect seemed to favor their argument. Now she just had to decide the next course of action.

  "Let's inform that old hag. If we do anything without her consent, she'll start citing the constitution."

  Ukti didn't appreciate Amogh's disdainful eye-rolling one bit. Externally, for the time being, she was with the two of them, but she hadn't developed the habit of maligning Pranali.

  Nor would she ever...

  But for now, she gave a big smile, nodded, and descended the stairs, opening the door adorned with large quartz crystals on the upper section.

  "What do you say? Is the girl trustworthy?"

  Amogh placed a hand on the shoulder of the man with light brown eyes, leaning slightly.

  But Mr. Businessman's eyes were fixed on the door from where the girl with the big smile had stepped onto the descending stairs.

  "Absolutely not!"

  The same coldness was in Chirayu's eyes that was currently in the snow on the upper platform.

  Someone was slowly succumbing to the passage of time behind them, but no attention was paid, as if they were accustomed to it.

  A body barely holding onto the thread of life, and a large butterfly attempting to give it as much warmth as possible...

  No one was there to assist them at that moment...

  There was only a gust of cold air...

  ?°?°?°?°?

  Darkness and cold....

  They were increasing with every passing moment.

  The intermittently flickering lights in the Kaalminar and the wailing alarms ringing in their ears were doing nothing to improve the situation.

  Nor was the faint growling that could be heard from afar helping...

  It sounded quite distant from the Kaalminar, but perhaps its destination was this way...

  The Kaalminar Auction House nestled in the lap of Indrasan mountain.

  Pranali peered through a slightly cracked window of the reinforced glass, and this is what she saw as well.

  Snowballs rolling in the distance, advancing towards them, but measuring the speed and distance allowed her to estimate the time.

  "Barely an hour..."

  Pranali's calculation suggested this.

  "There isn't much time. I've called Anirudh; he should be arriving soon."

  Even after hearing Tushar's words, Pranali slowly nodded while still looking outside, as if her mind wasn't here but amidst the snow...

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Amidst the rolling snowballs...

  But Ketaki's silent eyes were observing the man who was so engrossed in typing on his phone that he was oblivious to his surroundings.

  Sangharsh's furrowed brows and his repeated action of rubbing his forehead, while one of his hands was already furiously typing...

  His face looked as though his entire scheme had collapsed with that sudden flash of light.

  And seeing this was a source of relief for Ketaki, as it wasn't a face he often made.

  『Yes! These are the expressions that should be on his face. This much worry! When someone is punishing you.』

  And the fingers of the worried man were racing across the phone like unbridled horses, as if he had a race to win.

  ?Boss! There's a big problem.

  ?What happened?

  ?The entire plan is ruined, boss!

  ?Which plan are you referring to?

  ?A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K?

  ?All of them!

  ?What rubbish are you talking about?!

  ?It's true, boss! I swear to you.

  ?What happened?

  ?Sir! A new variable has entered the plan's equation.

  ?On the upper platform?

  ?Yes, boss.

  ?...I will deal with this new variable.

  ?Tell me, what about the Kaalmani and Ojasutra?

  ?Work is ongoing, boss!

  ?No, hold off for now.

  ?I will tell you what to do.

  ?Ok boss.

  Just as Sangharsh hung up his phone, the door burst open loudly as a new person rushed inside. Along with him were some soldiers who were running behind him, despite clearly not being in a condition to run.

  "Ma'am? Are you alright?!"

  "Anirudh!"

  When Pranali's eyes fell on Anirudh, she breathed a sigh of relief. But that sense of peace vanished instantly upon seeing the tired and wounded AHSF soldiers behind him.

  "Oh! Why did you bring them here? Why didn't you send them to the hospital?"

  Anirudh looked back at the squad that had barely survived a fight with a High-Level monster. But despite the fatigue on the soldiers' faces, they were filled with the conviction that they were alright and that other people needed their help right now.

  "How could I send them, Ma'am? The path towards the hospital is filled with countless Low-Level monsters."

  Pranali let out a long sigh that only conveyed why the thought of these people hadn't occurred to her earlier.

  "We need to fix all the alarms, and the lights, if possible. Mohan and Prince are experts in this, aren't they?"

  Hearing the names spoken by Pranali, Anirudh's gaze fell, and he didn't even try to lift his eyes.

  There was no need to.

  "Ma'am... Prince and... Mohan... both did not survive that attack..."

  And the heart of the woman standing in front of Anirudh sank upon hearing those words. She had sensed it when he lowered his head; only a few words were required.

  "Ah..."

  "...Find someone else who can do this job! The injured ones will stay here. I will ask Ukti to treat your injuries."

  Hearing this, a slight relief showed on the faces of all the AHSF soldiers. Anirudh asked for permission and immediately departed from there, and the sound of his shoes was lost in the distance after the door closed.

  But as they say, speak of the devil and he shall appear.

  Exactly that happened.

  Again, the door burst opened very loudly, and this time, Ukti rushed in, almost gasping for breath.

  "Does this writer not like doors?"

  .....

  .....

  [A/N:- *Ahem! So, ignoring Sangharsh's mumbling, where were we? Ukti! Yes!]

  Steadying her breaths, Ukti approached Pranali.

  "Pranali Ma'am! Body! Upstairs! Butterfly... big one...! Blast!"

  When Ukti tried to say everything in one breath, Pranali signaled Ketaki, who supported Ukti.

  "Take it easy, Ukti ji! Tell me clearly what you want to say?"

  And after somehow balancing her breaths for a while, Ukti began again.

  "Ma'am, you must have heard that light and sound. There is someone up there, very badly injured, and perhaps not even conscious. There is a large, glowing blue butterfly over him, one I have never seen before."

  Hearing Ukti's words, everyone stared at each other.

  Sangharsh didn't look... because no one was looking at him at this moment.

  "If that's the case, I will go and see for myself right now."

  Pranali immediately assumed her Managerial role and decided to take the matter into her own hands. At the same time, she hadn't forgotten the injured soldiers...

  ...nor the one whom she was about to punish a while ago.

  "Ukti! Tell the other members of your Guild to immediately treat these soldiers, and Ketaki, you will stay with these soldiers."

  "Yes, Ma'am!"

  The same determined expressions that belong to a Manager were on her face now. One whose shoulders bore the entire responsibility of the Kaalminar.

  The Kaalminar, nestled in the lap of Indrasan mountain...

  Which was soon going to feel like hell because of the absence of the Kaalmani.

  "And yes, Sangharsh! Your punishment... I will give it to you soon."

  "Let's go, Tushar!"

  The way she said it, narrowing her eyes, it wouldn't be wrong to call it a solemn warning. It would send shivers down the spine of even the bravest.

  All the soldiers standing there knew that something had happened here, but what?

  No one thought it right to ask.

  Because everyone knew that there is always a reason behind a fire erupting. Whether it is small or big.

  Just as the cold was slowly increasing in the Kaalminar, be the reason small or big.

  At this moment, Sangharsh's eyes were fixed on the upper platform. He felt a sense of peace for some reason...

  Be the reason small or big...

  To be continued...