Tower bahut zyada khamosh tha.
Itna ki dil ghabra jaaye.
Riven ne sabse pehle mehsoos kiya—
hawa ka badalna, deewaron ke beech kuch galat sa sarakta hua.
Woh sakht ho gaya, Ariana ko aur zor se thaam liya.
“Hilna mat,” usne dheere se kaha.
Ariana ne sar uthaya. “Kya hua?”
“Ek jaal hai.”
Pathar ke floor par bane runes achanak chamak uthe—
tez neele rang mein.
Magic ne Riven ke sharir par zor se vaar kiya,
use wahi jamma diya.
Usne dahaar maari jab uski parchhaiyaan usse cheen li gayi,
nazariye na aane wali zanjeeron se baandh di gayi.
“Riven!” Ariana cheekhi.
Khambon ke peeche se kuch log bahar aaye—
Hunters.
Par yeh pehle jaise nahi the.
Yeh poori taiyaari ke saath, bharose ke saath chal rahe the.
Unka leader muskuraya.
“Use yahan lane ke liye shukriya.”
Ariana tez se ghoomi. “Tumne humein follow kiya?”
“Nahi,” aadmi shaant awaaz mein bola.
“Kisi aur ne humein yahan tak pahunchaya.”
Riven ki nazar darwaaze par ja atki.
Wahan ek pehchaani si parchai khadi thi—
koi jise Ariana ne kabhi bharosa kiya tha.
Uski saans atak gayi jab pehchaan hui.
“Tum…” woh sirf itna hi keh paayi.
Dhokha, darr se bhi zyada jalne laga.
Hunters aage badhne lage.
Ariana ghabrahat ke bawajood Riven ke aage khadi ho gayi.
“Use chhod do. Main tumhare saath chalungi.”
Riven ne zanjeeron ke khilaaf zor lagaya.
“Nahi! Ariana, mat—”
Woh uski taraf ghoomi, aankhon mein chamak aur aansu.
“Tumne mujhe bachaya.
Ab mujhe tumhe bachane do.”
Woh uske kareeb jhuki—
itni kareeb ki unki saansein mil gayin.
Ek pal ke liye, poori duniya gaayab ho gayi.
Riven ne apna bandha hua haath uthaya,
uske gaal ko choo kar.
“Agar tum chali gayi…
shayad main tumhe dobara kabhi na dhoondh paun.”
Ariana aansuon ke beech muskurayi.
“Phir main intezaar karungi.”
Hunters ne use pakad liya.
Jab use andhere mein ghaseet kar le jaaya gaya,
Riven ke andar ka shraap apni saari hadon ko tod gaya.
Tower parchhaiyon ke saath phat pada.
Aur sheher ne mehsoos kiya—
qatil jaag chuka tha…
pehle se bhi zyada gusse mein.
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