Chapter 22 — The Heart of the Fort
They arrived at a colossal hall.
Its ceiling vanished into darkness.
Runes burned gold along the walls.
At the center, an altar pulsed like a living heart.
Shadows writhed around it, whispering.
Ananya stepped toward it without hesitation.
Arjun gripped her arm.
> "We have to leave. Now."
She looked at him with an unnatural smile.
Her golden eyes glowed like molten metal.
> "We cannot. This is where it ends… or begins."
She placed her hand on the altar.
The runes flared brighter.
Arjun felt his mind twist, as though reality itself was folding.
The whispers became screams.
The air thickened.
His heart thundered in his ears.
Suddenly, Ananya's voice changed.
It became colder.
Stranger.
> "You've followed me this far… but now you cannot stop me."
Her hands moved with unnatural speed.
She turned to him, her smile now terrifying.
> "I will finish what the fort began."
Before Arjun could react, she lunged.
End for Chapter 22