KING NABU AND HIS FORBIDDEN BETHROTAL

The night air was thick with the scent of burnt stone and smouldering memories. Mandlavi and Ramna moved swiftly through the dense forests, their footsteps light despite the weight of their grief. Behind them, the Isaki Cavern lay in ruins, a testament to the betrayal that had shattered their world.

"We have to shift," Ramna whispered urgently,

her fingers tightening around Mandlavi's wrist.

Ramna pulled her sister to a halt. "Mandlavi, listen to me. The Tengaki can not see us like this, we have brought shame to the community. This baby you carry is a blessing from the gods to us but we will be seen as the isakis who failed their community".

Mandlavi hesitated. The spell hovered at the edge of her consciousness,

waiting for her to surrender.

But to shift meant to erase herself.

Her hands trembled. She touched her face, her skin still marked by the life she once held.

Then, pain, sharp, twisting. Her child moved inside her,

reacting to the change. Not just movement, but resistance.

Tears pricked her eyes. Would her child even recognize her after this?

"I was Mandlavi once. But I cannot be her anymore."

She exhaled. Surrendered.

Magic surged through her, rippling across her skin like molten silver. Her bones ached, her body stretched and twisted, reborn, but not whole.

When she opened her eyes, she was someone new.

But inside, the crescent mark on her waist still burned—a silent reminder that no magic could erase the truth.

Mandlavi barely registered the words, her mind still spinning from the events of the night. The image of Kovu standing in the fire haunted her, the coldness in his eyes, the finality of his actions. Only Ramna knew the truth, and she had chosen to keep it hidden.

Ramna followed suit, her transformation quicker, but the strain was evident. They were no longer strong immortals. The magic that once flowed freely through them was fading, slipping from their grasp like sand through fingers.

"We need to find shelter," Ramna said, glancing at the darkened sky.

Mandlavi hesitated. "Where do we go? The Isakis are gone, and we have no allies."

Ramna took a deep breath. "Then we'll make our own way."

They travelled for hours, slipping through abandoned paths and crossing silent rivers, always watching, always listening. Every shadow felt like a threat, every rustling leaf like a whisper of approaching danger.

By dawn, they stumbled upon a small, empty hut on the outskirts of a forgotten village. It was old, the wood worn and cracked, but it was shelter.

"This will do," Ramna murmured, stepping inside.

Mandlavi lowered herself onto the cold floor, exhaustion clawing at her limbs. She pressed a hand to her stomach. The child had stopped moving.

A wave of fear crashed over her.

"Ramna…" Her voice wavered. "Something's wrong."

Ramna turned, concern flashing across her face. She knelt beside Mandlavi, placing a hand over her belly. A deep frown settled on her lips.

"Your body is struggling. Without our immortality, you're...…" She stopped herself.

Mortal.

Mandlavi's breath quickened. She wasn't supposed to feel this weak. Wasn't supposed to bleed.

Her baby wasn't supposed to be born yet.

Ramna's expression hardened. "I can use the last of my magic to protect this place. But you need to rest, Mandlavi. You need to fight for her".

Mandlavi clutched her sister's hand. "What if I can't?"

Ramna's eyes softened. "You will."

She rose, pressing her palms to the walls of the hut. With the remnants of her fading power, she whispered an enchantment. The wind outside stilled. The shadows along the walls deepened, forming an invisible barrier around them. It wasn't much. But it would keep them hidden, For now.

While the sisters fought for survival, the Isakis cavern was burnt to ashes and the isakis were no more. The awful deed has been done and he is to return. His robes were damp with the blood of the isakis. He stood amidst the destruction, his body shaking. His mind caught between two realities, one where he had power, control, purpose and another where he was nothing but a puppet in the hands of kataki.

His hands were stained, his soul fractured. He wanted the isakis destroyed but not this way and especially not at the hands of kataki.

The moment he had made that ill-fated alliance with the rivals of tengaki due to his unrequited love for mandlavi, he believed himself to be the orchestrator of fate, the one who would decide the end of the isakis but he was a fool to think such. Kataki hid the truth from him, a mere mortal can not kill an immortal except they be possessed by immortals.

Kataki, the merciless spirit banished from tengaki centuries ago, finally given the opportunity to do what he couldn't do for years. Kataki needed a human filled with anger, pain, jealousy and evil thoughts to finally end the isakis. Kataki found him and latched onto him like a parasite.

At first it was a whisper in his ear. A promise of power. A guiding hand. Then it became a presence and a prison. When the battle finally began, kataki took control over his body and wielded the sword. The spirit had ravaged the isakis with a hunger that he could not comprehend. Tearing through their defences with an unnatural force. He felt every strike, every scream, every ounce of devastation and suddenly had a change of heart, he fought and clawed at his own mind, trying to regain control but it was too late. So, he thought until he saw her, Mandlavi.

Mandlavi, covered in blood, trembling with her hands over the baby and ramna protecting her with the little power she had left. Something inside him snapped. He fought harder, wrenching himself from kataki's grasp. His body felt as though it was being torn apart, his mind splintering under the force of it. But in that moment, he won. He stopped kataki.

Then as swiftly as he had come, kataki left. And he was free but for a moment. He turned and saw what he had done. The bodies, the blood, the lifeless remains of a people who had once thrived. He could see the rage and disappointment in her eyes, this broke him even more. The one he loves most, now looks at him with the anger riled up inside her. Even if he was disguised as Kovu, he still felt guilt, for what he did could not be undone.