Eternal Hunt

The Curse of Namah

After a short walk through the shadows, Aadi and Shreya arrived at the small, weathered house of the caretaker. Outside, the old man was busy tending to a small fire. The orange flames flickered against his wrinkled face, casting long, dancing shadows against the stone walls.

Seeking warmth and answers, Aadi and Shreya sat down beside him. At first, the conversation was light and casual. To their surprise, the Chowkidar was quite welcoming; he spoke with a calm, gentle nature and answered their questions without hesitation.

He told them about his life at the palace, explaining that he had lived there alone for many years.

Shreya looked around at the towering trees pressing in from the darkness and shivered. "Don’t you ever feel afraid?" she asked softly. "Living all alone in the middle of this jungle, with only this old palace for company?"

The Chowkidar looked into the heart of the fire, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. "Fear is for those who don't belong here, bitiya," he replied.

Curious about the rumors she had heard, Shreya began to question the old man. "Uncle, they say these forests are dangerous. So many people have gone missing... have you heard anything about that?"

The Chowkidar poked the fire with a stick, the embers glowing. "Yes, child. There are dangerous predators in these woods; someone must have fallen prey to them. But I’ve never encountered such things myself. Besides, I’m just a lonely old man—whether I live or die, who would truly care?"

Aadi leaned in, his eyes fixed on the palace silhouette. "Uncle, who did this palace belong to?"

"It belonged to a Maharaja and his Maharani," the Uncle replied. "They loved each other deeply. They built this separate palace deep in the jungle, away from their kingdom, just so they could spend their private moments together. Their love was legendary."

"So, what is their story?" Shreya asked, leaning closer.

"It’s the same old story, child," the Uncle sighed. "True love always has enemies, and theirs was no different."

"Who was the enemy?"

"That, I do not know. But someone’s jealousy led to a dark curse. They say the Maharani fell deathly ill because of black magic. To break the spell and save his beloved, the Maharaja sacrificed his own life. They say his soul still wanders these halls, restless and unable to find peace."

Aadi quickly pulled out the mysterious journal and showed it to the Uncle. "Can you read this?"

The Uncle squinted at the pages and shook his head. "No... this is a very strange language."

Aadi then showed him the photo of the symbols carved into the palace walls. While the Uncle couldn't read the script fluently, he remembered the verses his father had made him memorize by heart. Looking at the patterns, the Uncle spoke solemnly:

"I cannot read these lines, but I know their meaning. This palace is a monument of love. It says: 'The love of Namahesh for his Rani Ishani shall remain immortal, and this palace shall stand for ages to come.'"

Aadi recorded everything the Uncle said, capturing every bit of data. Suddenly, Shreya’s phone rang, breaking the eerie silence. Realizing how late it was, the two of them hurried back to their tents.

When Shreya finally slipped back into the tent, she was startled to find Kartik and Piya locked in a deep, passionate kiss. Lost in the moment, they didn't even notice her at first. Shreya quickly cleared her throat and woke them from their trance, telling Kartik firmly that it was time to head back to his own tent. Piya looked disappointed, her face clouded with a touch of sadness, but she didn’t try to stop him from leaving.

Once they were alone, Piya and Shreya stayed up for a while, whispering and sharing their thoughts about the night’s strange events.

Meanwhile, back in his tent, Aadi was far from sleep. He used an AI translation tool on his phone to analyze the photos of the symbols he had taken at the palace. Slowly, the script began to reveal its secrets. Fragmented messages started to decode on his screen, hinting at a truth far older than the ruins themselves.

But before he could dive deeper, the group called everyone back to the bonfire.

The atmosphere was lively. Students were laughing, eating, and drinking, enjoying the freedom of the trip. Aadi took charge of the grill, preparing seasoned chicken for everyone. The girls couldn't help but stare, impressed by his confidence and skill—but Shreya’s gaze was different. She looked at him with a sense of deep trust and admiration.

Her surprise grew even more when Aadi started making perfectly round rotis over the fire. Is there anything this guy can't do? she wondered, completely shocked by how well he could cook.

The laughter and teasing continued until, abruptly, the mood of the night shifted. The weather turned sour within seconds. A violent, icy wind began to howl through the trees, whipping up dust and embers from the fire.

The fun was over. Realizing the danger, everyone scrambled to grab their food and belongings, rushing back to the safety of their tents. The wind grew even more aggressive, shaking the canvas of the tents with a primal force. It felt as if the jungle itself was screaming—as if something inevitable was destined to happen before the sun rose.

One of the boys from the group stepped away from the campsite to relieve himself. Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down his spine—he felt a presence looming behind him. The moment he turned around, an invisible force snatched him, dragging him deep into the dark heart of the jungle. He let out a piercing scream, but the howling wind was so violent that it drowned out his cries. No one at the camp could move; the storm had them trapped.

It was Namah. He stood there, eyes glowing a predatory red, consumed by a bloodlust that erased every trace of his human emotions. He had the boy pinned; the poor student was paralyzed with terror, unable to fight back against the sheer power radiating from Namah.

Then, with a sickening crack, Namah used a burst of supernatural force to snap the boy’s neck, ending his life instantly. What followed was a scene of pure horror.

Namah’s body began to distort and grow, his size increasing as his jaw unhinged, stretching unnaturally wide. Like a true apex predator, he began to consume the body—tissues, organs, bone, and blood. It was a brutal, visceral feast. Namah devoured every single bit of him until not a trace of the boy remained.

As he finished, blood dripped from Namah’s mouth. His body began to shrink back to its human form, looking refreshed and surging with dark energy. His friend stood in the shadows, watching the entire scene, trembling with a fear he couldn't hide. Even though he knew Namah’s secret, seeing the literal consumption of a human being was more than he could bear.

Namah wiped the blood from his face, feeling revitalized. Without a word of remorse, he began walking toward Shreya’s tent. Meanwhile, his friend stayed behind, frantically moving to erase any evidence of the slaughter before the sun came up.