Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 35: Coldly Hot

Kiran's POV:

Okay, I must have missed a tree. Can't see shit in this hellhole of trees. And oh, great, now it's raining. Midnight, thorns and shrubs tearing at me. Fantastic.

Map's damp, not drenched. I'll manage. More trees. That one looks so... tree-ish? Whatever. I'm soaked, raincoat useless. Not wet-drenched.

Finally, a clearing. Pushing these heavy-ass vines-grunts. Seriously, losing strength if these tangles feel heavy-WHOAAA.

Guess what I'm looking at. Go on, guess.

Secret meadow. Stream flowing, mountains. Winded. No one's watching, so I'm gasping. If it weren't raining, you'd see me crying. Don't look at me like that. Thinking I'm bipolar? Tell me how you'd feel seeing your parents' graves. Been a while since the palace fire. But something stops me. Instincts. Someone's here. I look around-nothing.

Head back to camp. Not today. Not ready for their graves. Two-hour trek back. Tired, drenched, sleepy, massive migraine, and ecstatic about this walk. Who doesn't love being scratched to death by thorns and shrubs?

Me.

***

Chaos. It's the first thing I wake up to. My clothes still cling damply to me, mud streaked all over, my hair wet and tangled.

And the worst part? The annoying sound of giggles fills the camp. Great. The girls and their boys, all high on their morning fun.

I step out of my tent, and there it is-exactly what I expected. The boys are chasing the girls, who are waving boxers on sticks like it's some victory flag. The girls-Geeta, Madhu, Mohini, and Ishana-dressed in barely-there shorts and tiny tops, showing off every curve they have. They always flaunt their bodies, soft and full. They don't care if everyone watches, if it draws attention. They thrive on it. Not like I would care.

I catch a glimpse of them running around with all that joy, their giggles bouncing through the air like they've got no worries at all. What I wouldn't give to knock them all down a peg.

Imagine being that immature.

I stretch and rub the tension out of my neck, shaking off my irritation. I've got better things to focus on.

Pragyan's POV:

Today's officially a mess. Why, you ask? Our boxers. They're hanging on sticks, for everyone to see. The girls declared war, and there's no point trying to reason with them. They're like little queens of chaos.

Shivansh is fuming beside me. Arnav, being his usual cocky self, looks over at me and smirks. "I'm gonna grab one of those sticks and spank Madhu good."

Madhav grins at me. "Don't need to tell us what happens with Ishana at night, bro."

I can't help but groan. "Seriously, dude. Chill. Ishana and I don't do that kind of stuff...yet." Yeah, we make out, and she's all soft curves, but it's casual. We both know once she finds her soulmate, she'll move on. It's a mutual understanding.

But that's the thing. Kiran's my soulmate. Everyone in Sintara knows-except her. It's been like that for years. I thought maybe... maybe the bond would draw her to me eventually. Instead, she hates me. The venom in her eyes every time she looks at me, the cold distance... I screwed up somewhere along the line. But I can't help it-I still adore her. Even now, when she steps out of her tent, lanky, lean, looking like she's about to rip someone's head off... she's still got that effect on me.

The other girls flaunt their bodies, all soft curves and smiles, but Kiran? She's all lean muscle, hard edges. Puberty barely touched her, and it makes her stand out in this world where softness is valued. She doesn't try to get attention-hell, she avoids it-but that only makes her more magnetic to me. She's raw, real.

I wave at her like an idiot. "Hey, Kiran. Sleep well?"

She turns those cold, piercing eyes my way, probably plotting my slow death in her head. Still, I smile. I'm used to it. She hates me with every fiber of her being, but at least she's looking at me. That's something, right?

And yeah, I can sometimes hear her thoughts. Not intentionally, though. I mean, I'm not a creep. It's part of the whole soulmate bond, but I try not to listen. Right now, I hear the faintest whisper of sarcasm in her head-Why does he even try?-and I bite back a grin.

The girls stop prancing for a moment, noticing her, too. Kiran eyes them with barely hidden disdain. She's probably amused at their antics, but she'd never show it. That small, rare smirk barely tugs at her lips before vanishing, replaced by that stoic mask she always wears.

Damn, she's hot when she's mad.

Kiran's POV:

Pragyan waves at me like some lovesick fool. Idiot. Why does he even bother? The sight of him makes my blood boil, and not in the good way. Everything about him pisses me off-the cocky smile, the way he looks at me like I'm still his, like nothing's changed. He's delusional.

It's not like he's with Ishana for anything deep. It's obvious they're just a fling, and honestly, I don't care what he does with her. She's got the body that all the boys drool over-curvy, perfect, and always on display.

I, on the other hand, couldn't care less. Lean muscle, barely-there curves, and no desire to flaunt what I don't have. If anything, I'm glad to be different from the girls.

I lock eyes with Pragyan for a split second before turning away. Why does he keep trying?