The night was deathly still, shrouded in pitch-black darkness. Arohi, sword in hand, galloped toward the deep forest on her spirited horse. No sound could be heard except for the rhythmic thud of the horse's hooves. Suddenly, at the entrance of the woods, a strange, ghostly white mist swirled around her. The fog was so dense that she couldn't even see the palm of her own hand. Arohi realized this was no ordinary mist; it was the sorcery of the High Priestess, Gurumata. From all directions, the howling of jackals echoed, but it didn't sound like animals—it sounded like sinister, mocking laughter. Steeling her heart, Arohi urged her horse forward into the unknown.
As she delved deeper, the forest began to transform. The branches of ancient, towering trees suddenly began to writhe and move. Arohi saw long vines by the roadside creeping toward her like serpents, trying to entangle her horse's legs. The tree branches bent low, blocking her path like skeletal hands. Without a flicker of fear, Arohi screamed, "No one can stop me today!" She unsheathed her sword and began hacking through the magical vines and branches. With every strike, the trees emitted a sound like human groans.
Passing through the woods, she finally reached the base of the mountain, right before Gurumata's cave. Suddenly, the air turned stagnant. A chilling, rattling sound emerged from beneath the earth. Arohi watched in horror as a horde of skeletons, wielding rusted swords, rose from the ground. They surrounded her in a circle, their hollow eye sockets glowing with an eerie fire. As she prepared for battle, the sky turned black as hundreds of bats descended. But these were not Aditya; they were the witch's pet, bloodthirsty bats. They swooped down from the sky, ready to tear her apart.
Arohi swung her sword with fierce determination, engaging the skeleton army. It was a hellish scene—the clashing of rusted blades against hers and the frantic flapping and piercing shrieks of bats overhead. But in Arohi's mind, only Aditya's face remained. The witch's dark magic began to falter against Arohi's unwavering courage. The skeletons crumbled into dust under the might of her sword. Reaching the very threshold of the witch's lair, Arohi realized that the true battle was yet to come.After turning the skeleton army into dust, Arohi stood at the entrance of the cave. Inside, it was pitch black, filled with a haunting silence. The sound of water dripping down the cave walls made the stillness even more terrifying. As she stepped forward, the sound of bones crunching echoed—human remains and skulls lay scattered everywhere. There was no natural light; only a sacrificial fire flickered in the center of the cave. The reddish glow of the flames cast eerie, dancing shadows on the stone walls.
Seated right in front of the sacrificial fire was the evil High Priestess, Gurumata. Before her lay a massive crystal ball, emitting a faint blue light. Even as she saw Arohi enter, she didn't look up. With a grotesque smile, she said, "I have seen it all, Arohi. I watched your displays of courage through this crystal ball. I knew you would overcome every obstacle to reach me."
Arohi gripped her sword tightly and said, "Then you must also know why I am here! You have destroyed the person I love; you have turned him into a monster!"
Gurumata finally raised her head to look at Arohi. Her eyes were as sharp as a serpent's. She let out a cackling laugh and said, "I don't want to kill you, girl! If you wish, you can take this magical key from around my neck and leave without a fight. Why risk your life needlessly? You cannot defeat my mystical powers with just a sword."
Arohi's eyes flared with rage. She stepped forward and roared, "Not kill you? You manipulated my mother and destroyed the life of an innocent Prince! If I listen to you and leave today, tomorrow you will use your dark magic to ruin someone else's life. A poisonous witch like you has no right to exist in this world!"
Pointing her sword directly at Gurumata, Arohi declared, "I am not here for a compromise. Either you die, or I return only after seizing this key!"
Gurumata rose from her seat. She struck her staff against the ground, and the sacrificial fire leaped twenty feet into the air. She screamed, "Then so be it! Let's see which is sharper—your sword or my magical powers!"
The next moment, Arohi lunged at Gurumata with her sword. An unequal battle began. The clanging of the sword against magic and the witch's demonic chants made the entire cave tremble.Inside the cave, sparks flew as the sword clashed with the magical staff. Gurumata was using all her dark powers to corner Arohi. But Arohi was prepared. During the heat of the battle, she had strategically poured the oil she brought with her onto a patch of the floor. As the witch stepped forward with a sinister laugh to deliver a fatal blow, her foot hit the oil, and she slipped violently.
With a loud thud, Gurumata hit the ground, and her magical staff went flying across the cave. Before the witch could even regain her senses, Arohi raised her sword with the speed of lightning and struck with all her might. In a single instant, the witch's head was severed from her body. The decapitated head rolled straight into the blazing sacrificial fire. As the head burned to ashes, a supernatural phenomenon occurred—the headless body lying on the floor slowly turned into smoke and vanished into thin air.
The entire cave fell into a haunting silence. Arohi's heart was pounding wildly in her chest. A sudden wave of panic hit her—what happened to the key? If the witch's body had turned to ash, was the key destroyed in the fire as well? With trembling hands, she began to clear the ashes using the tip of her sword. Suddenly, something glittered beneath the heap of grey dust. To her relief, Arohi saw that the magical key was lying there, completely unharmed!
Without wasting a second, Arohi picked up the key. Its cold touch reminded her that her battle wasn't over yet—she still had to save Aditya. As she stepped out of the cave, the cool night air brushed against her face. She quickly mounted her horse. Now, she had only one goal: the palace and the Magic Mirror!