A powerful kick in the torso got the beast slammed into the wall. It snorted bitterly tumbling down on the ground with a thump. Its huge buttoned eyes enlarged. "Sire," it muttered, horror-struck. Being absurdly frightened it made typical beastly sounds and hastened away out of the tunnel as though a scalded monkey.

Tears and blood were flooding down. Celina groaned in her wail of anguish. She felt dirty and distorted, yet she wouldn't let the attack rip her heart and soul into pieces. The beast wasn't taking the pleasure off her anymore. However, the pain didn't subside. It was only aggravating with the mourning, to which she rebelled against.

"Get up!"

The voice sounded familiar, but the pain wouldn't let her oblige.

"Get up!" The voice, this time, was harsher.

She moaned and groaned, her insides burning. Her brain asking her to draw courage unto herself. Despite her condition, she felt her spirit strong enough to deal with the situation she wasn't responsible for. Depending on remaining strength, she fluttered her eyes open and watched through her tears.

Light shone from the opening maw of the tunnel, backlighting the reflection of the tall man standing beside her feet. Celina's eyes flew open. She gasped loudly in horror, not expecting him to come to her rescue. Forgetting about her hands being tied with ropes, she tried to slide back but in vain.

For a while, she struggled being stuck at the same spot. To think wisely or rather anything at all was unlikely. Relentless fear mounted as Almourah took a step forward and leaned down. With his razor-sharp talons for nails, he easily cut the ropes. Celina quickly pulled her hand and legs close to her protectively and sat straight against the wall. Blood leaked down from the torn gaps of her outfits, wet hair plastered to either side of her face. She pulled her knees up to her shivering chin and counted the seconds until regaining a sound common sense that condemned her fear to be any real.

Almourah leaned further closer, pointedly staring at her cuts, deep gashes and at her shoulder bleeding heavily from the teeth marks. Her skin blistering with acid burns. She tightened her fists when panic arose in her nerves. Finding Almourah scrutinizing her bloodied body, the sensation of worry clenched in her gut. She needed her stone so bad.

After a few moments of sickly silence, he uttered a groan and fixed a stare with her. "Last chance," he said, "Go away. Come back with him. And I leave the woman of the country alone. Last chance."

He lifted his hand and tossed a few things on the floor beside her. A thick rug and the bracelet. Her heart sank. She was torn between denying and accepting any help from him. His avid hatred towards the woman made her believe that he was showing mercy on her only because she was the bearer of the Moonstone.

Almourah then lashed a hard fist into her side. Celina got startled, a yell escaped her throat. She shifted her position aside when a crack formed on the wall on the collision, and pieces fell down as small fragments of stone. A streak of water flowed down forming a puddle of water.

She trembled slightly, understanding his intention. Tears dropped down. But what was she supposed to do, thank him?

Breathing like a wild hog, Almourah rose to his feet and began to walk away.

"He is innocent," Celina claimed, keeping her voice mellow. In her state of vulnerability, words flew out as if they were going to have any impact on the other person. "You want to fight with someone who never even asked for the Cornelian. Aren't you hurting yourself for holding a grudge against him?"

He slightly turned his head aside and sneered. His face smoldering with aversion. "My fight is with Haima."

Doubts and suspicions raised in her heart but neither of them muttered another word now that her name had come up. Why would they anyway, when they agreed upon the same fact that Haimavati was indeed the real source of friction between him and the country.

Almourah resumed walking away, his stride slow and even. Celina silently watched him go. There was a sudden shift in his movements, his extremities shimmered, his body becoming transparent and quickly dissolved into thin air.

She let out a low moan of a surprise, although it shouldn't be. The Fest was over, Almourah was back to being invisible, and unless she had her stone with the curse laid off, she may not be able to see him ever again.

She relaxed her muscles. Pain and agony in her heart were intense but a couple of deep breathing helped her take control over every movement of her body. She pulled her hair back and wiped the precipitation and blood off her forehead. Yuck! She felt disgusted feeling the stench coming out of her. Having no other choice, she helped herself with the water.

A couple of snack bars were perched at the corner. She devoured them in a go. Gosh, how hungry she was. But not as much as she used to be before the intensive training with Doctor. She then wore her bracelet back up. All in silence, bottling up her emotions that would only worsen the awfulness. She covered herself in the rug. There was a weird odor coming out it reminding her of lemons.

