---
Chapter 8: The Ones Who Run
The silence after Nani's words hung like a blade in the air.
"It has begun. Oakmourne is showing its colour."
Even hours later, those words clung to Zayaan's chest as the group returned to Nani's house. The old wooden structure groaned with every gust of wind, as though the house itself listened to their steps.
They gathered in the hall again—Zayaan, Kian, Anamika, Luna, and the two friends who had once been the loudest voices of their childhood, Wizz and Yuwin. But now, Wizz and Yuwin were quieter, shadows of the boys they once were.
Anamika broke the silence first, her tone steady but curious. "What did she mean, Zayaan? 'Oakmourne is showing its colour'? Has something already begun?"
Zayaan shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. But she never speaks without reason. If she said it's begun…" He trailed off, staring into the flickering lamp flame. "…then maybe it's already too late."
Kian leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "We need answers. Half-truths will only get us killed." His eyes darted to Zayaan's pendant, the faint glimmer of it reflecting the lamplight. "Especially with that tied to all of this."
Before Zayaan could reply, a sudden creak made everyone freeze. The floorboards shivered under hurried footsteps.
"Where are they going?" Luna's voice cracked the silence.
They turned just in time to see Wizz and Yuwin bolt from the room. No explanation. No words. Just sudden, wild movement. Their footsteps pounded against the wooden planks, then echoed out the front door, swallowed by the darkness outside.
"Wizz! Yuwin!" Zayaan shouted, springing to his feet. But there was no response—only the wind, carrying their names into the woods.
The group scrambled to the doorway. The night loomed before them, the trees in the distance like towering black figures waiting to embrace what ran toward them. The cousins' shapes flickered between shadows, their bodies moving too fast, too deliberately, like puppets pulled by invisible strings.
"They're heading straight into the forest," Kian muttered, his voice low, tight with dread. "Not even looking back."
"They can't hear us," Anamika said sharply, hand resting near her revolver. "Or worse—they don't want to."
Zayaan's heart hammered as he stepped into the cold night air. He could barely see the outlines of his friends anymore, their forms swallowed by the trees. A memory crashed into him—his dream, the woods calling him by name, voices whispering promises and threats. Now it wasn't just him. The woods had chosen others.
"We have to go after them," Zayaan said, his voice breaking under urgency.
Nani's frail figure appeared in the doorway, her eyes hollow with something between sorrow and warning. "Don't," she whispered. "Not tonight. If you follow, the forest won't return all of you."
But Zayaan's fists clenched. He looked at Kian, then Anamika, then Luna. Their faces were pale, uncertain, caught between reason and loyalty.
For a long moment, no one moved. The howling wind filled the gap like a voice of its own.
Then, without a word, Zayaan took one step toward the woods
They were all on edge.
"Don't be fools!" Anamika hissed, grabbing Zayaan's wrist. "If you follow them now, you'll be walking into a trap."
"She's right," Luna pressed, standing in front of Kian. "Think. This isn't them—it's something else pulling them."
But Kian's jaw tightened. "Trap or not, they're still our friends."
Zayaan pulled free, eyes burning. "I can't just watch them vanish into the dark."
Anamika cursed under her breath, but the boys were already running. With a frustrated glance, she and Luna followed, their steps swallowed by the forest floor.
The outlines of Wizz and Yuwin flickered just ahead—two shadows weaving between the trees. For a breathless moment, the chase felt endless. Then, without warning, the figures vanished, as if swallowed whole.
The group skidded to a halt, panting, straining their eyes against the dark. That's when Zayaan froze.
A fragrance—sweet, piercing—slipped through the night. Jasmine. Familiar. Unsettling. It pulled at him like a memory he could never quite grasp.
"Down," he whispered. He dragged the others into the undergrowth, crouching low behind a thick bush.
And then they saw it.
A clearing opened beyond the trees. Wizz and Yuwin stood rigid, heads bowed like scolded children. And before them—her voice sharp, her presence commanding—stood Elena.
