Isfe was restless. Her heart tells her that something was wrong. After coming back from visiting her prisoners, Isfe was feeling jittery. She went to her underground chamber in her house where she had her secret stashed safely in the ice enclosure. She carefully examined every inch of the underground chamber to see if anything was changed. But no! Everything is just the same as it was for many centuries now. 

“Pamba!” She called and a long snake slithered its way to her feet. “Did anyone go into the forbidden forest? Did you see Maaya? Remember, she is the one that banished you into this hell hole. Tell me, did she visit the forbidden forest and the crystal cove?” She asked the snake.

“Ssss!” The snake hissed, transforming into a beautiful woman. Pamba is an ichadhari snake. Just like Aira, Isfe took care of Pamba and in turn, Pamba was ordered to keep watch for the prisoners and the forbidden forest. If anyone trespasses, Pamba informs Isfe. That was how Isfe was able to keep the forest forbidden for a very long time now. Whoever trespassed were killed by Isfe and told the villagers that the forbidden forest killed them, thus instilling fear in people. People killed in the forbidden forest will not get a proper send off. They were taken out of the tornado and were left there out on the cold ice. People there believed that the soul will never rest in peace until the physical body gets a proper send off. So people feared entering the forbidden forest. 

“Nobody came to the cave!” Pamba told her.

“Are you sure? Then why did Netra leave all of a sudden?”

“She didn't come into the forbidden forest but I heard from the birds that she fell into the water pond and came out only after a long time.” 

“Water pond?” Isfe whispered. “I will see to it.” She sent Pamba away and went up to her hut.

“Giza!” She called for him and Giza came into her hut, bowing to her.

“Yes, leader!”

“Why didn't you tell me that Netra fell in the pond?”

“Princess asked me not to tell you. She said she didn't want you to worry about her.”

“Did she tell you about anything or anyone that she met underwater?”

“No, leader.”

“Get in the pond, see if there is any evidence that would suggest that she met someone underwater. There is something not settling, Giza. Netra is in danger. We have to save her. She is the savior of this galaxy. We need her. I need her.” 

“I will see to it,” Giza told her and ran out to the water pond. Giza took three other men from his village and swam through the dark waters. They could see nothing except for some glows here and there made by little fishes. They swam in different directions and as Giza swam to the eastern side he saw one of his men’s glowing-stick. He swam back towards the stick.

“Jitha, what do you see?” Giza asked him, stepping in the cave.

“Look here, this particular place is cleared of any poking crystals and see, the surface is smoothened.” Jithan showed Giza the insides of the cave with his glow stick. The walls of the cave have paintings of merpeople in glory and joy.

“Someone has done it for the princess. Just like our leader suspected, the princess has met someone here.” 

“What are we going to do? What are these creatures looking like half human and half fish?”

“I don't know. Search more. Find out if you get anything more.” Giza told him and went out to the eastern side to continue his search. He was astonished to see the moonlight at the end of the pond. He swam towards it and was shocked to see a tunnel leading to the surface. He was too big for the tunnel but he was so sure that the opening was certainly outside the tornado wall.

“Leader, you were right. The Princess had met someone underwater. And there is a tunnel dug up under the tornado wall that leads to the outside of our village. There is a fair chance that our princess had been abducted or misled to leave.” Giza told Isfe and added the details of the cave and the paintings.

“I knew! There are many people who want her by their side. There are many who want something out of her. Who might that be? Underwater?” Isfe nodded her head motioning Giza to leave.

“Theeya! Where are you? You are in danger. I know you are here, show yourself to me!” She said looking at the ceiling. 

Theeya was an equally beautiful girl who grew up alongside Maaya. The beauty of Theeya is indescribable. Her teal colored eyes and red lips are exquisite. Even though Isfe’s family men had hard desires for her, she kept them away. She has never let anyone touch her. Theeya has always been with Isfe helping her in everything. Isfe’s friends, except Karmegan, were rooting to have Theeya for themselves but she never turned her eyes to them unwantedly, because Karmegan was already married with a son. 

Maaya and Aadhan were childhood sweethearts. Aadhan was a kind boy! His care and affection with Maaya heavily impressed Theeya. She fell seriously in love with Aadhan. Whenever Aadhan came to visit Maaya, Theeya joined them, secretly developing fondness over Aadhan. Aadhan was the only man she let touch her. She joined hands with him, laughed with him, played with him, and enjoyed her time with him. Slowly, but surely, she started hating Maaya for sucking up his time and attention. 

