The moment the freshers stepped into the forest, the atmosphere changed.
The air was damp, thick with the scent of wet earth and wild trees. Sunlight barely pierced through the dense canopy, and an eerie silence settled over them.
Somewhere in the distance, the faint rustle of leaves suggested movement—whether from the wind or something else, no one knew.
Anshika's fingers tightened around the map. She wasn't nervous—she was excited.
But she also knew better than to let her guard down.
Siddharth, walking beside her, exhaled dramatically. "Okay, so here we are ... But why this seem like a walk in some dry forest."
Anshika glanced at him, amused. "What you were expecting.. a red carpet?"
He smirked. "Not that, but at least some signs. How are we even supposed to find the way?"
Before she could answer, a snap echoed through the trees.
The freshers froze.
Then—
Appeared a deep trench right in front of them. Those who had stepped too far barely caught themselves before falling in.
"Holy—" Siddharth jumped back. "What the hell?"
Faiz, watching from the academy terrace through binoculars, grinned. "Ab aayega maza ."
Kabir, standing next to him, crossed his arms.
Katherine, still struggling with her heavy bag, was falling behind.Faiz noticed. "Aisa kya hbag mein joh isse chhoda nhi ja raha... Strange!"
When everyone was confused about how to cross the trench, Anshika observed surroundings and found a log of wood.
"Help me!" She asked. With everyone's help she placed log over trench.
She was the first who dared to cross the trench followed by Siddharth and others.
WHOOSH!
A spiked log came swinging down from the trees, right where Siddharth was about to step.
BANG!
Siddharth was on ground with something heavy beside him.
Siddharth blinked. "Okay. I take it back. You're scary good at this."
Anshika smirked, "Or maybe you're just bad at it."
Siddharth scoffed. "Please. I am great at things that actually matter."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh really sid!?...Like fixing your hair every five minutes?"
He dramatically adjusted his watch. "Presentation is key miss." She chuckled but didn't lose focus. The traps weren't stopping.
And then—
A scream.
Misti had been running ahead, trying to keep up with the others, when suddenly—
The ground beneath her gave way.
She barely had time to react before she was falling.
Without thinking, Anshika moved.
In a split second—
She lunged forward, grabbing Misti's arm before she could disappear into the hidden pit.
Her own momentum almost dragged her in, but she braced her feet against the ground,and Siddharth helped them to stand back.
Anshika barely noticed the scratch on her arm—her focus was on Misti. "You okay?"
Misti nodded, still shaken.
On the terrace—
Kabir was not much impressed.
"Yeh batch bhi kamal h. Khud ka kuch fix nhi, but heroic gesture jayada important h."
Faiz, however, had a different reaction.
He smirked. "Heroic ho ya na, lekin hn yeh ladki hai interesting."
Kabir scoffed.
Faiz grinned. "Haan? Tujhe itni dikkat kyun ho rahi hai? Afterall observe toh phle aapne hi kiya."
Kabir shot him a glare. "Stop it Faiz."
Only ten minutes remained.
The academy was visible through the thinning trees, but the final stretch had one last surprise.
A section of the ground was covered in uneven logs, requiring them to balance and cross without falling.
Anshika took the lead. "Aaram se. Don't rush."
She moved with precision, helping Misti along while keeping her own balance steady.
Siddharth, meanwhile, almost fell twice. "Ouch! This is not my thing!"
Anshika smirked. "Maybe!... Just kidding... Come on ... Just maintain balance."
At last, the freshers burst out of the forest, reaching the academy just as the final minute ticked down.
They had made it.
Anshika finally took a breath.
Faiz clapped once. "Not bad."
But before Anshika could respond—
Kabir's cold voice cut through.
"Yahan koi movie shooting nahi chal rahi h, Ms. Helper! Khud toh tik jao yaha, phir dusro ki madad karna."
Anshika's eyes met his, unwavering.
She didn't say a word.
But something in her expression made Kabir pause.
For the first time—
He wasn't completely sure if she was the weak one here.