Kanjira: Burp. What a good meal.
Kanjira: Hmm? Still nothing happened after so long? She won't really be eaten by some monster, right?
Kanjira: Hmm. Forget it!
Kanjira: Lord whoever, bless that stupid moron has escaped from there. Oh, and without the treasures!
Kanjira wipes her mouth with the hem of her skirt and steps into the cave.
Kanjira: Be careful. Don't be spotted. Oh?
Kanjira: Huh! She's fine. What is she doing in the depths? Who are those two?
She quietly climbs on a rock nearby.
Kanjira: Oomph. Mmm!
Kanjira: I didn't know there were so many rocks here. Okay. Keep climbing, almost there.
She kicks her dusty feet in the air, struggling to climb onto a raised edge of the rock.
Kanjira: Huh?
Something grabs her ankle.
Kanjira: What is it?
She frowns and looks down ...
It is a severed hand.
Kanjira: AHHH!!
Impulsively, Kanjira kicks her leg.
The hand, already covered with many cracks, is thrown into the air and smashes into pieces on the ground.
Kanjira: Whuu ... phew ...
Is that a hand? Whose hand is it? Where does it come from?
Her heart beats violently.
She holds her breath and gathers enough courage to look closer.
Kanjira: It's stone?
She tentatively touches a lump with her fingertip. Nothing happens. Feeling relieved, she starts putting them back together.
Kanjira: ...!
Kanjira: It looks like one of those ugly statues in there, so they can move?
Kanjira: Wow!
Kanjira: It's just like, like the ...!
There's a twinkle of excitement in her eyes.
Kanjira: Like the story in the book!
Kanjira: Yes, that's right! Those "golems guarding the treasure."
Kanjira: They are true! I knew it! And "the dragon that eats the castle," "the gem that smashes the sea," "Open Sesame" ...
Kanjira: Ms. Sherjah is lying! They are not fairy tales!
Kanjira: No wonder she has two helpers. They are the "treasure hunters"! They beat the "guards"!
She nods at her thought, overjoyed by the conclusion.
Kanjira: Oh, yes! Just follow them secretly, and I will get at least a bit of the "treasure" they leave behind! Like how Kasim got the coin from the scales.
She is heartened by the plan.
She turns around, nimbly jumps on that rock again, and quietly follows the others in the cave.
Shamane: Okay, okay. I think I understood every Hindi word, but none of them make any sense anymore when put together.
In the messy cave, the three of them look at each other speechlessly. Shamane is patting himself on the head, trying to understand Kaalaa Baunaa's words one by one.
Shamane: You're saying, Kumar, that Kumar I know, the sister whom I've only seen once in my life ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: ... is also my tutor in the university.
Matilda: Plus, she's a bad guy associating with the Manus?!
Matilda slowly puts down the files.
Matilda: So these abnormal growth curves ... The fluctuation of celestial energy is a man-made result?
Kaalaa Baunaa: Actually, I'm not a hundred percent sure about their association, but yes, your conclusion about the growth curves is right.
Kaalaa Baunaa calmly takes over the files.
Kaalaa Baunaa: The fluctuation was caused by an unnamed celestial body, and its existence is only known to Kumar and me.
Kaalaa Baunaa: It was the object of our research at Banner University. At that time, we found some arcanum-related materials very helpful for our project, but then ...
She gently shakes her head.
Kaalaa Baunaa: She was way too radical. Arcanum is strictly prohibited in the field of human science, and we were expelled from the university. After that, our disagreement got even worse. In the end, we took different paths.
Kaalaa Baunaa: But apparently, neither of us gave up on the research. We could frequently feel the existence of each other from the changes of the celestial body.
Kaalaa Baunaa: And one day, I found an abnormality during the observation: the energy never fluctuated in such a fierce and peculiar way. I decided to contact her, but when I finally found the lab she had worked in, the staff told me she had already left.
