AUTHOR'S POV:

Sanavika, her silhouette framed against the warm glow as she stepped out of her room, freshly bathed and dressed. There was a hesitancy in her steps, a subtle tension in her shoulders, as if bracing herself for facing everyone ahead within this grand, yet often unwelcoming, household. She moved towards the grand staircase, intending to descend, when her gaze landed on Avayukta. He was emerging from the opposite end of the corridor, equally poised to make his way to the dining hall.