The morning of the wedding. The Roy mansion is buzzing. We see Alaric outside Riha's door, adjusting his cufflinks.Alaric unlocks the door to let the stylists in. The room is empty. The window is shattered, and a trail of torn silk from her "practice" dress is caught on the frame.(Screaming) "Find her! If she's not at that altar in three hours, we are all dead men!"Deep in the forest, inside the moss-covered stone shed. Riha is huddled in the corner. She has traded her silk for a dark, oversized hoodie and boots. She is looking at her camera—the only thing that doesn't lie to her. She scrolls through photos of the forest, trying to steady her breathing. I stayed in that shed for three days. The cold was a mercy compared to the heat of the cameras at the mansion. For the first time, I wasn't an 'Asset.' I was just a girl in the dirt.
The Valerius Cathedral. Julian stands at the altar, looking like a god in a black velvet suit. The elite of the world are watching. The heavy doors open. Silence. No music. No bride. Julian's face doesn't move, but his eyes turn a predatory shade of dark. He looks at Alaric, who is sweating and shaking his head. (A low, terrifying whisper to his assistant) "If she is not found by tonight, release the 'Plagiarism' files on the Roys. I want them to lose their names before they lose their lives." said julian.
Day 4. Riha emerges from the woods at a remote bus terminal. She looks thin, tired, but her eyes are sharp. She reaches for a ticket, but her eyes are drawn to the television screen mounted in the corner. A news anchor's frantic voice: "BREAKING: Roy Institute exposed! Dr. Alistair Roy accused of stealing life-saving genetic data. The family faces total bankruptcy and criminal charges."Close up on Riha's face. The light in her eyes flickers. She realizes Julian is burning her world down to smoke her out.
Riha arrives back at the mansion. The "Gilded Cage" is now a graveyard. Foreclosure signs are on the lawn. She walks into the study. Her father is slumped over the desk where she found the contract. He isn't angry—he's broken. "He did it, Riha. He took the research. He took our honor. He said... he said if you come to his estate tonight, he'll call it a 'merger' instead of a 'theft.' He'll save us." "I know what you found, Riha. I thought... I thought Julian could protect you better than I could. But I saw the surveillance footage from earlier today. I saw how he touched you. I saw his madness.""You sold me, Father."said riha.
(Voice breaking) "And it is the greatest sin of my life. Your mother... she couldn't handle the guilt, Riha. She's gone. Her heart just... stopped."Alistair stands up and shoves a heavy bag into Riha's hands. "Take this. It's money, my original research on your DNA, and the ancient texts about the Shadow Gates. He's coming, Riha. Julian is going to destroy this house to get to you."He pulls her into a tight, trembling hug."I was a scientist before I was a father. I am so sorry. Run. Don't look back. Don't even visit our graves. Just... live."He pushes her out the secret service door just as the sirens of Julian's private security arrive at the front gate.Riha is in a different country, standing in a crowded airport. She looks at a news screen.
"TRAGEDY: DR. ALISTAIR ROY FOUND DEAD IN MANSION FIRE. SON ALARIC ROY STRIPPED OF ALL ASSETS AMID PLAGIARISM CHARGES."
Riha collapses into a chair, silent tears streaming down her face. Her phone pings. Julian is standing over her father's body. He looks into the camera with a terrifying, calm smile.
(Julian's Video): "A bridal gift for you, my dear. He tried to hide you from me. Now, he's just ash. I will find you, Riha. I will keep you forever. You are mine."Another mail arrives from Alaric. It's a photo of two fresh graves in a lonely cemetery.(Alaric's Mail): "Don't come back, Sis. Even for their graves. He's watching the cemetery 24/7. Stay dead to the world."
3 Years Later. A prestigious University Library.Riha (now looking like a mature woman, perhaps with her hair tied back, wearing glasses) is surrounded by ancient books on Vedic history and photography journal . I became a ghost. I spent my days capturing the world through a lens and my nights deciphering my father's notes. I wasn't just a girl anymore. I was a scholar of my own blood. She is walking through a quiet, fog-filled park at night after a long study session. A tall, shadowy figure appears from the mist. The air turns freezing. The shadows around her feet begin to rise and bow to the stranger. (Shadow Lord): "You've spent a long time looking for your history in books, Riha Roy. Wouldn't you rather hear it from the one who wrote it?"