Chapter 15 — The Bride's Call
By now, Bhangarh Fort had ceased to be a place.
It was a living nightmare.
A breathing, whispering tomb.
It no longer hid its hunger — it fed on fear, on flesh, on souls.
Arjun and Ananya moved toward the central altar deep in the fort, their steps slow, weighed down by exhaustion and terror.
The air was thick, metallic.
The chanting was deafening now — a chorus of names and broken prayers.
There was no light.
Only the glow of the carvings.
And the hum of something waiting.
---
The Calm Before the End
Ananya walked ahead silently, her golden eyes glowing.
Arjun followed, his rifle ready, but his hands trembling.
They entered the chamber — the Hall of the Bride.
At its center, the altar pulsed with light.
Around it, shadows moved like living water.
Faces formed within them — faces of those who were gone: Riya, Sid, Kabir, Dev.
They called Arjun's name.
Arjun swallowed hard.
> "We end this tonight," he said quietly to himself.
Ananya stopped and turned.
Her voice was layered — her own voice, and another:
> "One remains. And one will fall."
Arjun didn't answer.
---
The Second Death
They stepped closer to the altar.
The chanting rose into a roar.
The shadows surged forward.
Ananya screamed — a scream that was not hers.
Her body twisted violently.
The golden glow in her eyes spread, bathing the chamber in light and shadow.
Arjun fired his rifle blindly.
The shots rang hollow.
The shadows moved faster.
Kabir's voice echoed again — though Kabir was gone.
> "Run, Arjun… run."
Then it happened.
A shadow broke free of the walls and lunged at Arjun.
It struck Ananya first.
Her body went limp, eyes wide with terror.
A sound — unnatural, deep — echoed in the hall.
Ananya collapsed.
Arjun fired again.
But the shadows were all around now.
Kabir's voice whispered in his ear.
> "It's your turn now."
A shadow wrapped around Kabir's shape — though Kabir was not there.
A scream filled the chamber.
When the light faded, Kabir was gone.
Only Arjun, breathing heavily, remained standing.
Beside him… a trembling figure emerged from the shadows.
It was not human.
It was glowing gold.
Riya's voice came — faint, distant:
> "He calls… and answers."
The fort itself groaned.
The chanting became endless.
---
The Aftermath
By dawn, three remained:
Arjun.
Ananya.
And the trembling figure.
The fort was quiet again.
Too quiet.
The air still hummed softly.
The walls pulsed like a heartbeat.
Arjun knew the truth.
The fort was not done with them.
It never would be.
And somewhere deep in the darkness, the whisper came again:
> "The bride returns."
---
End of Chapter 15