Chapter 17 — The Depths of Madness
The air was thick with shadow.
Not just dark, but alive — crawling across the stone walls, curling around their feet.
Every breath was a weight, every step was a question they could not answer.
Arjun had stopped speaking hours ago.
Ananya led the way, her golden eyes glowing faintly.
Her voice no longer sounded entirely her own when she spoke, and she murmured things in a language Arjun didn't understand.
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The Descent
They moved deeper into the fort.
The corridors seemed to stretch endlessly, folding in impossible geometry.
The torchlight warped. The walls whispered.
Arjun could hear them clearly now: voices of the dead.
> "Arjun… follow… follow her…"
He shook his head.
> "It's just my mind… this place is breaking me…"
But deep down, he knew it wasn't just his mind.
The fort was alive.
It was speaking to him.
And it was feeding Ananya.
---
Signs of Possession
Ananya stopped suddenly in a narrow hall.
She traced her fingers over the wall.
Symbols glowed faint gold beneath her touch.
Her eyes widened unnaturally.
She whispered softly:
> "They show me the path… deeper.
We must go deeper."
Arjun stepped forward.
> "No. We can't. This is where the others died."
She smiled faintly, without turning.
> "They are still here… waiting for us."
Her voice was layered — hers, and something else darker beneath it.
---
The Hall of Whispers
They entered another chamber.
The air was heavier here, smelling of rust and decay.
The walls pulsed as if breathing.
Low chanting filled the air, not from the walls, but from inside them.
Arjun felt his heart pounding.
Shadows moved in the corners of his vision.
Figures flickered in and out — faces of the lost, mouths open in silent screams.
Ananya stepped toward the center.
The glow from her eyes intensified.
> "The fort hungers.
We must feed it."
Arjun gripped his rifle tighter.
> "We have to get out. Now."
She didn't answer.
---
Breaking Point
The chanting rose to a deafening roar.
The ground shuddered.
Shadows swirled around them.
Ananya's body convulsed violently.
Her voice rang out in many tones — hers, and others, all at once:
> "The seal must break!"
Arjun shouted.
> "Ananya! Stop this!"
But she walked forward willingly into the pulsing darkness, pulling Arjun after her.
---
End of Chapter 17