Samhita Maity, a historian, found excitement in discovering long-lost secrets of histories- a perfectionist in her work.
However, there was one mysterious figure eluding her expertise-the exploration of the most celebrated king of ancient India, wh...
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18 Years Ago
✧ 2394 CE ✧
"Stop....don't!!!" She releases a gut-wrenching scream, desperate for it to pierce the heavens, to cease this misery.
But it's as if the universe itself has turned a blind eye, indifferent to her suffering. She feels shut off from every direction, like a lone ship lost at sea with no lighthouse to guide it to safety. She questions the very existence of compassion, kindness, and empathy, for the ruthless suffering they inflict upon her paints a starkly different picture.
Slamming her palms against the ground, she summons every last ounce of strength from her near-lifeless body. With each step forward, she hisses in agony, the blood seeping from her torn feet a grim reminder of her suffering. But before she can muster another move, a vicious whip lashes across her back, sending her crashing to the earth once more with a guttural groan of pain.
Despite the setback, she slithers forward like a wounded serpent, inching closer to the tiny bundle of innocence, now wailing in terror on the ground.
Just as a glimmer of hope dances in her eyes, a figure slinks into her line of sight, a cruel grin twisting their lips. In a heartbeat, the monster's next move hurls her soul into the abyss of hell itself.
"NOOOOO!" she cries out, but her plea falls on deaf ears, the irreversible act already done, her destiny irrevocably sealed.
Samhita jolts awake, gasping for breath, the thick beads of sweat dripping down her neck like a rush of icy daggers, despite the chilled air of the room. Her chest rises and falls in a frenzy, like a storm-tossed ship on a tempestuous sea. Her eyes dart frantically around the room, only to be met by an oppressive darkness that seems to swallow her whole.
The door crashes open, and a towering figure enters, swiftly settling beside her. Without a word, she clings tightly to him. "The nightmare... it's back," her voice trembles on the edge of breaking.
The man's hand glides soothingly over her back in a gentle caress through her hair as he plants a kiss atop her head. "I'm right here, princess," he murmurs, settling her snugly into his lap. His palm trails along her back while the other cups her cheek, wiping away the tears streaming down her face. "It's just a nightmare. You're safe here, in your father's arms, okay?" She nods, her voice choked with emotion. "I won't let anything harm you, princess."
She clings tighter to her father's waist, not even daring to shut her eyes, fearing the nightmare might creep into her dreams once more. Her father flicks on the bedside lamp. It takes a few moments for her to calm her anxious self down.
"Dad, why does the same nightmare haunt me, over and over?" Samhita's voice trembles, her tears leaving damp trails on the sleeves of her night attire, nervously fiddles with the buttons on her cuffs. "I've heard... I've heard that if it keeps coming back, it's because... because it's real."
