...

  On the upper platform, two spheres, one large, one small, rotated in the air, creating a sight so unique it captivated anyone..

  To those who saw it and also to those who heard about it.

  At this moment, the two individuals staring at it were equally mesmerized. Completely awestruck.

  "Wow, bro! This is epic!"

  "Forget that, man! Start the stream quickly. We won't get a chance this good again."

  The second man began adjusting his camera, while the first smoothed his hair. They looked like college students who celebrate even after barely scraping through with passing marks. Why?

  Because out of millions of people, even a tiny crowd made them feel like kings.

  "I swear! Ten people have joined the live stream today!"

  "What, bhai? Have we finally become famous?!"

  "Yeah! It certainly feels like it."

  Both appeared to be in their mid-twenties, bundled from head to toe in woolen clothes to combat the biting cold. They were ready. The cameras were rolling.

  "Namaste, Assalam-u-Alaikum, Hello, Sat Sri Akal, Vanakkam! Friends, I am your beloved Ansh, and with me is our cameraman, Sameer. Today, we are going to show you the place the entire country is buzzing about. Right here, right before your eyes!"

  Ansh and Sameer were doing their work with the same dedication as they always did. Usually, they couldn't even cross five viewers, but their courage never wavered. Today, with ten people watching, their enthusiasm was overflowing. The comment section was equally lively.

  [: Lol! He has more languages in his greeting than he has viewers. XD]

  [: Bro, do you have a problem?]

  [: Amazing! Look at how it's just floating in the air.]

  [: Ugh! How did I end up in this stream again?]

  [: Ansh-ji, for the first time in your life, you're showing us something good!]

  Since no mainstream news channels had been invited inside yet, this amateur stream was the only window for the public to see the interior of Kalminar.

  They had a slight acquaintance with Pranali...

  And in this world, an acquaintance can open many doors.

  "Look at this. See that small gap in the center? That's where the Kaalmani was kept. And currently, it's missing. Many Guilds and their leaders are searching for it. We've heard that the Manager has officially appointed someone from Kaalminar for this investigation."

  Ansh had circled the rotating tungsten spheres twice, while Sameer was busy stabilizing the camera. His hands were so expert that even when he tripped twice, the recording remained perfectly steady.

  Suddenly, the gates to the upper platform swung open. Two figures stepped out. Speak of the devil...

  "Oh, look at our luck, friends! The man himself is here. Let us introduce you."

  Ansh and Sameer sprinted toward Raghav, And the boy was also shocked as to why they were coming towards him so fast, were they planning to kill him?

  "Please, Misters! Do not disturb Mr. Raghav right now."

  "It's okay, Sir Randheer."

  Raghav nodded, assuring Randheer that he had no problem with any of this. He was perfectly fine. And the AHSF soldier standing in front of him, preventing the two men from approaching him, shook his head flatly.

  "I'm sorry, Raghav-ji. But Pranalii Ma'am has given me strict orders for your protection. I cannot allow it."

  After Randheer's outright refusal, Raghav was at a loss for words to use in his logic. The soldier standing in front of him was completely adamant about his duty.

  Ansh and Sameer, standing in front of them, stared at each other. They had a certain idea that something like this would happen; after all, they had come here to investigate, not to answer questions.They stepped aside to let the team pass.

  [: Really? That woman chose this boy?]

  [: Ikr?! So strange!]

  [: I don't think this should be a problem. Haven't you heard that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. ]

  [: That's right. She wouldn't have chosen him just like that. There must be some reason.]

  [: Bribe?! Who knows?]

  [: You guys keep talking, but seriously, how did I get into this stream again?]

  Raghav cast a fleeting glance at the duo and offered a small, apologetic smile, the kind of words his mouth couldn't speak, wrapped in a silent gesture.

  Randheer advised the duo to continue their work and followed Raghav toward the spheres.

  Seeing the artifacts up close, Raghav was filled with wonder. He pulled some equipment from the bag Randheer was carrying.

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

  It was much better to take out only the things that were needed right now than to throw everything away and trash it.

  And Raghav did just that.

  But how do you inspect something suspended in mid-air? Raghav couldn't fly, and the spheres wouldn't descend.

  "How can we investigate if we can't go up and it won't come down?"

  Raghav muttered to himself. He didn't mind if Randheer heard. In fact, it was better if he did.

  "Actually... I'm here for the first time too."

  Randheer admitted.

  "I was previously stationed at the Rajasthan 's Auction House. We didn't have anything like this there."

  And Raghav's eyes fell back. He wouldn't find better people or opportunities than this. He knew that much. So he set out to awaken their hidden talents.

  "Hello there!"

  That was all Raghav said with a smile, or more accurately, that was all he could mutter. Both of them were quite enthusiastic.

  "So, Sir! Have you agreed to talk to us?"

  "No one stopped me from talking. Just... turn off the camera."

  Ansh looked at Raghav for a moment, then signaled Sameer. The camera went dark and was tucked away into its bag.

  "I need a little help from you both."

  In that moment, the four of them stood on the platform, braced against the freezing winds coming from three directions. The streamer and cameraman looked at each other, confused but ready.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  "Lift! Lift!"