While Theeya was head over heels with Aadhan, Aadhan never felt anything but friendship with her. His eyes found beauty in Maya. His heart fluttered with Maya’s proximity. Aadhan was a 7 year old boy when Maya was born, he was the first one to hold her in his hands. Their relationship grew with them and soon he realized that she is the one for him. But he waited for her to realize it. When Maya was 16 years old, she understood what she felt for Aadhan. She expressed her heart to Aadhan and Aadhan willingly accepted her love. 

When Theeya got to know that, she was extremely upset and mad. She went to Aadhan and expressed her love but it was already late and there was no chance for their future. When Aadhan heard all about her love, he felt pity for Theeya but his love for Maaya was unwavering. Theeya could not digest the fact that Aadhan was not for her. She killed him! 

As per the curse, Maaya can never get her love. Whenever Maaya knew that Aadhan’s soul was going to be born again, she pulled a piece of her soul out and was born near him and so did Theeya. They fell in love and every time, Theeya came along the way and took Aadhan away from Maaya, breaking her soul and making her weak for every heartbreak. 

Meaning, Maya and Aadhan’s rebirth was Kayalvizhi and Iraniyan! The next was the black wolf. Now it is Netra and Adhiyan!

‘It must be Iranyan! A cursed man! He must be the one that met with Netra. To break free of his curse, he needs to end Theeya’s soul. Netra must have gone out to get the soul snatcher from her dad. If Netra is here, Theeya must be close. Who is Theeya?’ Isfe thought to herself. 

When Maya and Aadhan sustained their appearance in all their births, Theeya’s appearance differ from person to person. Theeya’s special ability is that anyone who sees her will see whom they want to see. There is no way Isfe or anyone can find Theeya unless Theeya exposes herself. 

Isfe needs the soul snatcher too. She needs it to take away Netra’s soul and put her soul in Netra’s body to become a superior god! It is important to kill Netra with the soul snatcher because she has god particles not only in her body but also in her soul. If her soul is released into the universe, she would be reborn with god particles which would be much more powerful. Isfe wants to stop another powerful being from being born.

“At Least I can find where Theeya is now!” Isfe said out loud and opened a secret chamber behind her rock bed. She pulled out a thin veil used by Theeya to hide her beauty from prying men's eyes. She used a locator spell on it and it showed the little mound where Maayon was living. 

‘So she is very near to Netra now. If her mate comes to rescue her, Theeya will show herself. Maya’s agony of losing her love every time has been feeding Theeya all these years. If Theeya was killed by a soul-snatcher, Maya would become strong. That should not happen. I cannot fight Maya and Netra at the same time. I should stop Netra from killing Theeya, that way, Theeya would be on my side. I should keep Theeya on my side.’ Isfe thought to herself while her memories took her back to the glorious times when Theeya was with Isfe. 

***

It was all victory and power for Isfe when Theeya was with her and it all went down the drain the moment Theeya left her side. After Maya’s true potential was revealed, Isfe had to flee from her planet to escape death leaving Theeya behind. Maya took over Maya logam, people there feared her, worshiped her. Her wisdom kept them all in check. Aadhan was the one that kept Maaya in check by keeping her happy and controlling her extreme emotions. A happy Maya made the nearby living realms in glory. Isfe and Theeya lost their control over other realms as Maya grew in power. Maya’s new creations helped people thrive and every realm started to worship Maya and despise Isfe. as Theeya moved away from Isfe, the downfall of Isfe was inevitable. 

Isfe walked to the forbidden forest and summoned a blue bird. The blue bird is a messenger but not from hell like earthlings interpreted. The blue bird was a special creation of Maya with incredible powers. Isfe used the messenger birds to create a panic amongst the Lycan people, a panic worthy to be noticed by Maya. Isfe wanted Maya to know when Aadhan was about to be born.

Aadhan is not a god! Every time he was born, he died eventually. Every time he was dead, his soul reached eternity and came back every hundred years to be reborn as a black wolf as salvation to Maya’s curse. Only the black wolf can free Maya from her curse. Freeing her from her curse is nothing but her destruction. Isfe needed that destruction but Maayon was in the way. Every time Aadhan was to be born as a black wolf, he opened hell on Lycans. He killed the black wolf’s father, stopping him from giving birth to Aadhan in order to save his sister. 

So Isfe sent messenger birds to warn the people of the coming danger. She made a stir and thought Maya would notice the stir. She thought Maya would stop Maayon from blocking her soul mate’s birth. But to her dismay, Maya never intervened in anything. It’s been ages since anyone has seen or heard from Maya. 

“Birdie! Go to earth! Bring Ellavan and the Chalice to me. Find a Siddhar and pose to him as if you are from Maya or Maayon. Make him bring Ellavan here to me. I want the Chalice too. Paari is easy to manipulate. Get it from him.” Isfe told the bird that sat on her arm.