He could not breathe. The air was being sucked out of him. He imagined himself anywhere but the place he was in. It wasn't working. He tried to balance himself in the hurricane of emotions he was feeling. There was no stable ground for him. Only chaos.

He did not know that there were dungeons in his kingdom. He was in a holding cell precisely, but not in a dungeon. The holding cell felt like a mouldy dungeon. The walls were pristine and clean but they were closing in on him. He never thought he was claustrophobic but still, there he was, getting more and more anxious as seconds passed.

He took some deep breaths to calm himself. There was no point if he took action without thinking it in a thorough manner. He was already on trial for the royal assassination. His own mother's murder, which he did not commit. He was just a simple citizen. He was a prince but he was sixth in line for the throne. And he never wanted to become a ruler. He liked staying in the background and observing everyone. He was smart, so he took up assisting duties. That way he knew what happened in all departments and learned many secrets too.

He had a brother and a sister. Prince Vihaan was the eldest and the most sensible. He was fierce, calm and very loyal. Viaan loved his brother and adored his sister Ahana. Ahana was mischievous and a very caring person. He wondered if they thought he was innocent. They would believe him, right?

Viaan was the youngest and the most spirited among them. He was always full of energy. Their father had died when he was five due to some illness which was never disclosed to him. No one told him what that illness was. His mother then became the queen and ruled Mihira. She always found time to help her children and also took care of all matters of the kingdom. He didn't have the time to process the information that his mother was no more.

He was reading a document when the royal guards entered his chambers.

The chief had a pale face and Viaan understood that something was wrong, very wrong. He took a deep breath and declared, "Prince Viaan, you are under arrest."

Viaan was shocked. He did not know why he was being taken to the holding cells. He was told the reason when he was pushed inside the cell. He couldn't believe his ears then. He wasn't allowed any visitors. No matter how much he yelled, he got no answers. He knew only one thing. He had to get out somehow. There was no window and the door was firmly locked. He was pretty sure that the guards were watching his movements somehow.

He would get a trial and then somehow if he was lucky, he could prove his innocence. That one thought calmed him immensely. He wasn't the killer so he wouldn't be punished, he frantically hoped so. He recalled the last time he saw his mother.

She was sitting in her office poring over some papers. She smiled when she saw him. She got up and took him to the sitting room and enquired about his day. He was happy that day. He never thought that the next day, he would be sitting in a jail cell. He had to find the person responsible for his mother's death. He was shocked and he could not bring himself to show any weakness. He had to remain strong for his family. They counted on him.

He tried thinking of the events in kingdom. Everyone did their jobs and had no major complaints. They were happy and no one had any particular vendetta towards the royal family. People respected them. Viaan particularly always stayed among the people. Vihaan couldn't always stay outside the palace so it was Viaan's job to talk with people. Ahana worked with foreign affairs. He couldn't think of anyone with a grudge or something more sinister towards the queen.

But someone was not happy. That someone was responsible for his current predicament. He had to get out of this cell. Even if he was on trial, there was a chance the council wouldn't be in his favor. Whoever planned this must have tried to tamper with evidence. And Viaan was sure about that. He had no one on his side for the time being. He could get help from his siblings, if only he could talk to them. The royal guard wouldn't allow him anywhere near them. They must be on lockdown or worse. He did not want to die without proving his innocence and certainly not without seeing his mother's killer punished.

That being decided, Viaan closed his eyes. He thought about his options. He had no particular friends. He had no confidants in the palace. And if he somehow managed to escape the palace, he needed some cover, so he could remain hidden.

It was nearing midnight because Viaan was brought in after dinner time. He desperately hoped that all of that was a vivid nightmare. He had lots of those. But his nightmares never became real so he didn't focus on them. They normally made him feel entrapped and helpless. He woke up with fright and fear clawing his senses.

He hoped that someone would come help him. Maybe his brother or his sister. He had no one else. His prayers were answered in a different way because the ground started shaking. Someone would come to let him out. Then he could break free of them and escape. He stood in front of the door ready to take out anyone who entered. It was hard considering the ground wasn't stable but Viaan stood strong. The door opened and a hooded person appeared. Viaan quickly kicked the person. The person didn't expect this and lost his footing on the floor. Viaan was about to run when the person caught his leg and pulled. Viaan couldn't balance himself and he fell. The floor was hard and he felt the pain after being knocked down.

He struggled to get up because something was keeping him down. The person was up and was looking down at him.

"Who are you?" Viaan managed to choke out.

The person did not remove the hood but whispered, "Get up and come with me. You must hurry."

It was a girl and Viaan didn't know her. But he was not stupid. He knew she was there to help him and he couldn't refuse that. He could run away and find the killer and clear his name. It was the most perfect plan.

