".....and Ashwant Veer is the new master of the Diamond," Vrishabha stated.

Celina longed for a room. To lock herself in. To mourn. Something was sneaking up on her, she was lost in her own thoughts that wasn't letting her recognize it. She was too numb to even think how can life could be so unfair, taking away another fatherly figure from her. The last conversation she had with Doctor...she exhaled dejectedly. It was hurting again and badly. The pain was so excruciating that it was difficult to focus on Vrishabha's words. Tears wanted to drop, but her eyes were dried up. She was simply dismayed by recent events. She wanted to get back home and see her friends. But not Hayden Mackay.

Vrishabha might still be talking, Celina wasn't listening though. Numbness taking a toll on her. She walked and walked, staring blankly ahead, and did not rest until they spotted the bridge. Vrishabha was accompanying her, yet she felt alone, forlorn and antsy. Her mind wanting to stick on the thought that had invaded her previously, but her heart was in conflict. She was a confused youth, maxing out on nerves of bitterness and hope.

"Vrishabha," Celina interjected her, pressing down her Moonstone back into her bracelet. "The curse will be lifted off, right?"

She nodded. "It will. It should. There may be a few health issues..."

"I don't care about that. Just wanted it lifted off."

Vrishabha squared her shoulders. "Master, are you going to come back for Almourah?"

"It was Doctor's ambition to end everything related to him. But I can't return without..." She cleared her throat and pushed a strand of her hair back. Blood pulsed through veins resisting the urge to willingly act as per Almourah's wishes. She couldn't believe it was yet too strong. It was magic, she was aware, and the need to get to the bottom of this sparked ablaze. Resuming their walk over the bridge, she mulled over. If she went to her other friends now, how far will they be able to afford taking sides? Without Doctor, will they be able to acquire a remedy for this magic? Could she even wait to fight Hayden once she got a glimpse of him?

Thanks to Vrishabha for helping her deal with continuous hunger and thirst. A day went by finishing up their travel over the bridge. Weather got colder. Her impatience to contact her friends piqued. Giving in to her instincts, she tried to contact Leena once or twice, and when there was no reply she let out a sigh of relief. That made her realize that she wasn't yet ready to jump into any conclusion yet.

By the time they reached the barricade that marked the entrance to the province Uttarameer, Celina momentarily stopped at the spot hearing a high pitched strain in the knight's voice. She had forgotten- the country was completely infiltrated by the Clan of Almourah.

"Quick! Get inside!" the knight was yelling. "Escort the villagers to their huts."

Hundreds of beasts were jumping upon one another to get to the humans, bellowing and shrieking with tremendous hunger. There were terrified neighs erupting from the distance. The hail of bullets unleashed.

She shared a frantic glance with her Constellia, who nodded and disappeared creating a thick whiff of smoke. Celina, huffing and puffing, ran straight up ahead. The walk over the bridge finally came to an end but that didn't give her a lifetime of happiness.

At the moment when she got down the bridge, a strong gust of wind blew past her. Vrishabha had already gotten rid of most of the beasts, but for Celina simply getting rid of them didn't seem the right way of punishing.

A dead body hit the ground in front of her, mutilated and blood oozing out from its limbs. The man's eyes enlarged and staring accusingly at her.

She stood rooted to the ground for a moment, in the lull between the commotion. A humming buzz droned in her ears. There was a snap, like breaking something precious inside her. Recollecting the trauma of the ordeal she ha gone through two days ago, made her want to get deprived of righteousness and justice. There were dots in front of her eyes, and she shook her head. The cries of the knights brought her back to the present. Through her moistening eyes, she blankly watched Vrishabha getting encircled by the beast, and was gently hurling them away.

Everything seemed to be changing, she thought. It was turning from bad to worse. The entire country must be facing a similar commotion, right? And it wouldn't have been this way if she hadn't sent Doctor alone. If she hadn't been downright rebellious. Her throat pained, her heart pounding. Taking herself responsible for the mishappening was the last thing she wanted to do, but even a two-year-old would know that it was her fault.