Despite the fear of encountering a beast again and the physical weakness, she made her way out of the tunnel. She wanted to get out of the place, and the sooner the better. It was getting harder to put up with her wounds, given how habituated she was to the stone. As soon as she stepped out of the tunnel, her eyes shrunk automatically. She seemed to be sensitive even to the brilliance of the sun. A Samagraha without a stone that she was now. What else could she expect?

It was puzzling to recall the path from where Doctor and she had first entered the territory. She looked here and there but got irked by the haziness in her sight. She couldn't stand to figure out where the bridge was. Taking slow steps, she walked with slumped shoulders and eyes on the ground.

The temperature was slowly and steadily dropping as the sun barely glowed over the horizon. She pulled the rug closer, it seemed to be getting soaked with her blood but she couldn't care less. For what it felt like an eternity, she finally made it to the stream surrounding the territory. She gagged, ruins of Matsyasvi were flowing with the bloodied stream. A million ideas arose instantly on how to create a way through it, but damn, only if she had her stone with her.

There was a sudden screeching sound. She turned around and instantly took a step back in fear. The beast was running towards her. Was it the same one, she wouldn't know. They all looked alike. With the seemingly only beast remained in the territory charging towards her, she found herself in a terrible situation once again. No choice was left but to run through the stream. Stealing her heart, she decided to go for it. Her stomach pained but felt motivated to do so with the rising tension. And when she took a step ahead, her insides filled with warmth...

Boom!

A cloud with jet black smoke shrouded in the area. But she paid attention to the growing strength and stamina, having her resume a full stiff stance. She dabbed the pocket and there it was. A smile broke. She pulled the rag and threw aside. The very next moment the beast that had been running towards her was strangled to death, its pieces swam away with the other dead parts of Matsyasvi.

Her enthusiasm had no bounds and she took a moment to fully regain her strength. A tingling sensation surged through her skin which was the first stage of the healing process. Letting out a huge sigh, she looked about the one who was her savior number two for the day. And looking at her thoroughly, geez, it had really been a while since they last worked together.

"Master," Vrishabha said, bowing a little. "Naag sent me to find you."

The wind whistled past furiously, the smoke disappeared. Her Constellia, twice the size in height and built as of her, seemed quite dull and laden, unlike her normal self. Despite that, Celina was extremely pleased to see her and she couldn't stop herself from hugging her, clasping the tall Constellia's torso.

"Vrishabha," said Celina, stepping back, "Wha...what happened in the Parallel Universe? I heard something."

She showed no concern in her face for the news she was about to give. "Shaytan Rup is dead. Hayden Mackay killed him."

Celina let out a hearty low chuckle. "How did you find me?"

"With the help of Moonstone," she replied, her eyes slipping down to her skin on her neck, "It was trapped in the Samavek. That man was running away with it."

Celina furrowed her brow, her stomach contracted with sudden revulsion. "Did you have an encounter?"

"Yes. But it was an easy one. I knocked him with the blast of wind and took the Moonstone out of the box. I traveled with it. Master, did that man steal your stone?"

Celina nodded. "What did you do with him?"

"Nothing. Left him and the box in the same place."

"And you came running all the way to here for me?" Celina asked, quite angrily.

Vrishabha took a pause, taken aback, her pouty lips pooching a little bit more. "Shouldn't I?"

Celina took a sharp breath and gently shook her head. She had to control her emotions. Nobody was responsible for her terrible fate. None but Jyran and the Late Haima. "Sorry," she said, "But the man isn't worth living, Vrishabha. You should have atleast held him captive. He got my stone, you witnessed it. Didn't you realize that he could have done something to me?"

There was a quick blip of agitation. Deep in her heart, a burning sensation soared. A purpose of what must be done once she got back to Dakshinpur. However, it was only the excitement of a young mind making her think that way. She pressed her eyes shut to oppress the idea. Doctor was the only person she wanted to meet, and make a new plan to come back for the Blade.

"And do what, master?" Vrishabha asked, "Hold him captive, and take him to where?"

"To Doctor, who else?" she replied. "During my absence, isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

"Doctor passed away," Vrishabha said, "Diamond's already..."

"What did you say?" Celina shrieked.

There was a sudden stroke of wind,  an unexpected wave of the stream crashed against the shoreline. And her entire world felt shattering around her.