Her words lashed through the air, colder than the night wind. "You were careless. Both of you. If you fail him again, Oakmourne will bury you deeper than death."
Zayaan's blood turned to ice. His breath caught. The girl he had once loved—the girl who had haunted his dreams—was here, alive, furious, and standing as master over the friends he thought he knew.
Next Scene
The clearing was heavy with silence, broken only by Elena's sharp voice cutting through the night.
Elena (furious): "You fools! Do you even understand what you've risked? Oakmourne does not forgive mistakes."
Wizz (bowed, trembling): "We tried… but he's stronger than we thought. The pendant—"
Elena (snapping): "Enough! Excuses won't save you. If he learns to wield it fully, everything we've built will burn."
Yuwin raised his head, his eyes hollow, a trace of defiance flickering.
Yuwin: "Then let us finish him. Give us another chance."
Elena's lips curved into a cruel smile, her voice dropping to a hiss.
Elena: "Finish him? Oh, you don't understand. He isn't just a boy—he is the key. Oakmourne's key."
She stepped closer, her wild hair catching the pale light, her words striking like venom.
Elena: "Zayaan will die. The great Oakmourne will make him kneel, make him bleed. And when his heart stops beating, the soil itself will release its wealth—our wealth. Gold, roots, blood. Enough to make kings crawl."
She threw her head back and laughed, cold and sharp.
Elena: "Finally, we will have enough. Finally, his own kingship demands his death. Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Wizz and Yuwin bowed lower, shadows trembling under her command.
Behind the bush, Zayaan's hands clenched so hard his nails cut into his palms. His chest burned—half with fear, half with fury.
Next Scene
Zayaan's breath came heavy as he rose from the bush, Kian stepping beside him. The shadows of the trees stretched long and sharp across the ground as they moved forward. Elena, Wizz, and Yuwin turned—three faces frozen in disbelief.
Wizz (stammering): "Z–Zayaan? Kian? But… how did you—"
Zayaan (voice trembling with fury): "You bastards. Betrayal. After everything… after all we've been through, you dare stand with them?"
Yuwin's face hardened, eyes void of warmth.
Yuwin (snarling): "Shut up, Zayaan! You think friendship means anything? Your own family wants you gone. We're only following the truth."
Kian (stepping forward, furious): "Shut up, idiot! You're not just betraying him—you're betraying me. How could you stand against us?"
Elena's lips curled into a smile, slow and cruel, her eyes glowing with twisted satisfaction.
Elena (mocking): "Oh, Zayaan… don't waste your anger. We're not against you. We're simply helping Oakmourne… to finally claim you."
Her laughter echoed, sharp as shattered glass.
The tension broke like a storm. From behind the bushes, Anamika and Luna emerged, their hands gripping stones. With fierce determination, they hurled them at the traitors.
Anamika (shouting): "Stay away from him!"
Luna joined her, stones flying fast, striking the ground near Elena's feet. Wizz and Yuwin recoiled, shadows twisting with anger.
Yuwin (snarling): "You'll regret this—"
But Elena raised a hand, silencing him. Her eyes locked on Zayaan, her smile spreading wider.
Elena (low, venomous): "The roots will claim you soon. And when they do, there will be no escape."
The earth seemed to tremble at her words. Then, as if swallowed by the night itself, Elena stepped back, her form dissolving into shadow. Wizz and Yuwin followed, their figures fading until only the echo of their presence lingered.
The woods fell silent again, heavy with dread.
Zayaan's chest burned, his fists shaking. Kian placed a hand on his shoulder, but neither spoke. Behind them, Anamika and Luna stood pale, their breathing ragged.
Together, without a word, they turned back toward Nani's house. The silence between them was louder than any cry.
Scene Title: The Weight of Betrayal
The walk back to Nani's house was unlike any other. The night pressed close, heavy with silence. The faces of Wizz, Yuwin, and Elena refused to leave Zayaan's mind. Betrayal stung sharper than any wound.
Inside the dimly lit house, the air felt thick, as though the walls themselves carried secrets. They sat in the hall, but no one dared speak at first. Finally, Zayaan's voice broke the silence, ragged with anger.
