Aliya's POV 

It's been a month now that I'm practicing my witchcraft and will it be wrong to say that I'm actually loving this? The power and the magic Elena is teaching me everyday is just making me more and more powerful along with my super power of Visions. Right now I am with Elena in her own prayer room which is so grand and magnificent. 

Elena-" Aliya, everything in this world is made up of 5 basic elements of the nature-  panchamahabhutas — which inhere the properties of earth (prithvi), water (jala), fire (tejas), wind (vayu) and space (akasha. If you want to control anything then one needs to know the value and the power of these 5 elements. Even our body is made up of these 5 elements. So today I will teach you 'Elemental Control' taking the fire element which controls the thirst, hunger, energy and sleep of our body but it also controls your emotions such as anger, desire, and passion." With this Elena brought 2 candles and placed one each in front of us lighting it up. The entire hall was dark and only the flames of the candle could be seen. 

Elena-" Ok so just watch first what I do then you can continue hmm." With this she started looking at the flame with full concentration and I was staring at her. Slowly and gradually she closed her eyes and lifted her right hand just parallel to the candle. She started chanting some mantras and suddenly she fisted her palms and with this the candle was blown off and when she opened her fist slowly the candle again lit up. 

" Elena!!! Wow! thi.. this is just amazing." I grapsed standing up while she smiled moving her fingers from left to right and vice versa which led the movement of the flame.  

Elena-" It's your turn now, just keep looking at the flame with all your concentration, the layers of the flame and how it's moving. It won't happen in one go but you need to keep trying." She asked me to look at the burning candle and with this I concentrated on doing as told to me. As my concentration increased I could feel the heat of the flame reaching me that is when Elena asked me to close my eyes and chant the Hindu Vedic mantra of Agni Dev (Fire God). 

"ऊँ महाज्वालाय विद्महे अग्नि मध्याय धीमहि |

तन्नो: अग्नि प्रचोदयात"

(Om Mahajwalay Vidmahe Agni Madhyay Dhimahi |
Tanno Agnih Prachodayat)

Elena-" This means Om, Let me meditate on the great flame, Oh, God of fire, grant me with higher intellect, Oh, let the radiant God of Fire illuminate my mind. This is the Agni Gayatri mantra. Meditate while chanting this Aliya and imagine the flame in your mind along with lifting up your right hand." She guided me and I could feel some energy igniting within me as I lifted my hand and straightened it forwarding my palm open. 

Elena-" Now as you can see the flame in your mind make a fist as if you are holding the flame in your palm." I did the same and as soon as I made the fist the flames vanished. 

Elena-"Yes!!! great going Aliya.. great going. Now open your fist still chanting the mantra." I did the same but I could not feel the candle lighting up. I again tried but nothing worked and then slowly I felt my head going heavy. 

Elena-" Aliya... Aliya relax you are exerting yourself, take deep breaths. Open your eyes, come back to the real world." I heard her voice and slowly started calming my breath down and slowly opened my eyes. 

"I could not light it up Elena, and when I again tried my head got heavier." I sighed being dejected while she came near me giving me a side hug rubbing my shoulder. 

Elena-" It's alright sweety , fire is the strongest element and one needs a lot of practice to control it. You did the first step and you will be able to do the rest too. Don't get disheartened but remember one thing never go off limit, never ever try to exert your body or mind while doing these things as if you exert yourself the elements or the magic will take control over you and that will be dangerous. You get that?" I nodded my head in agreement and gave her a smile. 

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Nandini's POV

I was waiting for Manik in the Princep Ghat, who called me up early morning to talk about something and now he is nowhere to be found. After our talk in the cabin that day and Manik apologizing to me, we have started talking casually or say more openly. He forwarded his hand for friendship which I took instantly. So he helps me with everything related to time travelling and we have started bonding too. The only thing that pinches me is that I have to lie to him about the manuscripts. First I had thought of telling him everything but then Mukti reminded me that he can't be trusted with this related to Siddhant and Sanvi as he blindly follows Lodge rules.

Me and Mukti have finally decoded half of the prophesies in the manuscripts along with our new partner Aryamann. No need to be shocked, that over smart guy had a doubt on us the day he came to our home and then he happened to hear our conversation in college as well the other day, which according to Mukti was intentional eavesdropping. Whatever maybe the case but he promised us that he won't be telling anything to Manik if we let him help us as he really found it fascinating. But he really helped us a lot as he is a master in Shakespearean English. We have found some quotes and there was also a map in that manuscript which we could not make out where is it. 

