Chapter -7,8,9,10
1038 Words
Chapter - 7
The Legend of Rudra
According to the villagers, Rudra Giri had once been the capital of a forgotten kingdom.
Its ruler was King Rudradeva.
He was a brilliant warrior.
A ruthless ruler.
And, according to legend, a man who feared death more than anything.
Rudradeva summoned scholars, priests, alchemists and sorcerers from across India.
He wanted immortality.
For years they failed.
Then one night, a wandering ascetic arrived.
He offered the king a ritual.
But the ritual came with a condition.
Rudradeva had to sacrifice seven people who had never committed a sin.
The king agreed.
Seven children were chosen.
The ritual began beneath the fort.
But something went wrong.
The children died.
The king survived.
And instead of becoming immortal...
Rudradeva became something else.
The ascetic disappeared.
The kingdom collapsed.
Thousands died.
The king was supposedly buried beneath the fort.
But the legend said his soul remained trapped between life and death.
Every twenty-seven years, the curse weakened.
Every thirty years, it awakened.
And every time it awakened...
seven people disappeared.
Arjun listened silently.
"Why seven?"
Bhairav looked at him.
"Because seven were sacrificed."
Arjun thought about the dead villager.
"Who are the seven this time?"
Bhairav didn't answer.
Chapter - 8
The Forest
They entered the forest at noon.
The trees were enormous.
Their branches blocked most of the sunlight.
The air became colder as they walked.
Rohan photographed everything.
"Beautiful place."
Meera shook her head.
"It's too quiet."
Kabir noticed it too.
No birds.
No monkeys.
No insects.
Nothing.
After three hours, they found an ancient stone path.
It led deeper into the forest.
Meera examined the stones.
"These are at least a thousand years old."
Vikram nodded.
"Older than the fort."
Arjun noticed something carved into one stone.
A circle.
An eye.
The same symbol from his father's photograph.
He touched it.
Pain exploded through his hand.
He pulled away.
A voice whispered in his ear.
"Arjun."
He turned.
Nobody.
"Did you hear that?"
Everyone looked at him.
"Hear what?"
"My name."
Vikram's expression changed.
"Don't touch the stones."
"Why?"
"Because they're not markers."
"What are they?"
Vikram looked at the symbol.
"Locks."
A sudden c***k echoed through the forest.
Everyone turned.
One of the stone markers had split in half.
Beneath it was a staircase.
Descending into darkness.
Kabir raised his flashlight.
"Well..."
Rohan whispered:
"We found something."
Bhairav stepped backward.
"No."
Kabir looked at him.
"No?"
"We don't go down."
Vikram looked at the staircase.
"We have to."
Bhairav shook his head.
"You don't understand."
He pointed toward the darkness.
"That staircase wasn't there yesterday."
Chapter - 9
The Underground Temple
They descended.
Thirty steps.
Forty.
Fifty.
The staircase continued.
At the bottom was an underground temple.
The walls were covered in carvings.
Seven human figures stood around a giant circular symbol.
In the center was a throne.
And sitting on the throne was a man with his eyes carved out.
Meera examined the inscriptions.
"These aren't Sanskrit."
"What are they?"
"I don't know."
She photographed them.
Then Arjun saw something.
A name.
Written in Telugu.
DEV RAO
His father's name.
"That's my father."
Vikram rushed toward him.
"Where?"
Arjun pointed.
Vikram stared.
His face became pale.
"What?"
Vikram didn't answer.
Arjun grabbed him.
"What does it mean?"
Vikram finally spoke.
"Your father wasn't studying the fort."
"What?"
"He was studying the curse."
Arjun stepped backward.
"And?"
Vikram looked at the throne.
"He wasn't trying to stop it."
"What was he doing?"
"He was trying to become one of the seven."
The temple went silent.
Then they heard footsteps.
Behind them.
One.
Two.
Three.
Someone was walking down the staircase.
Kabir raised his weapon.
"Who's there?"
No answer.
The footsteps stopped.
Rohan pointed his camera toward the staircase.
"There's someone."
The camera screen showed a tall figure.
Standing at the top.
But when they looked directly at the staircase...
nothing was there.
Rohan slowly lowered the camera.
"What the hell?"
The camera screen suddenly changed.
The figure was now standing behind Arjun.
Rohan screamed.
Arjun turned.
Nothing.
Then the temple doors slammed shut.
Chapter - 10
Seven Names
The doors wouldn't open.
Kabir pushed.
Nothing.
Vikram searched the walls.
Meera examined the carvings.
Nisha tried the hinges.
Nothing worked.
Then Arjun noticed seven names appearing on the wall.
One by one.
The first:
SURYA
The second:
MEERA
Meera froze.
The third:
ROHAN
Rohan dropped his camera.
The fourth:
NISHA
Nisha began trembling.
The fifth:
KABIR
Kabir looked at Vikram.
The sixth:
VIKRAM
Everyone became silent.
Only one space remained.
The seventh name had not appeared.
Arjun stared at the empty space.
Then letters slowly formed.
ARJUN
The lights went out.
A voice spoke from the darkness.
"Seven have returned."
A bell rang.
DONG.
The stone throne cracked.
A hand emerged from beneath it.
Then another.
Someone began climbing out.
Vikram whispered:
"No..."
A figure rose from the darkness.
Ancient clothes.
Long black hair.
Skin like dried ash.
Eyes completely black.
The dead king.
Rudradeva.
He looked at Arjun.
And smiled.
"Son."
Arjun couldn't breathe.
The king raised one hand.
Behind him, the stone wall opened.
Inside stood a man.
Older.
Thin.
Covered in dust.
Arjun recognized him immediately.
His father.
Dev Rao.
Alive.
Arjun whispered:
"Dad?"
Dev Rao looked at him.
Tears filled his eyes.
Then he screamed:
"RUN!"
The king turned toward him.
And broke his neck.
Arjun screamed.
The temple filled with darkness.
And the seventh bell began to ring.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
DONG.
Then a final whisper came from behind Arjun.
"Now the hunt begins."
End of Part 1
The Story Continues
The next parts will reveal:
Why Arjun's father remained alive for thirty years
The real identity of Rudradeva
What the seven sacrifices actually created
Why children disappear from Devagiri village
The secret beneath Rudra Giri Fort
The connection between Arjun's birth and the curse
Who among the expedition members is secretly working for Rudradeva
The meaning of the mysterious seventh bell
The terrifying truth behind the photograph
The final chamber beneath the fort
Why escaping the fort may be more dangerous than entering it
The final confrontation between Arjun and Rudradeva
A twist that changes the meaning of everything that happened
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