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Chapter 6 - Chapter no. 6 :-Planning

After finalizing their weekly schedule, the four of them Ruhi, Aarav, Ekaksh, and Kian headed straight to the Topaz office.

Ruhi adjusted her bag straps and said, "We need to sign in for the missions. For special missions from Board 2 & Board 3, we have to request at least one day in advance."

Aarav nodded. "Right. Let's get this done before the day ends."

Ekaksh, practically bouncing with excitement, said, "I'm going for the highest point one first!"

Kian raised an eyebrow. "Patience. Let's follow the plan."

They approached the office desk, where a Topaz official greeted them with a smile. "Ah, the new batch! Here to sign in for your missions, I suppose?"

Ruhi spoke first. "Yes. We want to sign in for Tuesday's mission from Board 2 the auditorium cleaning. And also for Thursday and Friday, the special mission from Board 3 the disappearing villagers case."

The official typed quickly on his crystal keyboard. "Very well. You're officially registered. Remember, Thursday and Friday's special mission will require proper preparation. Ensure you're ready."

Ekaksh grinned. "Don't worry! We'll be more than ready."

Aarav glanced at Ruhi and Kian. "All done. That's it for now. 

The official hands them the disappearing case missions details and tips/rules to remember while cleaning the auditorium in documents. 

Now we can plan for and be ready for Today's night shift."

The group exchanged satisfied nods, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation as they left the office.

The four of them entered Room Number 8, the soft glow of the morning sun filtering through the curtains. They each carried the documents from the Topaz office, carefully laid out on the large table in the center of the room.

Ruhi spread out the first document. "Okay, let's start with the auditorium cleaning tips and rules," she said, adjusting her glasses.

They all leaned over the papers, reading carefully.

Tip number one: Always clean every corner of the auditorium. It is a very Important place. Do not skip any corner.

Tip number two: Ensure all the seats are arranged in the correct order.

Tip number three: Everything should be shiny. No dust, no smudges.

Tip number four: The auditorium washrooms must be clean and hygienic.

Ekaksh leaned back in his chair, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Oh man, I thought we came here to fight bad guys or spooky monsters or aliens or something like that. And here we are… cleaning washrooms and auditoriums."

Kian, still calm and composed, looked at him and said, "Aren't you expecting too much, Ekaksh?"

Aarav smiled faintly, folding his arms. "Don't worry. It's just the start. We have more missions coming up, like the disappearing villagers."

Ruhi nodded, picking up the second document. "Yes, we do have that. I'll read the disappearing villagers case next."

She cleared her throat and began, her tone calm and steady. "Several villagers who went in the forest in the Rose Village have gone missing. They were mostly woodcutters and gatherers. No one has been able to find them. Heavy rains recently occurred in the area, which could have caused natural hazards, like muddy pits or fallen trees. Some think the villagers might be lost or trapped, but nothing is certain."

Ekaksh's eyes widened slightly. "Ah, see! Now we're talking! Finally, something interesting to do. I knew there had to be a spooky mystery somewhere."

Ruhi continued, ignoring his excitement. "Your mission will be to investigate the forest, locate the missing villagers, and ensure their safe return. Stay together, be careful, and follow all the safety protocols. This case is Interesting than cleaning an auditorium, but it's manageable if we plan well."

Aarav looked at the team seriously. "We should read this carefully and understand exactly what could go wrong. Forests can be dangerous, and we don't want anyone getting lost or hurt."

Kian nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Let's take this step by step. First, we understand the terrain. Then we figure out possible hazards. And finally, we plan how we'll move through the forest safely and efficiently."

Ekaksh sighed dramatically, though there was still a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Fine, fine. I guess first we clean auditoriums and washrooms, and then we save villagers. Not so bad."

Ruhi smiled faintly. "Exactly. This is just the beginning. Every mission counts, no matter how simple it seems."

The four of them spent the next few minutes discussing on the disappearing villagers case, reading it carefully and exchanging thoughts about what might be waiting for them in the forest near Rose Village.

After carefully reading the disappearing villagers case, the four of them leaned back on their beds, thoughtful. The forest near Rose Village had clearly become a dangerous place, and they needed to understand what could be happening.

Aarav broke the silence. "Okay, first things first. Let's discuss why the villagers are going missing. Could it be natural hazards? Like pits, fallen trees, or heavy rain causing landslides due to which they are stuck there?"

Ekaksh leaned forward, eyes gleaming with excitement. "Or… maybe something spooky Alien! Some kind of monster or strange magic could be hiding in the forest. Who knows what's really going on."

Ruhi frowned slightly, thoughtful. "It could be a combination. Natural hazards, yes, but also something supernatural, basically we never know. The lost villagers must have left traces we must find those."

Kian, calm as always, nodded. "Good points. But before we move forward, we should also figure out what powers each of us can use. That way, we'll know how to handle any situation."

Ekaksh immediately raised his hand, practically bouncing in his seat. "I'll go first! My dominant elements are fire and wind. I can use fire, lava, smoke, wind, and dust magic. And… I also have a special magic i.e. transformation magic!"

Aarav smiled faintly. "My dominant elements are fire and water. I can control fire, water, lava, and steam. And I have spatial magic too."