I saw Manik and he looked tensed with continuously looking around and his hand all the time going through his hair, a sign of him being tensed which I have noticed in all these months working with him. 

Manik-" Hey Nandini, thanks for coming and sorry for being late I came directly from the Lodge so had to be more careful." He was again looking around and at the same time talking to me. 

"It's alright Manik but will you tell me what happened suddenly that you called me up at 4 in the morning  asking me to come here? Is everything fine at the Lodge and why are you continuously looking at the back?" I asked him while this really took his attention towards me and he sighed taking my hand dragged me to the back side and asked me t get in the boat.

"MANIK.. are you alright? Hey!?" 

Manik-" Just shhh.. I don't want anyone to be around while I talk with you. Maybe someone can be following me. Ok so there is definitely something wrong with the Lodge, some days back I overheard the Guardian and the members talking about going to the extreme and when I had questioned Raj Uncle he declined it saying it's nothing but my duty which I should follow. Umm.. that day I let go of the matter but last night when I was walking back home I heard that Uncle and Raghav talking. 

"What were they talking?" 

Manik-" About some changes to be made, and how a lot of sacrifices will be made. They are after your family, finding about past happenings and specially your mother." As soon as he said this I gasped, what the hell is happening here? Why are they after my family, have they found out about me having the manuscript? But if that is the case then why didn't they come to me till now... why they dragging Mom?

Manik-" Nandini? Nandini are you there... hey!" He shook me a little bringing me back from from my thoughts. 

"Hmnmnn.. Yaaa I'm here only." 

Manik-" Look I know you will be worried but I thought it will be better if I tell you everything as this was about your family. Well, I feel that something is really wrong with the workings of the Lodge. All of them are behaving weird, specially from the time Raghav has joined permanently and Raj Uncle has come back from UK." 

"Manik, look don't get angry but I always felt that things were weird here and it has so much of danger. We are just being used like pawns and even Siddhant said the same remember? Maybe they were right and we have been kept under dark from a long time." I said softly and cautiously. No way was I going to tell him about Siddhant giving me those scripts but now that even he feels that things are wrong then I should tell him indirectly. 

Manik-" Nandini I don't know about those 2 people but for sure things are not going right currently, maybe... just maybe he was right but his actions weren't. This entire needs to be closed as that is what we are born for, but not by using wrong means. I need your help in something, will you help me?" He asked suddenly while I didn't know what to say or do so I just nodded my head agreeing to him. 

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Currently we were at the back side of the lodge and there were not many people around because it was 6 in the morning with cold winter winds blowing. Manik had managed to dodge the guards at the backside gate and we finally got inside. 

"Manik why are we here? What exactly are you planning to do?" I asked him rubbing my palms together to generate some heat. 

Manik-" We are going to sneak in into the record room of the Lodge, I think something is wrong and the only place that can tell us about things happening in past is the record room. Everything is written down which happens in the past, or what one needs to do. I know this doesn't make sense but maybe we can get some clue as to what all the elders are planning to do?" He opened a bore well and there was a staircase and Manik asked me to climb down first. We climbed down and at the end we were standing in one of a chamber. Looking around with the little torch light of my phone, anyone would guess that it was a record room as it had loads and loads of files and CDs.

"Manik but how will we find anything it's so dark over here, switch the light on. 

Manik-" We can't Nandini because the switch is in Raj Uncle's room which is just above us, whose other door opens in Uncle's cabin. The route to this basement room is known to only 3 people, Raj uncle, Moloy uncle and me as highly confidential documents are kept here." he told me while I looked up at the ceiling as now even I knew the route. 

"So why you told me? I mean no one tells me a simple thing here and you brought me with you to a highly confidential basement room." 

Manik-" I HAVE STARTED TRUSTING YOU." his just 5 words made me feel happy at the same time left a huge weight on my chest. He trusts me and I'm somewhat breaking his trust by not telling him about the manuscript. Should I tell him, he also is having doubt on the Lodge and by what I have read and decoded the manuscript that also says that things are going wrong. Maybe this will help him. 

" Manik I want to tell you something maybe that can help --" I was about to tell him about the manuscript when we heard the door opening and someone flashing light on us. 

"What is happening here? Manik... Nandini?"

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Hello everyoneeeeeeee

How did you find the update?

How was it to know about Aliya's witchcraft?

Manik is also now doubting the Lodge, should Nandini tell about the manuscript to him ?

Whom do you think caught Manik and Nandini in the basement?

I will meet you people with the next chapter soon. Till then toodles!!!!!

Your writer!
Satakshi (neha)