Whispers of a witch

Chapter - 2

Abhimanyu's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself in a room that defied the ordinary. Its walls were luminescent, woven into delicate tapestries by moonlight itself. The air carried the fragrance of jasmine.

The last thing he remembered was- beneath the moon's tender gaze, he lay wounded, with nothing but pain running through his veins. And there she stood-a vision of grace and compassion.

Her curly locks danced in the breeze. Moonlight kissed her milky skin, casting an otherworldly glow. Her eyes, green as emerald, held secrets profound.

As he was musing, the door swung open, revealing the apsara he had glimpsed last night. She stared at him as she walked closer to the bed where he was laying.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice a distant melody.

He nodded, unable to break eye contact. Her green eyes held both sympathy and mystery.

As he gathered his wits, he noticed another girl standing in the corner, arms crossed, as surveyed him with curiosity. No wonder she was beautiful but Abhimanyu's gaze remained fixed on the first beauty-the one who had tended to his wounds.

"Who...are you?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"Well," Aadhira retorted, "we were supposed to be asking that !"

"I am Abhimanyu," he replied, "a knight from Swarnawati." His words flowed, revealing his secret. "I was eagerly waiting to find this place, if you're wondering how I reached here, my master once came here ; so he knows how to penetrate into this world.

She gasped. "YOU are the first human we've seen here," she exclaimed. Abhimanyu chuckled, feeling both honored and bewildered.

"How old are you?" he asked, attempting to shift the focus.

"Why shall I tell you?" She made a disgusted face, wait was I annoying her ?!. "She's Aadhira, age 24 years," she gestured to her sister. "And I'm Dhithi, age same as hers." The divine beauty besides me explained.

"Now tell us about yourself," Dhithi urged, her smile captivating. Abhimanyu hesitated, then revealed "My master came here once, it was about 50 years ago, so you might not know about it. I had to face many trials that tested my courage and intelligence."

"That makes sense" said Aadhira.
"By the way, the king wants to meet you" she informed in a serious tone, but her expression immediately changed to sly one "And that girl over there is the princess, bet you wanna be her knight in shining armour." Her statement made both of us blush. "Aadhira I'll kill you !"

Aadhira rushed out of the room as she was being chased by Dhithi, their bonding made me chuckle. Perhaps they were sisters.

After about 10 minutes a maid entered the room with a couple of clothes. She bowed and greeted me "Princess asked me to give you these." "Oh, send my gratitude to her."

I changed my clothes. A sudden realisation hit me, my wounds were all gone; not even a scar could be found, was that magic ? Well, I wouldn't have expected less from wizards and witches.

Abhimanyu prepared himself and set off for the courtroom to meet the king. As he walked, he realized he had lost his way. Gah, he thought, now everyone will think I'm a fool. Where in this world is the courtroom? His frustration echoed in his mind.

Suddenly, he collided with someone. Instinctively, he reached out and caught the person, preventing them from falling. "Aadhira?" he murmured, staring into her deep blue eyes.

"A-Abhimanyu," she stuttered, her embarrassment evident. His hands still rested on her slender waist, and her arms were pressed against his chest. She quickly stepped back, her face flushed.

"What are you doing here?" Aadhira asked.

"I was searching for the courtroom," Abhimanyu replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, well, it's right there," she said, pointing to a painting on the wall. Abhimanyu raised an incredulous eyebrow. Was she kidding?

Aadhira giggled. "No, you fool. Come, follow me." She took his hand and led him toward the wall. To his surprise, they passed through it as if it were an illusion. Ah, so that was the illusion, Abhimanyu thought.

Inside, everyone sat elegantly. Abhimanyu observed the courtmen and ministers, but his gaze locked onto the prettiest emerald green eyes. Before he could lose himself in their depths, he shifted his attention to the king and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, my lord."

As he introduced himself, Abhimanyu felt an unrelenting stare. He ignored it; there were weightier matters at hand. The king's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "What is the name of your master?" His tone held a chilling edge that could make anyone tremble.

"Vibhu," Abhimanyu replied. The courtroom fell silent. The king rose from his seat, and the courtmen followed suit.

"What did you say?" The king's voice dropped to a thrilling whisper.

Abhimanyu stood firm. "Vibhu is my master."

The room held its breath.

Who was Vibhu ?