A crackle of thunder ripped through the sky, dark clouds rolling in. The ground beneath her feet trembled when the beasts came rushing towards her. With a rage surging through her, she took a step ahead and formed the violent tornado at full blast. It was the wind of pain and death. She butchered the remaining beasts, again and again, too bad they never died.

In her madness, she forgot there were knights and other humans present in the location. She was blinded with anger, her Formation extremely grueling to get away from. Crimson drops fell on her skin, and it marked the start of the bloodbath.

"Master, stop!" Vrishabha pulled her back. "We don't kill humans!"

"Go away!" Celina shrieked at her extension, resisting the grip.

"But..."

"Leave me alone!"

Vrishabha stepped back when Celina glared hard at her. Even during the hostile exchange, her Constellia did her duty. "Your wish is my command," she said, "But let me pass on information. Hayden Mackay asked me to tell you that he misses you. Everyone misses you."

Saying that a saddened Vrishabha disappeared. Celina began to take slow breaths, unfaltering determination suddenly replacing by realization. Her extension's last words hit the spot and seemed to be cooling her down, restoring a sense of calmness in her. With beasts gone, with the commotion coming to rest, she pulled the concentration off her stone and the Formation vanished. The thunder rumbled in the absolute silence before she fell on her knees and cried off.

--------------------------

A horse neighed.

Celina sniffed, wiped her tears before she looked up. Coming out of self-absorbed inconvenience, she scrutinized carefully. The locality, which was a sprawling suburb of the village of Narula Dynasty seemed to be filled with terror. With an attack that had happened a few minutes ago, there was a nightmarish quality resonating at an entirely different pitch. The beastly sounds surfaced, and the quickly dissolved. Amidst all the signs of danger, she fixed her concentration only on the painful neigh that continued for a much longer time.

Making her mind up, she walked through a thick covering of trees. The neigh calling upon for help. There was subtle intuitiveness asking her to keep walking until she reached a clearing leading towards the residential area.

The neigh got shriller. Even this location was littered with dead bodies. A couple of knights were lying amidst them. It was enough to get a clue that explained what must have happened here.  The neigh jerked her. At the center of the clearing was a huge clump of mud, and in it was a milky white horse struggling frantically, went under, kicking back up and fighting hard to lift itself up.

Adrenaline coursed through veins. Instincts kicked in, and her love for animals made her run towards it. She heaved a deep breath and with the strength of a dauntless spirit, she generated wind with the power to push over the mud away.

"Come on!" She shrieked, her muscles cramping.

The mane of the horse wisped with the wind, but as the mud went lower, it propelled itself forward and powered over the land. It reared in the air high in the air and neighed tremendously.

Panting, Celina fell on the ground. She had used too much of her strength and her conscious told her it to seek a fine place and rest. It was time to retire for the day no matter what hurdles were awaiting her henceforth.

The horse whinnied and galloped on the spot. Its face was white and majestic, lead rope hooked to his halters was dangling loosely. However, the rest of the body was covered with mud, that sprinkled down with each prance. Celina smiled to herself, feeling a little better especially after killing all those humans. But now she decided to get going. Half an hour later, before she entered the village, she figured that there was someone joining her in the remaining of the journey.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

Celina turned around. The horse was behind her and it took a halt in its own stride, gently shaking its head up and down. She looked at it suspiciously and when the horse never gave another reaction, she resumed walking through the dead silent lane of the village. With the back to back attacks, there was not even a single person outside. The huts of this dynasty, so refined, colorful and multi-storeyed. A small place to spend the night would suffice and kept looking for one. Food, she was craving food and lots of it. And add to her melancholy, it began to drizzle.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

She stopped dead in her way hearing the gentle flounce of the horse. What now? Why was it following her? Celina wetted her lips and shook her head, slightly irked. "Go away!" She yelled.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

"What the hell do you...!" Celina stopped there. Her hair streamed in the sudden whoosh of wind, drizzle splattering on her face. She then depicted the indication. The horse was thinking something and figured what it was. Staring gravelly at its muscles rolling underneath its saddle,  she walked towards it until they came face to face with each other

Celina held it by its bridle.  "Do you want to come with me?"