Zayaan (snapping): "Why? Why would they say that? Why would Wizz and Yuwin claim my own family wants me dead?"
His eyes darted toward Nani, searching for answers. Nani lowered her gaze, hands trembling in her lap.
Kian (firmly, yet uneasy): "Zayaan… maybe they're trying to break you. Oakmourne thrives on twisting truths."
But Zayaan shook his head, his voice rising.
Zayaan: "No. It was too precise. They knew something. They knew."
He stood, his fists clenching, and turned to Nani.
Zayaan (furious, demanding): "You've been hiding something all along. Tell me! Is it true? Did my family… did you… want me dead?!"
The room fell into silence so deep it was deafening. Nani finally lifted her face, tears welling in her tired eyes. She whispered, voice breaking.
Nani: "Zayaan… your mother's death… it was not normal. It was never cancer alone. It was the pact."
Zayaan's heart hammered in his chest.
Zayaan (choking): "What are you saying? That all this… all the pain… was because of Oakmourne?"
Nani (nodding, voice trembling): "Your mother carried the burden of that cursed pact. She tried to shield you from it, to keep it from consuming you. But the price was her life. That's the truth I buried."
Zayaan stumbled back, shaking his head in disbelief. His anger collapsed into grief, his voice cracking.
Zayaan: "You lied to me all these years. You let me believe she just… faded. And now you say my blood, my family… is tied to Oakmourne?"
Nani wept openly now, her hands fumbling inside a locked chest near her bed. From it, she drew a folded, time-stained letter. Her hands shook as she pressed it into Zayaan's palm.
Nani (softly): "This came long ago. I never had the courage to give it to you. It's from Tara. She… she knew more than any of us. She wanted you to have this when the time was right."
Zayaan stared at the letter, his breath shallow. The word on the envelope blurred through his tears:
"Bhaijaan…"
His hands trembled as he broke the seal. Tara's handwriting spilled across the page, her voice echoing in his mind as he read:
"Bhaijaan, if you're reading this, it means the pact has begun to unravel. You must understand… things are not what they seem. Even those you trust most may not be who they claim. Nani cannot protect you forever. The forest remembers, and so does Oakmourne. But you… you are different. That is why it wants you. That is why Mother… sacrificed herself. I will return soon, Bhaijaan. Wait for me. Do not believe the lies. The truth is darker, and closer, than you think."
The words burned into him, each one heavier than the last. His chest felt as if it were splitting open—betrayal, sorrow, and a terrifying new suspicion all at once.
He looked up at Nani, his voice breaking between rage and despair.
Zayaan: "So Tara knew? She knew everything… and you kept this from me?"
Nani could only bow her head.
The candlelight flickered, throwing shadows across the walls like grasping hands. Outside, the wind rattled the windows, as though Oakmourne itself was listening.
Chapter 8
The Ashes That Speak
The house was quiet, unnaturally so. After the revelation of Nani's secret and Tara's letter, no one had the strength to keep talking. Their minds were heavy with betrayal, sorrow, and the looming weight of Oakmourne's shadow.
At some point, exhaustion dragged them under. Zayaan lay on his side, Tara's letter still clutched against his chest. Kian shifted restlessly, eyes twitching in half-formed dreams. Anamika and Luna slept near Nani's bed, their breaths slow but uneasy, as though even their sleep carried fear.
The night stretched on.
Then, as the call of azan echoed faintly from the faraway mosque—low, mournful, almost like a lament—the house stirred. Nani was the first to wake. A sound unlike anything earthly had pulled her from slumber: a dull, heavy thud against the gate, followed by the dragging of something across the ground.
Her heart froze.
She whispered, almost voiceless: "Ya Allah…"
The sound came again—thud, drag, thud.
The others began to stir. Luna sat up, rubbing her eyes, until she noticed Nani's expression: pale, frozen with fear.
Luna (whispering): "What… what is it?"
Nani shook her head, motioning them to silence. But the noise outside grew louder now. The thud became a crash, followed by a low moan of wind that rattled the windows.
