"The Guardian's Road"
Ardhu ran until the moon dipped low, the distant echo of war drums fading behind the rustling bamboo groves. Every step felt heavier than the last, yet inside his satchel lay something far heavier — the ancient scrolls that held centuries of Bengali wisdom. If they were lost, an entire age of learning would fall into darkness.
By dawn, he reached the river crossing at Nadial. Merchants, monks, and farmers crowded the bank, whispering about invading forces. Rumors spread like wildfire: libraries burned, villages seized, scholars missing. The golden age that had once brought peace was now trembling at its edge.
A hooded stranger approached him — a young woman named Mina, a healer from Bikrampur, with eyes sharp enough to notice fear hidden behind calm. She spotted the corner of the scroll inside his bag.
"You're carrying something important," she said quietly.
Ardhu hesitated, then nodded. Mina didn't ask questions. Instead, she took his hand and led him toward a small fishing boat. "If you want to keep knowledge alive, you cannot travel alone."
As their boat drifted across the fog-covered river, Mina revealed her mission: a group of monks and scholars were gathering in the forests near Jagadal Vihara. Their goal was simple — protect whatever remained of Bengal's wisdom and rebuild if the empire fell.
Before they reached the far bank, riders appeared on the opposite shore, scanning the river with sharp eyes. They were searching for the scrolls.
Mina whispered, "Once we land, run. I'll guide you."
Ardhu gripped the satchel tightly. He had started this journey unwillingly, but now a quiet fire burned within him. If Bengal's golden age was fading, then he would become the spark to keep it alive.
And so, their true journey began.