The air no longer carried the same fear as before — but neither did it offer any comfort. It was like the cold calm after a wound, carrying within it the quiet promise of another burn to come.
The staircase was now made of crystal, yet every step sent out a symbolic ripple — as if each footfall touched someone else’s memory. As they ascended, a soft, melodic hum filled the air… a song without a source.
Riya was the first to break the silence. “This sound… it’s like a memory is humming to itself.”
Rudrak observed quietly. “This zone won’t just question us — it’ll question our bonds.”
Aarya said nothing. His Granthnishaan still glowed, but it no longer pulsed with hunger — only with a quiet thirst for understanding.
At the top of the stairs, an open chamber awaited — a fusion of natural
