Two days later, Aaika was preparing to go with Arin.
She was thinking carefully about her next move.
"What should I do now…" she murmured.
Just then, Wish suggested,
"Why don't we just capture him in the jungle itself?"
Aaika shook her head immediately.
"No. He's not that foolish. He won't fall into our trap so easily. We need to wait… until he trusts me completely."
Wish nodded.
"Alright."
After that, Aaika went to Rambh.
"I'm leaving now," she said.
Rambh looked at her and replied coldly,
"Go. But remember—there is no need for attachment. He is our enemy. And you only have two months. I want him in my captivity."
Aaika nodded firmly.
"It will be done."
She left.
As soon as she was gone, Iren spoke softly,
"What if this plan backfires on us?"
Rambh's expression hardened.
"That will not happen. I am not a fool like you. I have planned this for years—it will not fail. And if Aaika dares to rebel against me…"
He paused, his voice turning darker.
"…she will lose her life. Because her life belongs only to me."
Iren fell silent.
On Earth, Arin came to pick Aaika up from her house.
Mr. and Mrs. Malhotra were present.
As Aaika was leaving, Mr. Malhotra said with concern,
"Take care of yourself, beta. Keep me informed, and if there's any problem, let me know."
Before Aaika could reply, Arin said confidently,
"She's going under my responsibility. Nothing will happen to her. I'll take care of everything."
With that, Arin and Aaika left together.
At the trip location, Arin's four friends were already there—two boys and two girls, both couples.
As soon as they reached the forest, they set up camp and began enjoying themselves.
Laughter, jokes, conversations—
Everything felt lively.
But Aaika… felt different.
She couldn't relate to them.
So she quietly walked away and stood at a distance, talking to Wish.
Just then, Arin approached her.
"Who are you talking to alone?" he asked.
Aaika replied casually,
"Myself."
Arin smiled slightly.
"Then why did you come here? You could've stayed with the others."
Aaika said honestly,
"I don't really understand their conversations."
Arin nodded.
"Yeah… they're couples. Even I'm not that interested."
He looked ahead and added,
"Before I take over my father's business… I just want to live my life properly for once."
Aaika looked at him for a moment.
Then she asked suddenly,
"Do you believe in demons?"
Arin replied without hesitation,
"Yes. If God exists, then demons must exist too."
Aaika narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Have you ever seen a demon?"
Arin smiled.
"Have you ever seen God?"
Aaika paused.
"No."
Arin shrugged lightly.
"Exactly. But we still believe, don't we?"
Aaika said nothing.
For a while, they just talked.
Time passed quietly.
Soon, it was late at night.
Arin stood up and said,
"You should sleep now. You're still awake like some vampire."
Without thinking, Aaika quickly replied,
"Well… that's true."
Arin laughed.
"I knew you were joking."
He walked away.
But Aaika stood there silently.
Because what she said… wasn't a joke.
She really was a creature of the night.
Later, Aaika went back to the camp and lay down with the other girls.
But sleep didn't come easily.
Because for the first time…
The line between truth and lie was slowly starting to blur.
To be continued…