Viaan was surprised by the girl. She was clearly trained, and she wasn't holding back. She could have hurt him real bad but she just immobilized him. And then she asked him to follow her. They walked through the passages unseen. It could be considered a feat because they weren't detected and Viaan was a criminal as far as anyone was concerned. If they were caught both of them would be punished and the final verdict would be a death sentence. Viaan tried to notice his surroundings. The girl seemed to know more about the passageways than he did. She twisted and turned and then halted before a large statue of the Sun God. Viaan loved to watch the statue when he was young. The Sun God was standing tall and he seemed to be dancing. The statue would look beautiful in sun light but it looked ghastly in the moon light. The girl kneeled at the god's feet and touched the grass. Was something supposed to happen?

Viaan was about to tell her that she was wasting time but then the wall split open. It was a door actually which was hidden in plain sight all this time. How come no one triggered it open all these years? How come Viaan didn't open it when he played here? He stopped his musings and followed her silently. It was better not to agitate the only person who was helping him, he thought. The door opened into a dimly lit hallway and its architecture was beyond his knowledge. How was it lit? Viaan noticed some blue crystals on the roof which emitted light and that was an answer to his question. This was the hallway full of mysteries. In normal circumstances, Viaan would have brought his siblings. But these weren't normal circumstances, Viaan reminded himself.

He was very tired and sweaty. The tunnel seemed to go on forever and Viaan wanted to rest. His disappearance would cause quite a stir and everyone would believe that he was guilty. He would benefit from running away than facing imminent death.

"How long are we supposed to walk?" Viaan couldn't help himself but ask.

"Just few minutes. We aren't safe here. Let us cross the barrier and then you can rest and ask all questions. But now, we must hurry."

Viaan could sense the urgency in the girl's voice. He wouldn't cause a scene because he was tired. He walked faster with renewed determination. They entered a room which had three doors. The girl stopped and touched each of them. After touching them, she closed her eyes for a few moments. Then she moved towards the first door and opened it. She turned back and motioned for him to follow. He stepped through the door and entered other room. The only difference he noticed was the orange light crystals which he brushed off as trivial information. Soon they were standing in an opening. The wind was strong but Viaan felt it was liberating him. Again, the girl lead him towards a house he didn't notice.

The interior of the house was entirely different from the exterior environment. There were people all talking animatedly and some of them were working. They were huddled in groups and before Viaan could see anything more, he was led into a room.

The room looked like an office and a stern looking man sat behind the desk. He was in his fifties and had sharp blue eyes. He wore a hat and Viaan didn't want to get on the bad side of him. He had sharp features and a relieved look on his face. The girl sat in the chair opposite to the man.

The man got up and exclaimed, "Prince Viaan, welcome to Adhira."

The kingdom Adhira was very far from Mihira. Certainly not a night's walk by foot. Viaan was so confused.

"Prince Viaan, you realise you came here through the portal."

He certainly didn't realise that.

"Please sit down. We have lot to talk."

Viaan sat beside the girl who removed her hood. Viaan saw her for the first time. She was beautiful and she had long hair. He glanced at the man who was watching him expectantly. The man must have known what questions Viaan intended to ask because he started talking.

"You weren't safe in Mihira. You know what happened and we thought it was better to bring you by the easy portal for the first time. This portal is for normal use and not for emergencies. And it is your first time, we didn't want you to feel the effects and get sick. That's why you had to walk for so long. Immediate portals have certain effects on people who aren't familiar to them."

"Okay, sir. But may I know who you are? And why did you bring me here, to Adhira?"

"Prince Viaan, I am the head of ministers here in Adhira and also the head of The Secret Society. I'm Adhyay and I know everything about you."

"With all due respect sir, that doesn't answer my questions." Viaan said impatiently.

Adhyay nodded. He gestured towards the girl, "Nairiti here was sent yesterday to bring you here safely. You were not safe and we had to keep you all safe. I know your family. Your parents were also a part of this. I am so sorry for your loss."

Viaan couldn't bring himself to talk so he nodded.

"We take control over the magical aspects of our kingdoms. There are many kinds of powers which were gifted to us by the gods. Some people use them and some don't. But you still have your family's magic in you. You never practiced it. And if we hadn't come to save you, you would have revealed it to everyone. You wouldn't have been harmed if you used your magic but your enemies would have started their plotting. So we had to bring you here. It wasn't in our plans but we had to change according to the need."

"But how did you know that I was in trouble?"

The answer shocked Viaan to his core.

"Because your mother contacted us saying that she was in danger and she wanted you to be saved."

