A few days had passed since the group left Dev Ashram. They had been travelling through the mountains and forests continuously, and now they were finally getting close to their destination. The journey had been mostly normal, but Akash had remained alert almost all the time. Something about this entire trip kept bothering him.
His instincts kept warning him that something was wrong, but he could not figure out exactly what it was. The Dark Master had kept his promise and provided him with enough food and water throughout the journey. He was also not forcing Akash to work excessively or preventing him from getting enough rest.
Akash found that strange. Even when he stopped to rest, he remained alert and kept watching his surroundings. He understood human psychology well enough to know that unnecessary kindness could sometimes hide another intention. If someone started taking more care of you than necessary, there was usually a reason behind it.
Akash quietly looked at the Dark Master and then at the people travelling with him. He still had no solid proof, so he decided not to act without knowing the truth. For now, staying alert was the only thing he could do.
After travelling for some time, the group finally reached their destination. Everyone stopped near the edge of a steep cliff. Akash looked down, but he could not see the bottom. There was only darkness below.
Smile stepped forward and looked at everyone before pointing toward the cliff.
"We have reached the place. Now we have to go down." - Smile
The people looked toward the cliff with hesitation. Nobody seemed willing to take the first step. Smile noticed this and suddenly came up with an idea.
"How about this? Whoever reaches the bottom first will receive a special reward." - Smile
Akash did not wait for anyone else to move. He stepped forward on his own and began climbing down the cliff. He was not interested in Smile's offer. He simply wanted to get down and continue moving.
The people behind him watched Akash go first, and a few of them smiled. They thought Akash had moved ahead because of the reward and had unknowingly taken the risk for everyone else.
Akash continued climbing down carefully. He did not rush, but he also did not stop. After some time, he finally reached the bottom and turned around to look at the others.
The people were still climbing down. Suddenly, Smile raised his hunter and struck one of the men who had slowed down.
"Why have you stopped? Keep moving!" - Smile
The man quickly continued climbing. Another person hesitated, and Smile struck him as well.
"What are you waiting for? Move!" - Smile
Akash watched from below. His eyes narrowed as he saw Smile attacking the people who had been brought along with them. The reward had only been bait. Smile had never intended to let them take their time.
Akash looked at the people above him and then back at Smile. His suspicion about the group grew stronger.
"So that's how it is..." - Akash
He remained where he was and continued watching. Whatever the Dark Master and his group were planning, Akash was now certain that these people were not being treated as partners.
They were being used.
The people who had come with Akash slowly reached the bottom of the cliff. One by one, they moved away from the edge, and after some time, the Dark Master and the rest of his group also reached the bottom.
Nobody was given much time to rest. As soon as everyone had gathered, the group continued moving with the Dark Master leading them. Akash followed while keeping his attention on his surroundings. He still could not understand the real purpose of the journey.
After walking for some time, the group reached a large cave. The entrance was wide enough for everyone to enter easily. Akash followed the others inside, and after walking a short distance, he began hearing the sound of flowing water.
Akash looked around the dark cave. The sound became clearer as they continued moving forward. His earlier suspicion grew stronger, and he started wondering why the Dark Master had brought them such a long distance just to reach this place.
The group took out torches and lit them. With the light from the flames, they continued moving through the cave. The walls were rough, and the sound of flowing water became clearer as they went deeper inside.
After walking for some time, they finally reached the place they had been looking for. Akash stopped and looked ahead. A wide river was flowing through the cave, and on the other side was a large empty area.
Before Akash could think about what they were planning to do, one of the Dark Master's men took out a small object from his bag and threw it directly into the river.
The object landed on the water and quickly expanded into a small boat. Akash looked at it with surprise. It was a high-quality inflatable lifeboat, and judging by its appearance, it was not cheap.
Akash stared at the boat for a moment. Bringing such an expensive item to a planet like Titan seemed strange to him. It was another small detail that did not fit with the story the Dark Master had told everyone.
Smile stepped forward and pointed toward the boat.
"Everyone, get on the boat and cross the river. Once you reach the other side, you will get your reward." - Smile
The people looked at the river and then at the boat. Some of them hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of crossing the underground river.
Smile immediately noticed their hesitation. He walked toward the group and raised his hunter.
"What are you waiting for? Get on the boat!" - Smile
One of the men took a step backward instead of moving toward the boat. Smile immediately struck the ground beside him with his whip.
"I said move!" - Smile
The man quickly stepped forward. Another person hesitated, and Smile pointed his hunter toward him.
"Don't make me repeat myself." - Smile
The man lowered his head and moved toward the boat. One after another, the people began getting inside.
Akash remained near the back of the group and watched everything carefully. He had already realized that refusing would only attract Smile's attention, so he quietly moved toward the boat with the others.
Each boat was large enough to carry at least five people. Akash quickly chose the first boat and sat inside. After some time, the remaining people divided themselves between the two boats, and both boats began moving across the river.
There was no engine or motor attached to them. The people had to operate the boats manually using paddles. Akash looked at the paddle in his hands and then at the other boat.
"These people could have at least brought a better boat. They dragged us all the way here, and now I have to row this thing myself." - Akash
Akash continued rowing while the other boat moved alongside his. The cave remained quiet except for the sound of the water and the paddles moving through it.
When both boats reached the middle of the river, Akash suddenly stopped rowing. He felt something strange around them. His eyes moved across the dark water as he tried to understand what had caught his attention.
He looked toward one side of the river and then the other. He could not see anything unusual, but the strange feeling remained.
A man sitting in the same boat noticed Akash looking around and became irritated.
"What are you looking at? Focus on rowing the boat. Stop looking around and keep moving." - Man
Akash frowned but continued rowing. He kept watching the water while trying to understand what he had sensed.
Suddenly, the second boat was thrown into the air.
Everyone looked up in shock. A huge blue snake suddenly emerged from the water. Its long body was covered in blue scales, and two small horns on its head gave it a dragon-like appearance. Its golden eyes fixed on the people in the boats, and its open mouth revealed rows of sharp teeth.
The creature struck the water with its massive body, creating a powerful wave that swept across the river. The people inside the second boat were thrown into the water one after another.
Akash's boat was pushed toward the shore by the force of the wave. He quickly held onto the side of the boat and looked at the huge snake from a distance.
Akash kept his eyes on the creature. Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed something else.
Smile and the Dark Master were standing near the shore.
They were not surprised.
Instead, both of them had smiles on their faces as they watched the people falling into the water.
Akash's eyes narrowed. At that moment, the strange behavior of the Dark Master finally started making sense to him. The unnecessary care, the long journey, the cliff, the river, and now this huge snake were all connected.
"So this was your plan, you bastards..." - Akash