Evening had fallen across the village of Amritpura, painting the sky in soft shades of indigo and gold.
The chimneys of every hut curled up with gentle smoke, and the entire village seemed wrapped in a warm blanket of contentment. The rich fragrance of dinner drifted through the narrow pathways, wafting from one home to the next, forming a collective aroma of roasted grains, spices, and love.
Inside the Raghavan household, however, a very different kind of activity was taking place.
While Meera Maa hummed a folk tune and prepared the evening meal, and while Sania stubbornly practiced energy breathing exercises for the fifteenth time that day, I, the legendary Baby Kaira, was hard at work on something of great significance.
Operation: Pikku Mark 6 Upgrade.
Yes, it was time.
The previous version—Pikku Mark 5—had served well. It could fly at high speeds, carry fruits, share vision and sound, and even had internal storage.
But it lacked range and true power. And honestly? The bird was a bit too stupid. Half the time I had to remind her not to fly into a tree trunk.
But now, after an intense mental blueprint design session (done entirely from my baby nap position), I was ready for the next evolution.
With a single raised finger and a whisper in my mind, the upgrade began.
There was no magical light show or dramatic thunder. Just a soft ripple of sakti energy flowing from my core into Pikku's dormant form, perched quietly by the window.
Her form glowed faintly. Runes appeared along her wings—runes only visible through spiritual sight—and within a few seconds, the transformation was complete.
"Pikku Mark 6," I whispered proudly in my thoughts. "Online."
Her eyes flickered open with a clearer glow this time. Her wings flapped more smoothly. Her posture straightened. She wasn't exactly smart, no—but at least now she wasn't flying headfirst into walls.
New features:
-Range increased to a 50 km radius
-Flight speed: 350 km/h
-Real-time visual and audio feed maintained beyond 40 km
-Internal storage capacity improved
-Slightly more "alive," but still too dumb to name things
"Alright, partner," I thought, syncing with her again. "Time to take a quick… 'surveillance tour.'"
Mission name? Spy-ning Expedition—wait no, let's just call it "Exploration." It sounds more innocent.
With a quiet burst of speed, Pikku took off into the sky. The village lights blurred below as she ascended swiftly, then turned westward toward the heart of Jīvāvana Forest.
At a steady speed of 250 km/h, she reached the edge of the forest in less than two minutes. My borrowed vision beheld a world more magical than I expected.
Though the sun had dipped below the horizon, Jīvāvana glowed.
Yes, literally glowed.
The forest shimmered with a quiet radiance—soft bioluminescence from exotic herbs, glowing mushrooms growing on moss-covered rocks, and strange stones that seemed to absorb and reflect moonlight. It was as if someone had scattered stardust across the earth.
"So this is the Forest of Life," I thought, awestruck. "No wonder Father gathers herbs here—it's like an open-air treasure vault."
Even without the full knowledge of what these glowing things were, I could tell they were alive with energy. Pulsing softly. Breathing in the air. As vibrant as any city back in my old world.
"Pikku, descend. Let's take a closer look."
She obeyed, diving gently and gliding between two glowing trees. As she fluttered lower, I noticed something strange—movement ahead.
She perched on a branch, and I focused the visual link.
Below, in a small clearing, was a carriage. A fine-looking one at that—ornate, with sturdy wooden wheels, now cracked and tilted at an odd angle. Something had clearly broken.
Around the carriage were seven or eight people, clustered together. A few of them were examining the broken wheel, while others kept glancing at the surrounding forest nervously. They didn't appear to be common villagers.
I zoomed in with Pikku's vision.
Their clothes were cleaner, more embroidered. One of them had a leather-bound scroll case slung across his shoulder. Another had a short sword strapped to her side.
"Travelers? Merchants? Scholars? Adventurers?" I wondered.
They didn't seem injured, just… stuck. Judging by their behavior, the wheel had broken unexpectedly, and they weren't sure what to do next. No one was yelling or panicking, which meant they weren't under attack.
Still, something about the whole scene felt tense.
I sent Pikku to glide silently around the clearing, staying hidden in the trees. From this new angle, I saw something even stranger:
Near the back of the carriage was a small metal-bound chest, half-covered in cloth. One of the travelers was subtly guarding it—never straying more than a step away, eyes darting suspiciously at even his own companions.
"Hmmm…" I narrowed my mental eyes.
That chest looked important.
Suddenly, one of the group—a tall man in a robe—glanced directly at Pikku. I froze. Did he see her?
No… impossible. She was cloaked in my own sakti veil, disguised as a bird. To him, she would look like just another glowing jungle creature.
Still, he narrowed his eyes and turned back to the others. "Let's hurry and fix it. I don't like how quiet this place is."
"Wheels don't fix themselves, Bhairav," said another, who appeared to be their mechanic. "This thing's cracked clean through. Must've hit a cursed root or something."
"Cursed root?!" a younger girl exclaimed.
"Relax," the mechanic chuckled. "Just a figure of speech."
"Hmmm," I muttered mentally. "Cursed root, huh…?"
I had Pikku zoom in on the wheel. Sure enough, one of the carriage wheels had a deep black crack running through it, and beneath it was a large tree root—one that glowed faintly red. That… did not seem normal.
"Could it be… infused with corrupted energy?" I whispered internally.
Suddenly, one of the men near the back snapped his head up.
"Hey. Did you hear that?"
I panicked and had Pikku fly straight up, disappearing into the canopy.
The group now looked alert—nervous even—but none had seen her properly.
"Too close," I thought. "Let's keep a safe distance."
Still, the information was valuable.
A group of travelers carrying something important. A strange glowing forest. And a possibly cursed root that broke a well-crafted carriage. This wasn't some normal village gossip.
"Something's going on in Jīvāvana," I concluded. "And I intend to find out what."
Back in the Raghavan household, the family was gathering around for dinner.
Meera Maa gently rocked me while Sania took her notes and muttered under her breath, "Urja… flow from the breath… settle into the core… why is this so hard!?"
Rohan, meanwhile, stood dramatically at the doorway holding a stick, whispering, "Tonight, I strike down the Phantom Librarian of the Sixth Vault…"
I didn't even flinch.
I'd seen something far more interesting than his "Vault War."
After all, while they were eating lentils and roti, I was uncovering possible conspiracies, rare magical flora, and strange wanderers in the glowing woods.
And the night was still young.