Back in Amritpura, the sun had barely passed its peak when the expedition team returned.
They didn't say much.
But they didn't need to.
Their silence said it all—tense, wary, and heavy with the kind of pressure that sticks to your bones. Teacher Samira walked slower than usual, her usual calm expression slightly off, like a river rippling against the wrong wind.
As the villagers gathered around to ask what happened, Samira raised a hand gently. "Please. Everyone return to your homes. There will be a meeting this evening. But for now… no one must enter Jīvāvana."
Raghavan, watching from the entrance of his home, gave a thoughtful nod. "Looks like even the forest wants privacy," he muttered.
Inside, Meera shook her head, ushering Sania and Rohan inside. "Everyone wash your hands and don't go near the trees."
Kaira, meanwhile, lay like a proper baby burrito in a bundle of soft cloth, looking utterly harmless.
But inside?
She was furious.
How dare that root sneak-attack the team like that.
Not even a single warning pop-up. Rude.
She huffed through her nose and stared up at the ceiling as if the wooden beams held answers. Her mind was already whirring through schematics.
"If the forest is waking up, I need more than vision and stealth. I need—"
Her eyes sparkled.
"—a probe unit."
Not just a bird that could fly and listen and drop off sneaky gifts.
No.
She needed a scout.
Something tougher. Smarter. Able to gather samples, test energies, and maybe even take a small hit without falling apart like a wet rice cracker.
She rolled slightly on her charpai, causing Meera to look over. "Awake, little one?" she asked sweetly.
Kaira gurgled a "yes" in baby code, which translated to: I'm about to commit minor magical engineering. Please bring milk.
As her mom settled in to feed her, Kaira closed her eyes and activated her mindspace—a secret, glowing chamber in her head that looked suspiciously like a floating laboratory filled with glowing blueprints, floating chalkboards, and one imaginary assistant named "Bubblebrain."
"Okay," she said to herself, floating in her dream-lab. "Time to build something new."
PROJECT: PIKKU-BETA — THE BOUNCING PROBE
Primary Function: Exploration and low-level energy analysis
Form: Small spherical bird-sized orb with tiny retractable legs
Mobility: Rolls, hops, hovers up to 1.2 meters, stealth-glide for 10 minutes
Abilities:
Micro-energy scanner for environmental readings
Sample collector (dust, root shavings, spores)
Mini light emitter for cave or root interior work
Boing-Defense: Springs to jump 2 meters away when startled
Shockproof: Can handle getting slapped by forest root once (probably)
"I don't need a warrior. I need a roly-poly science nerd that can run from danger faster than my mom from gossip," Kaira whispered.
She raised a tiny hand from under her blanket and channeled a small thread of Sakti through her fingers. Outside the hut, Pikku fluttered in place, her eyes glowing gently as she received the instructions.
Now here came the tricky part—crafting something remotely, and inside Pikku's storage.
The bird flew off a short distance, landed beneath a tree, and extended its wings slightly. From her internal storage compartment, a cluster of soft materials, wood dust, iron bits, and energy thread poured out into a neat little pile.
Kaira held her breath and began.
In her mindspace, the mental tools danced: shaping orbs, carving details, infusing runes.
She whispered to herself, "Lightweight… balanced… core stabilizer—no, don't tilt left! Focus…"
A few times, the mental image of Bubblebrain slipped on imaginary tools, but she ignored him.
She was in the zone.
Sweat gathered lightly on her forehead in the real world, and Meera thought, "Poor thing's having a dream."
Oh, if only she knew her baby was assembling an advanced forest-surveillance marble while sipping milk.
After nearly an hour, a small chirp echoed in Kaira's mindspace.
Pikku hovered back to the hut with the new creation tucked in her belly. She gently landed on the windowsill and released the orb with a soft plop beside the charpai.
Kaira opened one eye and reached out with the tiniest finger.
The orb glowed blue in response.
"Boop."
The orb blinked twice and extended tiny legs with a flick. It balanced easily, hopping forward once, then twice, as if eager to explore.
"Perfect," Kaira whispered triumphantly. "You, little one, are my new boots on the ground. Codename: Boppi."
Boppi made a small squeaky hum as if approving the name.
That night, while the village slept and the stars shimmered above, Kaira sent Pikku to the forest again—but this time, Boppi went along.
The little orb hopped gently across mossy roots, scanned the soil, sniffed some spores (via sensor, of course), and zapped a tiny light on a glowing leaf.
Data flowed back to Kaira in real time.
No aggressive energy detected.
But beneath the forest floor?
Movement.
Very slow. Very deep.
Something is there. Maybe watching.
Kaira frowned.
"Well," she muttered mentally, "That's not creepy at all."
Still, now she had eyes and feelers inside the forest. Her toolkit was growing. Her understanding was sharpening.
The grown-ups had warriors and Rishis.
She had Pikku and Boppi.