The walls were dimly lit but they were filled with paintings and maps. There weren't any portraits like the offices in Mihira. It seemed like an unknown secret organisation which operated from the depths of the kingdom. The table was strewn with papers and many pens, quills and royal documents.

The person sitting across Viaan was waiting for his reaction. Viaan was so much filled with emotions that his face was devoid of any emotion. He took time to process the information he was told. He didn't want to think about anything. He wanted to sleep and wake up to his daily life. His life where he was still an apprentice, learning from all departments and spending his free time with his family. He wished it all to be nightmare. He prayed franticly to any God who might be listening. He didn't want to ponder implications of the words he just heard. He wanted some anchor, something which kept him from collapsing in endless sorrow and breaking apart into pieces.

There were voices around him, mumbling something but he didn't understand them. He could see the girl and the guy beside him. Why were they surrounding him? He found no reason. Before he could utter another word, he fainted.

Viaan could feel his head throbbing before he opened his eyes. He recollected what bad happened but it may, very well be a dream, as far as he was concerned. He sat up and looked around. The room was happy coloured, it was the one feeling, he wasn't feeling. The bright light streaming through the window illuminated the room perfectly. The light blue and orange hues reminded him of the sky.

He walked towards the window and saw greenery extending as far as he could see. The house seemed like an outpost people didn't bother checking in. Or it was an outpost serving both purposes. Either way, he didn't want to stay there amidst strangers who knew more about him than he did. He remembered what made him faint. It wasn't the best reaction by a prince. He didn't think Vivaan would faint or even Ahana. In his defense, he was branded a traitor and then escaped to a far away kingdom and then learned that his mother knew of her nearing death. Certainly these circumstances would make any brave person faint. Those words comforted him and he sighed. He was always the best when he gave himself pep talks. They worked like a charm too. And he needed them more and more. Because his life changed completely. His stable, content life with the people he loved didn't exist anymore. And he had to deal and come to terms with it.

He heard some incoming footsteps and turned around. A boy, Viaan's age entered the room. He looked very excited and happy to meet him. The boy was tall and lanky with emerald green eyes and short black hair. He totally reminded Viaan of Vivaan. The boy gasped when he saw him standing by the window.

"Prince Viaan. You are up? I am here to help you in this place. My name is Vidyut." He bowed.

Viaan was no longer a prince so he didn't need to be treated as one. Back when he was home, he hated people bowing to him.

"Please Vidyut, don't bow to me. We aren't acquainted and we don't need to observe royal pleasantries. Tell me, what happened when I fainted?" Viaan asked him.

"The chief brought you here, so you can rest. Sir, I'm sorry," Vidyut said solemnly.

Viaan nodded.

"Who are the people living here?"

"There are few people who know about the Magical Society in Adhira. We are the new apprentices so we are training. There are five of us. You will meet my group later during lunch. Because now, all are away on their duties. Nairiti trains us. She is here from when she was fifteen years old. And she isn't from here. We don't know much about her but she is awesome. She fights best and her magic power is incredible."

He remembered the name Nairiti. She was the one who brought him here. He admired her but he didn't know her. He could trust her because she wouldn't betray him. He didn't know how he knew that but he did. It wasn't like a Mind Reader but he could sense some things now. Like how Vidyut was best at fighting. He didn't know what was happening to him but he could trust some people here.

"Vidyut, I want to clean myself and change into other clothes. Can you help me?"

"We got all your necessities like how you lived in your palace. This room is yours. You will find everything you need here. Come downstairs when you are done. We can have breakfast. And then you can meet everyone else and talk to the chief."

"Thank you!"

People were talking and eating. They seem different somehow. They must be the travellers. Viaan searched for a familiar face. He dressed like them, not his usual attire with a cloak. He then remembered the room which was hidden. He entered the room and saw Vidyut sitting alone near the window. He smiled when he saw Viaan.

"I guessed you liked to sit in the light and here, we have some soup and I don't know what it is but its healthy. It's made of all pulses and grains."

The food was great and Viaan loved it.

"The chief asked me to bring you to the meeting room. We can go when you want."

"Let's go now."

There was no point in delaying the inevitable, Viaan thought. He entered the same room where he fainted. He didn't want to face them again and be looked down as coward and weak.

Adhyay looked the same, maybe more frightening in daylight. Nairiti was standing beside him pointing at a map. They looked at him and with a swipe of hand, the documents disappeared.

"Prince Viaan. I hope you are good now. It was insensitive of me to tell you bluntly without keeping your condition in mind. Know that, you aren't at fault here. These rebellions are responsible for all the unrest in all kingdoms. We will train you and help you clear your name."

"What do you want in return? Everything has a price, right? What's yours?"

He laughed.

"I doubt you can afford that. I just want magical people to be safe. And I want you to lead them."