SCENE 1 – KALIGARH BORDER FORT – EARLY MORNING
A battered scout gallops through the misty dawn and kneels before Aryan.
SCOUT (urgent)
My prince! Kaligarh's southern border fort has fallen. Enemy forces are preparing to march inward. The banner of your house… was torn down and burned.
Aryan listens silently. He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them—clear, sharp, resolute.
ARYAN
They think fire erases legacy. But it only awakens it.
SCENE 2 – WAR COUNCIL – CAMP OUTSIDE VANIPUR
Aryan stands over a large hand-drawn map. Devika, Ranvi, Nimai, Rudra, Viraj, and the new spy master, Reva—an older woman with piercing eyes—gather around.
ARYAN
They've exposed their flank. They expect us to defend. We won't.
REVA (curious)
Then what do you suggest?
ARYAN (smirking)
We let them march. And we take the forts behind them. Starve their supply lines. Cripple their morale. No war begins with swords—it begins with silence.
SCENE 3 – SMALL VILLAGE NEAR THE BORDER – DAY
Aryan and his elite team, disguised as traders, enter a sleepy village now under enemy control. They quietly mark key buildings, storage areas, and routes.
That night, controlled fires erupt at food granaries and signal posts. Confusion spreads. Aryan's team vanishes into the dark, leaving no trace.
ENEMY CAPTAIN (furious)
Who is doing this? What ghost leads this chaos!?
SCENE 4 – PRISONER WAGON – ROADSIDE – DUSK
Aryan's forces intercept a convoy transporting prisoners—villagers accused of "collaborating" with Kaligarh. They are saved, treated, and fed.
A child looks up at Aryan, wide-eyed.
CHILD
Are you… the prince?
ARYAN (smiling gently)
Not yet. But one day, you'll see the prince walk home.
SCENE 5 – NIGHT – SPIES REPORT
In his tent, Aryan receives intel.
Kaligarh capital is becoming unstable.
Varundev's armies are overstretched.
Three northern lords have begun secret talks with Aryan's allies.
Aryan nods. He circles a spot on the map: the Hidden Pass of Rohmaar.
ARYAN (quietly)
This is where we cut the chain.
SCENE 6 – DEVIKA'S TENT – LATE NIGHT
Devika is bandaging a minor wound from earlier.
DEVIKA (to Aryan, teasing)
If I die before we win this war, I'll haunt you.
ARYAN (smirking)
You'll have to stand in line. I've made many promises.
They laugh. Ranvi enters and catches the moment.
RANVI (grinning)
Aww. The general and the ghost, huh?
They throw a pillow at him.
SCENE 7 – ROOFTOPS OF VANIPUR – EARLY DAWN
Aryan watches the horizon. Sena and Veer sit calmly beside him. His cape flutters in the wind.
ARYAN (to his tigers)
Soon. We go home. And no wall, no name, no fire… will stop us.
End of Chapter 27