A strange unease had settled in the air.
It wasn't just silence.
It was the kind of stillness that felt… alive.
Watching.
Waiting.
Siya slowed down.
Her steps, which had been steady till now, suddenly felt heavy—like an unseen force was pulling her down.
A cold gust of wind brushed across her face.
Not natural.
Not normal.
It carried a faint scent… dhatura… incense… something sacred yet unsettling.
Siya stopped abruptly.
Her eyes widened, scanning the surroundings.
"This is it…" she whispered, her voice trembling for the first time. "We've reached it…"
"Reached what?" Maan asked, confused.
But before Siya could answer—
Her body collapsed.
"SIYA!"
I rushed forward, catching her just in time. Her body felt lifeless in my arms—too light… too cold.
"Siya! Open your eyes!" I shook her gently, panic rising in my voice.
No response.
Her breathing—faint.
Her pulse—weak.
"She's not okay…" my voice cracked. "Her breathing is slowing down!"
Maan stepped back in fear. "What's happening to her?!"
Andy turned in circles, scanning every direction. "She said there would be signs… something related to Shiva… look around!"
The wind picked up again.
Stronger this time.
And then—
A single green leaf floated in the air.
Slow.
Controlled.
Almost… intentional.
It drifted downward and landed near Andy's feet.
He picked it up.
Froze.
"Ali…" his voice dropped to a whisper. "Look at this…"
I turned—
And my expression changed instantly.
"Bilva leaf…"
The realization hit all of us at once.
"This is the sign," I said sharply. "This is it—the hidden gateway to Varanasi. We don't have time. Start the chant. NOW!"
We formed a circle around Siya.
And began—
"Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat…"
Once.
Nothing.
Twice.
The ground trembled slightly.
Third time—
The air shifted.
By the fourth chant, the vibration had become physical.
The sound of Om wasn't just echoing—it was resonating through my bones, my breath, my very existence.
The earth beneath us began to crack.
Light seeped through the cracks.
Golden.
Radiant.
Alive.
The air thickened with energy.
With each chant, the light grew stronger—shaping itself into something unnatural.
A distortion.
A tear in reality.
By the seventh chant—
A gateway stood before us.
Shimmering.
Breathing.
Alive.
Beyond it—
A completely different world.
Green fields.
Blooming flowers.
Soft light.
A fragrance so pure, it felt unreal.
For a moment, I forgot everything.
Forgot the destruction.
Forgot the fear.
It was… peace.
But peace never lasted.
A distant sound broke the moment.
A scream.
Then another.
Then—
Hundreds.
I turned.
My face went cold.
"They found us…"
Maan followed my gaze—
And froze.
Thousands of creatures.
Screevers.
Charging toward us with terrifying speed.
Their bodies twisted, broken… unnatural. Their hollow eyes burned with rage, their mouths open in horrifying, distorted shrieks.
The ground shook under their weight.
"They're coming!" Maan shouted, panic overtaking him.
"GO!" I lifted Siya into my arms. "We don't have time!"
We ran toward the gate.
The chanting grew louder.
Faster.
Desperate.
The vibration of Om expanded outward, forming an invisible barrier—slowing the Screevers down.
But not enough.
They kept coming.
Closer.
Closer.
Too close.
I took one final step—
And suddenly stopped.
Siya's hand.
Something had grabbed it.
A Screever.
Its decayed fingers dug deep into her wrist, its hollow eyes locking onto me.
For a split second—
Time froze.
"No…"
I lunged forward, gripping Siya tightly, pulling her back with everything I had.
"LET HER GO!" I shouted.
The creature screeched.
More Screevers surged forward.
Maan tried to help. "Ali, pull her!"
"I'm trying!" my voice broke with desperation.
But then—
Another force intervened.
A sudden, powerful pull from behind.
I lost my footing.
The world shifted—
And in the next moment—
I was thrown through the gate.
Andy and Maan followed, dragged inside by the same unseen force.
"NO! SIYA'S STILL OUTSIDE!" Maan screamed, trying to go back.
But the gate—
Was closing.
Slowly.
Painfully.
The Om chant now echoed like a war cry, pushing the Screevers back.
I crawled toward the closing gap.
"SIYA!!!"
Through the narrowing opening—
I saw her.
Unconscious.
Helpless.
Surrounded.
The Screevers pulled her away into the darkness.
She didn't move.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even know.
"SIYAAAA!!!"
The gate sealed.
Silence.
Total.
Absolute.
For a long moment—
None of us moved.
None of us spoke.
Maan dropped to his knees.
"No… no… this isn't real…"
Andy slammed his fist into the ground. "We were RIGHT THERE! We could've saved her!"
I stood still.
Completely still.
My eyes fixed on the empty space where the gate had vanished.
My chest rose and fell heavily.
But no sound came out.
Just emptiness.
A deep… hollow emptiness.
And then—
A hand touched my shoulder.
I reacted instantly, turning sharply—
Someone stood behind us.
Tall.
Strong.
A presence that didn't feel human.
His long beard moved slightly with the wind.
His eyes—
Ancient.
Calm.
But powerful beyond measure.
None of us had sensed him.
None of us had heard him arrive.
It was as if—
He had always been there.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice tense.
He didn't answer immediately.
His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon.
Toward the darkness.
Toward where Siya had been taken.
Then, slowly, he spoke—
"You've stepped into something far greater than you understand."
Maan stood up, his voice shaking. "Do you know what happened to her?! Can we bring her back?!"
The man looked at us.
Calm.
Unshaken.
But his next words—
Changed everything.
"They didn't just take her."
A pause.
A breath.
"They chose her."
Silence fell again.
My heart tightened.
"What do you mean…?" I asked.
But deep inside—
A truth was already forming.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't just an attack.
This was planned.
Something far bigger was in motion.
And for the first time—
I felt it.
Not just fear.
But something worse.
The realization—
That Siya wasn't just lost.
She was now part of something far more dangerous.
To be continued… 🔥