Chapter 90: Shadows and Whispers

The chamber was suffocatingly silent, the air thick with dust and forgotten secrets. Satya ran his fingers over the ancient wood of the table, Veer Meghawal's name carved into its surface. It was here—this very place—that his past self had tried to uncover the conspiracy.

But right now, survival came first.

Virendra and Aryan had already moved toward the exit they had forced open earlier. Their hurried footsteps echoed faintly as they ran into the tunnel, leading Jayant and his men away.

Saanvi stayed behind with Satya, her breath unsteady. "Are you sure about this?" she whispered.

"We need time. If we leave now, we may never get back here again."

They had seen enough to know there was more buried here—more than just history. The truth of Veer's fate, the conspiracy against the throne, and the betrayal that had rewritten the past.

And then Satya saw it.

A small compartment near the ground, covered in dust and so well-hidden that anyone without a keen eye would have missed it. He crouched down, brushing away the grime with his fingers.

A locked storage space.

His pulse quickened. This wasn't just an ordinary chamber—it was where Veer had gathered evidence.

Saanvi kneeled beside him, her voice urgent. "Can you open it?"

Before he could answer, another sensation overtook him—not of the present, but of the past.

A sharp whisper. A candle flickering. A secret meeting Veer was never meant to witness.

Satya clenched his fists as the memory unraveled.

---

A Memory, Fading Into Clarity…

The glow of lanterns barely lit the dimly lit chamber. A group of men stood huddled together, their voices low and hushed.

Veer had hidden himself behind a stack of old crates, his heart pounding. He wasn't supposed to be here.

"The king is blind to reality," a voice murmured—a voice that seemed familiar.

"The time for loyalty is over. If we do not act first, we will be crushed under his rule."

Another voice scoffed. "And if we are caught?"

"We won't be. By the time anyone realizes what we've done, the throne will already belong to the new king."

Veer's breath hitched. A coup. A betrayal from within.

His hands tightened around the sketchbook he always carried. He had planned to leave, to slip away before anyone noticed—

But something had stopped him.

Someone had whispered his name.

Not aloud, but in warning.

Like a shadow looming behind him.

---

Back to the Present…

Satya gasped, snapping out of the memory. The room was the same, yet different.

The whispers of the past had left their mark.

Saanvi gripped his shoulder. "Satya? What happened?"

He shook his head, trying to steady himself. "I—I remembered something. Veer overheard their plan. But I still don't know who led the conspiracy."

Saanvi's gaze flickered toward the storage compartment. "Then maybe it's in there."

Satya exhaled and reached for the hidden lock.

The truth was waiting.

And so was the past.