Zayaan woke with a start, clutching his chest. His breath came fast, though he didn't yet know why. Kian rubbed his face, blinking blearily, then froze when he heard it too.
Kian (tense): "Something's at the gate."
The words sent a chill through the hall.
Gathering courage, they rose. Together, with Nani at the lead, they stepped toward the creaking front door. The air felt wrong—thick, metallic, carrying a scent like rusted iron.
The door moaned open.
And then, silence.
Until their eyes adjusted.
At the threshold, lying in the dust like grotesque offerings, were three severed heads.
Elena.
Wizz.
Yuwin.
Their lifeless eyes stared upward, mouths frozen in twisted shapes that seemed like part scream, part sorrow.
Anamika clutched her mouth to stop from screaming. Luna staggered back, shaking violently, clutching Kian's arm. Even Kian's composure cracked—his jaw locked, his hands balled into fists, his chest heaving with disbelief.
Zayaan… simply broke.
A sound ripped from him—half sob, half howl. He stumbled forward, tears blurring his vision, collapsing on his knees before the heads of the two friends he had grown up with and the girl who had once haunted his heart.
Zayaan (screaming): "NO! No… no… you can't… you can't leave me like this!"
His trembling hands reached out, desperate to touch them, to prove this wasn't real.
Nani (sobbing): "Zayaan, don't!"
But it was too late.
The moment his fingertips brushed the cold skin, the heads disintegrated. Ash spilled through his hands like sand, scattering across the earth. His breath caught in his throat, horror consuming him—until the ash began to move.
It shifted against the wind, gathering, swirling, arranging itself into lines.
They all froze as words began to take form on the ground, written in soot and smoke, glowing faintly as if alive.
> Zayaan, we are sorry.
We were trapped in black magic. Elena, Wizz, and I.
We betrayed you, but not by choice. Oakmourne bound us to him.
Kian's teachings helped us find this way to speak.
Listen: Oakmourne is stronger than ever. He will kill everything.
He needs you. He needs your pendant.
Only with you can he awaken the Oathkeeper.
Tonight is the full moon. You must face him. You must kill him.
And know this—Oakmourne is your…
The words stopped.
A sudden gale tore through the yard, so fierce it blew the ash into a violent storm. Dust blinded them, burned their eyes, filled their lungs. They shielded their faces as the unfinished sentence vanished into nothing.
When the air settled, the words were gone.
Only silence remained.
Zayaan knelt on the earth, his tears soaking into the dirt, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His body shook with grief and rage, with the weight of betrayal, and now with the horror of an unfinished truth.
Zayaan (hoarse, broken): "Oakmourne is my… what?!"
No one answered.
The others stood in shock, frozen in their own storm of terror. Anamika's face was pale, her eyes locked on Zayaan's bent figure, her own heart breaking at the sight of his devastation. Luna clung to Kian, trembling, her mind refusing to grasp the brutality of what they had just witnessed.
Nani's hands trembled violently at her sides. She looked older in that moment, as though the weight of years had finally crushed her. A shadow crossed her eyes—not just grief, but guilt.
Zayaan rose unsteadily to his feet, his face streaked with tears, his chest heaving like a man drowning. He turned toward Nani, his voice raw, cutting.
Zayaan: "Tell me. You know what it was going to say. You've always known. Oakmourne is my… what?"
Nani's lips parted, but no sound came. She clutched her shawl tighter, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.
Nani (whispering): "Not yet. Not tonight."
Zayaan (roaring): "TONIGHT IS ALL WE HAVE!"
His voice cracked, echoing against the walls of the house. Birds scattered from the trees outside, startled into the dawn air.
Kian stepped forward, placing a hand on Zayaan's shoulder, trying to steady him.
Kian (firmly, low): "We'll find the truth, Zayaan. But we can't lose focus now. They said tonight. Tonight's the full moon. That's when Oakmourne comes."
Zayaan's body shook with the effort of holding back another outburst. He stared at his friend, then at the ground where the ashes had been, and finally at the pendant glowing faintly against his chest.