  "A little more! That's it!"

  "To the right!"

  "Perfect!"

  The scene was extraordinary. Ansh and Sameer were each holding one of Raghav's legs, while Randheer supported him from behind. The view was so amazing that if someone had been standing behind, he would definitely have thought of taking a photo, although there was no one like that here at that time.

  "Raghav-ji! You're quite heavy."

  "Yeah, seriously! What did you have for lunch?"

  Raghav let out a soft laugh, feeling good. For the first time, he had met people who felt like him... not elite fighters with lethal intentions, leaders burdened by heavy schemes or responsibility.

  Just normal people doing their jobs. He realized this was the kind of company he had been craving.

  He inspected the rotating tungsten spheres with the utmost precision. Soon, his eyes caught a faint mark on the lower half of the smaller sphere - a slight scratch.

  Normally, scratches in such a place would be common, but not on a rotating artifact like this. No one had a reason to touch it unless they were trying to...

  ...steal the priceless gem held within.

  "Sir Randheer! Give me that blue spray bottle from the bag. I need it."

  Randheer handed him a bottle of Luminol and a mask. He wasn't taking any risks. When Raghav sprayed the area, a shape emerged, an erratic smudge, as if someone had tried to wipe it away in a hurry.

  The problem was that the spheres never stopped rotating, making it difficult to wipe, and just as difficult for Raghav to inspect.

  Raghav reached his hand in, visualizing the theft. He tried to mimic the motion of removing a gem, but the rotation was so fast that despite his quick reflexes, the metal grazed his wrist, leaving a long scratch.

  It stung, but when pain comes with a victory, it's less noticeable. For Raghav, it was like a victory.

  "A-ha! Whoever stole this must have a deep scratch on their hand or wrist. Much deeper than mine."

  Randheer's eyes widened, as did the eyes of the two men holding him up.

  "Put me down."

  And slowly his feet touched the floor, he put his shoes back on,shivering slightly from the cold.... and the other three noticed, but it was better to say nothing just yet.

  "We need to check the box where the Ojasutra was kept."

  Raghav said. He had already stepped forward, so the three of them had to follow him. Randheer was no longer able to stop the duo from coming, as the four of them were now a team. At least as long as Raghav's investigation continued.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  The Auctioneer was still sweating profusely despite the freezing temperatures inside Kalminar. Randheer watched Raghav's hands as he inspected the empty box with the focus of a professional, not quite an expert yet, but close.

  Meanwhile, Ansh and Sameer were checking their stats from before they turned off the stream.

  "I swear, bro! Forty-seven people watched!"

  "No way! That's incredible!"

  "It's not just incredible, it's a revolution!"

  They were lost in their own world of small victories, while Raghav was lost in his. The fingerprints on the box were exactly as expected. Aside from the Manager and the Auctioneer, there wasn't a single trace.

  It was as if whoever opened the box did so without ever touching it.

  And there was only one person whom Raghav knew so closely that he was about to lose his life at his hands...

  ?°?°?°?°?

  "Finished both investigations?"

  "Ji..."

  Raghav realized his tongue instinctively defaulted to "Ji" the moment he stood before Pranali. She didn't comment on it anymore. It had become a habit for both of them.

  "Well? What did your investigation find?"

  "Ma'am, for now, it's just a suspicion. I need to know the powers of everyone present here."

  Pranali's eyebrows automatically raised, even though there was no need. It would be easy to learn about everyone's powers, but revealing the Hidden Second Power of Supreme-tier fighters was beyond even her authority.

  "Fine. But I cannot tell you about the hidden powers of Supreme-tiers. You'll have to discover those yourself."

  Raghav nodded. After his lethal encounter with Sangharsh, he knew uncovering a hidden power wouldn't be easy, and he wasn't exactly eager to dig deeper into that man's secrets.

  "Ji. I'll manage. Also... can I keep these two with me?"

  Raghav's fingers were pointing in the same direction where Ansh and Sameer were. They had been buried in their phones, but the moment Pranali looked, they hid them behind their backs and gave her massive, awkward smiles.

  When the smile or laughter is excessive, then it should be understood that something is wrong.

  Raghav knew it.

  Pranali knew it.

  But neither spoke of it.

  "Fine. Keep them. They aren't useful for anything else anyway,"

  Pranali whispered to Raghav so no one else could hear. Raghav smiled, as he had nothing more to say.

  "Alright then—"

  Pranali's phone dared to interrupt her conversation midway, but thinking that it was a private call and the conversation would be something serious, Pranali picked up the phone.

  Raghav could see her widening eyes, a sign that the news coming from the other side was going to be shocking. And it wasn't a minor shock...

  "What? What are you saying, Tushar? How... check it again. One more time!"

  Pranali's wide open eyes were telling a lot to Raghav, and he was a master at reading eyes.

  As she hung up, Pranali slumped into her chair as if the weight of the words had finally become too much.

  Her hands were searching for the glass of water on the table without the help of her eyes and drank it all in one go, trying to douse the fire of her rising anger.

  It didn't work.

  She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her eyes glowing like burning embers as she looked at Raghav.

  "Raghav! I have another job for you!"

  To be continued...