Chapter 16 — The Feast of Shadows
By now, the fort was no longer a place.
It was a predator.
A living wound in the earth.
Its hunger was in the air, in the stone, in their bones.
Arjun could feel it — every breath they took, every step they made, pulled them deeper into something ancient and alive.
Ananya walked ahead silently. Her eyes glowed faint gold.
Her lips moved in whispers only she could hear.
They no longer spoke. Words were a distraction. Trust was gone.
---
The Chamber of the Damned
The corridors twisted. No matter how far they walked, the hallways seemed endless.
The light from their torches bent strangely, casting shadows that moved of their own will.
They entered a chamber unlike any they had seen before.
The air was thick and heavy, smelling of iron and decay.
The floor was littered with strange shapes — broken bones, shattered stone, remnants of something living.
The walls were carved with grotesque images: figures twisted in agony, mouths frozen in silent screams.
The chanting was louder here.
It wasn't outside. It came from inside their heads.
Arjun's recorder crackled, then whispered in a voice he recognized.
> "They hunger… they hunger for the bride…"
Ananya stepped forward. Her fingers traced the carvings.
> "This is the feast. The fort feeds… and we are the feast."
---
Possession Deepens
Arjun tried to stop her.
But she didn't turn to look at him.
Her lips moved in silent prayer.
Her body swayed as though pulled by invisible hands.
The air thickened.
The walls seemed to lean toward them.
A low, guttural whisper filled Arjun's mind:
> "Follow her… follow her…"
The ground beneath them shifted.
A deep sound like stone grinding stone echoed.
Shadows pooled at the edges of the chamber, twisting, forming shapes that felt alive.
Arjun raised his rifle.
But the shapes dissolved before his eyes.
The chanting grew louder inside his skull.
Ananya turned to him, eyes glowing brighter.
> "They hunger, Arjun. And we are chosen."
---
The Feast Begins
They made camp in the chamber.
But rest was impossible.
Shadows crept closer at night.
Whispers filled their dreams.
When they woke, the air smelled of iron and ash.
Arjun dreamt of Riya.
Her voice was faint, pleading:
> "Don't follow her… Arjun… don't follow her…"
He woke to find Ananya standing over him, golden eyes fixed on his face.
Her smile was slow and unnatural.
> "They call us deeper."
The fort groaned.
The shadows writhed.
The feast had begun.
---
End of Chapter 16