It was a regular Saturday morning. Ria and Arjun were hanging out in the park near their house, scrolling through their phones, as usual. The sun was shining bright, but nothing about this day seemed special. Or at least, that’s what they thought.

“Yaar, Ria, what do you think, will we ever get a vacation or what? I mean, school’s gonna be a nightmare with all these assignments," Arjun said, tossing a half-eaten samosa into his mouth.

Ria sighed, not looking up from her phone. "Same, bro. But who cares? Just need to get through this week, and then I'll binge-watch all the shows.”

That’s when something bizarre happened. Without warning, the ground beneath them began to shake. They both looked around, confused, as the trees in the park swayed like crazy. And then, a huge gust of wind swept them off their feet.

“Arjun! What’s happening?!” Ria screamed as they tumbled through the air, screaming like crazy.

Before they could blink, the wind settled, and they found themselves... floating? Above the clouds? They looked down. No park. No trees. Just endless, fluffy white clouds below them.

"Ria... am I dreaming, or is this real?!" Arjun shouted. "Is this... a dream?"

"Definitely not a dream!" Ria replied, her eyes wide. “I think we’ve been transported to... somewhere!”

Suddenly, a glowing portal appeared in front of them, and a voice boomed from within it. “Welcome to the Sky Kingdom, travelers. You’ve been chosen for a mission. But be warned, only those with sharp minds will succeed.”

“Umm... what? A kingdom? Here?” Arjun asked, blinking rapidly as if trying to make sense of it all.

Ria was too shocked to say anything. This was straight out of a fantasy movie, but it was real. No joke.

The portal opened wider, and a silver-winged creature, with a crown on its head, flew out. It landed gracefully in front of them. "I am Azura, the Sky King’s messenger. You have come to solve the great riddles of our kingdom."

Ria and Arjun exchanged looks. “Riddles? What are you even talking about?” Ria asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Azura smiled mysteriously. "In this kingdom, riddles control everything. Fail, and you’ll be stuck here forever. Succeed, and you will be given a gift beyond your imagination."

"Okay, this is nuts!" Arjun said, his tone unsure whether to laugh or freak out. "What gift? What are we supposed to do?”

“You must answer three riddles," Azura continued, floating a little higher. "The first riddle will take you through the Cloud Maze. The second will challenge your wits, and the third will test your heart."

Ria raised an eyebrow. “A maze? Wits? Heart? This sounds like an old-school video game, bro.”

Azura chuckled. “Something like that. Now, brace yourselves.”

Before they could even ask anything else, the clouds around them began to swirl. They were suddenly standing in a vast field, surrounded by floating pillars. Each pillar had a glowing riddle carved into it.

The first pillar flickered to life. Its riddle echoed through the air: "What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?"

Arjun immediately started panicking. “What? What is that? Are we supposed to guess it now?”

Ria took a deep breath, scanning the riddle. “Wait, I know this! It’s the letter ‘M.’ Think about it. Once in ‘minute,’ twice in ‘moment,’ and never in ‘a thousand years.’”

“Correct,” Azura’s voice boomed from the sky. The pillar glowed brighter, and a path appeared before them.

“Ha! Nailed it,” Ria said, a grin spreading across her face.

But things were just getting started. The second pillar revealed its riddle: "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"

Arjun scratched his head. “Hmm, sounds tricky. What could it be?”

Ria thought for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Footsteps! The more you take, the more you leave behind!"

Again, the sky flashed with light, and the second path opened, leading them to a floating castle in the distance.

Azura appeared before them, nodding in approval. “You have completed the first two riddles. But the final test awaits. You must solve the riddle of the heart.”

“The riddle of the heart?” Arjun echoed. “What does that even mean?”

The final pillar glowed, and the riddle appeared: "What can be broken but never held? It can be lost, but never found. It’s invisible, yet its absence is felt."

Ria bit her lip, frowning deeply. She turned to Arjun, who was also thinking hard. Time passed, and they both grew quiet.

Then, just as the sun started to set in the sky, Ria's eyes widened. "It’s trust! Trust can be broken, but you can’t hold it. You can lose it, but you can never physically find it. And when you lose trust, you feel it."

The final pillar glowed brightly, and the ground beneath them rumbled. The clouds parted, revealing a treasure chest in the middle of the castle.

“You have succeeded,” Azura said with a grin. “You’ve passed all the trials, and the gift is yours."

“Let me guess," Arjun said. “It’s a lifetime supply of samosas?”

Ria burst out laughing. “Nah, bro. I think it’s something way cooler.”

Azura smiled. “It is the gift of wisdom, the ability to solve any puzzle that comes your way. You may return to your world now, but remember, the Sky Kingdom will always be watching."

With a bright flash, Ria and Arjun were back in the park, the normal world around them. The sun was still shining, but now everything seemed a little... more magical.

"Well, that was wild," Arjun said, still looking at the sky, half-expecting something to happen.

“Yeah," Ria said with a grin. “And hey, next time someone asks us to solve riddles, we’re totally ready.”

And just like that, the adventure of Ria and Arjun came to an end... or maybe it didn’t? Only time would tell if the Sky Kingdom would call them again.