Chapter 9 — The Hall of Whispers
By nightfall, the fort was no longer theirs.
The air carried the weight of unseen breath.
Every step they took echoed differently — sometimes deeper, sometimes higher — as though the stone beneath them was reshaping itself.
They had stopped calling it a camp. It was now a hollow.
No fire burned that night. Only the light of their torches and the faint glow that bled from the cracks in the fort walls.
Arjun led the group, moving toward a sealed passage deep inside the fort — the "Hall of Whispers."
It was the part of the fort no map showed, the part locals spoke of only in hushed tones.
Ananya walked ahead, silent. Her eyes glowed faint gold in the torchlight.
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The Hall
The Hall of Whispers was not a room. It was a cathedral of stone, carved with figures that seemed both human and something else entirely. The walls pulsed faintly, as though breathing.
Every inch of stone was covered with carvings — people in agony, faces twisted in eternal screams, their mouths open in silent prayer. Between them, words written in an ancient tongue glowed softly.
Riya's absence was still a shadow over them.
Kabir broke the silence.
> "This place is wrong. We shouldn't be here."
Arjun's voice was flat.
> "We have to see what's calling us."
As they stepped deeper inside, the chanting began again — faint at first, then growing louder. It came from everywhere at once.
It was in their heads.
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The Whispers
They stopped.
Every torchlight flickered.
The air hummed softly. Then… voices.
Not one voice. Hundreds.
Whispers that spoke in their names.
Not calling them — naming them.
Arjun heard: "Arjun… Arjun…"
Kabir heard: "Kabir… Kabir…"
Sid heard: "Sid… Sid…"
Arjun's blood ran cold.
> "They're in our heads."
Ananya stepped forward.
> "They're calling us. The seal is breaking."
The chanting became a chorus.
The carvings seemed to twist. Figures stepped forward out of the stone — silent, shimmering, their mouths opening in mute screams.
Kabir aimed his rifle.
A figure emerged directly in front of him. It looked like Riya, her face pale and twisted, eyes glowing gold.
She whispered:
> "They want me. Will you let them take you too?"
Before Kabir could fire, she vanished.
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The Breaking Point
Sid dropped his camera, clutching his head.
> "They're… in my head. I can't—"
Ananya fell to her knees, clutching her bracelet.
> "The mark is spreading… He chooses next."
Arjun grabbed her arm.
> "Ananya, fight it!"
Her gaze locked on his.
> "I am fighting. But you will see… the fort doesn't let go."
The chanting became deafening.
They covered their ears.
But the whispers grew louder.
The walls began to bleed shadow.
Kabir shouted:
> "We're leaving. Now."
Arjun shook his head.
> "No. We need to know what's inside before it consumes us."
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The Hall Collapses
Suddenly, the stone beneath them trembled.
A deep rumble echoed through the hall. Dust fell. Carvings cracked and splintered.
Shadows poured from the walls like water.
A voice — deep, old, hungry — spoke from everywhere:
> "The bride returns."
The group staggered back, terror in their eyes.
The Hall of Whispers began to collapse.
They ran.
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The Escape
Outside the hall, the air was still.
The chanting faded, replaced by silence so thick it felt alive.
Arjun looked at his team.
Kabir was pale. Sid's hands trembled. Ananya was silent, staring at the ruins.
No one spoke.
Only the walls whispered their names.
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End of Chapter 9