She looks at Matilda.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Our common friend told me she had seen Kumar by coincidence. She saw her leave with the Manus.
Matilda: ...!
Kaalaa Baunaa spreads her fingers and shows Matilda a dusty stone in her left palm.
Despite the misshapen outline, the stone seems to be a little idol.
Kaalaa Baunaa: And I found this from what she left behind. I compared it to the hole in the wall. It does come from this cave, and it has something to do with the arcanum-related materials on that celestial body.
Kaalaa Baunaa: But Kumar never makes mistakes. This one is more like a clue she left to me.
Matilda: Hmm. I don't understand her.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Judging from the situation, apparently, I'm not the only one "invited."
She raises her right hand, showing them the wrinkled envelope.
There is a blue postmark on the envelope and an elephant pattern on the bright-yellow seal. Inside the envelope, there is a worn piece of paper with nothing on it.
Shamane: Oh, this is getting even stranger than seeing those moving statues!
Shamane: Like I said, I am, well, to be more precise, I "almost" am the last living member of my family.
Shamane points at the majestic elephant on the seal.
Shamane: This stamp was supposed to come from a special seal that belongs to the heir of the family. Unfortunately, it was passed down to me, and I lost it to a bear many years ago.
Shamane: I checked the postmark on the envelope and found the letter came from this remote cave, where even rock pigeons don't bother to pay a visit.
Shamane: Since it is highly unlikely that the bear with my seal in its belly would take transport all the way to a cave to send me a letter, I decided to come here myself and find out what this was all about.
Shamane: But there's one thing I found weird in what you said.
Shamane hesitates about what he is going to say.
Shamane: As far as I know, my sister is even worse than "unqualified," if taken as an arcanist—She's almost like a human! It's nearly impossible for her to use the most basic arcane skills!
Shamane: And this ...
He opens both of his palms and gestures in the direction of the broken statues on the ground.
Shamane: This is not something a random person from our world can do. Is she really able to control these things?
Kaalaa Baunaa: No, she can't.
Kaalaa Baunaa: But she has a solution—a solution even I'm not aware of. Theoretically, our skills can only create illusions and nothing more.
Kaalaa Baunaa: But if the Manus really offered to help her, even though I don't want to think this way, she may be able to do that.
Shamane: Oh, I forgot the Manus part.
Shamane: Alright. All I know is, if this letter is really an "invitation" from her, I guess this won't be a delightful trip for me.
Kaalaa Baunaa: I've heard about that incident in her family, and I don't think her ultimate purpose is just to gather us here.
She turns around and looks at Matilda with a serious but sincere expression.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Thank goodness I met you here, young lady. Can't believe I ran into a Foundation investigato- ...
Matilda: Ahem. Don't, don't mind the title! Every member of the Foundation is obliged to contribute to the cause of peace, let alone an arcanist as extraordinary as I am!
Kaalaa Baunaa: That's great. Sarasvati blessed me.
Matilda: Yeah, yeah, exactly. How fortunate the Foundation has been to have such an excellent subordinate like I am.
Kaalaa Baunaa: I hereby apply for assistance to the Foundation as an astronomy professor and an arcanist.
Matilda: Em, emm?
Matilda: Yes, Ms. Kaalaa Baunaa?
Kaalaa Baunaa: Rather than find Kumar and the Manus, we have something more important to do now.
Matilda: Something more important?
Kaalaa Baunaa: We need the Foundation's assistance to evacuate the villagers and tourists in Mor Pankh village as soon as possible because that near-earth astero- ... No, no. It's not an asteroid.
Kaalaa Baunaa: That celestial body we study, not able to be observed by human technology, is approaching this village at a dangerous speed. It reaches level 5 on Torino Scale and 0.01 on Palermo Scale.
Matilda: What?
Kaalaa Baunaa: In brief, the meteor shower that is occurring during Dīpa Festival will become a disaster of meteorites. I tried to ask organizations in the surrounding areas for help, but this village is out of Chandigarh's jurisdiction.
