The Lost Crown.

chapter 11 - Shadows in the dark.

Chapter 11: Shadows in the Dark

The forest seemed alive, breathing and shifting as Ishaani, Arnav, and Raghav moved deeper into its depths. The moonlight barely pierced through the thick canopy above, casting eerie shadows that danced along the ground. Every rustle, every creak of a branch felt like a warning. There was something malevolent in the air, something watching them from the darkness.

Ishaani's heart raced, though she masked her fear with a calm exterior. She had always been good at that—hiding what she felt, burying her pain beneath layers of indifference. But tonight was different. The forest whispered her name, each step drawing her closer to the truth she had spent her life avoiding.

Ahead, Raghav led the way, his dark figure nearly blending into the night. He moved with unsettling confidence, as if he knew these woods too well. His presence sent a chill down Ishaani’s spine, but she kept quiet. She needed him. For now.

Arnav walked beside her, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, hand never straying far from the sword at his side. He was tense, more so than usual. Ishaani could feel the unease radiating off him, but he said nothing. Their unspoken bond was enough. He would stand by her, even in the face of the unknown.

Suddenly, Raghav stopped, his hand raised to signal silence. The group froze.

"What is it?" Arnav whispered, his voice barely audible.

Raghav didn’t answer immediately. His head tilted slightly, as if listening to something only he could hear. After a moment, he turned back to them, his expression grim.

"We’re being followed."

Ishaani’s breath caught in her throat. She strained her ears, trying to detect what Raghav had heard, but the forest remained still. Too still.

"How many?" she asked, her voice steady but low.

"Three. No, four," Raghav replied, his voice as quiet as the night. "They’ve been tracking us since we entered the forest."

Arnav’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword. "Let them come," he growled, eyes scanning the darkness.

"No." Raghav’s voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. "We don’t want a confrontation, not yet. These aren’t ordinary men. They’re sent by him."

Ishaani’s blood ran cold. Him. The mysterious figure who had haunted her dreams, the one who wanted the crown just as badly as she did. He had always been a shadow in the distance, a threat she had yet to face directly. Until now.

"We need to move," Raghav continued, his eyes flicking to Ishaani. "They’ll strike if we linger."

Without another word, they pushed forward, quickening their pace as the trees closed in around them. The air grew thicker, heavier, as if the forest itself was trying to trap them. Every sound seemed amplified—the crunch of leaves underfoot, the distant howl of the wind—but beneath it all, Ishaani could hear it. Footsteps. Quiet, deliberate. Following.

Her heart pounded louder in her ears, her pulse quickening with each passing moment. They were close, too close. Whoever was hunting them wasn’t far behind.

"We’re almost there," Raghav said in a low voice, his tone unnervingly calm.

"Almost where?" Arnav snapped, frustration seeping into his voice. He had never trusted Raghav, and Ishaani knew this situation only made things worse.

"The entrance," Raghav replied, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "The path to the crown."

Ishaani’s breath hitched. They were close—closer than she had anticipated. The crown, the key to her past, to the answers she had been searching for her entire life, was within reach. But the danger was closing in faster.

"How do you know this?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Raghav. "How do you know where to find it?"

Raghav gave her a knowing look, the corners of his mouth curving into a smirk. "I know more than you think, Ishaani. More than you’ve ever asked."

Before Ishaani could respond, a low growl echoed through the trees. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It wasn’t human.

"What was that?" Arnav whispered, his voice tight.

Raghav didn’t answer. He moved quickly, grabbing Ishaani’s arm and pulling her toward a cluster of trees. "Hide."

They slipped into the shadows, barely making a sound as they crouched behind the thick trunks. Arnav followed, his eyes scanning the area, searching for the source of the growl.

The forest fell deathly silent. The footsteps had stopped. The air felt oppressive, like something was pressing down on them, suffocating them.

Then, out of the darkness, they emerged.

Four figures, cloaked in black, their faces hidden behind masks that gleamed in the faint light. They moved with unnatural grace, their footsteps barely making a sound as they scanned the forest floor. They were hunters, trained for this. Trained to kill.

Ishaani held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest. She glanced at Arnav, who had already drawn his sword, his grip steady. Raghav remained still, his eyes fixed on the figures as they moved closer.

The tension was suffocating, the air thick with the threat of violence. One wrong move, and it would all be over.

The lead figure stopped, his head tilting slightly as if sensing something. Ishaani’s pulse quickened. Had they been spotted?

Without warning, the figure turned, his hand raised. A signal.

In an instant, the others scattered, vanishing into the darkness like shadows.

"They're going for the entrance," Raghav whispered urgently. "We need to move now."

Ishaani’s heart lurched. The crown was within reach, but so were the enemies who would stop at nothing to claim it.

"Go!" she hissed, pushing herself to her feet.

They ran, the trees blurring around them as they sprinted through the forest. The hunters were close, but so was the entrance. Ishaani could feel it—like a pulse in the air, a beckoning force that called to her, pulling her toward it.

And then, they saw it. A stone archway, ancient and covered in vines, hidden deep within the heart of the forest. The entrance to the chamber where the crown lay.

But as they reached the archway, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

Ishaani froze.

"Welcome," the figure said, his voice cold and filled with menace. "I’ve been waiting for you."

The man’s face was hidden beneath a dark hood, but Ishaani knew who it was. The one she had feared, the one who had been hunting her from the beginning.

The man who wanted the crown.

"Who are you?" Arnav demanded, stepping forward, his sword raised.

The figure laughed softly, the sound chilling in the quiet night. "You already know who I am."

Ishaani’s heart pounded as realization dawned on her. She had seen him before—in her dreams, in the shadows of her memories.

He was the one who knew the truth about her past.

And he wasn’t going to let her leave without a fight.