It tossed his head and neighed in reply. Celina chuckled, eyes filling with moisture again. After days of torture, it was as though something nice has finally happened. Her heart filling with content.

"Will you take me home?" She asked, gently stroking its face.

It was a parcel of her lifestyle- horse-riding.  She had been a pretty good cowgirl herself. All the training with her own Clan, which was meant to hang around with her people, finally seemed worthwhile. She had always dreamt about owning a horse one day. The inner woman in her thought she was destined to meet the horse that was so...horsey.

"Horsey?" Celina chuckled at her own childishness. "I love the name. Do you?"

Since the very day, Horsey had been her partner in crimes. It was a sidekick who helped her in the deeds she had done to and for her friends. Day after day and month after month, Celina and her horse had traveled through the country, researching and developing ideas. being in action in hindsight.

She killed Shashi's men to keep Pruthvi protected.

She kidnapped the members of Clan of Pradhan and extracted information about Tyrell.

She struggled with the fever day and night. Waited patiently until the curse was lifted off.

She kept an eye on Leena that that had helped figure out where Jyran lived.

Crack! Damn the twigs cracked loudly beneath her feet when she visited Rawat's palace to acquire the butcher's knife. The knife, that Jyran had used to murder Doctor, was going to come in handy.

That was also the day when she saw Hayden, after a long time, who was roaming in the silent Rawat dynasty. Her irresistible impulse urges had forced her to be done with what Almourah wanted. But then she understood why he was exploring the place and read the notes he had written to meet the villagers. She realized that he was no longer that troubled teenager afflicted with the misery of losing parents and coping up with the effects of the stone. He had a purpose and her affection for him only helped her triumph over those insane urges.

The decision was based on the circumstances. She couldn't meet any of her friends. That would only set herself as an intermediary between Almourah and the Cornelian user.

------------------------------

Celina brushed Horsey one last time before she bid good night and walked out of the stable. Although her horse wasn't going to sleep given its instincts are to keep a constant eye out for danger.

She removed the hood of the jacket and walked inside her gloomy house. The tunnel leading to her living room seemed never-ending. Her muscles were aching in extreme tiredness. There was faint restlessness in her heart for the meet with Tyrell today had turned out to be a disastrous one. The day was more than over for her, and she wanted to slip into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

The knob of the door felt a little cool when she held it and twisted it. In the process, a shadow crossed from underneath the threshold. She gasped. There was someone inside her house. A sudden chirping sound assailed her senses. Sensing danger, she swiftly opened the door.

Her breath caught in her throat. Whatever she was looking at was far away from danger.

Once a blackened burnt house was now completely transformed. She didn't know how, who, and why, but it was turned into a glorious indoor garden. The grassy floor with a path around it. Beds of shrubs and creepers spreading the iridescent greenery. The aroma coming from the rich colorful flowers. The tiny waterfall between small ponds at the corner. A flock of parrots glided over her head. She chuckled watching them go. Her tiredness vanished getting to see this awesomeness of nature. Everything she loved was inside her house.

Her hardened stoned heart of a murderer was softening with inexplicable happiness. It was as the remedy she had been looking for. There was no one to speak the words, but something told her that this life was meant to shine.

New furniture, glossy and tidy, were placed in the middle of the living room. A painting was resting over the table. It was a perfect painting of Tyrell- his masculine face peeking out from his hat, while his hand holding the brim. This was the exact replica of the picture she once had hidden in her room back in the academy. She was flustered for a moment.

Besides the feelings of gratitude, there was anxiousness too. She wanted to know who did this, and if there was any mean intention behind it. Who must have known her likes and dislikes so well. Wasn't it Pruthvi or perhaps Leena who knew where she lived? Or was there really someone out there wishing her to be herself.

She held the painting in her hand and found a note under it which read- "Happy Birthday, Celina. And I'm sorry."

-x-