• Gayatri...

A choked whisper escaped Gauri's lips, a desperate plea. "Please… let me go." Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her tear-filled eyes, and there they were – the familiar, sharp brown eyes that had briefly held a strange softness in the basement. Now, they were intense, scrutinizing her.

The knight, Veer, gave her a rough shove forward, making her stumble and flinch. Her gaze fell to the dusty floor. Soft, heart-wrenching sobs escaped her lips, the fear and pain overwhelming her.

Dev Karan Rawat, still seated on the golden throne, made a subtle gesture with his fingers, a flick of command directed towards the armored knight. Veer's grip on Gauri's hair loosened, finally releasing her.

A spectral hand, pale and translucent, reached out from the throne, cupping Gauri's chin. Gently but firmly, Dev tilted her face upwards, forcing her to meet his gaze. His sharp brown eyes searched hers intently, as if trying to decipher something within her.

Dev's spectral fingers traced the curve of Gauri's jawline, his touch sending a shiver down her spine despite its ethereal nature. His gaze remained locked on hers, a silent intensity passing between them. The air in the court hall crackled with an otherworldly energy.

"You," Dev finally spoke, his voice a low, resonant echo that seemed to vibrate through the very stones of the castle. "You carry… something familiar." His brow furrowed slightly, as if he were trying to grasp a fleeting memory.

Gauri could only stare back, her breath caught in her throat. Fear warred with a strange sense of… recognition? The softness she had glimpsed in his eyes in the basement was momentarily present again, a flicker amidst the intensity.

Veer, the knight, remained silent and imposing beside her, his armored presence a constant reminder of her captivity. Arya and Isha, their faces pale with terror, remained frozen near the injured Veda, unsure how to intervene against these spectral figures.

Dev's gaze drifted down to the pendant Gauri wore, a small, antique silver locket that had belonged to her grandmother. His spectral fingers hovered over it, not quite touching, but close enough for Gauri to feel a sudden chill emanate from them.

"This… where did you get this?" His voice held a new urgency, a hint of something akin to longing.

Before Gauri could stammer a reply, a low growl emanated from the direction where Jai lay unconscious. His body began to twitch and convulse on the floor. A dark, shadowy tendril seemed to writhe beneath his skin.

Dev's attention snapped away from Gauri, his sharp eyes narrowing as he looked towards Jai. A look of cold fury crossed his spectral features. "That… thing dares to trespass in my domain again?"

He turned back to Veer, gesturing sharply towards Jai. The armored knight moved with surprising speed and grace, his spectral form gliding across the stone floor towards the convulsing Jai.

"Veer will deal with the intruder," Dev said, his gaze returning to Gauri, the earlier hint of softness now completely gone, replaced by a chilling authority. "Now, answer me. The locket. Where did you get it?" His spectral grip tightened infinitesimally on her chin, a silent demand. The focus had returned to her, and the danger felt immediate once more.

Gauri swallowed hard, her throat dry with fear. Dev's spectral grip on her chin was surprisingly firm, a cold dread seeping into her bones. His intense gaze felt like it was piercing through her, searching for something hidden deep within.

"It… it belonged to my grandmother," she managed to stammer out, her voice trembling. "She… she gave it to me."

Dev's brow furrowed deeper. "Your grandmother… what was her name?" The question hung in the air, heavy with an unspoken significance that Gauri couldn't comprehend.

Meanwhile, Veer reached the convulsing Jai. The spectral knight didn't hesitate. A shadowy energy pulsed from his armored hand, and he reached down, placing it directly on Jai's chest. Jai let out a choked gasp, his body arching violently as a dark, wispy form seemed to writhe and then violently tear itself away from him, screeching silently as it dissipated into the shadows of the hall. Jai went limp, unconscious but no longer convulsing.

Dev watched this unfold, his expression grim. "A parasite," he murmured, his attention still mostly fixed on Gauri. "Trying to gain a foothold." He then returned his piercing gaze to her. "Your grandmother's name." He repeated the question, his tone leaving no room for evasion.

Gauri's mind raced, trying to connect the king's intense interest in her locket with her grandmother. She had never mentioned the castle or any connection to it. "Her name… it was… Gayatri… Gayatri Rathore."

A visible tremor ran through Dev's spectral form. His grip on her chin loosened slightly, a flicker of something akin to shock or recognition crossing his sharp features. "Gayatri…" he whispered, the name sounding like a long-lost echo in the ancient hall. His gaze softened, the intense scrutiny replaced by a look of profound, almost painful, longing. The change was so sudden, so complete, it left Gauri utterly bewildered. The danger emanating from him seemed to recede, replaced by a palpable sense of sorrow.