Advika pursed her lips, her brows furrowing as she stared at the book in front of her. It was evident from her face that she had something on her mind. The thing with Advika was that her face was like a mirror, reflecting all her emotions. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't hide her feelings.
"What is it, Advika?" asked Ray, reading her expressions with a concerned look.
Advika took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "The first five pages talk about the elements: Fire, Water, Air, Sky, and Earth."
Maya turned the pages of the book as Advika continued.
"We've studied everything we could about the elements. But the next five pages are about the basic practices of all the elements," Advika said, tapping on the page.
Tej, who was playing with keys he had just removed from his pocket, spoke up. "We've done that."
Advika shook her head. "No, it says we need to learn to feel the elements, according to the steps mentioned here."
Maya nodded in agreement. "Yes, we have felt the elements."
"Maybe the book isn't convinced," said Advika, regretting her words immediately after they slipped out. She shut her eyes, wondering if her statement made any sense.
"What? What do you mean?" Ray asked, leaning in with his hands on the ground and his neck stretched, looking up at the sky.
"I mean, the pages after the introduction of the elements appeared when we read the first five pages," Advika explained.
Zarna chimed in, her brows furrowed in confusion. "So, you're saying that unless the book feels that we've done our part, it won't reveal the next pages?"
Advika nodded solemnly. "Yes, I know it sounds illogical, but that's what I feel."
"So, what do you think? How are we supposed to convince the book?" Tej asked, folding his sleeves.
"Convince the book? This is insane," Ray muttered, scratching his head in disbelief.
Advika took a deep breath and looked at her watch, considering her options. "I think we should redo it," she finally said, her voice resolute.
The others exchanged glances, their minds racing with questions and doubts. But with no other leads to follow, they all nodded in agreement.
"We're out of time, we need to go," Maya said with a sense of urgency.
"Alright then, let's meet up again next week, same time, same place," Tej said, leaping down from the rock. Ray followed suit.
"Wanna race?" Tej asked, playfully nudging Ray's shoulders.
"Sure thing," Ray replied, positioning himself for a sprint. "Ready, set, go!" Tej called out, and they took off towards the forest's exit.
Maya sighed as she jumped down, and Advika carefully placed the book back on the rock before following suit. Zarna was close behind. "We need to hurry," she urged.
"I don't know where they get their energy from," Maya grumbled as they made their way towards the forest's exit. "Boys," Zarna said, rolling her eyes.
The girls weren't keen on running, but they knew it was necessary. Advika glanced at her watch again. "It's almost four," she said, tapping her watch in frustration.
"Yeah, we better pick up the pace," Zarna agreed. Running was not their usual style, but they couldn't afford to waste any time.
Advika had once compared their situation to Cinderella, needing to leave the forest before 4 p.m. The mystery of the forest and its time constraint remained unresolved, but they were determined to uncover its secrets soon.
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