The weight of destiny pressed on him like a chain.
Inside, the house was silent. Anamika quietly stepped toward him, her eyes locked on his. She whispered softly, though her words trembled:
Anamika: "We'll fight with you. Whatever Oakmourne is—whoever he is—you won't face him alone."
Luna nodded, though fear clouded her expression. Kian's jaw tightened in resolve.
And Nani… Nani turned away, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs, her lips moving in prayers no one else could hear.
The sun rose over the horizon, but its light felt pale, weak against the shadow gathering in the woods beyond.
The day would pass quickly. Too quickly.
For tonight was the full moon.
And tonight, they face Oakmourne.
Chapter 8
The Oathkeeper's Shadow
The morning after the ashes burned their message into the earth, silence ruled the house. The walls seemed thinner, the rooms colder. Outside, the trees swayed restlessly as though whispering warnings, their branches clawing at the sky.
Zayaan sat slumped in the old armchair by the window, his face pale, eyes sunken with sleeplessness. The pendant on his chest glowed faintly, like a second heartbeat pressing against his skin. Its weight was no longer only physical; it carried fear, expectation, and the unspoken command of destiny.
The others moved around quietly. Anamika polished her revolver in silence, though her hands shook. Luna tried to help Nani in the kitchen, but neither spoke much. Kian sat at the edge of the bed, a notebook open in his lap, scrawling fragments of lore he had studied during his paranormal course: thresholds, spirits, pacts, curses, moon cycles.
But none of them said what weighed on their hearts.
What was the Oathkeeper?
And why did Oakmourne need it?
---
The Name in the Shadows
At last, Kian broke the silence.
Kian: "The message said Oakmourne needs you… needs your pendant… to awaken the Oathkeeper. That's not just a weapon. It's something more. Something ancient."
He flipped the notebook, showing rough sketches he'd made from his studies. Circles, runes, lines of untranslated symbols.
Kian: "In old folklore, the Oathkeeper was said to be the first weapon forged between man and spirit. Not steel. Not wood. Something else. It carried the weight of promises—blood oaths, curses, vows. Whoever holds it… bends those oaths. Forces the world to obey."
Luna shivered.
Luna: "You mean it controls… fate?"
Kian nodded grimly.
Kian: "And if Oakmourne takes it, none of us—not even the woods—can stand against him."
The words pressed heavily in the room.
Zayaan lowered his head, his fingers closing around the pendant. Its glow pulsed faintly in answer, as though acknowledging the truth.
But inside him, fear grew louder than any hope.
He whispered, almost to himself:
Zayaan: "How am I supposed to fight something like that?"
---
The Breaking Point
The day crawled by in tense preparation. Anamika and Luna searched cupboards for herbs, salts, anything they could use in rituals of protection. Kian scribbled incantations in chalk on the floor. Nani sat in her corner, lips moving in prayers, though her eyes seemed distant, lost in some private torment.
And Zayaan… Zayaan sank deeper into despair.
By late afternoon, he was still slumped in the chair, his body rigid with hopelessness. His chest rose and fell sharply, like someone drowning in air. He pressed his hands against his eyes, willing the fear away, but all he felt was the suffocating inevitability of death.
Tears burned behind his eyelids. His lips moved soundlessly.
"Mother…"
And then—
---
The Vision
In the darkness behind his eyes, a voice came. Soft, steady, achingly familiar.
Aamira (whispering): "Beta… don't be afraid."
His breath caught. He opened his eyes, but the room had vanished. He was standing in the woods again—mist rising between the trees, moonlight spilling silver onto the earth. And at the center stood his mother, draped in white, her face pale but gentle.
Her smile trembled with sadness, but her voice was steady.
Aamira: "You must face it, Zayaan. The thing that hunts you… the thing that cursed me… Oakmourne. It will not stop. You cannot run."
Zayaan's throat burned. He wanted to reach for her, to hold her, but his hands only passed through mist.