Kaalaa Baunaa: Besides, the villagers refuse to accept help from any social organizations related to humans.
Shamane: ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: The good news is, there are still days before the Dīpa Festival starts. We still have time to evacuate the people. Meanwhile, I will do whatever I can to find Kumar and stop her, no matter what her next step is.
Kaalaa Baunaa: If the Foundation offers its assistance, I will provide any support when needed.
Matilda: So this, this is her real ...
Kaalaa Baunaa: Yes. In this case, what happened in the caves was probably nothing more than an experiment.
Kaalaa Baunaa: I'm not sure why she's doing this, but I won't allow such an abuse of our hard work.
Kaalaa Baunaa: It is our work, after all. That's why I must stop the star from falling.
Kanjira: ...!
Kanjira: D**n it.
Shamane: Hmm?
Shamane: Did you guys hear anything?
Kanjira: Hey!
The small figure vaults deftly over the wall, running down the road in the opposite direction.
Kanjira: Ugh. This is the worst, worst fairy tale ever!
Kanjira: It has no treasures, and now even rocks are falling down!
Kanjira: pants I, I have to go back.
Kanjira: And warn everyone!
She seems to know the place well. She takes a few turns, climbs over another wall, and lands in a deserted yard.
Kanjira: Run, run. Ajar, you need to take everyone to ...
Kanjira: pants I-I'm out of breath.
???: Kanjira?
Kanjira: Um, Ms. Sherjah?! Why, how you find this place?
Ms. Sherjah: Of course, I can find it. It's your secret base, right?
She reaches out and drags the nervous-looking girl to herself.
Ms. Sherjah: A secret base in other's house without the owner's permission? Well, well, well.
Kanjira: Aw. No, no, no, Ms. Sherjah. It's not time to judge me. Something huge just happen.
Ms. Sherjah: Sorry, sweet Jalebi. Your tricks never worked on me.
Sherjah catches the ear of the troublemaker.
Ms. Sherjah: Taught Ajar to steal? Broke into an old house? Let me check your pocket. I knew it! Whose wallet is this? Did you forget what I've taught you?
Kanjira: Ye-yes! I do all these! I'm sorry, Ms. Sherjah, but LET ME DOWN!! It's too late if we don't leave now! The village is going to destroy!!
Ms. Sherjah: What are you babbling about this time?
Kanjira: It's real, not lie! I even run all the way back from the shrine like idiot, and leave tuk tuk I borrow from Uncle Sinha there.
Ms. Sherjah: Ah! You went to the shrine and ate the offerings again! Young Miss!
Kanjira: sobs I'm really sorry! But you must believe me this time! Where are the others? Where they go? We must tell them now. They must take train and leave this place today.
Ms. Sherjah: sighs They went to the street for business. What on earth is happening?
Kanjira: Li- ... listen to me!
Kanjira stops, drawing a huge circle in the air with her hands.
Kanjira: I'm, I'm catch by a stone hand in the shrine's cave! And, and I see the "treasure hunters"! I hear what they say.
Kanjira: They say a big big stone called "meteorite" will fall and smash the village when Dīpa Festival start!
Ms. Sherjah: sighs Honey, I told you they are just fairy tales.
Kanjira: No! It's true! Those statues actually move.
Inside the old house, Kanjira is so busy persuading Sherjah that she has not noticed the approaching footsteps from outside the door.
Shamane: Ah, the lock's broken, but that's okay. I know the place well. Though Kumar hasn't come here very often in the past years, it's a good place to start with, at least better than randomly searching like a headless chicken.
Kanjira: ...!
Matilda: ...
Ms. Sherjah: You are ...?
The two groups look at each other in silence through the door.
As the silence goes on, Matilda notices the wallet in Sherjah's hand.
Matilda: Hey!
Matilda: That in your hand ... Is that my wallet?