Ruhi leaned forward, her expression serious. "As for me… all my elements are balanced. I can use fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, and healing. I also have mind communication, so we can communicate with each other no matter how far apart we are, up to a ten-kilometer radius."

Kian nodded, looking at each of them carefully. "I can use wind, poison, lava, and lightning. I'm skilled with a Katana, and I also have mind reading."

Ekaksh whistled softly. "Wow… that's a lot of power in one room."

Arav smiled, "This will be useful. With each of our powers, we can cover multiple scenarios. 

Ekaksh grinned. "Alright! So we're ready for anything, spooky Aliens or weird magic or… even mysterious pits."

Kian gave a small nod. "Exactly. Now that we know what powers we have, we can start planning how to approach the forest safely and find the villagers."

Ruhi opened the document again, pointing to a section marked "Forest Hazards." "Let's start with analyzing this forest. There could be traps, natural obstacles, or something else we don't know yet. Step by step planning is key."

The four of them bent over the table, the room buzzing with quiet determination as they began mapping out their strategy, each thinking about how to use their powers efficiently and keep each other safe in the mysterious forest in the Rose Village.

Aarav looked at the others and said that out of the three villages in the Earth Realm, the realm is made up of Cherry Blossom, Rose, and Lotus Village. Out of these three, the second largest forest lies in the Rose Village, and as he was from Rose Village, he explained that the forests there, was around forty-five to fifty kilometers of radius.

He turned to Ruhi and said, "Ruhi, your mind communication works only within ten kilometers of radius, right? Can you try expanding it?"

Ruhi nodded thoughtfully. "Actually, yeah, I can. I'll work more on my Crown chakra , just like how I made my elemental balance through controlling the 7 chakra's. If I focus, I think by Thursday I can increase my mind communication arc from ten to fifteen kilometers. Anyone within fifteen kilometers of me at the center, I'll be able to talk to them."

Aarav looked at Kian next. "Kian, how far can you read minds?"

Kian replied calmly, "I can listen to people's thoughts up to five hundred meters to one kilometer."

Aarav nodded. "Then you should try increasing your arc too. You can take help from Ruhi she already increased her mind communication from one kilometer to ten with perfect chakra control."

Ruhi then looked at Aarav. "Aarav, what about your spatial magic?"

Aarav replied, "I can use spatial magic in two cases. First, I can travel from one place to another, but only places I've already been to. For example, I can take us to the Rose Village right now in just two minutes. Second, I can use spatial magic anywhere within a five-kilometer radius nearby. "

Ruhi smiled slightly. "That's really good. Those two techniques can help us a lot."

Then Ekaksh turned to Aarav. "And me, what about me? What will I help us with?"

Aarav smiled. "None of us here have smoke or dust, or transformation magic which only you have. Those are unique to you. If, like you said, we face any spooky monsters or aliens, your magic will make a great decoy for us to escape."

They all agreed on the plan and decided to rest since they had their night shift from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Before resting, they went to the canteen to have lunch.

 Ruhi, Kian, Ekaksh, and Arav enter the bustling canteen filled with chatter and clinking utensils. The line is long, stretching out near the counter.

Ekaksh: (grinning mischievously) Hmm… this line looks endless.(He glances around, smirks, and quietly transforms himself into Captain Nivan, the Topaz House Captain.)

Kian: (raising an eyebrow) Oh no… he's not actually-

Aarav: (crossing his arms) Don't tell me-

(Ekaksh, now looking like Nivan, strolls straight to the front of the line. The students there immediately step aside in respect. He takes his tray, piles on food, and walks to the table with a smug smile before turning back into himself.)

Aarav: (trying not to laugh) You seriously did that?

Kian: (sighs, shaking his head in disappointment) You shouldn't use transformation magic like that.

Ruhi: (frowning) Kian's right. You shouldn't be using your transformation magic recklessly, Ekaksh.

Aarav: Yeah, imagine if someone saw you transform back it would be a total chaos.

Ekaksh: (shrugs) Relax, no one saw me. And hey, I got food first. Totally worth it.(He takes a bite, eyes widening.)Oh my god, Kiran was so right. The food here is really good!

(Aarav & Ruhi laughs, kian smiles a bit and they all start eating. After a moment, Ekaksh leans back and grins.)

Ekaksh: So… what's everyone's favorite food?

Ruhi: (smiling softly) Pani puri. 

Arav: (thinking for a second) Hmm… ramen and momos.

Kian: (with a lazy tone) Uhn… I guess biryani.

Ekaksh: (grinning) Everything that's edible is my favorite. Why limit myself?

(Ruhi chuckles, shaking her head. Then Ekaksh smirks and looks at her.)

Ekaksh: Ruhi, what kind of guys do you like?

(Ruhi looks at him, slightly caught off guard. Aarav pauses mid-bite, while Kian quietly watches.)

Ruhi: (after a short pause) I don't really have a particular type. For me, the person I fall in love with would be my type.(She looks thoughtful now.)How can someone have a type? What matters is who you fall for. I could fall for a guy who's quiet… or one who's playful… maybe someone strong, maybe not. I don't know. Whoever I fall for, he'd be my type.

(There's a small silence as everyone looks at her, impressed by her answer. Ekaksh blinks, then nods slowly.)

Ekaksh: (smiling) Huh... didn't understan that one

Aarav : Obiviously You won't understand Dumboo.

They all continue having there lunch.

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