Zayaan (desperate): "I can't… I'm not strong enough. He's—"
Aamira (firm): "Remember what your sister told you. The truth lies closer than you think. The strength is already with you. Don't forget her words."
The vision wavered. Her figure faded.
Aamira (fading): "You are not alone, beta. You never were."
And then she was gone.
---
Tara's Words
Zayaan jerked awake, breath ragged, tears sliding down his face. His hand clutched the pendant like it was the only thing anchoring him to life.
Kian looked up in alarm.
Kian: "Zayaan? What happened?"
But Zayaan didn't answer. His mind replayed Tara's letter, every word she had written echoing louder now:
"Everyone's secret is dark and lies nearer to you than you think."
The fire that had died in him reignited. He stood abruptly, startling the others. His eyes burned with new intensity as he scanned the room.
And then, without a word, he strode to Nani's bed.
---
The Hidden Letter
The old bed creaked as he crouched, shoving his hands beneath the frame. Dust clung to his fingers. He pulled out blankets, old tins, and a wooden box. Nothing.
And then—folded paper, yellowed with time, pressed flat between the slats.
He yanked it free. His heart pounded as he saw the handwriting. His sister's.
Tara.
His hands trembled as he unfolded it. The others gathered close, silent, their breaths held as he began to read.
---
Tara's Letter
Bhai jaan,
I hope you are well. I came to the city, but you weren't there. Your college is on break. I'm sixteen now, and we shifted abroad. I miss you a lot.
Bhai jaan, I know everything about what is happening. Wizz and Yuwin told me. You must face Oakmourne. He is not what you think. Oakmourne is none other than Nani's brother. Yes. He cursed our mother, made her suffer the cancer that took her. But Ammi was clever—she made a pact with the woods before she died.
She promised them: "My child will be yours. Protect him."
That's why they gave her the pendant. That's why you wear it now. It is not jewelry, it is the binding mark of the woods.
And the Oathkeeper—Bhai jaan, listen—the Oathkeeper is a weapon no one can control. It possesses whoever wields it. That's why Oakmourne was imprisoned. Only when you found the pendant could he begin regaining power. That's why everything has led you back to the village.
But don't be afraid. To fight him, say "Bismillah" seven times. Touch the pendant. It will give you power—the fire, the water, the air. You will be more than him. Stronger than him.
I will return on the night of the full moon.
Wait for me, Bhai jaan.
—Tara
---
The Fury
The paper slipped from Zayaan's fingers as tears blurred his vision. He crushed it against his chest, his body shaking with grief and rage.
When he turned, the room had gone silent. Everyone was staring. Even Nani, who sat in her corner, wringing her hands, unable to meet his eyes.
Zayaan (broken, furious): "You hid this. You knew."
Nani flinched.
Zayaan (roaring): "Tell me EVERYTHING!"
His voice tore through the house, raw and merciless.
Nani closed her eyes, tears streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. Her lips trembled as she finally spoke, her voice cracked and heavy.
Nani (whispering): "It is true. Oakmourne… he is my brother."
The words fell like stones into silence.
Nani: "He was not always a monster. Once, he was a man of faith, of knowledge. But greed poisoned him. He sought power in the woods. He made pacts that no human should ever make. And when your mother refused him—when she resisted—he cursed her. Gave her the slow death of cancer. He hated her for being strong where he was weak."
She broke down, clutching her chest.
Nani (sobbing): "And I… I kept it from you. Because I could not bear for you to know that the monster who hunts you shares our blood."
Zayaan's fists clenched. His heart hammered against his ribs.
Zayaan (low, trembling): "So all this time… all the pain… all the lies… it was family."
Nani bowed her head.
Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. The others stared at Zayaan—Anamika with pity, Kian with worry, Luna with quiet dread.
But Zayaan… Zayaan's tears dried. His eyes hardened.
He looked at Tara's letter again, its words burning into his mind.
"Say Bismillah seven times. Touch the pendant. You will be stronger than him."
His jaw tightened. He rose to his feet, his shadow long against the wall.
Zayaan (cold, resolute): "Then I will end him."