Aftermath of the Battle

Siddharth wiped the sweat from his brow, the adrenaline of the battle still coursing through his veins. He glanced at Aisha, who was catching her breath, her face set in a determined expression despite the exhaustion that he knew she must be feeling.

"Aisha, we need to get out of here," Siddharth said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We can't risk more of those... things finding us."

Aisha nodded, her eyes scanning the area. "You're right. Let's move quickly and quietly."

The two of them began to make their way through the dark forest, the moonlight barely penetrating the thick canopy above. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves underfoot and their own labored breathing. As they moved, Siddharth couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

He turned his head, scanning the shadowy undergrowth. For a moment, he thought he saw a pair of purple glowing eyes staring back at him. His heart skipped a beat, but when he looked again, they were gone, as if they had vanished into the darkness.

"Did you see that?" Siddharth whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

"See what?" Aisha asked, turning to look at him.

"Nothing... I thought I saw something, but it's gone now," Siddharth replied, shaking his head.

"Let's just keep moving," Aisha said, her voice firm but gentle. "We can worry about shadows later."

They pressed on, their pace quickening as they neared the edge of the forest. Suddenly, the sound of voices reached their ears. Siddharth tensed, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his remaining sword.

"Wait, I think it's people from our camp," Aisha said, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make out the figures approaching them.

As they emerged from the forest, they were greeted by a small search party. The group looked relieved to see them, but their expressions quickly turned to concern as they noticed the state of Aisha and Siddharth.

"Prince Siddharth! Lady Aisha!" one of the search party members exclaimed, rushing forward. "Are you alright? We heard noises and feared the worst!"

Siddharth glanced at Aisha, who was leaning heavily on him for support. Her face was pale, and blood was still seeping from the cuts and gashes she had sustained during the battle.

"We were ambushed by a particularly vicious pack of wild animals," Siddharth explained, his voice weary. "We managed to fight them off, but we need to get back to camp. Aisha needs medical attention."

Suddenly, a young woman with a familiar, determined expression and bright eyes rushed forward. Siddharth's heart lifted as he recognized his sister, Vaniika. She was a prisoner of war, and seeing her here, out in the open, was both a surprise and a relief.

"Brother!" Vaniika cried out, her voice filled with worry and relief. She threw her arms around Siddharth, hugging him tightly. "I was so scared! What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Vaniika," Siddharth said, trying to sound reassuring as he returned her hug. "Aisha took the worst of it. We need to get her treated first."

"Don't be stubborn, Siddharth," Vaniika replied, pulling back and looking at him with tear-filled eyes. "Both of you need help. Let's go, quickly."

With the help of the search party, they made their way back to the camp. The night was quiet now, the only sound the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees and the distant hoot of an owl. The tension from the battle was slowly ebbing away, replaced by a deep exhaustion.

As they approached the camp, the field dispensary came into view. It was a large tent, well-lit and bustling with activity. Medics and vaidyas were moving about, tending to other wounded soldiers and preparing supplies.

"Bring them here," one of the vaidyas called out as they entered the tent. "Lay them down gently."

Siddharth helped Aisha onto a cot, wincing as he moved. He hadn't realized how much his own wounds were hurting until now. He sank onto the cot beside her, his body finally giving in to the fatigue.

A vaidya with kind eyes and a gentle touch began to examine Aisha's injuries. "These are deep, but not fatal. She'll need stitching and rest," she said, her voice calm and professional.

Another vaidya approached Siddharth. "Let's take a look at you, Prince Siddharth. You've got quite a few cuts and bruises yourself."

As the vaidyas worked, Vaniika hovered nearby, her eyes filled with worry. "What happened out there, Siddharth? Why were you there anyway?"

"We didn't plan to," Siddharth replied, wincing as the vaidya cleaned a particularly nasty cut on his arm. "We were scouting the area when they ambushed us. There were so many of them..."

"You're lucky to be alive," Vaniika said, her voice shaking slightly. "I can't believe you took them on by yourselves."

"We had no choice," Aisha said weakly, her eyes half-closed. "It was either fight or die."

The vaidya tending to Aisha looked up and nodded. "She's right. They did well to survive. But you both need to rest now. No more talking."

Siddharth lay back on the cot, exhaustion washing over him. As his eyes began to close, he thought about the purple eyes he had seen in the forest. What had they been? A new threat? Or just his imagination playing tricks on him?

In the silence of the tent, Siddharth activated his live map, a holographic projection only he could see. He scanned the area for any sign of a rift that could have allowed the wraiths to appear. To his shock, there was no rift nearby. The only one in the area was over a hundred kilometers away, deep in the territory of the Chacha Dynasty.

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

UNIDENTIFIED RIFT

LEVEL - ABYSALL

TIME UNTIL RAPTURE - ??????

UNIVERSE - ??????

??????- ??????

D̶͓̓Ǒ̷̦ ̷̙͝N̷̖̈́O̴̹̎T̶̩̾ ̷͈̌A̸̡̽P̵̧̍P̵͚̋R̸̛͖O̷̝̕A̶̻̓C̶̪̈́H̶͈͠ ̸̘̀U̷̚ͅṈ̷̚Ȧ̴̭T̴͙̄T̶̳̐E̶̺͛N̷̹̿D̴͚͝É̷̺Ḋ̷͙ ̸̮͠

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

Siddharth's mind raced. How could the wraiths have appeared here without a nearby rift?

"Vaniika," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Keep an eye out for... anything unusual."

"Unusual? Like what?" Vaniika asked, frowning.

"Just... be careful," Siddharth said, his words slurring as sleep overtook him.

He drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion and pain. The last thing he heard was Vaniika's voice, promising to keep watch.

When Siddharth woke, the tent was quiet, the hustle and bustle of the previous night replaced by a calm, almost serene atmosphere. He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his mind.

"You're awake," a voice said softly. He turned his head to see Aisha lying on the cot next to him, her face pale but her eyes alert.

"How long have I been out?" Siddharth asked, his voice hoarse.

"Not long," Aisha replied. "A few hours. The vaidyas said we need to stay here and rest for a bit longer."

Siddharth nodded, wincing as he shifted to a more comfortable position. His body ached all over, but he felt a sense of relief knowing they were safe, at least for now.

Vaniika entered the tent, a tray of food and water in her hands. "Good, you're both awake," she said, her tone relieved. "You need to eat and regain your strength."

"Thanks, Vaniika," Siddharth said, managing a weak smile. "I guess we owe you one."

"You owe me more than one," Vaniika replied, her eyes twinkling with a mix of worry and amusement. "But let's start with you getting better. Both of you."

As they ate, Siddharth filled Vaniika in on the details of the battle, including the strange purple eyes he had seen and the findings on his live map. Vaniika listened intently, her expression growing more serious with each passing moment.

"There were no bodies in the clearing you described," Vaniika said finally. "It's as if the animals didn't die. Maybe they limped away?"

"Or someone took them," Aisha said, her voice gaining strength. "But why? And who?"

"We'll need to investigate this," Vaniika said. "If there's something else out there, we need to know about it."

"Agreed," Siddharth said, his mind racing with possibilities. "But first, we need to heal. We won't be any good to anyone if we're half-dead."

The days passed slowly as Siddharth and Aisha recovered. The vaidyas tended to their wounds, and Vaniika visited often, bringing news from the camp and updates on their progress. The strange purple eyes and the mysterious disappearance of the bodies remained a topic of concern, but for now, they focused on getting back to full strength.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the vaidyas declared them fit to leave the dispensary. Siddharth and Aisha stood at the entrance of the tent, looking out at the bustling camp.

As Vaniika joined them, her face serious.