Against The Eternity Chapter 25: [24] Chapter - 11: Silent Devotion (Part - 1/2)

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[24] Chapter - 11: Silent Devotion (Part - 1/2) The world came back to her gradually, reluctantly, as if it were a dream that did not wish to end. First, sounds filtered back, muted and distant, as if she listened from a great depth of water. Then, a faint touch of cold caressed her flesh, seeping in gradually, anchoring her lost senses. And, lastly, a faint light pressed against her closed lids, neither bright nor welcoming, yet insistent enough to bring her back. Anshvi’s eyelids flickered, and her breathing grew deeper as consciousness seeped back into her body. When she opened her eyes at last, what she saw made her freeze completely in place. Rough, dirt-encrusted stone loomed inches away from her face, its jagged surface glowing faintly in the unnatural light. And then, the second thing she saw. It struck her even harder than the first: She was lying on top of someone. Her heart leapt in wild, irregular rhythms in her chest, and she struggled up at once, her hands landing on warm flesh beneath hers before she jerked them back as if burned, as if she touched fire itself. And then, she looked down, and he was there, lying beneath her, unconscious, his body still, his breathing shallow and steady, yet unbroken. For a moment, her thoughts went blank, and then came flooding back in a rush. Heat rose to her face. She had been resting on him… far too closely, far too naturally. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came forth. Instead, she turned her face away, clearing her throat softly. Hoping the dimness of the cave would hide the faint flush of colour that rose across her cheeks. She struggled to calm herself, taking a quiet breath before at last looking around. It was then that she saw where she and he were. For a cave deep in the mountain, it was far from dark. A gentle, dream-like light filled the space, and it came from the myriad herbs that grew along the walls. Blues glimmered like still water in the light of the moon, greens pulsed faintly with life, and delicate purples flickered softly like distant stars in the sky. Some of the herbs grew directly out of the stone, their roots merging seamlessly into the mountain itself, while others hung like suspended lanterns, glowing faintly in the still air. The whole space felt alive. The air was thick with spiritual energy, dense enough to feel on her skin, sweetly scented as it settled on her breath. For a moment, she stood there, drinking in the beauty of the quiet moment. And then, almost without thinking, she whispered under her breath. “So… in the end, we arrived at the place we were meant to reach.” She hesitated briefly before continuing, “…though not exactly in the way I imagined.” Before she could take in the rest of the cave, her gaze landed on something on the ground—a long streak of dark colour stretching from the hidden entrance all the way down to where Eklavya was. It was uneven. It was broken in a few places. But it was unmistakably blood. She froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she followed the path of the blood with her eyes, slower this time. “Is… all of this his…?” she whispered, her voice weak, almost fearful of the reply. A strong pang of guilt pierced through her, complicated by something else, something deeper, something warmer, though she was unable to define it. She furrowed her brows, edging forward, and sitting beside him. Her hand quivered slightly as she stretched out to touch him, to remove a piece of stray leaf from his cheek. “Idiot…” she breathed, her voice tight, almost trembling with emotion. “You could have left me. You should have left me.” But even as the words left her lips, she knew. He never would have. For a moment, a lump formed in her throat, almost ready to spill over with emotion. She shut her eyes, breathed in slowly, trying to calm herself down. She placed two fingers against his forehead, touching him gently. “I’m sorry, Eklavya…” she whispered softly, her voice now steady but heavy with intent. “But I need to know eve